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NOTHING COULD HAVE prepared Delaney for coming face to face with Varik. Seeing him standing there now was as shocking as the first time she’d opened her door to find a Viking across her threshold. Only this time he wore jeans and a dark, long-sleeved pullover.
Her eyes wide, Delaney gasped, clutching the blue plaid towel to her chest, sure her heart was about to burst from a surplus of happiness. She wondered for a moment if he was real or if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Of all the warm, heartfelt, love-filled comments whooshing to the surface, the only words making it out of the stunned Delaney were, “You cut your hair and shaved off your mustache and beard.”
A deep round of surprised male laughter rushed forth. “I’m happy to see you too,” he teased.
“Varik...oh Varik!” Jumping up on him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and she kissed him with all the fire and passion of a woman in love. She was immediately enveloped in his arms, exactly where she wanted to be...where she was meant to be.
Unquestionably thrilled about Varik’s arrival, Thursday joined in the reunion, pouncing on them to join in the fun.
The force of Delaney’s enthusiastic leap and her dog’s zealous tackle caught the unprepared Viking off balance. He tripped over the ten-inch-high iron frog doorstop behind him and fell backwards onto the porch’s wood floorboards, with Delaney on top of him and Thursday happily barking while galloping over and around them.
Varik’s pained groan had her cringing. “Oh no, Varik, I’m so sorry,” she said as soon as she’d caught her breath. It took him a moment longer to find enough air to speak.
“Between you and your mother,” he croaked, lifting his head enough to look into her sorrowful eyes, “this is becoming a very bad habit.”
As she scrambled to get up, he held her tight in place against those two hundred pounds of solid muscle she’d been dreaming about.
“My beautiful Delaney.” His fingers smoothed down her face from temple to chin. “How I’ve missed you.” He kissed her with such heat she felt the delicious burn clear down to her soul.
Eager to share in the attention, Thursday clambered over them, rolling around and licking both their faces. Their reunion had clearly made him one happy pooch.
“Thor’s Day!” Varik patted the dog as best as he could being pinned beneath Delaney. “How’s my best buddy?”
“I can’t believe you’re here in Oregon.” Crying happy tears, Delaney planted a million little kisses all over Varik’s face. Hearing his labored breathing, she blinked. “I hope you’re okay. From the fall, I mean.”
Wincing, he said, “I hope so too. At this rate I’m not sure I’ll make it to forty.”
“We should probably get up.” Delaney hated leaving his embrace even for a moment, but was still rational enough to realize her Viking could have a broken back, sprained butt, and whopping concussion.
“Probably,” Varik agreed as she rolled off him. Groaning briefly the way a stubborn man did when refusing to admit he was hurt, he quickly got to his feet, moved his joints, flexed his muscles and smiled. “Looks like I survived intact.”
He picked up a large, weighty-looking hiker’s backpack from the porch, along with his guitar, which he strapped over his back. Gathering Delaney into his arms, he kissed the tip of her nose, then carried her and everything else across the threshold.
Resting her head against his chest, she sighed. “This is like a dream. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I thought so too for a while. But life couldn’t be that cruel to us. Not when we’re meant to be together.”
When he put her down she gazed up at him, almost afraid to blink, afraid he might be a mirage disappearing at any moment. Overcome with emotion, she fought to keep from crying, laughing, and bombarding him with questions all at the same time.
After closing the door with his foot, Varik walked to the Christmas tree, depositing his backpack and Delaney on the floor before tapping the pair of ornaments he’d given her, watching them swing.
“You saved them.”
“Of course I did.” Her head tilted as she studied him.
Following her gaze, he patted the top of his head. “So, do I look like a professor now?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen a professor look this handsome or sexy.” She’d tried picturing him with shorter hair and without the facial hair and couldn’t. His flowing mane of golden waves had been so wild and sexy. Now his hair was corporate length...and he looked astoundingly handsome.
