feel.
* * *
“Woman, you are crazy!” Logan said, laughing. He watched Poppy dancing around in the yard in her socks. With her arms stretched open wide, she spun and laughed as she caught snowflakes on her tongue.
She was every bit as beautiful as she’d been as a teen and it took his breath away just watching her. Earlier, when she was warm and naked in his arms, when he pressed himself against her and then entered her, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He’d wanted her so bad, had dreamed about it for so long, and he still wanted her.
Nothing had changed. All these years he’d been a fool to think he could forget about Poppy and happily live his life as if she’d never been a part of it. And he had to some extent, especially after Keith had been born. But there had been a part of him that had been dead inside. Until now. He didn’t want to think about her leaving and going back to New York. He didn’t want to think about anything but how to get Poppy naked and in his arms again.
She stopped her spinning and looked up at him. The moisture from melting snowflakes against her warm skin glistened from the light streaming out from the kitchen window. “What are you waiting for? Get out here with me!”
Logan couldn’t help himself. He jumped off the porch and scooped her up in his arms, his heart feeling so full he thought it might actually burst. He spun Poppy around, laughing hard, feeling the fresh air in his lungs and breathing in the very essence of this woman who had haunted his dreams for years.
And later, he’d brought her upstairs and made love to her all over again. At first, his passion for her overtook his control and they loved each other hard and with wild abandon. All the sweet passion he’d always seen in Poppy came alive in their lovemaking. And then he loved her again, this time slow. He wanted to know every inch of her as if he were imprinting himself on her, ruining her for no other man.
As he lay next to her in the dark, listening to her breathing as she slept, he thought of the letters on the hatbox, and for the first time, what was written in them mattered. I was never engaged. I’ve never even gotten close.
How could that be? So many of his decisions over the years had been made because Logan had believed Poppy had moved on and left him behind.
He recalled Kelly’s confession years ago. He’d packed his bags and was determined to go after Poppy.
“I probably should tell you this,” Kelly had said. “But I just don’t want you to drive all the way out to New York and get your heart stomped on. Poppy is crazy in love with this guy she met at college. His name is Gary. They’re together all the time. They’re practically engaged.”
And yet, when he hadn’t believed Kelly and called Poppy’s house later that night, Poppy’s mother said she was out with Gary again and she didn’t know when Poppy would be home.
He’d spent the whole summer that year saving his money working odd jobs so he could buy a car and have enough left over to get an apartment. The cost of living in the New York suburb where Kelly’s parents had moved to was much higher than South Dakota. He figured he’d get a job doing something, anything, when he got out there. Young and stubborn, he’d wanted to prove to Poppy that he could make his own way.
He’d never made it out of the driveway. He couldn’t understand why Poppy had never mentioned this other man to him. They’d talked on the phone. She’d always talked about coming home. And when she hadn’t, he’d decided to go after her. Until…
She’s practically engaged.
Logan couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching Poppy. He’d been shipwrecked that night, body and soul, and ended up getting drunker than he’d ever been down by the creek. He couldn’t remember much about that night, but he knew that Kelly had stayed with him, listening to him. It was the night he’d kissed her for the first time. That much he
* * *
“Woman, you are crazy!” Logan said, laughing. He watched Poppy dancing around in the yard in her socks. With her arms stretched open wide, she spun and laughed as she caught snowflakes on her tongue.
She was every bit as beautiful as she’d been as a teen and it took his breath away just watching her. Earlier, when she was warm and naked in his arms, when he pressed himself against her and then entered her, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He’d wanted her so bad, had dreamed about it for so long, and he still wanted her.
Nothing had changed. All these years he’d been a fool to think he could forget about Poppy and happily live his life as if she’d never been a part of it. And he had to some extent, especially after Keith had been born. But there had been a part of him that had been dead inside. Until now. He didn’t want to think about her leaving and going back to New York. He didn’t want to think about anything but how to get Poppy naked and in his arms again.
She stopped her spinning and looked up at him. The moisture from melting snowflakes against her warm skin glistened from the light streaming out from the kitchen window. “What are you waiting for? Get out here with me!”
Logan couldn’t help himself. He jumped off the porch and scooped her up in his arms, his heart feeling so full he thought it might actually burst. He spun Poppy around, laughing hard, feeling the fresh air in his lungs and breathing in the very essence of this woman who had haunted his dreams for years.
And later, he’d brought her upstairs and made love to her all over again. At first, his passion for her overtook his control and they loved each other hard and with wild abandon. All the sweet passion he’d always seen in Poppy came alive in their lovemaking. And then he loved her again, this time slow. He wanted to know every inch of her as if he were imprinting himself on her, ruining her for no other man.
As he lay next to her in the dark, listening to her breathing as she slept, he thought of the letters on the hatbox, and for the first time, what was written in them mattered. I was never engaged. I’ve never even gotten close.
How could that be? So many of his decisions over the years had been made because Logan had believed Poppy had moved on and left him behind.
He recalled Kelly’s confession years ago. He’d packed his bags and was determined to go after Poppy.
“I probably should tell you this,” Kelly had said. “But I just don’t want you to drive all the way out to New York and get your heart stomped on. Poppy is crazy in love with this guy she met at college. His name is Gary. They’re together all the time. They’re practically engaged.”
And yet, when he hadn’t believed Kelly and called Poppy’s house later that night, Poppy’s mother said she was out with Gary again and she didn’t know when Poppy would be home.
He’d spent the whole summer that year saving his money working odd jobs so he could buy a car and have enough left over to get an apartment. The cost of living in the New York suburb where Kelly’s parents had moved to was much higher than South Dakota. He figured he’d get a job doing something, anything, when he got out there. Young and stubborn, he’d wanted to prove to Poppy that he could make his own way.
He’d never made it out of the driveway. He couldn’t understand why Poppy had never mentioned this other man to him. They’d talked on the phone. She’d always talked about coming home. And when she hadn’t, he’d decided to go after her. Until…
She’s practically engaged.
Logan couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching Poppy. He’d been shipwrecked that night, body and soul, and ended up getting drunker than he’d ever been down by the creek. He couldn’t remember much about that night, but he knew that Kelly had stayed with him, listening to him. It was the night he’d kissed her for the first time. That much he
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