Love for All Seasons by Stacy Henrie

Author:Stacy Henrie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Published: 2016-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

He’d never felt so warm. Sweat dripped into Bram’s eyes and down his neck as he placed another wet sack on his store’s roof. In the light from the nearby fire, he could see Tempest’s damp hair clinging to her temples. Across the street her roof resembled a patchwork quilt with its hodgepodge of color and cloth.

“That’s the last one,” she announced, resting back on her heels. “Do you think it will do the trick?”

“I hope so.” Bram pushed out a sigh. His muscles felt cramped and sore from kneeling on a second rooftop, but he didn’t regret his decision to help Tempest with her store first. The thought of her losing her mercantile and disappearing from his life had prompted his decision earlier. If he lost his store, so be it. He wouldn’t stand by and see Tempest lose hers too.

“What do we do now, Bram?”

He eyed the blazing rooftops down the street. “We wait . . . and we pray.”

A hint of a smile lifted her lips. “I’ve been doing the second one already.”

“Me too,” he admitted with a half smile of his own. “We probably ought to get down.” Offering her his hand, he guided her to the edge of the roof, where he’d placed his ladder in the alley beside his store.

Tempest climbed down first and he followed. “I think we work quite well together.” She gestured to the roof above.

Her words matched the thoughts he’d had since she’d been sick. “We do.”

Bram reached out and rubbed a smudge of ash from her cheek. There was no one else he preferred working beside like this. Or talking to. Or laughing with. No other woman he loved like this.

He’d come to a decision just the day before to ask Tempest to partner with him and join their stores. If she didn’t love him as he did her, then he would accept a marriage of convenience with her and hope in time his feelings would be shared.

“What is it?” She studied him, her head cocked to the side.

Lifting his hand to cup her neck, he tugged her gently forward. “You are beautiful, Tempest,” he murmured, “inside and out. And I would very much like to kiss you.”

“Then I think you should,” she murmured.

His timing might be off, given the fire and the fact that their stores might not survive, but he didn’t want to wait another moment without giving her a glimpse into his feelings. He captured her lips and poured his gratitude and love into the kiss. And Tempest ardently kissed him back.

A cry from beyond the alley had him stepping back. Bram saw a man gesturing toward the fire. Was it in relief or terror?

“Come on,” he said, reaching for her hand again. “Let’s see what else we can do to help.”

They emerged onto the street to see the fire’s greediness had slowed, though not stopped altogether. “We can assist with one of the bucket brigades,” Tempest said. Bram nodded agreement.

For what felt like several more hours, they passed buckets up the line.

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