Chapter Sixteen

“THANK YOU,” ROSE said to Brody around midnight when he stopped his truck in front of Colby’s house. “For everything.”

She slid across the seat to throw her arms around him in a warm hug.

“It was my pleasure.” Pulling away, he laughed. “I just wish I could be around to see the look on Colby’s face when you show up at his door.”

Rose nibbled her lower lip. “Do you think he’ll take me back?”

“Remember, you’re in Alaska now. Time for you to assert yourself. This isn’t a matter of giving the man a choice. It’s about telling him how it’s going to be.”

“You’re right. I’m in control.” She fumbled with the door’s handle, then felt her old familiar fears return. “Funny,” she said, finally shoving the door open. “If I’m in control, how come I feel faint?”

Laughing again, he climbed out to carry her bags to the porch.

Unsure of her next move, she watched him.

“You’ll be fine,” he said, climbing behind his truck’s wheel. “Now ring the doorbell so I can go home and get some shut-eye.”

With a wave, Brody was gone, save for the faint smell of exhaust hanging in the air, and the glow of his taillights through the dirt road’s dust.

Rose straightened her shoulders for the march up to the house that—if all went well—would soon be her home. Either Colby would take her back, or she’d spend the next couple of days out here sleeping with the bears, because one thing was for sure. She wasn’t leaving until Colby hadn’t just given her an answer, but the right one!

Her footsteps sounded abnormally loud on the porch steps when the only sounds they had to compete with were the whining bugs. In the airport restroom, she’d changed from her black dress and heels into a comfy pair of maternity jeans and a pink sweatshirt. She’d never realized sneakers could clomp so loudly.

Her stomach growled.

Even that was noisy!

Heart pounding, mouth dry, she knocked on Colby’s door.

There were no lights on inside, just a faint blue glow. She guessed the TV was on in the loft. She knocked again, and when there was still no sign of life, she tried the door, only to find it open.

Terrified, excited, ready to burst into tears at the first sight of the man she loved, Rose eased the door open and stepped inside before closing it silently behind her.

Her tennis shoes were thankfully quiet on the hardwood floor.

From upstairs spilled the laugh track and bouncy music of an old Seinfeld episode.

Taking the stairs slowly, she forced herself to breathe, praying Colby was awake since she didn’t have the heart to wake him. But she doubted her nerves could stand not knowing his reaction to her return until morning.

At the top of the stairs, she released a deep sigh before approaching the bed. “Colby?” she asked softly.

She crept closer, closer—except that he wasn’t there.

On TV, Seinfeld faded into a cat-food commercial.

Meow, meow, meow…

If he wasn’t in bed, where could he be? She checked the master bath, but found that empty, too. She deliberately avoided looking at the tub where she’d made the worst decision of her life.

Creeping back downstairs, she glanced at the couches, thinking he might’ve fallen asleep there, but nope.

He wasn’t in the kitchen, either.

Her stomach growled again, and on her way past the pantry—the pantry that, if all went well, would soon be hers—she opened the door, flipped on the light, then foraged for a can of squirt cheese and a box of her favorite crackers. There they were. One mission accomplished.

She flicked off the light and was backing out the door, arms loaded with snacks, when from out of the darkness a familiar male voice said, “Stop right there, and put down whatever the hell you’re stealing ’cause I’m in no mood to deal with a thief.”

“Colby, it’s me.”

He flicked on the kitchen light, blinking at the sudden glare. “Rose?” He set a baseball bat on the counter, his shoulders sagging. “What are you doing? I might’ve hurt you.”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m fixing a snack.”

“Let’s back up.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “Why are you fixing a snack in my kitchen? I thought you’d be on your way to Chicago.”

Calmly putting her treasures on the counter beside the bat, she flipped open the cracker box, taking a whiff of salty, tangy, spicy goodness. “Mmm… I’ve been craving one of these all day.”

Stepping to the counter to pop the lid on the cheese, then squirt out a circle atop her cracker, he said, “What’re you doing here, Rose?”

He handed it to her, and she popped the whole thing in her mouth, closing her eyes while she chewed. “Mmm…this is so good.”

He rolled his eyes—one of which she now noticed was black. The left side of his jaw was swollen.

She gasped, touching her hand to his bruised cheek. “What happened?”

He flinched from her touch, pushing away her hand. “Nothing. It’s no big deal.”

“Yes, it is. You’ve been in a fight.”

He shrugged.

“Colby? What happened?” She reached out again to touch him, but he flinched.

Oh, boy. She took a deep breath.

Looked like this was going to be tougher than she’d figured. Maybe she should just save all her questions about his fight for another time, and proceed to the next item on her agenda.

Digging into her pocket, she said, “Brody and I had a nice day. He took me out for the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had, and then we went shopping.”

“You and Brody?” He raised his eyebrows.

“We went ring shopping because, just as you’ve pointed out so many times, this baby of ours is going to need a father.”

“Oh. Let me get this straight. Since I turned you down, you went running to Brody and he snapped you up?” He curved his hands into fists.

Snatching up the baseball bat, he stormed to the front door.

“Colby, wait!” Rose ran after him, catching him at the door by clutching the back of his shirt. “You misunderstood. It wasn’t like that.”

He spun around. “Tell me what it was like. I’d really like to know.”

Never had Rose seen him so enraged—not even the time she’d pulled out those custody papers she’d had her lawyer draw up. Could the fact that he was so insanely jealous at the mere thought of her hooking up with Brody be a sign in her favor? That he still felt something for her?

She licked her lips, unsure where to begin.

“I’m waiting,” he said, right hand on the door.

His left hand held the bat, so she worked it loose, leaning it into the nearest corner. His hand free, she grasped it, fumbling with his ring, but eventually slipping it on. “Brody took me shopping for your ring—and mine,” she said, holding up a matching band. “We can have a proper ceremony tomorrow, but tonight, I want us to have one all our own. I want—”

For the longest time he stood there staring. Was he searching her face for any indication that what she’d said might not be true? But then the tears spilling from her eyes must have proven the depth of her sincerity. And love.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “For everything I put you through.”

Colby crushed her in a hug, burying his face in her hair. “I was so scared,” he said. “When Vic’s plane went down, I kicked myself for not forcing you to stay—for not locking both of us in my pantry and throwing away the key.”

“I like it in there,” she said with a teary, sniffy giggle.

“I’ve noticed. When we came to get you and Vic,” he said, “I wanted to take you back right then and there, but my so-called friends told me to let you go. Tanner—he’s still bitter about Jenny leaving him. He told me to forget we’d even met, but I couldn’t. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said when he finally lifted her for the kiss she’d rehearsed a thousand times in her head. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The baby between them didn’t make it easy, but they made it work.

Rose groaned when Colby crushed his mouth to hers, almost afraid to believe she was really back in his arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t immediately agree to marry you.”

“I’m sorry I pushed you. Of course, you’d have qualms about marrying some guy you’ve only known a week.”

She kissed him again. “I feel like I’ve known you forever. I think that’s what’s so scary. Everything we’ve shared—it’s so different from what I thought love should be.”

Between them, he felt his son kick, and he set Rose down. “I didn’t hurt the little guy, did I?”

“Not a bit.” She placed Colby’s hand back where it should be—on their son. “I think he’s just saying hello.”

Colby knelt to kiss her belly. “You’re going to have a great life,” he said to his son. “We’re going to fish and hike and I’ll teach you to fly.”

“What about me?” Rose asked, her fingers in his hair. “Don’t I get to do any of that fun stuff?”

“Fishing and hiking—yes. As for the flying… Woman, I’m never letting you near a plane again.”