January 8
10 p.m.
Lee leaned over to turn off the lamp and ran his lips over hers, lingering a little longer than necessary.
"I love you, Rosemary." His whisper felt like a warm hug enveloping her, warming her down to the core.
She returned his kiss and then leaned back into the curve of his strong body around hers, as was their bedtime ritual.
"Love you, too, Leland Coulter."
The room was silent, but she couldn't stop the thoughts swirling in her head. They were all new pieces to a puzzle she didn't even know needed to be pieced together until this morning. Lee's arm looped around her waist, pulling her close. She felt his breaths of air on the back of her ear, followed by a gentle kiss on the back of her neck.
"Lee? I'm just wondering…" She paused, waiting for his reply.
"Hmmm?" His gentle exhale came from behind her.
"I'm just curious about Gowen. His involvement."
"Right now? You're thinking about that right now?" Lee's warm hand stroked her side, tempting her to forget. But this was too important to push under the covers.
"You mean you aren't?"
His silent answer met her own. She imagined he must be rolling his eyes.
"It's just strange that Gowen had such a past with the Ramseys."
Lee was quiet from behind her.
"I mean…who would have imagined Gowen would be the key to all this? I do think I saw a hint of past affection in his eyes for Dottie today as he told his story." She slid out of Lee's arms and flipped onto her other side, so she could see the outline of his face. Lee sighed, as if resigning himself to a talk instead of a nighttime snuggle.
"Oh, Rosie…" He adjusted the pillow beneath his head and focused his blue eyes on hers. "A past affection between Gowen and Dottie? I'm not sure about that."
She continued to stare at him.
He wiggled under her scrutiny. "Okay, well, it does seem he does have more of a past than any of us knew."
"But didn't you hear the way he practically said that Silas wasn't worthy of her affections? And he did jump in to help save Silas all those years ago. Why would he do that? Only to help the girl he has previously been in love with." She said matter of factly.
"There you go with your rose colored glasses again, Rosie. If he truly was in love with her, why didn't he let Kirill kill Silas? Then he'd have the girl to himself."
"She was expecting a baby, didn't you hear him say that?"
"Oh yes, that's right. But still, what business was it of Gowen's?"
"He must have truly loved her to defend her husband and help him get away with his crime. Don't you see? The truest love stories always involve a huge degree of sacrifice. He loved her so much he would sacrifice his own future with her to keep her safe and cared for."
Lee shook his head. "I'm not so sure, Rosie. I still think it was a business partnership that caused him to step in and help."
"That's because you have the practical mind, Lee. Your way of thinking- it is good for business, leading and paying bills. But me, I thrive on behind the scenes stories full of adventure, scandal and romance."
Lee smirked. "Okay, Rosie."
She leaned over and kissed him on the nose. "And good thing I do. You, Honey Bear, could use a little more romance in your life."
Even in the dark, she could see his eyebrows lift.
She smiled.
"Romance, huh?" He gave her an ornery smile before gently probing his fingers into her sides, tickling her senseless.
She could hardly breathe for the laughter bubbling out of her throat.
"I'll show you something of romance." He said before leaning towards her and swooping his soft lips over hers in a deep kiss, his body gently molding into hers.