All week she'd thought about the cross and the startling revelation that Mr. Cole had been the one to carve it. Mr. Henry Cole had been the same Henry that Isabelle Thornton had fallen in love with, the man she thought she'd lost. In the end, Isabelle placed her hope in God rather than dwell on her circumstances and the frightening prospect that she might go blind someday just as her mother had. The letter had never explained whether she'd married Henry. And it had never explained what had become of her, whether she'd eventually become blind.
It was clear now that Isabelle had married Henry, and that they had a beautiful daughter as a result of their union. But had she gone blind?
Tessa caressed the cross one last time before straightening and walking back to Mr. Cole and Victoria. She handed it to Victoria. “I'd like you to have this.” Even though Tessa had debated giving the cross to Josie, somehow she felt the cross needed to go back to the Coles.
Victoria's light brown eyes widened. She reached out to take the cross, but then hesitated and glanced at her father as though asking his permission before touching it.
Mr. Cole looked Tessa in the eyes. “You don't have to give it to Victoria. It's yours.”
Tessa shook her head. “No. It's never been mine to keep. It's given me hope when I needed it most, and now it's time for me to pass it along.”
Mr. Cole nodded. “Thank you. I'd like to pass along that same hope to Victoria. Who knows, but maybe she'll have need of it someday.”
As Victoria's fingers closed around the wood cross, a look of wonder and delight filled her eyes.
Tessa had the urge to ask her more about Isabelle. But as
Victoria smiled and bent to kiss her father's forehead, Tessa knew with sudden clarity that it didn't matter. Blind or not, Isabelle had shown them all how to make God their beacon of hope.
Tessa strolled off with Michael. She paused for only a moment at the thought of being alone with him. Perhaps it was time to stop worrying so much about what other people thought about her. God had forgiven her for her past, and now she was doing her best to live uprightly with integrity. That was all that mattered, all that she could do.
Michael led her down the road away from town, a blanket over one arm, her box in the other. A companionable silence surrounded them. With each step, Tessa breathed in the sweet scent of the budding leaves and grass and newly awakened bloodroots. The tiny white flowers poked between the withered leaves left on the ground from last fall. They were stout, hardy plants that had weathered the harsh winter. If they could flourish in this land, why couldn't she?
She'd thought she would need to leave Eagle Harbor, that the long winter had defeated her, but perhaps she'd been wrong. She didn't want to leave anymore.
As Michael directed her to a path that led uphill the sunshine streamed through the branches overhead, bleaching his hair. The color and texture was so much like Alex's that longing for him swelled in her chest.
Michael glanced at her over his shoulder and smiled almost mysteriously. “Are you doing all right?”
Once again she tried to hide her disappointment. She forced a return smile and nodded. “Where are you taking me?”
“Copper Falls. I hope you don't mind.”
“Not at all.” She lightened her voice. “You paid twenty-five
dollars for my lunch. I can't complain in the least.” Except that he wasn't Alex.
Almost as if Alex had heard her, he came bounding down the trail in front of them. His footsteps were heavy, sending dried leaves and twigs cascading along the path.
Michael stopped so quickly that Tessa almost bumped into him.
“Don't go a step farther,” Alex boomed, closing the distance like a charging bull. He didn't halt his rapid descent until he was mere inches from Michael. His face was flushed, his hair mussed, and his eyes flashed wildly.
Michael didn't move.
“I have a few things I need to say to you.” Alex towered over his brother. Although his expression was grave, his strong features appeared more striking than ever. He nodded to the upward path. “In private.”
Michael shook his head. “Whatever you have to say to me, I'm sure Tessa needs to hear it too.”
Alex glanced at her briefly, but it was enough for her to see the agony in his eyes.
“Fine,” he ground out. “If that's the way you want to do this.”
“Yes, it is.”
