Kiss Me If You Dare by Nicole Young

Author:Nicole Young
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780800731595
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2009-02-01T10:00:00+00:00

22

Puppa’s home overlooking Silvan Bay appeared about the same in December as it had last March. It was too early for fishing shanties on the bay beyond the house, but another week or two of cold and they’d spring up like a village on the ice.

Unlike the warm aura of Christmas we’d found at my lodge, Puppa’s house looked cold and lonely. Two stories of gray shakes and white trim on the wraparound porch seemed dingy in the dull afternoon light. Not even the red steps and colorful stained-glass panels surrounding the front door could offset the home’s dismal spirit.

Puppa pulled the truck into the detached garage and turned off the engine. Neither of us moved. Perhaps we both dreaded the inevitable conversation to come. With a sigh for strength, I pushed open my door. He did the same. He closed the garage door behind us and we started toward the house.

A whinny from the barnyard stopped me in my tracks.

I faced the corral. “Goldilocks!”

In a moment I was hurdling the snowdrifts toward the horse Puppa had given me that spring. At the fence, I clung to her furry head, breathing against her soft muzzle.

“There’s my pretty pony. How are you, my Heaven Hills Gold?”

My grandfather joined me. “She recognized you. Even in that ridiculous wig.”

“You know who loves you, don’t you, girl?” I said in baby talk as I rubbed Goldie’s ear. I rested my face against hers. “It’s so good to be back. I missed my pony.” I laughed. “And Puppa. And Great-gram. And Gerard. What’s he up to these days, anyway?”

Puppa just kept looking at me like he couldn’t believe I was standing in his barnyard, cootchy-cooing my horse.

I went to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I love you. Wow, is it good to be home.”

He squeezed me to him like he wouldn’t let me go. “I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost you.”

The pain in his voice triggered more tears from my eyes. I’d driven out of the driveway in Brad’s SUV seven months ago to avoid my own personal pain . . . what pain? Nothing could have hurt back then as bad as the pain of seeing my grandfather crying today.

His shoulders heaved in silent misery. I held on to him, not sure who was comforting whom. My socks were wet with melted snow and my bare hands were turning numb. I pulled away.

“Come on. Let’s get inside. I’ll make you and Grandma Olivia a cup of tea.”

He followed me into the mudroom. We hung our coats and stacked our shoes in a neat row. I couldn’t help but notice ours were the only two pair. Joel must have taken the overload of coats and boots with him to my lodge.

I walked up the steps to the kitchen. The house felt abandoned. A pile of dirty dishes sat to one side of the sink, waiting for attention. I scurried to fill the teapot with water. I set it on the stove and turned the burner to high.

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