Chapter Twenty-Six

The sight of Hannah sitting in the rocking chair on her grandparents’ front porch made Chase smile. She looked up from the book she was reading when he came into the yard.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He dismounted, careful not to crush the bouquet of wildflowers that he’d picked on his way here.

“Hello, Chase.” Gently, she placed the book next to the chair. “Are you going somewhere special?”

“I’m coming to visit you.” He’d chosen his wardrobe with great care this morning because he wanted the day to be perfect. He wore simple black pants and a crisp white shirt. She watched him as he tried to smooth down an unruly curl.

“I think you look a bit rakish.”

He laughed at her comment and walked up to the porch steps. Dressed in a midnight-blue riding skirt and a simple white linen blouse, she looked like a princess to him. He handed her the flowers and was pleased by the smile she bestowed upon him.

“Thank you, they’re lovely.” Hannah tipped her head slightly and smelled the delicate purple blossoms. “What did I do to deserve these?”

“You told me that you loved me.” Though he tried to appear casual by leaning against the post, his heart pounded wildly against his chest. He hoped she would never take back those words.

With the flowers in hand, she came down the steps. She smelled sweet and clean, like the Adirondack air. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he decided to wait for her to make the next move. She surprised him with a kiss. Her warm lips brushed ever so slightly against his.

“I do love you, Chase Malone, with all my heart and soul.” He was lost. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms. This was so right. Her heart beat against his chest. “You can tell me that a thousand times a day and it will never be enough.”

“I’m glad you feel that way.”

“But?” He frowned at her.

“I need to talk to you about what happened last week.”

Together they sat on the bottom porch step. “All right.”

With great care, she stroked the flower petals. Chase waited patiently, he knew of the struggle she was having. It wasn’t so long ago that he, too, had been forced to face the same thing.

She turned so they were facing each other. Her gaze was intent when she spoke. “I need you to understand why I went after you. When Julia brought the note and I read the contents, I saw it as a way to finally prove myself to you. For me it was the only way to make you see that I trusted you.”

“I wish you hadn’t gone to such extremes.”

“It’s been so difficult for me to know what you’ve been going through. I was so intent on saving the land and helping my neighbors, that I didn’t see what it was doing to you.”

“Don’t feel that you need to take all the blame, I’m just as at fault. I could have been honest with you from the beginning.” Chase took her hand in his, marveling that it fit so perfectly inside his. “We’ve come a long way together.”

“Yes, we have.”

He sensed a tension in her. Hoping to ease it a bit, he offered, “Would you like to go for a ride?”

“Sure.”

The sun was shining brightly, high over the Adirondack Mountains as they rode out of the homestead.

His crisp, white shirt outlined the hard muscles of his back and shoulders. A cool breeze ruffled the fabric of his sleeves. Hannah tipped her head back and inhaled deeply, smelling the damp, dewy woods and just a hint of Chase’s muskiness. She could feel his excitement.

They rode along at a slow pace, he seemed intent on taking in every bit of the forest that now surrounded them. The trail narrowed and Hannah pulled her horse to a stop.

“We’re going to Crane Pond?”

He turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a tenderness that Hannah had never seen before. “Together we can do this. I won’t leave you alone, I promise.”

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t go back there. Please, don’t ask me to do it. I won’t do it. Not even for you.” Hannah caught her trembling lower lip fast between her teeth.

The front of his shirtfront fluttered against the hard wall of his chest as he inhaled and then slowly let his breath out.

“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. You do believe that, don’t you, Hannah?”

She didn’t even have to think before answering him. “Yes.”

“Then trust me now.”

Hannah thought she couldn’t possibly love him any more than she did right now. He waited until she was alongside him before continuing. She gripped the leather reins between her hands. They talked softly as they made their way up the trail. “I thought about this long and hard before making the decision to bring you back here.”

“You always do that.”

“Do what?”

“Think about things before you do them. I’m a little more impetuous.”

“Yes, you are. The point is, I know how much you love this place, almost as much as you do your mountain. I don’t ever want you to be afraid to come here.”

