In addition to the stockpile of food Megan had left him, there was a bottle of champagne with a sticky note on it.
Save this for when you know it’s time to open it.
Fat chance of that.
Now here he was, a day later, still just as bereft, holding a piece of wood in his hands that begged to be shaped into something useful. It struck him that he had something in common with the block. This was how he’d been before meeting Libby—unformed. From the very beginning, she’d helped him determine what type of man he wanted to be. It might be too late for him, but he could shape the wood into something functional and beautiful.
He set the piece of hickory on his grandfather’s workshop table and examined the grain in the block. The day before he’d used the lathe to make a spindle out of a piece of pine. When he examined the piece of hickory, he could see the promise of a candlestick.
Then it hit him.
He could make the candlestick and give it to Libby as a peace offering. On the surface, it seemed lame, no contesting that, but if anyone would appreciate a handmade gift, it was Libby. And if he told her his analogy . . . maybe it would work. Besides, now he could tell her in person that he’d just gotten the results of his tests, and they had come back clean. Maybe that was reason enough to go to her.
At least it gave him the ghost of a plan.
He worked on it all afternoon and into the evening, fumbling a couple of times, but altering the shape enough to accommodate his mistakes. When he took it off the lathe, he decided it wasn’t half bad. He squared off the ends with a band saw and then sat in his grandfather’s chair. He was sanding the piece when he heard a dog bark.
He hadn’t seen or heard any dogs at the neighbor’s house, but he supposed it could be a visiting dog. He didn’t think much of it, until a large animal burst through the partially open workshop door.
He jumped in surprise and gasped. “Tortoise?”
The dog spun in circles with happiness, then put his front legs on Noah’s lap, begging for attention.
“How . . . ?” If Tortoise was here, then Libby . . .
She stood in the doorway, more beautiful than he remembered her. Her long hair was loose and wavy, skimming over the top of her breasts. She wore a green sweater paired with dark jeans that clung to her hips, and a pair of brown boots. He couldn’t believe she was there. How?
Megan.
He still sat in the chair, Tortoise excitedly licking his face. Without thinking, Noah nudged the dog down and stood.
Libby stayed perfectly still in the open door, worry in her eyes. “Noah, I’m so sor—”
He didn’t let her finish. He scooped her into his arms and kissed her hard. This had to be a dream.
When he lifted his head, tears streaked down her cheeks and fear filled his chest. “Lib, what’s wrong?”
“You still love me. I was so scared you’d hate me.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Oh God, Lib. I could never hate you. Never in a million years.”
“I was so wrong. I should have trusted you.”
“Shh.” He kissed her into silence, his tongue seeking hers. Her arms tightened around his neck as he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her across the yard and in through the back door, Tortoise following on his heels. He took her to the master bedroom and set her on her feet, cupping her face in his hands. “I never thought I’d see you again, much less touch you.”
“I was miserable without you, Noah. I need you.”
“I need you too.” He pulled her sweater over her head, then paused. “I got my test results today. I’m clean.”
“So no condoms?” she asked hopefully, giving him a sly look.
“No condoms. Thank God. I don’t have any here.”
They undressed each other, then made love in a combination of passion and reverence. Afterward, he held her in his arms.
“You were right,” she whispered.
His hold on her tightened. “Those are my second three favorite words,” he teased.
She laughed. “And your first three?”
“Hearing you say I love you.” He gave her a long leisurely kiss. “But what was I right about?”
“You said I was looking for an excuse to leave you first. My dad’s words were ringing in my head, and I wasn’t thinking straight.” She looked up at him. “I saw him when I was twelve. I never told anyone.” Then she told him about the horrible visit that left her more scarred than she’d realized.
“You kept that to yourself all these years.” His voice broke. “Oh, Libby. The man was a fool. You are the most lovable person I’ve ever known.” He cupped her face and kissed her again, then smiled against her lips. “I can’t believe you came back to me.”
“Blair and Megan helped me come to my senses.”
He chuckled. “Megan worked some of her wiles on me yesterday.” Then he realized how well his sister-in-law had orchestrated their reunion. “Wait here.” He stopped in the doorway and looked back at the most beautiful woman in the world, still in disbelief that she was naked in his bed. “Are you hungry?”
“Only for you,” was her husky response.
He felt his own body respond. “I plan to keep you very busy that way, but I’m talking about actual food.”
Her teasing fell away. “I only want you, Noah.”
“I’m all yours.”
He came back a few minutes later, grinning ear to ear. “Megan must have had a lot of faith we’d work things out.” He held a tray stacked with cheese, crackers, and fruit, along with two juice cups and the bottle of champagne. “She left a note saying I’d know when to use this.”
Libby sat upright in bed, letting the sheet pool in her lap, and the sight of her bare breasts was tantalizing enough for him to want to make love to her again. “She was always the one of us who was the most prepared for anything. Don’t let her innocent face fool you. She’s a schemer.”
He gave her a wicked look. “It’s the quiet ones that always fool you.” He popped the top of the champagne and filled the juice cups, handing one to Libby.
“Look at this,” she laughed. “Someone gave us champagne and I didn’t even have to wear my wedding dress.”
Her smile faded, and guessing the reason, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “I have your dress. It’s back at my apartment. I couldn’t leave it.”
She looked down at the tray on the bed. “Thank you.”
He lifted her chin and searched her eyes. “Promise me that you’ll never leave me again. I don’t think I could survive it.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Never.”
“And I’ll never leave you. It would be like ripping out my own heart.”
They made love again, this time more playful, and he marveled how every time seemed to be better than the last. Then they lay in each other’s arms and Libby told him about her friends’ intervention and how miserable she’d been without him. He told her about his talk with Josh and the possibility of taking over the Seattle office.
“What do you want to do?” Libby asked.
“I don’t know yet.” He looked down at her. “What do you want me to do?”