Page 90 of A Touch of Fire

True to his word, as soon as he got home, Troy was in the truck heading over to her apartment. Megan had ducked out of the courtroom almost before the judge hit the gavel.

There was so much he wanted to say, needed to tell her to set things right. He wouldn’t have been able to catch her, anyway, since he had to process the rest of the paperwork and get his stuff, but even still, it was an act of ultimate restraint not to chase after her and make up for lost time.

Now that he had made a decision, he didn’t want to waste any more time than he had already.

He turned onto her street and saw her car parked in its usual spot. Troy pulled into the parking space he had previously claimed, grabbed his bomber jacket, and ran up toward her door, hitting the buzzer twice for good measure. He paced in a circle, waiting, when he noticed the flurries starting to come down around him in a classic late season snow.

Troy looked up and down Main Street as the snow fell silent and gentle. The sun was going down, but the clouds made it look darker than normal. The warm, golden light from windows spilled out onto the pavement in a picturesque scene that felt familiar and comforting.

Home.

He was home.

Troy smiled to himself and hit the button again, happily waiting in case she was in the shower, when he heard footsteps to his right.

Megan walked up and stopped when she saw him. Their eyes met.

She was wearing her tall tan boots and her dark coat that highlighted her red hair in the dim light. To stay warm, she had on a tan knit cap and matching gloves that held a to-go cup of tea, he presumed. The tip of her nose was red like her cheeks, which reddened when she smiled.

“I didn’t think I’d see you.”

“You didn’t stick around long enough.”

Troy closed the gap between them, sliding his hands out of his coat pockets.

“I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.”

“How could I stay away?”

At her broadening smile, he wrapped his arms around her and planted his lips to hers. She tasted sweet and smelled like honey. Everything about her was like a summer day, and as long as he was with her, he would never be cold again.

He lingered and felt her body mold against his own. When he pulled back, there were more flurries resting on her hat and hair. He brushed a few away before bringing his arms around her again. She left her free hand on his chest. A gust of wind tried to tangle her hair around her face, but as far as Troy was concerned, a blizzard could’ve come that moment and he wouldn’t have moved.

“When do you leave?” she asked, her eyes searching his.

“I did some thinking. This is where I belong.”

“What about the army?”

Troy smiled and tilted his head to one side. “Well, that would get in the way of my bed and breakfast plans.”

Megan’s smile grew across her face as her eyes lit up.

“How about you? What about the interview?”

Megan looked down at his chest and wiped some snow away from the leather.

“I did some thinking too. This is where I belong.”

“Are you sure you didn’t skip it for me?”

She glanced up at him through her lashes, which completely undid him.

“I think I was trying to run from what I’m meant to do, but I understand now. I was given this gift for a reason. I need to learn how to honor that and find joy at the same time.”

“So it’s true then? You can’t burn?”

Megan nodded. “You don’t seem shocked.”

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