Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
GENEVIEVE’S PACE WAS brISK as she followed the winding trail through the woods toward the Glass Chapel. Willow had called her first thing that morning with the exciting news that the chapel was wedding-ready, and they’d arranged to meet there at ten. Genevieve was excited to see the final product. She hadn’t been out to check on progress for more than a month.
She’d been a busy little beaver ever since Founder’s Day. Her youngest, Brooke, had spent ten days in June with Genevieve in Lake in the Clouds. She and her daughter had split their time between playing tourist and enjoying family activities with Helen, Willow, Noah, and the kids. After Brooke departed, Genevieve and Helen spent a few days prepping for their booth at the town’s upcoming Christmas in July market. Genevieve had scheduled to spend part of the last week of June up at the Triple T, tackling the redecorating project Gage had requested. Unfortunately, she’d come down with a summer virus and spent three days at home in bed instead of up at the ranch with Gage. By the time she’d recovered, he’d been off on a cattle-buying trip. She’d then traveled to Texas to visit with her sons prior to the family’s traditional July Fourth gathering at the Prentice family lake house.
She did have a lunch date with Gage today. He was supposed to call her sometime this morning to arrange when and where they’d meet.
The path made a turn, and Genevieve spied the chapel. Her breath caught.
Nestled among the white-barked stand of aspens and built in the long, narrow style of a small country church, the Glass Chapel was an enchanting blend of tradition and modern design. Genevieve approached smiling, enchanted by the way the sunlight filtered through the towering trees, danced and refracted through the transparent walls.
Willow and Zach Throckmorton, Gage’s eldest son, spied her approach and exited the building. Genevieve called to her daughter. “Oh, Willow. It’s fabulous. Truly fabulous. Congratulations. This is wonderful.”
“Zach is the guy who made it happen,” her daughter responded. “Zach and our architect.”
“It was your vision, Willow,” Zach said as he joined them, a toolbox in hand. “Punch list is completed, boss. I think we’re officially done.”
“Excellent,” Willow said. “If you’d like, after I give Mom a tour, we can meet up at the office, and I’ll write you a check.”
“Works for me. Although, I’m expecting a tourist, myself, shortly. I invited Dad to come see the finished product.”
“He and I have lunch plans for today,” Genevieve said. “I was going to suggest Cloudwiches, but maybe we’ll eat up at the lodge’s restaurant. Helen tells me the new salads Kelly has added to the menu are excellent.”
Willow nodded. “They are wonderful. If you have lunch at the inn, you’ll likely be there when our bride arrives.”
Genevieve frowned. “We don’t have a wedding this weekend, do we?”
“No. Zoey Hillcrest is on her way to town. She’s making a special trip to see the Glass Chapel, and she’s due to arrive sometime this morning. I offered the chapel to her and Cooper for their wedding if they’d like it. They’d be our first.”
“Oh, I love that. They’re the sweetest couple. Will her fiancé be with her?”
“No. It’s just her and her dog.” She glanced toward the path and added, “Shall we wait for Gage to begin the tour?”
Zach shook his head. “Y’all go on. Dad will be interested in different things than you, Genevieve. He’ll want to see nuts and bolts, and you are all about aesthetics.”
“True,” Genevieve said with a laugh. “You’ve built enough things for me by now that you know how I think.”
Willow looped her arm through her mother’s. “C’mon, Mom. Let me show off my summer baby.”
“As opposed to your winter baby,” Genevieve observed, nodding toward her daughter’s little baby bump. Both women were smiling when Willow led Genevieve to the chapel’s front doors, opened them, and stepped inside with her mother. Although truth be told, it felt like they remained outside.
The minimalist design allowed the interior to flow to the exterior. The gently bowed roof mimicked the arch of tree branches. The woods provided art for the walls. Simple wooden pews sat on a hardwood floor, and at the front of the chapel, a plain wooden altar stood on a raised stone section. Genevieve’s gaze settled on the pair of clear glass vases on the altar that contained wildflowers likely picked from the field at Willow’s home. Genevieve recognized the glass artist’s work. “Those vases are a Cicero design, aren’t they?”
“Good eye.” Willow pointed upward, calling Genevieve’s attention to the light fixtures. “He did those, too. They sparkle like fairy lights.”
