|
 Without
a word, Amanda's arms wound around Josh's neck, and she stepped
in close.
He
slipped his around her waist, holding on tight, inhaling the
faint scent of some sort of perfume that make him think of
summertime, and the lake's sandy beach. Her body melded
into his as it had a hundred times before, snug and
perfect. Soft. She felt so good.
He
tightened his arms, as if he might be able to erase everything
and somehow transcend time. As she nuzzled her nose into his
shoulder, he caught the back of her head in his hand, her
silken hair sliding through his fingers. Tipping his chin,
he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
Amanda.
Like
she could hear the silent plea in his heart, she edged away,
freeing herself from his embrace. She didn't look at him,
instead, she stared at his chest. "I better go
in. It's good to see you."
He
couldn't speak. Could only stare at the large diamond on
her ring finger.
She
offered him a weak smile, and he could have sworn, before she
turned around, her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.
As
she made her way inside the house, he gazed after her.
Behind the lightweight curtains of her front room, her
silhouette moved toward the blinking lights on a
Christmas tree. A tall, broad-shouldered, masculine figure
rose to join her. They embraced, and Josh's heart twisted.
She
could have been his. Should have been. And now, when
he hadn't realized just how much Amanda Henders meant to him
until he watched another man hold her, he was too late.
|
