“And so you walked again.”
“It wasn’t all that simple. I had to spend a lot of time convincing myself there was nothing stopping me. Then I had Quentin and Zach half drag me around until I began to retrain myself to move. As time went on, whatever the problem was seemed to leave me.”
Although he claimed it was not, it almost sounded too simple. She was still shaking, clinging to his hands, but she needed to have him answer one question more. “Will it come again?”
“My paralysis? My parents contacted a doctor in Boston who tried to explain it to them and then they wrote to tell me all he had said. I guess after I was wounded, somewhere in the back of my mind I was convinced I couldn’t walk, and so I stayed paralyzed. As I fought to regain movement, it became easier and easier, until now the symptoms are gone. Now all I have to do is regain my strength.”
Even more puzzled by his explanation, she frowned.
Kase smiled. “In a word, no. It won’t come again.”
“Zach helped you?”
He nodded. “That’s why he hasn’t been to town. I was afraid he’d let it slip somehow. I didn’t want you to find out about this, in case I failed. He’s been so damn smug about it all. I knew if he had the chance to place any bets about us getting back together, he’d be doing it. He drove me into town tonight.”
“But I have a ticket.” She glanced around the room, her eyes wide, uncertain. “I have sold the
caffè
to Signor Quentin. I—”
“Do you still love me, Rose? Can you still love me after everything I’ve put you through?”
How could I not? she wondered, but she asked him, “Why did you not come before this? Why did you make me wait until the last day? Tomorrow I am to leave.”
“We were snowed in up at Mountain Shadows for nearly a week. I thought I was going to lose my mind before it cleared up enough for us to get into town. Zach tried to reassure me he’d drive me clear to San Francisco if he had to, but it didn’t do much for my temper.”
Rosa smiled. It wasn’t hard for her to imagine the two of them arguing.
He leaned close, staring at her intently as his fingers began to rub the vulnerable spot on the inside of her wrist. “Will you have me back?”
For a fleeting second she wanted the satisfaction of saying no. No, because he had caused her such unrelieved pain; no, because she had nearly left behind all she had built. But as she stared into his eyes—-eyes shining with love that he could not deny any more than she could deny her love for him—Rosa knew what her answer would be. It was the only answer she could give.
“I love you still,” she whispered. “I will always love you, Kase Storm.”
He reached toward her, and she flew out of her chair and into his arms. Bundled against him, she pressed as close as the bulk of his heavy coat would allow and wound her arms about his neck.
“God, I’ve missed you, Rose,” he breathed against her lips. “More than you’ll ever know.”
His mouth came down on hers and he pressed her back as his lips and tongue made demands on her that she happily met and returned. His breath was warm, his skin still slightly chilled from the outdoors. An indefinable scent lingered on the air about him. Rosa pressed closer, eager to be as near him as possible. The kiss deepened until, breathless and panting, she pulled back.
“I think that before the night is over I will know how much you have missed me,” she said.
He squeezed her tight. “You had better believe it.” Then he straightened as he suddenly remembered the bundle on the table. “I almost forgot. I brought you a gift.”
“Yes?”
“Yes. Close your eyes.”
She did as he asked and felt him shift in the chair as he reached across her. Something brushed against her cheek and she suddenly caught an all too familiar scent drifting on the air.
She opened her eyes. The dish towel was gone, but in its place was a bouquet of deep red roses.
“For you,” he said with as much of a bow as he could manage with her on his lap.
Gathering the roses in her arms, she dipped her head and drank in the scent of them. She realized their subtle fragrance had teased her since the moment he walked in the door.
“I’m afraid hothouse roses aren’t as fragrant as the others.”
“Roses in the month of January are
miracoloso,”
she informed him, crushing the flowers between them as she leaned forward to kiss him again.
Kase stiffened when they heard a slight rattle against the front window. “Shh,” he whispered. “Did you hear that?”
“Sì.
What is—”
He put his hand across her lips.
This time he whispered against her ear. “Don’t say anything.”
Eyes wide, she nodded in understanding and he pulled his hand away.
