Truly Madly Yours

They took off their wet, frozen boots by the door, and she suggested he build a fire in the parlor while she moved to the kitchen and made Irish coffee. When she returned ten minutes later, she found him standing before the traditional hearth, staring at the portrait of Henrys mother hanging above the mantel. There was only a slight resemblance between Alva Morgan Shaw and her only grandson. Nick looked out of place among his ancestral trappings. His own home suited him much better, exposed beams and river rock and soft fla

“What do you think? she asked as she set a glass tray on the sideboard.

“About what?

She pointed to the picture of Henrys mother, whod relocated to the capital city long before Delaneys arrival in Truly. Henry had taken Gwen and Delaney to visit the old woman several times a year until shed died in 1980, and as far as Delaney could remember, the portrait was quite flattering. Alva had been a tall ski

Nick cocked his head to one side. “I think Im glad I favor my mothers side, and youre lucky you were adopted.

“Dont hold back. Delaney laughed. “Tell me what you really think.

Nick turned to look at her and wondered what she would do if he told her. He ran his gaze over her blond hair and big brown eyes, the arch of her brow and her pink lips. Hed been thinking about a lot of things lately, things that would never happen, things it was best not to think about. Things like waking up with Delaney every morning for the rest of his life and watching her hair turn gray. “Im thinking the old man is pretty happy with himself just about now.

She handed him a mug, then raised her own and blew into it. “How do you figure that?

He took a mouthful of the coffee and felt the whiskey burn clear to his stomach. He liked the feeling. It reminded him of her.

“Henry didnt want us to be together.

He wondered if he should tell her the truth, and decided why the hell not. “Youre wrong. He wanted us to end up together. Thats why youre stuck here in Truly. Not to keep your mother company. The creases in her forehead told him she didnt believe him for a minute. “Trust me on this.

“Okay, why?

“You really want to know?

“Yes.

“All right. A few months before he died, he offered me everything. He said hed have to leave a little something to Gwen, but hed leave everything else to me if I gave him a grandchild. He would have cut you out completely. He paused before he added, “I told him to go to hell.

“Why would he do that?

“I guess he figured a bastard son was better than no son, and if I dont have children, then all that superior Shaw blood dies with me.

She frowned and shook her head. “Okay, but that doesnt have anything to do with me.

“Sure it does. He reached for her free hand and pulled her closer. “Its crazy, but he thought, because of what happened out at Angel Beach, I was in love with you. He rubbed the back of her knuckles with his thumb.

Her gaze searched his face then she looked away. “Youre right. Its crazy.

He dropped her hand. “If you dont believe me, ask Max. He knows all about it. He drafted the will.

“It still doesnt make a lot of sense. Its so risky, and Henry was too controlling to leave this to chance. I mean, what if Id married before he died? He could have lived for years, and in the meantime, I could have become a nun or something.

“Henry killed himself.

“No way. She shook her head again. “He loved himself too much to do something like that. He loved being a big fish in a small pond.

“He was dying of prostate cancer and only had a few months to live anyway.

Her mouth fell open a little, and she blinked several times. “No one told me. Her brows scrunched together, and she rubbed the side of her neck. “Does my mother know any of this?

“She knows about his cancer and the suicide.

“Why didnt she tell me?

“I dont know. Youll have to ask her.

“This sounds so bizarre and controlling that the more I think about it, the more it sound just like something Henry would do.

“The ends always justified the means with him, and everything had a price. He turned back to the fire and took a drink. “The will was his way of controlling everyone even after he was gone.

“You mean he used me to control you.

“Yes.

“And you hate him for it.

“Yes. He was a son of a bitch.

“Then I dont understand. She came to stand beside him and he could hear the confusion in her voice. “Why are you here tonight? Why havent you avoided me?

“I tried. He set his mug on the mantel and stared into the flames. “But its not that easy. Henry was right about one thing, he knew I wanted you. He knew I would want you despite the risk.

Several long moments of silence stretched between them, then she asked, “Why are you here now—tonight? Weve been together.

“Its not over. Not yet.

“Why risk it again?

Why was she pushing him? If she wanted the answer, hed give it to her, but he doubted shed like it much. “Because Ive thought about you naked and willing since you were about thirteen or fourteen. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Since the time Louie and I were out at the public beach with a few friends, and you were there, too, with some other girls. I dont remember them, just you. You had on a shiny swimming suit the color of green apples. It was one piece and by no stretch of the imagination skimpy, but it had a zipper up the front that drove me crazy. I remember watching you talking with your friends and listening to music, and I couldnt take my eyes off that zipper. That was the first time I noticed your breasts. They were small and pointed and all I could think about was pulling down that zipper so I could see them, so I could look at the changes in your body. I got so hard, I hurt, and I had to lie on my stomach so no one would see I had a Ponderosa-sized woody.

“That night when I went home, I fantasized about crawling in your bedroom window. I fantasized that I watched you sleep with your blond hair all fa

“I was sixteen and knew more than I should have about sex. You were young and naive and didnt know anything. You were the princess of Truly, and I was the mayors illegitimate son. I wasnt good enough to kiss your feet, but that didnt stop me from wanting you so much my guts ached. I could have called one of a number of girls I knew, but I didnt. I wanted to fantasize about you. He took another deep breath. “You probably think Im a pervert.

“Yes, she softly laughed. “A Ponderosa-sized pervert.

He looked across his shoulder at the amusement in her big brown eyes. “You arent mad?

She shook her head.

“You dont think Im sick as hell? Hed often wondered about that himself.

“Actually, Im flattered. I guess every woman likes to imagine that at some time in her life theres been at least one man out there fantasizing about her.

She didnt know the half of it. “Yeah, well, I thought about you from time to time.

She turned to him and reached for the button on the front of his shirt. “Ive thought about you, too.

Beneath his lids, he watched her white hands against red fla

“Since Ive been back. She pulled the ends of his shirt from his jeans. “Last week I thought about this. She leaned forward and brushed her tongue across his flat nipple. It hardened like leather, and he plowed his fingers through the sides of her hair.