The Unexpected Wedding(41)
He set the glass in the sink and headed back to the sunroom. As he passed Becky Lee’s room he heard her moving around inside.
That feeling of loneliness crashed down on him again.
Who knew it could be so lonely living in a house filled with people?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Greta sat on the steps of her front porch, her hands wrapped around her coffee mug like she did almost every morning. It was her favorite few moments to just be before the activities of the day took over.
A rosy pink tint crept across the early morning sky. She loved to watch the sunrise, see the subtle changes and watch until the sun popped up on the horizon. She loved the stillness, broken only by the singing of the birds as the world lightened and the day began.
She’d never been one to need an alarm and didn’t quite understand the whole mentality of a snooze button, but she was grateful for her ability to wake on her own. She loved mornings, always had. The call of a cardinal drew her attention to the pine tree in the side yard, the bird’s bright red feathers flashed as he landed on a branch near the trunk of the tree.
A sound drew her glance in the direction of the drive. A car turned in and drove slowly towards the house. It wasn’t Jenny or Clay’s cars. She didn’t recognize it. She stood up and set her coffee cup on the weathered gray planks of the porch.
The car came to a stop and the driver’s car door slowly opened. A man slid out and stood there, one hand on the car door, one hand on the roof. He stared at her.
Her heart thudded in her chest, sure she was seeing a mirage. Seeing something that she’d dreamed about for so many years but never imagined would happen.
Martin.
Then she saw that grin of his spread across his face. An older face, but so familiar. He stepped away from the car, pushing the door closed and quickly crossed the distance between them.
“Greta.” He paused as he stood right in front of her.
She could barely hear over the pulse pounding in her ears, and her breath came in ragged gasps.
He reached out one hand to her, and her hand, with a mind of its own, reached out to grasp his. The warmth of his strong grip fired through her. He slowly pulled her to him and wrapped her in a hug.
She leaned into his embrace, sure that if he let her go, she would fall. Her heart fluttered and for a moment, she forgot the pain and remembered only the good times.
He slowly released her and stepped back, his gaze searching her facing as if memorizing the changes. She reached up and smoothed her hair and wished she’d put on something different than the old, worn summer dress.
“You look beautiful.”
“Your eyesight going bad as you age?” She was horrible about taking compliments.
Greta shifted back a step to look at him closely. His hair had grayed, but it had only made him more handsome. Strong muscled arms poked out of his short-sleeved knitted shirt. He had on khaki shorts and sandals and stood in the most relaxed manner as if he had no clue he’d just blown up her world.
“We need to talk.” Martin looked closely at her.
The warmth of a blush flushed her cheeks. After all these years, a look from Martin could make her blush. “Well, come up on the porch and I’ll go get us some fresh coffee.”
Martin climbed the steps to the porch and leaned against the railing.
“I’ll be right back.” She hurried into the kitchen, poured two cups of coffee and made a fresh pot. She took a moment to pull herself together and try to recover from the shock. She grabbed the two cups, walked back to the front, and pushed through the screen door.
She reached to hand him his cup, and their hands brushed. A few drops of coffee splashed and she quickly pulled her hand away and swiped at the drops on her dress.
“I’ve got a lot to tell you. Explain to you. Do you want to sit down?”
She did want to sit down. It seemed her legs didn’t want to hold her steady this morning. She sank into a rocking chair and placed her coffee on a small table beside her. She wasn’t sure of steady legs, steady hands, or steady thoughts.
Martin took a sip of his coffee. “Um, the coffee is good. I figured it was okay to come here this early. I remembered that you’re an early riser.”
She just sat, waiting for him to say what he had to say.
“I’m not sure where to start.” He shifted on the railing, leveraging one long leg out in front to balance. “First off, about Ellie.”
“I know, she’s gone. Becky Lee inherited some money from her a while ago and used it to help buy the cottage she lives in.”
“Well, that’s the thing.” He paused and looked directly at Greta. “Ellie’s not gone.”
Greta gasped, her hands trembled and she balled them into a fist. The grief she’d processed years ago flooded through her, mocking her. She closed her eyes for a moment, sorting out the news. She opened her eyes to see Martin kneeling beside her, his eyes filled with concern.