Page 154 of The Defiant Curse

As the horse paused, lifting his head, Ethan knew he’d scented someone.

They weren’t alone.

At first, he thought it might be Michael or Graham. Only, Hamlet kept going, and as they moved through the mist, he whinnied at something.

That’s when he saw the figure.

Oh, and his whole being knew who it was. The heart knew the person who was instrumental in teaching him to love again.

There.

She.

Was.

Walking the grounds, it was clear that his wife had returned from shopping, and he was about to come face-to-face with her.

And that face was carefully blank.

Oh, Ethan realized when she knew it was him, and she came to a complete stop.

He saw her guard go up, as she braced for some sort of emotional barrage.

Did he blame her?

NO.

He’d earned that wariness.

Now, he’d see how receptive she was to seeing him. Again, he was letting her make the decision on if he stayed or went. For now, seeing her safe and okay made him relax.

Getting off of the horse, he stood beside Hamlet, and he thought back to when he’d run from Gene. When he showed up, he did one thing, and that broke the ice.

So, Ethan did the same.

Instead of speaking, he opened his arms for her, giving her the opportunity to make up her own mind.

And that was all he had to do.

His gorgeous wife, her hair whipping around her and her long skirt flapping in the breeze, ran at him, full speed.

In that moment, he knew they’d be okay. There was no doubt that she’d not expected him to be there, and he was glad. Now, he could heal the damage he’d done and try to find them again.

Because they began this all years ago in Salem.

So, they’d work through this.

As she crashed into him, he held up under the hit, and caught the woman he loved.

THE ONLY woman he’d loved other than his mother.

Their mouths met, and the kiss…

It said it all.

She had tears on her cheeks, and he was so very sorry that he’d put them there by making her feel so alone. She was anything but, yet, he understood the burden was weighing her down.

For once, she needed someone to carry it for her as she walked beside them.