Restless Heart (35 page)

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Authors: Wynonna Judd

BOOK: Restless Heart
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“Now, that’s more like it,” Destiny said in Seth’s ear.
“You got that right,” he replied and hugged her even harder. “What was I thinkin’?”
She shook her head. “We’re both to blame, Seth.”
“And we’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.” He dipped his head and captured her mouth with his, then jumped as a car drove by and honked the horn. He looked up to see his elderly neighbor, Mr. Babcock, grinning and waving behind the wheel.
“Oops,” he said. “I guess we’re giving the neighbors something to talk about.”
Destiny laughed with him. “Hey, this is Wilmot. They need something to talk about.”
Seth raised his head and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. “True enough. But I’d better get you inside or we’ll really be the talk of the town.”
“Why’s that?”
Seth gave her a slow grin and then reached down to pick up her hat. “Because kissing isn’t all I feel like doing,” he admitted, then took her hand and gave it a playful tug.
Destiny tipped her head back and laughed, and her hat fell to the ground. But her laughter trailed off when Seth looked into her eyes . . . and he simply had to kiss her yet again. Her eyes widened slightly and then fluttered shut.
At last, he pulled back, picked up her hat, and plopped it back on her head.
“Follow me,” he said, and led her to his house at last.
“Oh, Seth, I love this porch!” Destiny exclaimed as they ascended the concrete steps. “And there’s the swing! I need to try it out!”
She let go of his hand and hurried over to plop down on the cushioned seat. Swinging back and forth, she smiled at him with such sincerity that it went straight to Seth’s heart.
He hoped that no matter how successful she became, she would remember to enjoy the simple things in life like a front porch swing.
“What?” Destiny asked and tipped her head to the side.
“Nothing.”
“Oh no you don’t. Say what’s on your mind,” she requested softly.
“I was just thinking that you’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said in a lighter tone. “Come on, let me give you the fifty-cent tour.”
 
 
 