Alex sucked in a breath. He jammed his fingers into his hair and stared at the canopy of leaves above them. For a moment he didn't say anything. Finally he blurted, “You can't have Tessa. I love her. I always have. And I can't sacrifice her for you, no matter how much I want to. I'm sorry. I just can't do it.”
Tessa's heartbeat tapered to a halt. He loved her? He wasn't giving her up after all?
Michael shrugged. “I know that already.”
Alex's lips stalled around the response he'd had ready to
sling back. Instead he stammered, “Then why did you pay half of our savings to have lunch with her?”
“Because you weren't bidding, you dolt,” Michael said wryly. “And I didn't want any other man to monopolize her.”
“So why are you coming out here with her?”
“I saw that you headed out this way and figured you'd hiked up to the falls to pout.” Michael's tone was laced with humor. “I was bringing her out here to be with you.”
For long seconds neither of the brothers said anything. Tessa couldn't think. Her muscles wouldn't move. Only her heart seemed to be working, and at twice the normal speed.
Then Alex's lips cracked into a lopsided grin. “You mean to tell me you used half our savings to get me together with Tessa?”
“That's right.”
Alex gave Michael a playful punch in the arm. “You're crazy.”
“No, you're the crazy one,” Michael said, punching Alex back. “You keep trying to make me happy, and I told you that you need to stop it.”
“I am stopping. I can sacrifice many things for you, brother. But I can't sacrifice the woman I love. I won't do it. I'll fight you for her if necessary.” Alex's eyes met hers above Michael's shoulder. The love within them shone as brightly as the lighthouse beam on the darkest, stormiest night. It broke through her confusion and heartache and filled her with a warm glow. He'd come back for her. He hadn't given her up. And he'd been willing to fight for her.
“You don't have to fight me,” Michael said. “Although once I get back from Detroit, you may fight me when I insist that you leave the lighthouse.”
“Back from Detroit?”
Michael nodded. “Mr. Cole is paying for Ingrid's surgery.” His voice broke as he shared the news.
“He's what?”
“He knows a specialist in Detroit, and he's making arrangements to have the surgery done. He wants to cover the entire bill, including the steamer passage and housing while we're in Detroit.”
Tessa's throat clogged with emotion. No wonder Michael had been willing to spend his savings to bid on her boxed lunch.
Alex's Adam's apple rose up and down, and he wiped his hand across his eyes.
“I need you to stay here and run the lighthouse while I'm gone,” Michael continued. “And I'd like to name Tessa as your assistant keeper.”
Alex glanced at Tessa and started to shake his head. Michael cut him off. “Just until we return. Then I'm firing you both.”
Tears welled in Tessa's eyes, and she had to blink them back before she embarrassed herself. She could see that Michael wanted to protect her from the lighthouse, and she loved him for it. But she'd have time later to explain that she didn't mind anymore, for God had helped her overcome her fears.
“You can't fire me,” Alex said, though rather weakly.
“You've helped me long enough,” Michael said with a tender smile. “In fact, I've taken advantage of your kindness, and it's time for that to stop as well. Ingrid and Gunnar need me to be a strong father. They need a man who can stand on his own two feet. And I won't be able to do that if I'm always relying on you.”
“That doesn't mean you have to kick me out,” Alex said, attempting to add mirth to his voice.
“It's time for you to be free to pursue your dreams, to start the dog-breeding business you've always wanted.”
Alex didn't respond except to swallow hard again.
Michael only smiled.
“I guess that means Alex will be free to take my evening class,” Tessa said with a laugh.
Alex shook his head. “No way. I'm not taking your evening class.”
Tessa tilted her head and studied him, seeing past his teasing. “You know that I admire you for who you are, not for what you can or cannot do.” She hoped he could see that she'd come to respect the mining community. While she still believed education was important, she'd grown to realize it didn't define a person.
Alex grinned. “What I mean is that I'm not taking an evening class with a bunch of other men when I can have private lessons. Very private.”