“Good answer.” He drew her into another kiss. After making a sweeping gaze of his surroundings, Varik said, “Bekka’s house?” Delaney nodded. “It suits you perfectly.”
“I think so too.” She glanced around with fondness. Everywhere she looked she found something to remind her of her grandmother. “It feels like I was always meant to be here.”
“I’m glad you feel that way. Moving so far couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
“It was, and it wasn’t. It was kind of a snap decision.” The first two weeks after she’d arrived Delaney was in a serious funk, missing Varik, missing her mom, and missing her job and the people she’d worked with. It was during that time she felt the most comforted by the spirit of her grandmother, as well as by Thursday’s often comical antics.
His hands bracing Delaney’s shoulders and holding her at a distance, Varik locked gazes with her. “I’m sorry. It was all my fault. After the stormy history Ursula and I shared, I should have known better when she told me those lies about you.”
“I sat next to Ursula on the plane. She told me everything...which must have been really hard for her to do.”
Nodding, Varik said, “I got a lengthy, apologetic email from her, telling me about your conversation. It’s going to take a long time for me to be able to forgive her.”
Smoothing her hand along his arm, Delaney smiled. “It’s all over now.” It was difficult seeing so much pain in his eyes. She looped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. “Let’s forget it and move on from here.”
She really had no idea what moving on might mean, since Varik had to return to Illinois to teach classes in a few months. The idea of uprooting herself now, after falling in love with Glassfloat Bay and its people, would be hard but she’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant being with Varik.
She realized he hadn’t asked her to do that yet.
Maybe she was jumping to conclusions.
If Varik had a long distance relationship in mind, where they took turns traveling across the country for a rousing bout of lovemaking once or twice a year, she couldn’t do it. It would be too painful each time they parted.
Delaney looked up into his eyes, opening her mouth, then closing it when she realized she was too afraid to ask him about their future. Taking him by the hand, she led him to the sofa. “Sit with me. We have so much to talk about.”
“And...so much to do besides talk.”
His words and the unmistakable look in his eyes made her heart skip.
“So...” she said after a few moments of silence, “how do a couple of brandy-laced coffees with a dollop of vanilla ice cream sound?”
“Interesting.” He didn’t look particularly convinced. “I can build a fire while you put those together.”
“Sounds great. It’s a little brisk and windy today.” As Delaney bustled around the kitchen her thoughts raced. She still had no idea what he had in mind. “My mom gave me your message—that you wished me well and hoped I’d have a good life.” It was easier talking to him about this when he was in the other room and she didn’t have to look at his face.
“Did she?”
“Mmm-hmm. That made it sound like there was no chance of a future for us.”
“It did, didn’t it?” There was a distinct teasing quality to Varik’s tone.
As she poured jiggers of brandy into their mugs, her thoughts whirled. Frankly, she didn’t find anything humorous about his kiss-off message and couldn’t imagine why he seemed to find her mention of it so amusing. Her eye twitched as she remembered the call she’d just finished with her mother and how odd and cagey Astrid had acted.
Finally, it dawned on her...
“Wait a minute...Varik Jenssen, are you telling me you and my mother were in cahoots with each other?” Her eyes flashed and she gasped aloud. “Does my mother know about you coming here today?”
Striding into the kitchen, Varik said, “I’m not sure what cahoots means but,” he squinted one eye, “I think you’ve reached the right conclusion. Yes, Astrid knows.”
Stirring the brandied coffee with more gusto than she’d intended, Delaney accused, “You two purposely wanted me to think I’d never see you again.” She cleaned up the mess she’d made from the mixture sloshing as she stirred. “I can’t believe it. Why would you do that?” The ice cream landed in each mug with a haphazard plop and she had to clean the counter all over again.
“Clever, hmm?” Varik looked quite pleased with himself. “I like your mother very much. We hit it off great. After she shoved me to the ground, I mean.”
