A Noble Groom (Michigan Brides #2)(101)

“I know it’s discouraging,” Carl said. “But look.” He slowly pivoted her.

“How?” Disbelief thickened her tongue so that all she could do was stare.

There stood the new barn, virtually untouched. Several patches of the roof had been ripped off, but otherwise it was almost as if the fire had hopped right over it.

The black billowing clouds had moved to the east, likely taking the raging inferno to Forestville, where hopefully it would meet its death at the edge of Lake Huron. But even though the darkness had passed, the air was still thick with smoke.

“I can’t make sense of it,” Carl said, “except to hypothesize that since the boards were new and somewhat green, that the fire was moving too quickly for the wood to combust the same way the dry wood did.”

She didn’t understand Carl’s explanation. And suddenly it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they had survived, that they were together. She’d lose the barn by the end of the week anyway.

As long as she didn’t lose Carl again.

“Carl . . .” she said, turning to him.

He lifted a finger to her lips to silence her. His rich brown eyes were full of all the questions that remained unanswered between them. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness for lying to you. I was a fool to deceive you. And I regret that I wasn’t honest with you from the start, no matter the consequences.”

“I was wrong too—”

“Please, Annalisa, I beg you to find it within yourself to forgive me. I promise, I’ll do whatever it takes to win back your trust.” He moved his hand to her cheek and stroked his thumb along her jaw. “I’ll spend the rest of my life, if I must, trying to regain your affection.”

Her heartbeat sputtered forward as if it didn’t quite know what to do.

“I shouldn’t have left you yesterday. I was a coward.” His eyes caressed her face, making her stomach flutter. “God is showing me I need to stop running and stay and fight the battles that need fighting.”

She wanted to lift her hand to his cheek and run her fingers along his jaw and explore the contours of his face the same way he was doing with hers. Instead she lowered her head, her shyness mingling with uncertainty. Did she dare hope he’d decided to stay in Forestville?

He tipped her chin back up so she had no choice but to see the emotion and intensity in his expression. “I want you,” he whispered. “I want you forever.”

Forever? What was he saying?

“I love you, Annalisa.”

And the truth of his words shone from his eyes. Delight wrapped around her heart.

“I know I don’t deserve your love, and I don’t expect it—”

It was her turn to silence him. She touched her fingers to his mouth. “I forgive you.”

His hand spanned her lower back and pressed her nearer—as near as she could get without crushing Sophie. At the same time he reached for her hand, turned it over, and gently kissed her wrist. His breath fanned her skin and sent a trail of warmth up her arm to her cheeks.

His gaze dropped to her lips, and he studied her mouth for a long, agonizingly sweet moment. And then he brought his lips down on hers with swiftness and sureness.



The warmth of his mouth captured hers and commanded a response. She rose up on her tiptoes to meet him more fully, to give him what he sought, to convey to him the depth of her love.

She didn’t care that Gretchen was standing next to them, watching and listening to every word they’d spoken. In fact, she was glad her daughter could see the blazing affection between a man and a woman. Perhaps Gretchen would grow up expecting love and joy from marriage rather than mere survival.

Annalisa lifted her hands to Carl’s soot-streaked cheeks and let her fingers graze his skin just as she’d wanted to do. She pressed her lips into his, meeting the strength of his kiss with all the passion that had lain dormant inside her for too long.

That she could find so much pleasure in the kisses and touches of a man was altogether new but not unpleasant. Was it possible to actually desire intimacy with a man?

The truth was, she loved him utterly and completely. He was like no other man she’d ever known—sensitive, kind, noble, and sacrificial.

“Annalisa!” A distant, desperate call penetrated their moment of closeness.

He broke the kiss.

Her breath came hard and mingled with his. She didn’t want to pull away from him yet. From the desire flaming in his eyes, she could see that he didn’t want to let go of her either.

“Annalisa!” It was Vater, and he was sprinting down the path toward them. His face was as dirty with soot and ashes as theirs. But much to her surprise, tears streaked his cheeks and sobs wracked his body.

Gratefulness rose inside her and she broke away from Carl. She stumbled toward Vater. “Danke, Gott . . .”

Vater opened his arms to her, and she rushed into them.



“My daughter, you’re not hurt! Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

She wrapped her arms around him and let him embrace her for the first time she could remember.

“I was so worried,” he said against her hair.

Her body shook with sobs that mixed with his. She wasn’t sure if she was crying more from relief or from the knowledge that Vater cared about her more than she’d realized. Even if she was just a girl, only a daughter, he’d still been concerned about her safety.