Eagle River (23 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two

An Unexpected Gift

~ Kjersten ~

Kjersten set her book spine up on the blanket, rolled over, and closed her eyes. On her skin, the subtle yet warm caress of the late afternoon sun alternated with the gentle sweep of a cool breeze.

“There you are!”

Kjersten glanced up to see Lauren and Cat bearing down on her.

“What’s up?” she asked, sitting up.

Cat and Amy plopped down on the blanket next to her. Cat held out a thin package that looked like it could hold a book. “Something came for you in the mail.”

“Oh.” Kjersten pulled her hands out from where they were tucked deep inside the sleeves of her thick, cream colored Irish knit sweater.

“Well, open it,” Lauren urged.

“Why are you two so interested in this?” Kjersten asked suspiciously.

“The deliveryman was kind of hot,” Cat offered with a wink.

“You’re such a freak,” Lauren teased.

“Who are you kidding,” Cat countered. “You thought so, too.”

Seeing that it was marked fragile, Kjersten carefully peeled open the tape on the package. The object, which was wrapped in bubble wrap, was hard and flat. Setting it on her lap, she got to work on the bubble wrap. She pulled the paper back and revealed a picture of a boy and a girl of middle school age. They wore t-shirts and shorts and their limbs were long and summer tan. The girl was tow headed with a long pony tail, while the boy’s hair was sun kissed and a little overgrown. He held a fishing rod, and the girl, a hooked largemouth bass. The girl, obviously proud of her catch, was gazing right at the camera. The boy, on the other hand, was gazing at the girl. Kjersten drew a deep breath, taking it all in. Then, with shaking hands, she set the picture down on her lap.

“Is that you?” Cat prodded.

“Yes, that’s Kjersten,” Lauren agreed.

“It’s me,” Kjersten confirmed. “And Galen. That’s it? There’s no letter?” She reached for the package and held it upside down. A card fell out. She opened it. There was a single line scrawled on the note card. She read it softly to herself. “You had me hooked from the beginning—Galen.”

“Come on,” Amy demanded. “Please read it to us.”

“It says: You had me hooked from the beginning. And it’s from Galen.”

Amy clapped her hands together. “That is so sweet!”

“Well, what are you going to do?” the ever practical Cat demanded. “I know what I would do if Ben sent me a picture of us.”

“I’m going to call him,” Kjersten responded, rising to her feet, picture in hand.

“The delivery guy is still here,” Cat responded with a sly smile.

“So?” Kjersten questioned in confusion, gathering her things.

“There’s no postage on that package,” Cat said. “Look.”

Lauren waved the package in the air and Kjersten grabbed it.

“You mean, he’s here? Galen’s here?”

Both women nodded and grinned.

Just then, Galen stepped out from behind the interlocking branches of several pine trees that stood not far from the girls. He’d been concealed in the shadows behind the heavy, sweeping branches. Awkwardly, he stuffed his hands into his snug fitting, faded Wranglers. He was wearing a red flannel shirt that emphasized the broadness of his shoulders.

He looks bigger, thicker, and more mature. Now, he was a solidly muscular man, no longer a tall, gangly boy. His hair was longer and darker than she ever remembered having seen it and it gently curled around his collar. Galen’s a man now, and we’re not kids playing at love anymore.

Completely unprepared for this encounter, Kjersten stood frozen as Galen moved toward her. Her heart pounded.

“Come on,” Cat directed, rising to her feet.

“What?” Lauren asked.

“Let’s go,” she directed. “Leave the lovebirds alone.” Cat dragged a reluctant Lauren away.

“Kjersten.” Galen walked towards her. “I don’t want to let you go, to have ‘us’ be over. It’s never really been over for me.”

She moved closer to him, drinking him in with her eyes.

“I didn’t know you were at the hospital the night of the fire until after you’d left. That’s when Kyle told me.”

Not believing that he was here, that he had come for her, she walked right up to Galen, and into his arms.

“I’ve done so much wrong, made so many mistakes,” he began.

She inhaled his scent and the feel of him. Like coming home. “Shut up,” she murmured into the warm skin of his neck.

“What?”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.” He chuckled and held her tight, closer still, lost in this longed for embrace. Finally, Galen drew back. “I miss you, Kjersten. I want you back. We were meant to be together, but we just got lost for a while. Maybe we both needed to grow up some. But now’s our chance.” He reached out and tucked one long blond strand behind her ear. “I’m not giving up. You’re the one for me. You always have been. I know that now.  When things were hard for me, I pulled away from you. That won’t ever happen again. No matter what, I want to be with you. Is there any chance that we can try again?”

She opened her mouth and then shut it. Words. I want to say something wonderful, something grand, to tell him how I feel. But she couldn’t think of anything except, “You have me hooked, too.” It was all that she could manage in this overwhelming moment, all that she needed to say, because words suddenly became very unnecessary as lips met and hearts merged.

Epilogue

~ Tom ~

It was Jessica’s birthday again, and Tom was back visiting her grave. There was a steady breeze blowing with a hint of rain to come. With one hand, he popped his collar up and adjusted his baseball cap. He held a bouquet of lilacs in the other hand.

“I can’t stay long, Jessica. Maggie’s in the car. I just wanted to drop by and wish you a happy birthday.” Tom paused and glanced at the tombstone. “I wish you could see Cole, Galen and Kjersten’s little boy. He’s your spitting image. Galen’s going to have his hands full. He’s a fire cracker. They live in San Antonio, but get back to Eagle River pretty often. The football career is going well for Galen and Kjersten joined a veterinary practice down there. I’m so proud of our boy.

“Maggie and me, we’re doing well. The girls are getting big, one’s in high school and one is in middle school. They are busy with soccer and volleyball. We rarely have a quiet night at home, but I’m loving every minute of the craziness. You know how quickly it goes.

“And Cam, he may not be my son, but I think of him as one and I’ve talked to you about him often enough. Well, he’s retired from the CFL, and he’s a businessman now, a successful one. Cam’s on wife number three, they keep getting younger and blonder, but he’s a devoted dad. He has three or four little girls now.” Tom chuckled.

“Jessica, that’s all I have for today. I just want you to know that I still think about you. I feel you around me, like you’re watching out for me. I never did a thing to deserve all of this. I’ve been so blessed with you, my life here, coaching, all my players, and then Galen and his family, and Maggie and the girls. You’ve been my guardian angel... I love you and I always will.” With that, Tom placed the lilacs on the grave. He straightened, turned, adjusted his cap once more, and headed back to his car. The breeze carried the scent of lilacs after him, a benediction.

About the Author

Isabelle Kane believes that romance and love are among the most delightful aspects of the human experience. She seeks to provide her readers with rich tapestries of stories in which love is just one element of the forces that intertwine the lives of her protagonists. She believes every dreamer deserves the adventures and escape offered by an exciting novel. The greatest sources of joy and inspiration in Isabelle's life are her husband and their three children.

For updates on Isabelle’s writing, please visit her at
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