“How could my own mother do that?”
“Well in her defense, that’s when she thought I’d broken your heart.”
“No, not to you, to me.” Delaney carried their mugs into the living room, placing them on the coffee table before sitting on the sofa. “I can’t believe Mom would join forces with you to deceive me. There’s no logical reason for her to—”
“Astrid wanted to be a part of something that would make you smile. Once she got to know and trust me we came up with a plan, a surprise, we thought would make you happy.” Varik rose to his feet. “Ta-da!” He motioned to himself. “So, did it work?”
Taking in her big, handsome Varik the Bold from head to toe, Delaney couldn’t help grinning. “Like a charm. But,” she wagged a finger at him, “you and my mother have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Bold.”
Sipping his coffee as he hauled Delaney next to him on the sofa, Varik made a satisfied sound. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is being hard all the way from Illinois to Oregon while sitting next to a stranger on the plane?” Delaney followed Varik’s gaze as it drifted to his tented crotch. “You’re entirely to blame. Just thinking about getting you naked and picking up where we left off makes me—”
“That picking up where we left off part has me kind of confused.” Delaney cleared her throat. “Varik, why are you here? I mean other than wanting to have sex with me.”
His eyebrows bounced playfully. “Is there any better reason? You, me, hot sex tonight.” Setting his mug down, he drew Delaney into his arms, kissing her until her toes curled.
Oh Lord, he was going to make her spell it out for him. She was going to come across needy. Clingy. Possessive. She’d have him hightailing it right back to the airport for the next plane to Illinois.
“I was thinking along the lines of something not quite so...transient.” Her hand smoothed over his knee, ensuring he wasn’t a figment of her imagination.
“Transient...” He frowned, clearly perplexed. “You’re going to make me dig my Norwegian-English dictionary out of my backpack, aren’t you?”
“It just dawned on me. Your English has improved phenomenally.”
“Phenom...” he scratched his head, “yes, I definitely need to find that translation book.”
Delaney smiled. “Phenomenally means remarkably and transient means something temporary. I was hoping for something a bit more...permanent,” she managed, just above a whisper.
Varik’s face blanched as soon as the words left Delaney’s lips.
Thursday chose that instant to whimper and Delaney was tempted to utter a whimper of her own.
“I can’t believe it.” Varik dropped his head into his hands, groaning.
Aw hell. She crumpled inward. So all he wanted was a long distance romance after all.
“I apologize.” Varik’s big hands cupped her face. “I was going to tell you after I asked you about my haircut, but I got distracted.”
“Tell me what?” She hated the way her voice sounded like a lost little girl’s.
“I’m here to stay.” He spread his arms wide. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her heart thudded against her chest. “But-but I don’t understand. I thought you were starting at the university in the fall.”
“I am!” His smile was a mile wide. “But not in Illinois. You’re looking at the new Professor of Scandinavian Studies for Wisdom Harbor University.” Rising from the sofa he engaged in a dramatic bow.
“Wisdom Harbor?” Every nerve in her body shot to attention. “You mean just two towns from here?”
“That’s the one.”
Leaping from her seat she grabbed Varik into a hug, practically squeezing the life out of him. “But how?” She reluctantly let him go so he could breathe enough to respond.
“My cousin, Tore. As Chair of the English Department, he has a network of connections all over the country. He put out some...what are they called? Feelings?”
Delaney giggled. “Feelers.”
Varik nodded. “He found a couple of different options. One was at Rainspring Grove College, in Oregon’s wine country, but that’s more than an hour’s drive from here.”
Delaney cringed, imagining the traffic jams on Highway 101 during the tourist season, and in the rainy season with all the flooding. “That drive would be murder there and back.”
“I told Tore I’d take it if there was nothing else. I’d travel to the ends of the earth and back if it meant being with you, Delaney.”
“Ohhhh...” The sigh escaping her lips was probably the longest one on record. “That has to be the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.” She clutched his hand, weaving their fingers together.