Kase leaned close again. “I have a feeling it’s either Zach or Flossie—or both of them—trying to see in.”
Rosa tried to stifle a giggle.
He continued in a low voice. “Before I came over here we stopped at the hospitality parlor to surprise Floss and let her know I’d be staying in my old room tonight. Zach was taking bets from everybody as to whether or not you’d have me back.”
She let go of him and slid off his lap, then tiptoed to the table where she had left her glass. She drank the last drops of wine and men smiled mischievously.
“What are you doing?” he whispered.
She held a finger to her lips silencing him before she winked and then drew back her arm and threw the wineglass at the side wall.
“Basta
!
”
she shouted. Rosa returned to his side and whispered, “They must not think that you are having the good luck yet. This will make the betting higher.”
Footsteps faded on the walk outside as Kase stood to take her into his arms.
“And now?” she asked.
“Now I guess we had better decide what we’re going to do next.”
“I have, as you say in America, a very good idea.”
“I have a feeling we both have the same idea.”
“
Sì
.”
“Will you marry me?”
“Now?”
“Tomorrow.”
Rosa shrugged. “Tomorrow I was going to California—”
He squeezed her and glowered with feigned anger.
She shrugged. “But I think maybe tomorrow I marry.”
“As long as it’s me you’re marrying,” he warned.
“But of course.” She smiled.
“About tonight ...” He was not sure how to approach the subject of accommodations for the night. Kase held Rose close, tantalized by the fresh honeyed scent of her, and knew that leaving her for even a few hours would be hell after all the time they had been apart. He was determined, though, after all she had been through, to let her set the terms.
“Tonight I will sleep in your arms.”
“You know, it’s kind of strange, but suddenly I’m pretty tired.” A slow, provocative half-smile teased his lips. “What do you say we go over to my room? Flossie said she’d leave the outside door to the second floor unlocked, and with all this snow the town’s deserted.”
“Suddenly I, too, am very tired. You will wait and I will get my coat.”
“I’ll wait,” Kase said as he watched her cradle the flowers against her breast and savor the scent of them once more before she laid them on the table and left to collect her wrap.
A sound in the doorway between the two rooms caused him to look up. Rosa stood staring at him, her golden brown eyes shining in the candlelight, her expression radiant and alive with love and promise as she tied her scarf about her head and donned her jaunty Stetson. When she gathered up the roses and then placed her hand in his, Kase felt his heart swell with pride and happiness. He thought of his mother and Caleb and the years of happiness they had shared and knew that he and his Rose would know the same happiness. As he gazed down on her he could not resist teasing her once more. He reached out and toyed with one of the rose petals.
“Was my proposal romantic enough for you?”
Rosa arched a brow as she tried to look speculative. “If you were Italian I would say it was not so good ...”
He put his hands on his hips and tried to look offended.
“But for an American”—she shrugged and then laughed— “is all right. We will go to Flossie’s now and when we are in your room, I will let you try again.”
“Until I get it right?”
“Sì,
until you get it right.”
Leaning close to her ear he whispered, “We have other things to practice, too.”
“Many, many hours of practice,” she said seriously.
Kase’s laughter was a lighthearted, happy sound that filled Rosa with joy. He put on his gloves and hat. Rosa picked up the candle. Kase put an arm about her shoulders as they made their way through the darkness together.
“MOVING ... A WINNING NOVEL!”
—
Publishers Weekly
“A TRULY FABULOUS READ! This story comes vibrantly alive, making you laugh and cry with characters you truly care about.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
“SENSUAL ... POWERFUL ... IMPRESSIVE ... One of those rare romances that is told with warmth, humor, and tenderness.”
—
Romantic Times
“
SUNFLOWER
IS A WONDERFUL STORY ... IT WILL WEAVE ITS MAGIC SPELL ON YOU!”
—
Rendezvous Review Magazine
ROSE
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Copyright © 1990 by Jill Marie Landis.
Cover Design by: Stephanie Chang Design Ink, Honolulu
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