Love After Snowfall (9 page)

“Clem, look at me.”

She twisted her head around.

“It brought me to you. Isn’t that enough?”

She lifted her mouth to his and silenced him with the moisture of her lips and the heat of her breath. Longing in his heart until, drunk on love, the room spun. She pulled back and nestled her face against him.

“It’
s enough. I love you, Ezekiel Knapp.”

“
And I …” he began, his heart lighter than air. “Love you.”

***

The thick darkness of night was lit only by fireflies, which pulsed and danced past the window. Yet Clementine’s eyes were only for Ezekiel and his only on her. He hovered over her, his weight an anchor to her soul, a comfort to her heart, a fire racing along her limbs. She curved to him, giving herself fully to his every embrace, and sailed out over the verdant mountains, her breath escaping into the night air.

She
fell back spent after, the ring on her finger imprinted against his chest, a never-ending bond signifying their unity to each other.

“Mama likes you,” she said.

She felt his smile in the darkness with the shape of his lips over hers.

“I like her
, too,” he replied. “You’re like her, you know.”

“Oh?
How’s that?”

“Well, the hair, for one.” He twined his fingers through her locks.
“Your faces, for another. Her surprise at seeing you was much like your surprise at finding me in the snow.”

Clementine
laughed, once. “She did seem angry. And then to hear I was married to someone, who wasn’t Nathan …”

“I can see where you get your temper,” he said.

“But she came around.”

“
Yes, she did.” Clementine paused. “Annalise is married. I can’t believe it, and I missed the whole thing. But I remember her husband from our youth. He’s nice. I like him. However, I have a confession to make …” She let her voice trail away.

“
Does this involve all the secrecy the two of you had earlier?”

“
Mmm. Sisters are like that.”

She’d missed he
r sister and found their reunion like picking up where she’d left off. As much as she’d loved Nathan, he’d taken that from her.

A cricket
beneath the window sill creaked loudly in the room.

“So?”
Ezekiel asked. “What’s this confession?”

“We made a bet.” A girlish giggle rose in her chest and escaped.

His hand sought her face and traced itself down her neck. “Does it involve me?” he asked.

“
Mmm, yes. Us.”

“Let me guess,” he said. “We’re going hunting together.”

She curved her face into his chest, muffling her laughter. “That depends on the game.”

“Deer?
You shot a moose once.”

“Twice.
I shot two moose.” She spoke frank.

“Okay, so two moose.”

“And not a deer,” she added.

He grabbed hold of her and lifted her atop him. “Turkeys?”

“No, though I’d like to go in the fall.”

“Then we will,” he said. “Will you miss it?”

Her hair did pirouettes around his face. “Alaska?” she asked. “Will you?”

“I will always miss it in some f
ashion, but anywhere you are is home for me,” he replied. “Except we have to visit Minnesota or my family will explode. They can’t believe I married and never told them. Now …” He curved his hands in the small of her back. “Answer my question, then tell me what you and your sister have cooked up.”

Her laughter returned. She fell against him. “I will miss it some, like you said. I’d like to go back one day,
to visit, but … and this involves what happens next …”

He nuzzled at her neck, and she stretched her hands out on the bed.

“But I want to take our children.”

His hand on her face,
he turned her gaze to his. “Did you just say
children
?”

She bobbed her head.
“That’s the bet. Whoever gets pregnant first.”

His laughter joined hers and reformed itself in her gasp, as he laid his mouth to her throat.

“We’d better keep trying then,” he said, his lips wandering along her skin. “If you want to win …”

FROM THE AUTHOR

This story was birthed out of my watching way too many shows about Alaska. I have trapped, hunted, fished, chased criminals and wild game, rode snowmobiles, gotten stuck in the ice, had to start fires, and slept under the stars. Realizing all the research I’d been doing without any use for it, I simply had to write a story.

Clementine Button was a fun character, but a troubled one, to create. That she would stick it out after the death of her husband to appease some ideal he had for her soon wove itself onto every page. Ezekiel Knapp was meant to be her opposite in many ways, the antithesis to Nathan Button, but more
of what she needed than Nathan had ever been.

I threw in the suspense for good measure. After all, what’s a story about Alaska without mention of gold? I wasn’t sure Ezekiel had found it until I reached the end, however. But I did know she’d go home.

Yet home is really, as the trite saying goes, where your heart is, and for Clementine, that’s with Ezekiel, and I’m thinking two beautiful little redheaded girls.

Suzanne D. Williams

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling author, Suzanne D. Williams, is a native Floridian, wife, mother, and photographer. She is the author of both nonfiction and fiction books. She writes a monthly column for Steves-Digicams.com on the subject of digital photography, as well as devotionals and instructional articles for various blogs. She also does graphic design for self-publishing authors.

To learn more about what she’s doing visit
http://suzanne-williams-photography.blogspot.com/
or link with her on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/suzannedwilliamsauthor
.

Also by Suzanne D. Williams:             

Nonfiction:

Fearless

Short Stories:

The Amanda Series

Christmas Angel

Me & Timothy Cooper

I Kissed The Boy Next Door

The Best Week of My Life

Of All The Ways He Loves Me

The Life
And Times Of Lucas McGilley

Flight Risk (The Italian Series #1)

Italian With A Side Of Pasta (The Italian Series #2)

Something Italian (The Italian Series #3)

Blue To Remember

Ichabod & Penelope

New ~ Jersey

Glass

Eden

A Miracle
For Mari

All
About Romeo

Love
After Snowfall

Fiction:

MISSING (The Sanders Saga #1)

FOUND (The Sanders Saga #2)

Love & Redemption (The Florida Irish #1)

Life & Deliverance (The Florida Irish #2)

For Eternity (Time-Travel Romance #1)

Upcoming Fiction Novels:

Faith & Forgiveness (The Florida Irish Series#3)

Maire’s
Song (The Florida Irish Series #4)

Crossing Eternity (Time-Travel Romance #2)

Tattooed

The Quarter

Wings

Upcoming Short Stories:

Love in Lilac

SUIT (Best-Dressed Series #1)

Painted Bride (Best-Dressed Series #2)

The Girl In The Pink Bikini (Coralee Chronicles #1)

The Bride Wore Blue Sneakers (
Coralee Chronicles #2)

Say It
With Flowers (The Italian Series #4)

And That Was Paradise

She Loves Me Anyway

Lawn

Sit Down And Die Quietly

Dadgumit

Walter’s Baby

Drivin
’ Me Crazy

Sweep Me
Off My Feet

Go Ahead
And Kiss Me

Love & Roses

Come Back To Me

No Done Living

Atlas

Down
Fall

Love Dangerously

Also in audiobook:

Me & Timothy Cooper

The Best Week
Of My Life

Of All
The Ways He Loves Me

Love & Redemption

For Eternity

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