Page 22 of An Alaskan Twin Surprise (Home to Owl Creek 2)

She stepped outside to the patio, eager to get away from the crowd for a few minutes. Rachel might just scream if another person asked her about whether she was moving back permanently to town. She’d been dumbfounded when an old classmate had asked her if she and Gabriel were getting back together. It seemed that the townsfolk hadn’t given up on them, even if they had been over and done with a long time ago.

The sky was the color of deep pewter, sprinkled with a dazzling array of stars. A pale sliver of moon hung in the night sky. Even though the temperature was frigid, Rachel felt as if she could stay out here for hours simply gazing up at the heavens. When everything was calm and still like this she always felt closer to God. Perhaps if the timing was right, she might catch a glimpse of the northern lights.

“I wish. I wish,” she said, pressing her eyes closed and wishing upon a star as she’d done so many times as a child. She’d needed a breath of fresh air to steady herself after soaking in all of the love between the happy couple. The love they shared shimmered and pulsed in the air around them. It had been palpable. Everyone in the church had surely known they were in the presence of love everlasting.

Her chest felt tight and for the life of her she couldn’t even identify the emotions roiling around inside her. Could she admit even to herself how she still felt a deep sense of longing for what might have been if she hadn’t run away from Gabriel? Something about seeing Sage in her romantic ivory-colored gown had revived all of her own hopes and dreams.

Ever since she was a little girl, Rachel had fantasized about walking down the aisle toward her forever—a husband who would stick by her side no matter what challenges life threw in their direction. That dream hadn’t completely died. It still rested inside the deepest part of her, like a precious pearl at the bottom of the ocean.

She had been so close to tying the knot with Gabriel. Their future had been stretched out before them like a glowing beacon. She shut her eyes tightly and shook off the memories of his proposal and the moment he’d placed the antique engagement ring on her finger. There had been no doubt in her mind that they were destined to spend the rest of their lives together.

And yet everything between them had crumbled into nothing because of her fears.

Would she ever find love again? She would give anything to feel that sweeping, soaring feeling pulsing through her veins—the way Gabriel had once made her feel. Jonathan had never made her feel beautiful or loved. She’d been so desperate to feel that way—to experience anything that might make her feel as alive as she’d felt when she’d been with Gabriel—that she had plunged into an unhealthy relationship. It had been far from loving, but in the end, it had given her Lizzy and Faith—the true joys of her life.

The sound of footsteps jolted her out of her thoughts. She knew before she turned around it was Gabriel standing behind her. It was as if the atmosphere around her hummed with his energy. She could smell the sandalwood scent that hovered around him.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked. “You’re go

ing to get hypothermia if you’re not careful. That shawl you’re wearing can’t be keeping you very warm.”

Rachel wrapped her arms around her middle, turning her head so their gazes met. Being so close to him while he was wearing his midnight-colored tuxedo and looking more handsome than a man had a right to look only served as a distraction. No wonder her thoughts had veered toward their shared past. It seemed as if he was in the very air she breathed in Owl Creek. Every time he was in her orbit, she felt her pulse skitter with awareness. This moment was no exception. She was acutely aware of his rugged presence and the way her heart tended to beat a little bit faster whenever he was nearby. It confused and startled her to feel so much for someone who was rooted so firmly in her past.

“I only came out here for a minute,” she answered. “It doesn’t seem possible, but I’d almost forgotten how stunning an Alaskan sky can be.” She lifted her face upward, her gaze fixed on the crescent moon. It almost appeared as if she could reach out and touch it.

When she turned back toward Gabriel he was shrugging off his tuxedo jacket. He gently placed it over her shoulders. “You must have forgotten you’re not in Denver anymore. It doesn’t take long to freeze.”

“Now you’re going to be cold,” she said, letting out a sound of protest.

“I’m good. I’ve got long sleeves and a vest,” he murmured. “Plus I worked up a sweat dancing with Beulah. She puts me to shame,” he said, chuckling.

“Always the gentleman,” Rachel said as a feeling of warmth washed over her. She had no idea whether it was Gabriel’s jacket or his mere presence, but she felt lit up from the inside.

“My folks wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said in a teasing tone.

As silence stretched out between them, Rachel decided to seize the moment.

She’d been waiting for a quiet moment with Gabriel so she could explain everything to him about her abrupt departure from Owl Creek. There was no time like the present.

“I owe you the truth, Gabriel. It’s been weighing on my heart for a while now. It wasn’t fair to run away without giving you answers.”

Gabriel locked eyes with her. He didn’t say a word, but he appeared to be waiting for her to continue. They both knew it had been a long time coming.

The cold wind whipped against her cheeks and she resisted the impulse to turn away. She needed to face this head-on and look him straight in the eye. It was the only way to do this with conviction. She’d had three years to prepare for this reckoning.

Lord, please help me give Gabriel closure. I’ve been avoiding this moment for so long.

It’s time to face my truths.

“I’m sorry for the pain I caused you by leaving. I wish I’d done things differently, but I couldn’t face you, Gabriel. I was a coward.” She shrugged. “Maybe I couldn’t take a long look in the mirror and confront the things in my past that caused me pain. I can’t make up for what I did to you, but I can try to explain what happened and why I got cold feet.”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened. “Cold feet? Is that what you’re calling it? Because to me it seemed like a lot more than that considering you ran away from the life we’d mapped out for ourselves.” She winced at the hurt radiating from his eyes.

She was already making a mess of this. Nerves had taken over and she was fumbling with the right words to come clean with Gabriel. She let out a sigh, knowing she needed to get this right. They both needed to put the past behind them so they could truly move forward. “You’re right. It was way more than that. When you had the accident a few weeks before the wedding, it really messed me up. It brought back all the grief and agony I felt after my dad’s plane crash. It made me question marrying a pilot. It tore me up inside, thinking I would have to deal with that fear every time you flew.”

“You never told me that,” Gabriel rasped, his face creased in confusion.

“Yes, I did,” she said in a steely tone.

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