“This is just spectacular, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you. The Glass Chapel will be one of the most beautiful wedding venues in Colorado. I can’t wait to see a wedding here. I hope Zoey chooses to move their ceremony.”
“Me, too.” Willow next showed Genevieve the bridal party prep suites hidden from the view of the chapel by a stand of trees. When they returned from exploring those, Genevieve discovered that Gage had arrived and toured the chapel.
He was dressed in jeans and a blue chambray shirt that complemented and deepened the color of his crystalline blue eyes. He wore a white straw Resistol cowboy hat and a pair of snakeskin boots. Upon seeing Genevieve, he gave that slow, sexy smile that always made her heart go pit-a-pat . “Hello, Genevieve. You are a sight for sore eyes. Welcome home. How was Texas?”
“Thank you. I’m glad to be back. Texas was hot, but good family time.”
He strode over to her, took her hand, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Looks like our kiddos hit a home run with this chapel. It’s a special place.”
“Isn’t it?”
Willow glanced down at her watch, and Genevieve watched her read a text. “Zoey is half an hour away. I need to go. We’re totally booked for the week, and I’m praying for a last-minute cancellation. Otherwise, I’m going to have to put her in the Honeymoon Cottage, and I hate to do that. The first time she stays there should be their wedding night.”
Genevieve frowned. “Oh, I agree.”
“I called around town, and there’s not a room to be had for tomorrow.”
Genevieve tilted her head and thought about it. “Why don’t you check with Helen? The visitor’s apartment at her condo complex might be open.”
“Ooh, good idea, Mom.” Willow gave Genevieve a hug, then said, “I should second Gage’s comment. Welcome home. We missed you. Gage, nice to see you this morning.”
“Right back at you, sweetheart.”
“I’ll come with you,” Zach said. “I promised Kelly I’d take a look at a door that’s sticking.” He picked up his toolbox and a jacket he’d left at the base of a tree, then followed Willow on the trail into the woods that led back toward the inn.
Gage grinned down at Genevieve. “Finally alone.”
As she smiled back up at him, his gaze locked on hers, and the light in them intensified. In response, Genevieve’s heart began to pound. Time slowed, and the aspen grove and birdsong faded away. The world existed of only the two of them.
Gage brushed his thumb lightly along her cheek. Genevieve instinctively turned toward his touch, and she wallowed in the faint, familiar scent of man, leather, and the clean fragrance of soap. He moved closer. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. Genevieve’s breath caught as he slowly, deliberately lowered his mouth to hers.
Genevieve melted against him as sensation bloomed through her. The man knew how to kiss. He was gentle and yet insistent, coaxing her with his touch, his tongue, and soft sounds that sent shudders of desire skittering along her nerves. Gage stoked the embers of yearning into a heated flame of need.
Gage made Genevieve feel young again. Hormones were a part of it, that was true. However, as important as the sexual hunger he stirred to life within her was the unspoken offer of intimacy, affection, and trust that he laid before her. Gage Throckmorton tempted her with the promise of possibilities.
If she were courageous enough to accept.
When they broke apart, he gazed down at her with tenderness and perhaps a hint of vulnerability. “I missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“How about we go inside and sit a spell? I like the mood of your Glass Chapel.”
“I do, too. That sounds like a great idea, Gage.”
Holding hands, they approached the entrance to the building and stepped inside. “Here’s something I don’t know about you, Genevieve. I know you attend St. Vincent’s in town. Are you somebody who likes to go early to get one of the good seats in the back, or are you a front-of-the-church kind of girl?”
Genevieve laughed. “I’m a middle-of-the-roader, as a rule.”
“Right side or left?”
“I’m flexible.”
He led her to a pew halfway up the aisle, then gestured for her to choose a seat. She slipped into a seat on the right side of the chapel. Gage sat beside her, and for a time, they sat together in peaceful, harmonious silence.
Genevieve lifted her gaze to watch the summer green leaves of the aspen flutter in the gentle breeze. This was such a tranquil spot. In the past half hour, clouds had drifted across the bright blue sky, and now, a soft patter of raindrops added nature’s music to the scene. Happy, she leaned her head against Gage’s shoulder and soaked in the serenity of the space.
She was totally unprepared for the bomb he lobbed. “Genevieve, I think we should get married.”