“A week later Tore got the news about WHU from one of his associates at Portland State University. Apparently the Wisdom Harbor area has a small but thriving Scandinavian community. After a significant number of inquiries from residents they recently updated their curriculum to include Scandinavian Studies and,” he spread his arms wide again, “the rest is history.”
They held each other for a long moment, rocking in each other’s arms. At a loss for words, Delaney couldn’t remember being happier.
“Astrid was in on everything. We didn’t want to say anything until we were sure I’d secured the WHU position.”
“But you two made me wait two months. Two months, Varik! That was cruel! You and my mother let me believe I’d never see you again. I spent all that time pining over you.”
“Pining?” Varik’s eyebrows knitted. “Like the trees? Ah...perhaps it is a reference to tree sap being like tears?”
“No!” Delaney laughed, then gave his arm a playful whap. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m chastising you.”
“Chastising...” Varik looked clueless. “I thought I was doing very well with my English until we started talking.” He gave her a teasing look.
“It means scolding, and this isn’t funny,” Delaney clarified with a roll of her eyes. “Seriously, Varik, can you imagine how I felt after my mom delivered your so long, have a great life speech?” Delaney rubbed the sudden chill from her arms. “Just wait until I talk to my mom tomorrow. She’s going to get an earful from me.”
“I’m sorry, truly sorry, my love. I never meant to upset you. And your mother would sooner cut off her arm than hurt you, you know that, right?”
Delaney uttered a lengthy sigh of acceptance. “I do. And to think I just spent the last sixty days planning my old age with nothing but Thursday and buckets of chocolate to keep me company.”
“I’ll be right here with you and Thor’s Day when we’re old and gray, sharing those buckets of chocolate.” He hooked a lock of Delaney’s hair behind her ear and held her close, soothing her. “I only did it because I love you so much. Forgive me?”
How could she possibly be angry after hearing those words? And after he’d turned his world upside down just so he could be here with her?
“I love you too.” Cuddling as close as possible, Delaney rested her head against his chest. “Of course I forgive you.” She held him tight. “And I know you and my mom would never purposely try to hurt me.”
“We were idiots.”
“Please don’t expect me to argue with you, Varik, because that’s not going to happen.” They laughed together. “But I love you both anyway. It’s kind of weird...you don’t sound like yourself anymore. I mean, you still have the Norwegian accent but now you speak nearly perfect English.”
“I told you I learn fast.”
“It’s a little disconcerting.”
“Disconcerting...aaand there’s another word for me to look up.” Offering an acquiescing smile, he closed his eyes in a long blink.
Delaney recalled how she’d doubted his implausible claim when he first told her he was an academic genius. “Would I be terrible if I said I miss your broken English?” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You were hard to understand but it was kind of adorable.”
“You mean I’ve lost my adorableness?” He slapped a hand against his chest in a mock-wounded gesture. “If it makes you feel better, I still get mixed up sometimes. Bigger words, contractions, slang.”
“Nope, your adorability quotient hasn’t changed,” she assured him. “Nothing could ever diminish that. I just started taking a night course at your new place of employment, WHU, to learn Norwegian. We can help each other.”
“I’ll enjoy whispering Norwegian words of love in your ear when we’re naked in bed together.”
“Hmmm,” she tapped her chin in thought, “I doubt I’ll be learning any of those words in my class but I can’t wait to hear you whisper them to me.” Her eyes roved his perfect, muscled body and she frowned. “How come you’re not wearing your Viking costume?”
“It’s not exactly appropriate travel attire.”
“Yeah but it’s so sexy.” She pouted. “I dream about you wearing that outfit.” Her fingers tiptoed from his waist, up his abs, and to his sculpted pecs where they came to rest.
“So you’ve been obsessing about my body hmm?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She felt the warmth of a blush tinge her cheeks and smiled through it. “Definitely.”
