They slowed, calmed while she caught her breath. Her hands were light touches, caressing his shoulders and back while she drifted in paradise.
When he rolled over, taking her with him, he kissed her tenderly. There was still enough glow from embers to reflect on Zach and she touched his cheek lightly. “The doctor said your foot is healed, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did,” Zach said, smiling. “I can toss this boot and wear my shoes. My own boots have to wait a while, but eventually, I can wear them.”
“So my job ends this week. Christmas is coming and I wanted off anyway.”
“I’ll be gone for Christmas, but I’ll come back afterwards and that’s when I’m taking you out. I’d stay if you’d stay with me for a few weeks, but you’ll want to be home for Christmas.”
“Yes, I will,” she said, hurting, even though she had known this time was approaching.
“I’ll be in touch with you,” he said. Glancing over his shoulder, he shifted away to stand and put another log on the fire. He returned to pull her close against him, warm body against warm body as he wrapped his legs with hers.
He combed her long hair away from her face with his fingers. Tingles followed each stroke and she could feel their hearts beating together.
“This is paradise, Emma.”
How she longed to hear him say words of love. Common sense told her that would not happen, but wishes and dreams came with his strong arms holding her and his light kisses making her feel loved.
All were illusions that would disappear with the morning sun. For now she could pretend, wish, hope, give herself to fantasies that normally she wouldn’t entertain for a minute.
She kissed him lightly in return.
The fire crackled and burned, causing dancing dark shadows and bathing Zach’s body in orange.
“You’re very quiet,” he said.
“I’m savoring the moment.”
“I’m savoring holding you close. Sometime tonight we’ll get in a bed, but not yet.”
Eventually, they gathered their clothing and each went to shower. They put away the dinner Rosie had cooked and made sandwiches to eat in front of the fire and sat and talked until Zach stood and took her hand.
“Let’s go upstairs and I’ll build a fire in my room. I can do stairs now with ease.” He placed his arm across her shoulders as they climbed the stairs, leading her down the hall to his suite of rooms where he took her into his arms to kiss her.
Wednesday, she gave all her time to the letters. Zach’s work had dwindled as Christmas approached, so since Thanksgiving she had devoted her time to trying to get through as many of the letters and memorabilia as she could.
She hoped someone else in the Delaney family wanted the letters because the few she had read to Zach and the ones he had read himself had not changed his feelings about them. He always sent them to the discard pile.
By Friday, the tension from being constantly around him—loving him, but not able to make him truly hers—was greater than ever. Today would change everything. Today she would return to Dallas, to her life before meeting Zach. Even though he had talked about seeing her after Christmas, she didn’t expect to see Zach again.
Early that morning Rosie cooked while Emma ate breakfast. Halfway through breakfast, Emma felt sick and dashed to the bathroom. When she returned, she carried what was left of her breakfast back to the kitchen.
“Rosie, I can’t eat any more. I felt sick and now food doesn’t look good.”
Rosie turned to study her while she dried her hands and took the dishes from Emma. “You were sick yesterday morning.”
Emma looked at Rosie and met a speculative gaze. “My period is late,” Emma said, confessing what had been worrying her each day. “I shouldn’t be sick no matter what, but I am.”
“Bless your heart,” Rosie said, hugging Emma lightly. Emma stood immobile, stunned. Fear had blossomed earlier over a week ago. She had pushed away the nagging worry, telling herself it was her imagination. But it was too many days now for it to be her imagination. Two days in a row, she had been sick during breakfast and then it was gone.
“Rosie, I have two married sisters and a sister-in-law. They all have babies. I’ve seen both my sisters have morning sickness.” Emma felt chilled and trembled. “Rosie, this wasn’t in my plans.”
“You don’t know for certain, do you?”
“No. I’ll get a pregnancy test this weekend when I go to Dallas. I already have a doctor’s appointment for next week.”
Rosie placed her hands on her hips while she faced Emma. “Then don’t start worrying now. The stomach upset might be something you ate and your period could start tomorrow. How late are you?”
“A week now.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “That’s not enough to give you a worry. A few days is nothing. Wait a few weeks.”
Emma nodded, but she was not reassured. “I’m extremely on time almost to the hour, so this is unique.” Suddenly, to the depths, she was certain she was pregnant with Zach’s baby. Her head swam and for an instant she felt light-headed. She reached out to grasp the kitchen counter to steady herself. Rosie’s hand closed on her arm.
“Are you all right?”
Rosie’s expression showed concern that threatened panic. “Rosie, promise me—please don’t say anything yet until I know for sure.”
“I would never. Don’t give it another worry. That’s not my business and I don’t interfere in something like this. I’ll not say anything.” Rosie’s brow furrowed and her eyes were filled with concern.
“I don’t panic over things, but I feel panicky over this. I feel so out of control.”
“Wait until you’ve seen a doctor and know absolutely,” Rosie said, but her voice held only solicitude.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Emma whispered, more to herself than Rosie.
“Some things are just out of our hands,” Rosie declared. “Go back to your room and lie down if you need to.” She took Emma’s icy hand in her soft, warm hands, briefly and then released her. “You have a big, loving family. They’ll take care of you and a little one.”
A little one. Emma shook and clenched her hands. Rosie hadn’t said a word about Zach being helpful. Was this going to be a huge shock—and an unpleasant one for him? Would it be a responsibility he didn’t want? He had talked about how unprepared Will had been for Caroline. On the other hand, Zach seemed to truly care for Caroline and he had been a wreck when they couldn’t find her. Of all men on earth—”I’m going to my room if he comes asking for me,” she said, suddenly wanting to get behind closed doors and adjust to what was happening before she faced another person. “This is my last day. He doesn’t need to know until I’m sure.”
“I promise. You have your secret,” Rosie said, nodding and going back to doing dishes.
Emma hurried out and raced out of sight, rushing to her room where she crossed the room to place her hands on her flat middle. “I can’t be,” she whispered.
In her dressing room she studied herself in the mirror, turning first one way and another. She had watched two sisters and a sister-in-law go through pregnancies. She looked in the mirror, running her hands over