Her serenity evaporated instantaneously. She pulled away from Gage and stared at him in shock. “Married! We never talked about marriage.”
“It’s time we did.”
Panic rolled through her. “Why?”
“Because I want to marry you.”
“Why?”
He chuckled softly. “You should see your face, Genevieve. You’re a green-eyed Bambi in my pickup truck’s headlights.”
“That doesn’t address my question.”
“The answer is simple. I’m in love with you. I want to share my life with you.”
Genevieve’s mouth dropped open. He’d never used the word “love” before. “When did this happen? One would think you would have mentioned it.”
“I’m mentioning it now.”
Genevieve blinked. “Ordinarily, one would mention the L-word prior to a proposal.”
“Oh, I’m not proposing. I’ll do something a lot more romantic than this when I officially propose.”
I think we should get married. I’m in love with you. I want to share my life with you. Genevieve couldn’t disguise the panic fluttering through her as she asked, “Then what is this?”
His mouth twisted ruefully. “I was hoping for a discussion, but judging by your reaction, I’m thinking maybe it should be classified as a warning. Your reaction isn’t giving me the warm fuzzies, Genevieve.”
“I’m sorry.” She shoved to her feet and fled to the aisle, then paced at the front of the chapel. She laced her fingers behind her neck. “This is coming out of left field. I’m not prepared.”
Gage rose to his feet, walked to the center aisle, and folded his arms. “This shouldn’t be so hard.”
“Well, it is!”
“Why?”
“A million reasons.”
“Give me one.”
“All right. Lindsay.”
He pursed his lips. “Okay, that’s a fair one.”
“Your daughter hates me.”
“Now, that’s not true. She’d be this way about anyone I decided to see. I’ve talked to her about her attitude, and I’ve told her I won’t tolerate her being disrespectful to you.”
“She moved back to Lake in the Clouds to protect you from me.”
“Now, Genevieve.”
“Don’t ‘now, Genevieve’ me! She admitted as much at the nail salon. She thinks I’m a gold-digger out to steal your ranch.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Her pedicure! She was choosing between Tickle My France-y and Yank My Doodle and—”
“Pardon me?”
“Colors. Lindsay was standing at the color rack and talking on her phone. She didn’t notice that Marsha Watkins walked into the salon and could hear everything she said.”
“Marsha Watkins is the biggest gossip in town.”
“Tell me about it! I heard the news before Lindsay got her topcoat on, and that was fourth-hand news from my sister.”
Gage grimaced. “Okay, that’s not good. However, that happened before you left for Texas, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“That’s before she and I had our Come-to-Jesus meeting,” Gage said. “We talked it out. I recognize that it’s natural for my daughter to feel threatened that her mother’s memory is somehow going to be usurped when I remarry. I explained that it wasn’t going to happen. You’re not trying to take Emily’s place any more than I’m trying to take David’s. Lindsay won’t talk that way again.”
Genevieve lifted her gaze toward the heavens in supplication. “Gage, you need to understand. She might not say it anymore, but that is still what she thinks.”
“Well, what she thinks is wrong and frankly, stupid. I’ve tried to be sensitive to her grief and her feelings, but this is my life to live, and I’m not getting any younger. I’m not going to let my daughter’s hissy fits dictate my actions. She needs to grow up, and she will. She’s a good girl. So, what else? What’s your number two?”
Genevieve shot him a confused look.
“Your second out of a million reasons why my suggestion has you so freaked out. Is it because you don’t return my affection? Have you been leading me on, Genevieve?”
“No! Absolutely not. I… I…” She fumbled for words.
He arched a mocking brow and waited.
This wasn’t the way a person should go about this. Frustration sharpened into anger, and Genevieve snapped. “No. No, you don’t. I own my own feelings.” She poked her chest with her thumb. “ I will decide when and how I tell you that I’ve fallen in love with you. Love, by definition, is freely given. You will not force my hand. This is happening way too fast. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what love is at our age. We only have been officially dating for six months.”
“So, you have fallen in love with me?” Gage’s lips twitched, and satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
Genevieve let out a shriek of frustration.
“You really are pretty when you’re riled, Genevieve.” He leaned in and stole a quick kiss. “Look, they say sixty is the new forty. Personally, I tend to think that at our age, six months is the new six years.”
