Page 49 of Bridles and Bribery

Maybe that was the real reason she’d lingered for so long in Heart Lake. She could’ve easily slipped back to Italy for a couple of months and returned to Heart Lake closer to Jillian’s due date. But being here for Jillian had felt oddly equivalent to being here for her son. It felt like she was finally doing something right by him after all these years.

Her other reason for staying, of course, lived in the beautiful old farmhouse next door.

“Oh, wow! Look at what I found on the front porch.” Jillian glided into the room, looking ready to pop out a baby any second. It was hard to believe she still had three weeks left until her due date.

Eloise was dying to know the baby’s gender, but Jillian and Dave had decided they wanted to be surprised. It took her an extra second or two to register the fact that Jillianwas clutching a crystal vase of roses. Red roses. Fiery ones just like the ones growing on the bushes next door.

Her breathing grew shallow. “Who sent those?”

“There’s no card.” Jillian looked like she was trying not to chuckle. “So I guess we’ll never know. Unless…” She paused and glanced suggestively toward Edward’s home.

With a strangled cry, Eloise dashed to the front door, flung it open, and left the house without taking the time to shut it behind her.

Jillian followed her, laughing. “Have fun,” she called after her.

As Eloise jogged across the wide green pasture separating her son and daughter-in-law’s property from Edward’s property, it felt like she was finally coming home.

Edward’s farmhouse, barn, and greenhouses were like a bright patch of the old Heart Lake she remembered, tucked in the middle of all the newer, more modern structures surrounding them.

As she drew abreast of the first greenhouse, the door to it opened. “Eloise?” Edward stood in the doorway, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she huffed, hating how out of breath she sounded. “I just came to say thank you.”

“For what?” He looked surprised.

“For the roses you sent over.”

“What roses?” He looked more puzzled than ever.

Her insides fluttered with uncertainty. She’d been so sure! “I, um…never mind.” She turned away from him dejectedly.I’m such a fool! Such a pitiful old fool!She no longer cared who sent the flowers. If they weren’t from him, it didn’t matter.

“Wait a sec.” Edward lunged after her, settling one large hand against her shoulder and slowing her escape.

She flinched and grew still beneath his touch.

“Come on, Ms. Italy,” he coaxed huskily. “You can’t just run up to a guy like that, lit up like a whole acre of Christmas trees, without more of an explanation.”

She spun around, choking out the words. “I thought you sent me roses, okay? But you didn’t, so I’m leaving.” She waved a hand dismissively. “In utter humiliation, in case you missed that part.”

Hope warred with the confusion in his eyes. “If I had any idea a fistful of thorny flowers would bring you running like that, I’d have done it a long time ago.”

“Really?” Water swam in her eyes. The way he was looking at her was making her feel eighteen again.

“Absolutely.” He reached for her hands. “Man, Eloise! Does this mean?—?”

“Yes,” she snapped, ignoring his outstretched hands and stepping closer. She tipped her head against his strong chest, feeling like she’d run an entire marathon to reach him.Make that ten marathons. Good gracious! Who was she trying to kid? She’d waited decades for a man like him to come into her life.

He gently wrapped his arms around her. “So help me, woman, the only thing I won’t be able to bear is if you kiss me and run back to Italy. I’m more of a kiss-and-stick-around kind of guy.”

“Then ask me to stay.” It was the most humbling feeling in the world to know that the way his heart was pounding beneath her cheek was because of her.

He slid a hand up her shoulder to cup the back of her head, holding her like he was never going to stop. “Will you marry me, Eloise?”

All the air left her lungs at once. “Ed?” She tipped her face up to him, hardly daring to breathe. Had she heardright? She’d been hoping he’d ask her to stay in town and date him, not…

“It’s a simple question, Eloise. Yes or no?” His dark gaze pleaded with her to get it right. “I think we’re old enough to know what we want without playing the dating game.”

Good gracious! Alright then.“Yes, you crazy farmer! Yes!” She stood on her tiptoes to close the distance between them.

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