Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Ariana
I couldn’t remember ever being this at peace.
For years, I dreaded waking up in the morning.
There was a part of me that hoped I wouldn’t. That prayed for death. It would be a welcome alternative to the hell I’d been living with Victor.
That was no longer the case.
Now I couldn’t wait to wake up each day, knowing I’d soon see Henry.
A week had passed since we began our morning walks, and they’d quickly become the highlight of my day.
I’d gotten into a routine of waking up as the sun started to rise. After making two cups of coffee, I’d head out onto the porch. Within minutes, Cato would come bounding around the bend first, tail wagging furiously, with Henry close behind.
I told myself it was the fresh air I looked forward to. The way the mist lifted from the fields. The quiet peace of being surrounded by nature.
Deep down, I knew better.
It was him.
Our walks had stretched longer each day. What started as a half-hour around the fields had turned into two-hour explorations that left my legs pleasantly sore and my heart doing strange things I couldn’t seem to control.
Today, we’d hiked to the old cemetery, where the weathered stones leaned like sleepy sentinels in the grass, and stopped by the original log cabin, the one Henry said had been built when this land was first settled.
He spoke about history the way I spoke about gardens. As though he understood the importance of things that took root. It made me want to stay out here with him for even longer just to listen to him talk.
Thankfully, the pain in my knee was now down to a dull throb. Even the gash on my forehead was doing better. Krystal had removed the stitches yesterday. There was a scar, but it didn’t bother me. Every time I looked at it, Henry’s words echoed in my mind.
Scars remind us of the battles we fought and won.
I liked that.
He’d fought plenty of battles of his own. Some he was still fighting. But lately, he’d been lighter. So had I.
With every morning we spent together, he somehow brought back pieces of me I’d forgotten existed.
He’d asked about my father, and I’d told him how I loved spending time in the floral shop with him. How he’d taught me every plant had its own language. Different light. Different soil. Different needs.
Henry had listened like he actually cared, not because he was trying to fix or analyze me, but because he genuinely wanted to know these things.
In return, he’d shared things I hadn’t expected. About his mother reading to him. The struggles he had with his father. What prompted him to join the military.
He was the first person I’d met in years I didn’t have to pretend around. The first person I could be myself around.
And thanks to him, I was slowly figuring out who that was again.
Now, as we approached the guesthouse, that bittersweet ache returned to the surface. The one that became more profound every morning when we said goodbye.
My mother had started dropping hints about me moving back up to the main house. I kept insisting it made more sense to stay here since Henry worked long hours, and I spent most of my days with her.
While it was true, it wasn’t the whole truth.
In reality, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to live under the same roof with Henry again. Not because I didn’t want to. But because of what it might mean if I did.
“Thanks for the walk,” I said, turning to face him when we reached the porch. “And the conversation.”
“Hope I didn’t bore you too much.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking on his feet. “I’ve always been a bit of a history buff. It’s why I couldn’t say no to this place when I found it.”
“Not at all.” I smiled. “I like learning more about you. What you’re passionate about. You’re a very…intriguing person, Henry Fontaine.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
He held my gaze for several long moments. Long enough for heat to pool low in my belly. Long enough for the air to hum with something electric and undeniable, especially when I stole a glance at his lips.
I wanted to close the distance. Press my mouth to his and stop pretending I wasn’t thinking about it every time I was with him.
But fear held me still. Fear that I might have been wrong about him.
Or worse… That I might have been right.
“I’ll let you get on with your day.” I cleared my throat and increased the distance between us. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
I turned toward the door, my fingers curling around the cool metal of the knob when his voice stopped me.
“Ariana?”
I looked back. “Yes?”
He hesitated, as if warring with himself. Then he asked, “What if we did something else instead?”
“What do you mean?” I fully faced him.
He shrugged, the normally confident man I’d gotten to know nowhere to be found. It reminded me of the vulnerability he showed me when he was injured. When I held his fate in my hands.
“Maybe we could go somewhere.”
“Go…somewhere?” I repeated, furrowing my brow.
“I thought you might like a change of scenery.”
“Like, back to Maine?”
He laughed quietly. “No. Not to Maine. Somewhere else. I want to show you more of my life. This…” He gestured to the fields stretching out for miles around us. “This is just one part of it.”
I tilted my head. “I thought it wasn’t safe.”
“You’ll be with me. We won’t be going anywhere someone might recognize you. You’ll be protected, Ariana. I never want you to feel anything but safe when you’re with me.”
A week ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity to leave. Run, even.
Now, the thought terrified me.
Not because of the danger outside these walls. But because of what might happen between us if we were truly alone. No distractions. No buffers. Just Henry and me.
“I don’t know if I should leave my mom,” I started. “She—”
“Yes, you should,” came my mother’s voice from behind me.
I spun around, startled to see her standing in the doorway. “Were you listening to our conversation?”
“Of course.” She smiled sweetly. “And stop being so stubborn, Ari.”
“I’m not being stubborn. You’ve been through a lot these past few years. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“And you’ve been through a lot, too,” she replied, her eyes softening. “I’ll be fine here. Honestly, I could use a little peace and quiet. Some alone time.” Her lips curved in a knowing grin. “Consider yourself banned from this house for the weekend.”
She winked at Henry, and he returned it with a conspiratorial smile that told me this wasn’t entirely spontaneous. Then she slipped back inside, giving us some semblance of privacy.
But I had no doubt she was still listening.
“What do you say?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“Ariana…” He stepped toward me and grabbed my hand, gently brushing his thumb along my knuckles. “I told you I’d do whatever it takes to earn your trust. Consider this me showing you that you’re not a prisoner here.”
“So you’re doing this for me?”
He reached up, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers grazed my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
“Everything I’ve done since that gala has been for you.” His unwavering gaze held mine, not allowing me to escape the truth in his words. “Let me show you more of my world. Who I am.”
I looked over the field, sunlight shimmering across the tall grass, reminding me of freedom. Beauty. Possibility.
And him.
The man I was slowly learning to trust.
“Okay,” I said with a smile.
The transformation on his face nearly undid me. His entire expression lit up, becoming boyish even. Like a weight had lifted from his shoulders.
“Do you think you can be ready to leave around noon?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Great.” He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to my cheek.
The warmth of his lips lingered long after he retreated, leaving me standing there, my pulse racing and skin tingling.
And wishing he hadn’t stopped at just a kiss.