Genevieve covered her face with her hands. “You’re not listening to me.”
“Sure I am.” Gage strode toward her, took hold of her hands, and lowered them, keeping hold. He met her gaze and held it. “I want to spend time with you. I’ve hardly seen you in the past couple of months. I want you in my bed, Genevieve. I desire you.”
Oh wow. Okay, she’d known this was coming. Truth be told, she’d fantasized about it more than once. It was a huge step. She hadn’t made love with a man in more than a decade. Which meant she hadn’t been naked in front of a man for more than a decade. Not even a doctor, since she’d switched to female physicians years ago.
It was a big step. A huge step.
Not as huge as getting married, though.
Genevieve sucked in a deep breath, then said, “Okay, well, I’m not against the idea of making love with you. I admit I’m a bit nervous about it. It’s been a long time for me, but I desire you, too, Gage. We don’t need to get married to sleep together.”
“See, that’s the thing. I do. I don’t shack up.”
Genevieve drew back. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. Haven’t you wondered why I haven’t asked you to go to bed with me?”
Well, yes. “I haven’t fretted about it. You and I were getting to know each other. We’ve been becoming friends.”
“Yes, we have. And I don’t have sex with my friends. Why would I risk burning a relationship that’s become important to me by having sex without commitment? Now, I want more than friendship. I want intimacy, and for me, that means commitment. I know it’s old-fashioned, but that’s who I am.”
“I like who you are,” Genevieve said softly.
He brought her right hand up to his mouth and gave it a gallant kiss. “I’m glad to know that. Also, I was listening when you said that you own your own feelings. I hear you. I’m not trying to pressure you.” He paused, his brow creasing as he considered. “Okay, maybe I was trying to pressure you a little bit. This whole dating thing isn’t easy for me. I’m really rusty.”
“You do it pretty darn well.”
“I’m trying. So, why don’t you hit me with number three?”
Genevieve sighed. “You are persistent, I’ll give you that. Gage, I’ve been a widow for a long time. I’ve dated some, but not a lot. I’m pretty rusty myself. Seeing you these past few months has been wonderful. I’ve enjoyed the experience tremendously. But I need to tell you that I haven’t given any thought to remarrying. To be perfectly honest, I’ve shied away from thinking about it.”
“Which brings us back to reason number three. That’s it? You’ve been a widow for too long?”
“Well, yes. I’m set in my ways, Gage. Marriage would be a huge change. Bigger even than selling all my belongings and running away from home.”
“That one turned out well, though, didn’t it?”
“Yes, it did. I love my life right now. You talk about risk. Well, marriage is a huge risk. Nothing hurt me so much as losing David. You understand that. I know you do.”
“Yes, I do.”
“In all the years since then, I have protected my heart. I have armor around it that’s a foot thick. I can love you, Gage, but I don’t know if I can allow myself to be in love again. All these years, I haven’t been able to do it.”
“Well, that’s understandable. You haven’t been falling in love with me.” When Genevieve sputtered a laugh, Gage pulled her against him and held her tight, nuzzling her hair. “You’re afraid. I get that. Believe it or not, I’m trembling in my boots here, myself.”
Genevieve sighed. “Not you.”
“Yeah, me.
“I still need more time.”
“Don’t take too long. We’re not getting any younger. When I finally get you in my bed, I’ll need my stamina to fulfill all these fantasies about you that have been running through my mind.”
She lifted her mouth for a kiss, and he accommodated her. When he lifted his head long moments later, she could have purred. “Oh, Gage. I do want you. However, the thought of you seeing me naked scares me witless.” He blinked at her in confusion. “It’s one of the numbers. I’ve lost track of where we’re at.”
When he pulled back, obviously shocked, she gave him a sheepish look. “It’s been a long time.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I’m in my sixties, Gage.”
“So am I.”
“But you’re a man.”
“I’m glad you noticed. However, I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“Men get more attractive as they age. Women… sag.”
His amazing blue eyes took on a twinkle. “I’ve always had a fantasy that involves a high-necked, long-sleeved cotton nightgown. We’ll get you one, and you can leave it on.”
“Gage, I’m being serious.”