“So you think I should face my fear head on?”

“Yup. We need to put the entire nightmare with Amos Smithson behind us.”

She couldn’t respond to that comment. The fear and rage over what had happened to her brought on such emotion that she couldn’t speak. Several minutes of silence passed when Chase turned to look at her.

“Are you going to be all right?”

“Yes.” She smiled bravely.

Since he wasn’t certain how Hannah would react to being at the place where they’d first made love, he took her to a spot higher up on the trail. He dismounted on top of the flat ledge that rose up above the shoreline. The ledge was framed by the tall pine trees. Off to the left side a curved pathway wound its way over rocks and in between two large boulders before it ended at the water’s edge.

The waves lapped along the shoreline. She came up behind him and wrapped her arms about his waist. His breath caught in his throat. He felt the gentle swell of her breasts pressing against his back. His arousal was swift. He ignored his desire. Gently extricating himself from her hold, Chase caught hold of her arm and pulled her around so they were standing side by side.

“Have you ever seen a sight more beautiful?” He watched as two hawks soared above the pond, letting the breeze carry them across the water.

Following his gaze with her own, Hannah whispered into the breeze, “Just the sight of you.”

He turned and pulled her into his embrace. With her head resting against his shoulder he said, “I know how difficult it is for you to be here. Hannah, it’s important to me that we put the past in its place.”

Hannah didn’t say a word. Her only response was to pull him closer to her. He felt the pressure of her arms wrapped around his waist.

“You remember when we were going home, after I found you here?”

She nodded.

“You said that this place was ruined. I told you we would make it special again and I meant what I said, Hannah.” He put his hand under her chin and tipped her head back so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you be my wife, Hannah?”

“I love you so much. Yes, I will marry you.”

He didn’t even know when they’d moved, only that in the next moment Hannah’s arms had snaked up his back and were twined around his neck. As always the passion inside her amazed him. She kissed him fiercely—her lips upon his with a hunger that could only match what he was feeling right at this moment. Her tongue teased his lips.

Chase groaned aloud, ripples of pleasure flowed through him like the water lapping against the rocks below them.

“I’ve missed you so much, Chase. I’ve missed this.”

“So have I.”

“Thoughts of you were all that kept me sane while I was with Amos.”

“It’s over now, Hannah. We are going to start fresh from this day forward.”

Hannah’s sapphire eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

“Do you know what your touch does to me?”

Her face was flushed with desire. “I can feel what my touch does to you.” Ever so slowly, Hannah’s hand trailed down his chest, over his flat stomach, stopping when she found his hardness.

In the next instant time stood still. They were the only two human beings who mattered. Chase tasted of Hannah and she of him as together they undressed each other. With their clothing strewn beneath them, they lay side-by-side on the ledge.

He trailed kisses along her face, down the slender column of her neck. He continued on, kissing each rosy nipple of her ripe breasts, then moved lower, running his tongue down her smooth stomach. He looked up at her, wanting to see her passion. Hannah watched him, a smile teasing her lips, a rosy flush heightening her cheekbones. With her hands she pushed his head lower. Acquiescing to her silent wish, his mouth found the soft open petals of her womanhood. She moaned and arched her back as his tongue darted in and out of her tender flesh. Her pleasure filled his mouth. He shuddered at her passion.

Slowly he left that spot, trailing kisses back up her body. He covered her warm flesh with his body. She yielded to him. He entered her slowly. She arched her back to receive him.

Together their passion took them to heights that neither of them knew existed. The sun beat down on them as they rode their passions out.

Her nails bit into his shoulders. She called out his name. Spent, his body still covered hers. “You are the most splendid creature.”

She shifted beneath him, accommodating his weight. “So are you.”

Their passion and desire quenched, Chase pulled Hannah next to him saying, “I have a surprise for you.”

Snuggling closer to him, Hannah murmured, “Umm, I think I liked this one.”

He laughed. “Me too. But, I have something just for you and unfortunately we have to leave here so I can show you what it is.”