Heat speared her stomach. The dimple in his chin combined with his strong jaw and perfect nose made her think again as she had when she'd first met him that he was much too attractive for any one man. “I only give private lessons to good scholars,” she teased. “Not naughty ones.”
“Well, I'm very naughty,” Alex warned with a rumble in his voice that made her insides ripple with pleasure. “I'm pretty sure I can convince you to change your mind.”
Michael chuckled softly. “Time for me to go and let the two of you work out all the details. After all, I can't make Tessa your assistant unless you marry her first.” He started to push the green polka-dot box into Alex's arms.
Alex's gaze landed upon her with a desire that let her know he loved her, that he'd never stopped loving her. There was nothing more she wanted at that moment than to be in his arms and hear him whisper his love again and again in her ear.
But she couldn't make it quite so easy for him. She tugged on Michael's arm. “Alex will have to wait until later to
work out all the details
,” she said nonchalantly. “You paid good money for my lunch, Michael, and I can't in good conscience let your money be spent for nothing.”
Both men's eyes widened, and she had to work hard to keep from laughing.
Michael's brow began to dip and he pulled the box back. Of course, Alex gave her that slow, devastating half smile of his, which never failed to make her heart melt. He shoved the box back into Michael's arms, spun his brother around, and gave him a gentle push that sent him back down the trail. “Michael can have the boxed lunch with a certain pretty lady sitting on the blanket next to his. And we'll consider the money a wedding present, a contribution toward our new house.”
Our
new house
. Tessa's smile faded, taking the hope with it. “The house is for the teacher. I won't be able to teach anymore if . . .” She didn't finish her sentence. After all, he hadn't officially proposed to her.
Some of the light had disappeared from Alex's expression too. “I don't want you to give up your teaching. I know how important it is to you. I'll wait for you as long as you need. Even years.”
She didn't want to wait years. She couldn't wait years. But how could she give up teaching?
“It won't be easy to wait,” Alex added, “but I'll do anything for you, Tessa.”
Michael let out an exasperated sigh. “There you go again doing the noble thing. Sacrificing yourself and your life for someone else.”
“Tessa's worth the wait.”
“I know she is,” Michael said. “Luckily, though, you won't have to put your life on hold.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
Michael's smile grew wider. “I already took the liberty of speaking with Mr. Cole. He's agreed to letting Tessa keep her job, even if she's married.”
Tessa drew a shaky breath, unsure if she'd heard correctly. “He'll allow a married female teacher?”
Michael nodded, his chest puffing out.
Tessa squealed and threw herself at Michael, hugging him with all her might. His face turned red, and he extricated himself quickly and took a step back. “It's not that I don't appreciate the hug,” he said. “It's just I don't want to put my life in peril.”
Alex was grinning broadly. “I'll allow the hug this once. But if you touch her again . . .” He punched his fist into his palm playfully.
Tessa laughed at the teasing between the brothers, relieved that after all the fighting that year, the two would still be friends.
“Now it's my turn for a hug,” Alex said, moving past Michael so that he stood on the path before her. Before she could offer a rebuttal, his grin faded. He reached for her, slid his hand behind her neck, and tangled his fingers in her hair. In the same motion he bent his head to hers. She couldn't have uttered a protest even if she'd wanted to, as his mouth crashed against hers with the ferocity of a stormy sea. He took her under, his lips swirling against hers, clinging to her, promising that he'd never let her go, that he would always fight for her.
She eagerly responded back, matching her lips to his, pressing her need into him. But at the sudden remembrance of Michael watching them, she broke the kiss and pulled back. “Alex,” she whispered breathlessly, “we have to wait.”
A glance at the path told her Michael was gone. Even so, she knew she had to stand strong with integrity even when no one was looking.
Alex didn't let go of her. His lips grazed her cheek and made a soft trail to her ear. “I love you.” The words were a caress that echoed down to her soul. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.”
“Just don't let it happen again,” she teased.
“Oh, don't worry . . .” He planted a breathy kiss against her neck. “I won't.”