“I am, too! I seriously like the idea of having a little adventure in the bedroom. We’re not too old for that, you know.”
“I know that.” She paused a moment and added, “How much adventure are we talking about here?”
“I’m not suggesting hanging an upside-down pineapple on the front door at the Triple T, but—”
“That’s an urban legend,” Genevieve fired back. “People don’t really do that to indicate they’re swingers.”
He gave a smirk, then a shrug. “Maybe you should take a closer look next time you visit your sister.”
Genevieve’s eyes rounded, and her chin dropped in shock. Gage hastened to say, “Not Helen’s doors. Check out some of the doors at the Mountain Vista condos.”
“No. I don’t believe that. Helen would know if that was true, and she would have told me.”
“We’re getting off track, honey. Let’s take a moment and take advantage of where we’re at.” He guided her toward the front pew, sat her down, and took a seat beside her. “Let’s peace out for a few minutes, shall we? It looks like the rain is finished. Watch the woods. Clear your mind. Let this place do its thing the way y’all intended it. Deal?”
“I’ll try.”
“Look there at about two o’clock. See that cardinal tucked underneath a leafy bough?”
Genevieve spied the bright red bird, nodded, and took a deep, cleansing breath. Attempting to rid herself of agitation, she focused on the cardinal. She studied how the dappled sunshine painted the foliage around it and how raindrops slowly released their cling on the tips of aspen leaves and fell in big fat plops to the forest floor. She gradually began to relax.
Attuned to her, Gage obviously sensed it because he said, “That’s better. This place is good medicine. Is the Glass Chapel up on Yelp yet? I might need to leave a review.”
Genevieve briefly rested her head on his shoulder. “You are a good man, Gage Throckmorton.”
“I do try. But I’m also a man who prefers confrontation to avoidance. That brings us back to the subject at hand. Do you have another number to bring up?”
“Persistency can be a flaw, you know.” Genevieve wrinkled her nose.
“Avoidance doesn’t solve anything, you understand.” He waited until she’d finished her sigh to ask, “What other concerns do you have, Genevieve?”
“I think I’ve hit the top ten.”
“I thought we’re on four or maybe five?”
Dryly, Genevieve said, “Lindsay counts for five all by herself. Let’s circle back in that direction and add the rest of our progeny to the discussion. My kids are happy to see me dating, and while I’d expect them to support me if I decided to remarry, they’d still have some twinges. And it’s been over twenty years since they lost their dad. Gage, Lindsay’s grief is still raw. And I don’t doubt your boys will have those twinges, too.”
“I hear you, but Emily has been gone for three years, not three months. Three years isn’t rushing.”
“No, it’s not. However, the anniversary of her death was only a few days ago. I have experience with anniversaries, Gage. They’re a ticket to Six Flags with a Fast Pass on all the roller coasters. Frankly, your decision to bring this up today, which is so close to the anniversary of Emily’s death, raises all sorts of red flags.”
“Wait a minute.” Now it was Gage’s turn to shove to his feet and begin pacing the front of the chapel. “I don’t think it is deserving of a penalty flag. I’ve been thinking about this for months.”
“But why did you bring it up today? ”
He halted and faced her and folded his arms across his chest. “Not because of Emily. Because of you. I want to be with you. Next time that you go to Texas or I go to Alaska, I want us to go together. I talked to my kids about the possibility of my marrying you months ago. And yes, that probably contributed to Lindsay’s decision to move back to Lake in the Clouds. I’m bringing it up today because I missed you these past weeks, Genevieve. You. I want you to be my wife.”
Genevieve gave him a long, searching look. “I need to think about it, Gage.”
“That’s why I brought the subject up. You think about it. Think hard.”
“I will. I promise. However, I’ll ask a favor of you.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t blindside me with a proposal. Let’s you and I talk about this again before you run off and make plans for some grand gesture that I don’t want to be part of.”
His tone droll, Gage said, “I wasn’t planning to do a live TikTok, Genevieve.”
“Just so we understand each other,” she replied. He nodded, and she continued. “Also, I’m giving you fair warning. I’ll probably talk to Lindsay, too. And your boys.”
“Whatever trips your trigger.”
She nodded once. “Okay, then. Final question.”
“Yes?”
She smiled warmly as she asked, “Where are you taking me to lunch?”