“But, I don’t want to leave just yet.” Hannah kissed Chase’s earlobe and then ran the palm of her hand up and down his chest. “Must we go now?” Seductively she whispered the words into his ear. Her hand found his shaft hard and pulsing.

Chase groaned in pleasure and in one swift motion pulled Hannah’s lithe form on top of him. “Perhaps, my sweet, we could stay another few minutes.”

Half an hour later their passions were quieted once more. Chase leaned on one elbow and looked down at her. “We must go now, before the sun sets and the snakes eat us for their supper.”

His remark was enough to send Hannah jumping to her feet. Hastily she snatched up her clothing. Within minutes she was completely, if not looking a little disheveled, dressed.

“I hate snakes!”

Chase threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, Hannah, I had no idea you hated snakes.” Pulling on his pants, he smiled at her. “I guess we still have a lot to learn about one another.”

“Yes, we do. Just think of all the fun we’ll have learning.”

They lingered for one more kiss and then Hannah said impishly, “Show me my surprise.”

Chase led the way down the gentle slope and instead of taking the path that went back to the homestead he veered off to the right and headed up toward her mountain.

“Why are we going here?”

He slowed his mount, cresting the rise. “Trust me, Hannah.”

“I do.”

Chase found himself looking into sapphire pools of warmth and pure trust the likes of which he’d never known. “Here, let me help you down.” Reaching up, he laid his hands on her waist and lifted her to the ground.

“Why are we here?”

He led her to the top of the ledge. “This is the place where I discovered without this land surrounding you, you would never survive.”

They stood together, her back nestled against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He could feel each breath she took. Looking out over the treetops, Chase knew this was right for them.

“I love it here,” Hannah breathed.

“I know you do, that is why I bought the land from your grandfather.”

Hannah’s silence worried him. He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Hannah?”

He felt her intake of breath and turned her to face him. “Oh, Hannah. Don’t cry. I never meant to make you cry.” He kissed first one eyelid and then the other. Then, cradling her face in his hands, he pulled her toward him. Kissing her, he tasted the salt from her tears.

Breaking away from his kiss, she asked in disbelief, “You bought this for me?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What about your job with the government? Don’t you want to continue being an agent?”

Chase sighed. “After what happened to you, the job doesn’t hold the charm it once did. I can still pick up odds and ends of assignments. I think I’d like to take a break from that nomadic way of living for a while.”

She ran her hand down his jaw. “Chase, are you sure this is what you truly want?”

“I would never take you away from all of this. The Adirondacks are your life’s blood.”

“But I would have gone anywhere you wanted to be.”

“I know that now. We will be happy here with our family and friends.”

“What about your boss, Radley? I bet he didn’t think you would ever be true to your word and become quite so involved with me.” She grinned up at him.

Shrugging, Chase said offhandedly, “Radley will just have to find a replacement for me. Besides, think of all the fun you’re going to have making a local out of me.”

“Yes. Fun indeed!” Hannah left his side to throw her arms wide as if she could capture the world.

“I have one more gift for you, Hannah.” Reaching into his pocket, Chase pulled out a small pouch marked with the Tyler Mining insignia.

Hannah stopped twirling about long enough to look at him. “I don’t need any more gifts.”

“This one is to remind you of how we came to be. It is to remind you of our love and of what this very earth that we are standing on right now can give up.”

Like a small child awaiting the perfect birthday gift, Hannah held out her hands expectantly. He opened the pouch, emptying the contents into her outstretched palms.

Hannah gasped as she looked at the beautiful, flawless, star garnet that lay nestled inside the golden prongs of a broach.

“I don’t know what to say.” Hannah touched the gemstone with reverence, knowing what this one piece of garnet had cost.

Taking hold of her shoulders, Chase looked at her. “You don’t have to say anything. Just treasure the broach always. Treasure this Adirondack jewel, as I treasure you.”

As the setting sun kissed the mountaintop, showering them with colors of gold and ruby, Chase gathered Hannah close in his arms.

Hannah thought her heart might burst with the love that she felt for this man. “I love you, Chase.”

“I love you, my Adirondack jewel.”