“I feel like I’m being objectified,” he teasingly accused.
“Just because I happen to enjoy gawking at you while you’re wearing your Viking getup...as well as when you’re out of it,” elevating her chin, she cleared her throat, “doesn’t mean I’m objectifying you.”
“Oh I think it does.” He folded his arms across his chest. “But that’s okay. I know you can’t help obsessing about my mannlig kjonnsorgan.” He clutched his crotch, plainly enjoying Delaney’s resulting blush as heat spread across her cheeks. “It just so happens I have the Viking costume in my backpack.”
Scooting forward, Delaney felt her expression light up like her Christmas tree. “You brought it?”
Varik gave an affirmative nod. “If you’re a good girl I may agree to put it on before we make wild, passionate love together.”
Narrowing one eye, Delaney crossed her arms over her chest. “If I’m a good girl, hmm?”
“That’s what I said.”
After a long spell locking gazes, they collapsed into laughter.
“I almost forgot how much fun we have together.” Delaney was beyond delighted to have this amazing man back in her life.
“Just one of the reasons we’re perfect together.” He patted the sofa cushion next to his thigh. “Sit close. I want to feel your warm, supple, womanly curves press against me as I tell you about my heartwish.”
“You’re objectifying me, aren’t you?” Delaney accused.
“Definitely. Any objections?”
“Nope.” Delaney snuggled close, enjoying their close proximity and the body warmth they generated.
He kissed the top of her head. “You know I dream about you too.”
“Am I dressed like a Viking girl?” Batting her eyelashes, she fluffed her hair. “Wearing a horned Brunhilde helmet?” She wiggled her forefingers above her head.
“No, like a cartoon character.” He laughed at her scrunched face reaction.
“You mean like Bugs Bunny?” Her expression was still twisted at his unexpected, unsexy revelation. “Gee, Varik, that’s kind of funky.”
“Snow White,” he told her, combing his fingers through her dark hair. “You’re like the cartoon come to life. Same raven-black hair, snowy skin, rosy cheeks, kissable lips.” His finger outlined each feature as he spoke. “I had a mad crush on Snow White when I saw the movie as a boy.”
“That’s so much better than Bugs.” Delaney smiled. “I always thought Prince Charming was hot.” Her hand curved over his jaw and her finger smoothed across his lips. “But I think Vikings are hotter.”
“So we’re both turned on by fantasy characters. I guess that means we’re made for each other.” Varik gave her a sexy grin. “Oh, I almost forgot. I came across something in my grandfather’s papers I’m sure you’ll want to see.” Reaching into his back pocket, Varik drew out a small journal, covered in well-worn brown leather.
“This looks really old,” Delaney said, taking it gingerly as he handed it to her.
“Probably about two hundred years old. It’s notes my grandfather’s grandfather kept about the family.” He flipped through the pages and smiled. “Here, this is what I want to show you.” He tapped his finger on the faint pen scrawling.
Glancing down at it, Delaney laughed. “It’s in Norwegian.”
“Ah yes, I forgot.” Resting his head against Delaney’s he read aloud from the page. “Dinner at Viking Lodge this Sunday to commemorate our brave Viking ancestor, Varik the Bold, and all his many accomplishments.” Raising his eyebrows, he glanced at Delaney and smiled. “If it hadn’t been for Varik’s single-handed bravery against the enemy,” he read on, “our entire family may have ceased to exist.”
“What!? You had a Viking relative named Varik the Bold? And he was a hero? Wow, that...that means you’re the real deal, Varik.”
“The real deal?” His expression skewed.
“A Viking. A real, honest to goodness Viking!”
Remembering the vision she’d seen in Grandma Bekka’s eyes so long ago, Delaney had no doubt it was Varik Jenssen she’d envisioned. “You’re my very own Varik the Bold. My grandma was right after all. Fairytales really do come true.” The potency of their kiss punctuated her statement perfectly.