“
E
h!” Destiny stood in Seth’s foyer and put her hands to her cheeks. To her left was a warm, inviting living room that had a lovely fireplace as the focal point. A picture window overlooked the porch and the hardwood floors appeared recently polished. “Seth, I
love
it!”
“Thanks,” he answered with a pleased smile. “It’s a work in progress, but it keeps me occupied weekends and evenings.”
“A labor of love, I’m sure,” she answered and realized she had said the word
love
emphatically twice in the last minute—but not the way she wanted to.
“I mean, I can tell that you’ve put some hard work into the house already,” she told Seth as she looked around, trying hard not to imagine him living in this house with someone else.
She was leaving tomorrow, and going on the road for months. What if some pretty little schoolteacher swept Seth off his feet and he forgot all about her?
“I’ve always wanted to live in an old house,” she told him brightly, “because they have so much more character than a new home and we moved around so much.... When I’m in this house, it’s fun to imagine how many memories were created over the years.”
She was talking too much, too fast, but she couldn’t seem to shut off the flow of words or emotion. Suddenly, all she wanted in the whole wide world was to be here with Seth, night after night, creating their own memories.
“I agree,” Seth replied and the huskiness in his tone told Destiny that he was feeling much the same way.
“Wow, this is pretty.” Directly in front of her was a steep staircase with a beautifully carved banister leading to the second story. “Guess you know what I want to do?” she asked with a grin.
“Probably the same thing I want to do, but I thought the bedroom would be the last stop on the tour.”
“Seth!” She swatted his arm and shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. I was talking about sliding down the banister.”
Seth laughed. “I don’t know . . . I just waxed it, so that might not be a great idea.”
“That would make it even better!” She put one foot up on the stairs, but Seth reached out and took her hand.
“Come on. Before you risk your neck, at least let me show you the rest of the house.”
He led her through the living room and into the connecting dining room. She could imagine lovely Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners served here in grand style.
“I had to peel away layers of wallpaper and then do some patching, but it’s coming along.”
“The built-in corner cabinets are fabulous.” She squeezed his hand. “You have a real diamond in the rough here.”
“I’m having fun with it,” Seth admitted as they entered the kitchen. “This is really old school,” he commented with a wave of his hand. “I don’t think this room has been touched since the 1950s. I’ve got my work cut out for me here.”
“Well, obviously you can do what you want, but I think this is gorgeous just as it is.”
“Wait, you
like
the fire-engine red cabinets?”
She nodded vigorously as she ran her hand over the shiny surface. “And the black-and-white-checkered floor.”
He glanced down and then angled his head at her. “Are you joking?”
“Not at all. It’s so retro. My mother always said I have an old soul.” She put her hands on her hips while she looked around. “This kitchen just makes me smile. I feel right at home here,” she added and then felt heat creep into her cheeks.
“Then I won’t change a thing. Well, except sprucing it up a bit.” Looking thoughtful, he ran his hand around the tarnished edge of the countertop.
She turned away so he couldn’t see her expression, trying to sound gushy as she went on. “It would be fun shopping for retro stuff like a fifties Formica table and some old dishes and memorabilia.”
“Hey,” Seth said and slid his arms around her from behind, “there are so many things I wish we could be doing together, but it’s not in the cards right now.”
Destiny bent her head and nodded slowly.
“Come on, I’ll show you the upstairs.”
In silence, they returned to the front hall. This time, she wasn’t even in the mood to joke about the banister.
She was about to head up the stairs when his voice stopped her in her tracks. “Destiny . . .”
She turned to see him looking serious. “What is it, Seth?”
He inhaled deeply but remained quiet for a long moment. Her heart was beating so hard she thought he must surely hear it.
Finally, he reached out, took her hat off, and hung it on the newel post, then cupped her cheeks with the palms of his hands.
“I love you,” he said simply.
Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes fluttered shut when he leaned in and placed his mouth softly against hers. His lips were warm and firm and the kiss felt soft and tender, yet Destiny experienced a jolt of heat that had her toes curling.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed him back the way she had dreamed of doing for a long time. Hot, wet, and deliciously sweet, the kiss went on and on. When she leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, she never wanted to let him go, ever, ever.
Pulling back, Seth looked into her eyes and gently tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. “I’ve wanted to say that to you for a while now, but I didn’t want to interfere with your career.” He placed his fingertip beneath her chin and tilted her face up. “And I still don’t.”
“Seth . . . I love you, too.” The words rushed out of her on a tide of emotion, sweeter than any song she’d ever sung.
He smiled tenderly. “Where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how to handle the distance between us—and it’s not going to change. Not for a long time, anyway.”
He inhaled a deep breath and then blew it out. “I probably shouldn’t have even told you, if there’s no chance we can—”
Destiny silenced him with trembling fingertips. “Knowing you love me will make my life better. Seth, I’ve loved you for so long, and I never dreamed you’d be standing here telling me you feel the same way. I’ll remember this moment forever.” She leaned her forehead against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.
“But, Destiny—even without the physical distance between us—you have a recording contract with a major label. You’re headed for stardom and I’m a small-town guy. I feel like you’re living in another world.”
“I am. And I need you now more than ever. Anyway, you promised to keep me in line if I get too big for my britches, remember?”
“Ah, that’s right. That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “We’ve wasted so much time . . .”
“But if we had gotten serious sooner, then maybe you wouldn’t have pursued your dream. Maybe all of the pieces are falling into place now the way they were intended to all along.”
“Fate?” she asked with a small smile and placed her palms against his chest.
“God’s plan might be a better way of putting it.”
“Seth, I wish I believed so strongly that everything will just work itself out, but this isn’t going to be easy.”
“Nothing worthwhile ever is.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “We knew from the start that this wasn’t going to be easy, remember?”
“Yes, but the reality of it was like a being shocked with a cold splash of water. I’ve been up so many nights thinking about you and missing you . . .”
“Me, too. And there are going to be a lot more of those nights.”
“I know.” She squeezed his hands. “Seth, I know I’ll be gone so doggone much and it’s asking a lot. A big part of me longs to be home with you every night cooking dinner and living a simple life. But this is what I am destined to do.”
“No one knows that better than I do.”
She lowered her gaze and said softly, “I’ll understand completely if you want to find someone else to settle down with in this house.” She swallowed hard.
“Destiny, there’s no one else for me. No one else belongs here. Just you.”
Destiny gave him a slow grin. “Good, because I was totally lying. If you had said you wanted someone else, I would have been banging on Grace’s door crying my eyes out.”
Seth laughed and drew her into his arms. “Ah, Destiny . . .” He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. “This incredible journey of yours is just beginning. And just so you know, you had me ever since you literally fell into my lap.”
“I do believe there’s a song just waiting to happen,” she teased, but Seth’s admission made Destiny feel warm from the inside out.
“I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Love will just have to find a way.”
“We’ll
make
it happen.”
“Ahh, Destiny, I won’t lie. I’m going to hate it when you’re gone. But I’ll tell you this . . . I will appreciate every single second we have together and count the days until I see you again. And believe me, we won’t waste another minute. Ever.”
“Ever,” Destiny agreed, then looked at him with wide eyes when a sudden thought hit her hard. “Oh my goodness.”
“What is it?”
“Now I truly understand the anguish my mother must have felt when my father left her for months on end. Sure, Grace and I missed him, but it had to have been torture for her. For him as well.” She shook her head hard. “And that’s why
they
shouldn’t waste another moment either!”
“I agree.” He looked at her, and she realized what he was thinking.
She swallowed hard and had trouble getting the next words out. “Neither should I. I would get down on my knees as a child and pray for Daddy’s safe return. I remember being so afraid I would never see him again—and now . . . look at us. This estrangement is ridiculous, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Reach out to him, Destiny. That’s all that you can do.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the hot moisture pooling in her throat before she could speak.
“I’ll call him right now. Can I borrow your phone?”
D
riving down the highway toward home, John heard his cell phone ring somewhere in the duffel bag beside him on the seat. Keeping one hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road, he fumbled for it, but was too late.
The call had gone into voice mail.
Just as well. It wasn’t going to be Sara—she never called him anymore when he was up at the cabin, just let him be.
He drove on, thinking about her, wondering if she and the girls would forgive him.
It’s about doggone time I came to my senses
.
He only wished he didn’t have so far to go to get home. What if it had been Sara trying to reach him? What if she wanted to tell him . . .
What? That the girls were in town?
Seized by impulse, John pulled off the road abruptly and came to a stop in a gravel-spitting cloud of dust.

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