Starlight by Debbie Macomber Page B

her over.”
    “But, Dad, what did you do?”
    Matthew followed Karen into the kitchen and bent close to whisper: “I’ve never told another living soul this, but I tricked your mother into marrying me. But not for a day did she regret it.”
    “You didn’t,” Karen said with a gasp.
    “Aye, but I did.”
    Karen could hardly believe what she was hearing. “How did you trick Mom?”
    His whole face broke into a wide, mischievous grin. “I whisked her away. By the time we arrived in Idaho, she’d agreed to be me wife.”
    Karen felt the sudden need to sit down. “You mean to tell me you kidnapped Mom?”
    Matthew laughed boyishly. “It was hardly a kidnapping. I was just helping her make up her mind.”
    For a moment, Karen was dumbfounded. “Honestly, Dad, you astonish me.”
    “Aye, it was a brave thing, but your mother never regretted it. I knew she loved me.”
    Karen would have said more, but her doorbell rang. When she introduced Carl to her father, the two men shook hands respectfully. Karen slipped on her full-length leather coat, and the three left together. Matthew was invited to Evan and Milly Forsyth’s for Sunday dinner and promised to give them Karen’s love.
    The drive to Sea-Tac Airport was accomplished in a companionable silence. Carlseemed to be a quiet, gentle man about the same age as Matthew. His loyalty to Rand was unquestionable. They parked with relative ease and waited in baggage claim.
    Rand was the last passenger to arrive, and again the sight of this virile man sent her heartbeat racing. She experienced the urge to rush to him and hug him fiercely; instead, she walked forward almost hesitantly and whispered his name.
    Smiling, Rand immediately held his arms open for her. Karen was there in a second, as if it were the most natural place in the world for her to be.
    “Welcome home.” Carl greeted him with a smile.
    “Thanks, Carl. It’s good to be home.” He smiled at Karen, his look tender and warm. Slipping his arm around her waist, he added, “Very good indeed.”
    After a thirty-minute drive, Carl turned off the road and into a long driveway. Karen watched with growing anticipation for the first view of Rand’s home. Having him invite her to his home held a special significance; Karen felt it was almost symbolic. The final defense was being lowered.
    She tensed slightly as they drove down the winding driveway. The first view of the house left Karen awestruck. The house was magnificent, a long, sprawling, contemporary rambler. The large grounds were landscaped meticulously. Another smaller home stood in the distance and roused her interest.
    Carl answered her unspoken curiosity. “The smaller house is for me and the missus.” His voice was filled with pride.
    Holding her hand, Rand led her into his home. He was confident and sure in the familiar surroundings; his movements were precise and made with ease. They stood in the elegantly tiled entryway that led to a sunken living room. The fireplace was lit, the flames reflecting a warm, welcoming glow. A solid-oak dining-room table was set in the formal dining room off the spacious kitchen. The candles flickering from the table’s centerpiece cast dancing shadows across the bone china and crystal glassware.
    “It’s beautiful … everything’s beautiful.” Karen spoke with a sense of awe. Rand’s personality was stamped in every piece of furniture, every room. He had allowed her into the inner sanctum of his life; this home was his pride. Shown a hundred different locales, Karen would have immediately known this house belonged to Rand.
    Carl brought in the luggage with the instruction to call when Karen was ready to leave.
    The door had no sooner closed behind him when Rand turned to her. Very gently, he took her face between his hands. “I’ve missed you.” He bent forward and kissed her with a fierceness that spoke of longing and frustration. Karen responded with an urgency that matched his own. It had always been