She looked up as a car pulled into the driveway. It rolled to a stop, and both the driver’s side door and the passenger side door opened. She watched as two people got out of the car.
Martin.
Ellie.
Greta stood up, her hand at her throat. Ellie hurried across the yard, up the steps, and threw her arms around Greta.
“Oh, Ellie. I never thought I’d see you again.” Greta hugged her friend.
Martin climbed the steps and Greta held out a hand to him. A smile spread across his face.
“I thought you had to go back into hiding. What happened?”
“It’s all behind us now. The Abellis are all in jail. I—we—don’t have to hide anymore.” Ellie’s voice was low. “It is so strange to be back here after all these years. I never thought I’d see you, or Comfort Crossing ever again.”
“You’re both free now?” Greta stood in shock.
“Yes, we’re free to come back here, live our lives.” Martin grinned.
Ellie grabbed Martin’s hands in hers. “I can never repay you for all you did for me. For all you gave up for me.”
“Ah, Ellie, I’d do it again if I had to.” Martin leaned over and kissed Ellie’s cheek.
“I know you would. You’re a good man and my best friend, but now it’s time you took back your own life. I’m going to go see my brother now. I have a lot to explain to him. I can’t wait to see my whole family.” Ellie turned to leave. “I’ll come back tomorrow and we’ll talk, Greta. I’ve missed you so. We’ll catch up on everything that’s been going on in our lives.”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m leaving Martin here with you.” Ellie grinned. “He’s been waiting for this day for almost forty years.”
Ellie returned to the car and drove off.
Greta stood with her mind racing at all that had happened in the last five minutes. Martin stepped up close, tilted her head up with one hand, and brushed back her hair with the other. “I have missed you so. It’s like a piece of myself has been missing all these years.”
Greta could barely take a breath. All this time. All the longing. All the wishing things had been different. Now here Martin was, standing right in front of her.
“Greta, I want you to give me a second chance. I need you to. Please. I’ve loved you for so many years. Can we please try again?”
Martin peered at her closely. “I guess I didn’t even ask if you had someone in your life now.”
“No, there’s no one.” Greta’s voice came out in a whisper.
“Then will you give me another chance? I promise not to mess it up this time. I won’t leave you. Can you trust me?”
Greta’s heart skipped a beat and she looked up into the warm eyes of this man. The man she’d loved for so many years. “There is no second chance.”
Martin’s eyes widened, then traces of sadness darkened his face. “I don’t blame you. I know I left you all those years ago. Told you I loved you, then left.”
“That’s not what I meant. There is no second chance because I never stopped loving you. You’ve always been in my heart. I do trust you. I know why you made your decision to leave before. But you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
Martin drew in a big gulp of air. “I do so love you, woman.”
He leaned down and kissed her then. A long, leisurely kiss that promised of days of love and time to get to know each other again.
“I love you, too. Always have. Always will.”
~ * ~
Cal moved back into the cottage next to Steve. TJ had taken his place in the sunroom at Becky Lee’s. He missed getting up each morning and having breakfast with Becky Lee and Scotty, missed sitting on the porch at night, talking about their days. He still went over every day to check on TJ and Scotty—and Becky Lee—but it wasn’t the same.
TJ got stronger every day and made noises about finding her own place for herself and Scotty. But that wouldn’t matter either. Becky Lee had married him to keep Scotty safe, not because she was in love with him. She even kept hinting that it was time for him to move on, and how much she knew he loved to wander from town to town and job to job.
Only he didn’t want that anymore. He wanted what he couldn’t have. He wanted to be married to Becky Lee for real, because she loved him, because she wanted him—not because she wanted to keep Scotty safe.
Cal took a swig of his beer and continued painting the wall at the cottage. He’d promised Steve he’d be all finished with the work soon. He turned up some music on the stereo in the corner, hoping to chase his thoughts away by the loud songs.