Page 94 of Time After Time

I’m not twenty-five anymore. I’ve grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined. And Ransom is not the man who broke my heart. There’s more weight to him now. More humility. Maybe even more hope.

I wonder if it really is as simple as Papa said, to see if this is the car I want to buy.

I look out of the window. The storm is already easing. But I don’t want to leave. I like it here; I like being alone with him.

“Last night, Papa compared you to a Volvo.”

He gives me a wickedly pleased look. “I’m almost afraid to ask. Reliable? Boxy? Scandinavian?”

I let out a quiet chuckle. “He said something along the lines of you beingsturdy, older, expensive to repair if he breaks your heart, but….”

“But?” he coaxes.

I swallow. “But…if he sticks around, you’ll be safe for life.”

Emotion swarms his eyes, and I see them go misty. “That’s…shockingly flattering coming from Jean.”

“I think it was his way of saying he likes you.”For me.

“Despite the circumstances?” he queries.

“He drives a Volvo, Ransom.” My voice is low, a whisper.

What are you doing, Ember? This is dangerous.

He smiles at that.

“Then, I’d like to earn that comparison.” He holds my gaze. “Not the expensive repairs part. But the rest. I’d like to be…steady. Safe. Someone you can count on.”

I look at him. Not past him. Not through him.Athim. “Well, first I have to wait and see if you’re the kind of man who gets regular oil changes.”

He crawls to me.

My heart seizes.

On his hands and knees, he leans over, brushes his lips against mine. “Ember Rousseau, I swear to you—I’ve just had a full service and I’m good to go.”

My lips tingle. “You sure?” My voice is shaky, even though I’m trying for levity. “I won’t date someone whose emotional check engine light is always on.”

“I’m sure, Sweet Em.”

He gently draws me close, his arms enveloping me in a warm embrace. Our lips meet in a tender, languid kiss.

The world around us fades into a soft blur as I kiss him back with the same gentle rhythm.

It's as if time stands still and the universe aligns to deliver the most perfect kiss of my life.

CHAPTER 26

Ransom

I'm not sure how long we remain curled up on the wooden floor of the ranger hut after the storm subsides. Perhaps an hour, maybe longer.

The once howling wind has quieted to a gentle whisper, and the snow drifts down softly and lazily, as if exhausted from battling gravity. The air feels still, almost serene, with the storm's fury now a distant memory, leaving a blanket of white that hugs the landscape in its calm embrace.

I kiss her hair, her cheek, her temple.

“I’ve missed you.”