Chapter 8

The phone at the reception desk rang, and Bella excused herself to answer the call. Edward leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, willing his heart to stop thundering in his chest.

He didn't know what to say. He could promise that nothing would change when the snow thawed. He could make a vow that, once he returned to Seattle, they could handle the distance. But he wasn't an idiot. It was four hours between Swan Lake and Seattle. That was a lot of miles and a lot of time away from each other.

Anything he told her would sound like a line, and that's the last thing he wanted to give her.

What do you want to give her?

His eyes snapped open as the answer to that simple question flooded his mind.

Everything.

Needing air, Edward rose from the couch and walked out onto the porch. The cold wind felt good against his face, and he inhaled deeply. As he leaned against the railing, he looked toward the parking lot. His car was still completely covered with snow. The interstate was surely clear by now, but the road leading from the inn was probably still in bad shape.

It made him smile.

Everything about this place made him smile.

He'd never been a country boy, but he could see the appeal.

Fresh air. Seclusion. Peace.

At the moment, the most appealing part of all walked out onto the porch, joining him at the railing.

"Reservation for next weekend," Bella said. "A husband and wife from Oregon.

Edward nodded.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Just needed some air."

"And probably some space," Bella said, smiling softly. "We haven't been out of each other's sight all day. Something tells me you're a bit of a loner."

It was true. He wasn't used to spending so much time with another person.

"I don't need space from you, Bella."

"No?"

He shook his head and wrapped his arm around her. "No. Let's go back inside. It's cold out here."

Bella grinned and took him by the hand, and he followed her back into the living room.

"I've been thinking . . ." she said, as they settled back on the couch.

Edward smirked. "That's always dangerous."

"I want you to tell me about your wife."

"Why in the hell would you want to hear about Tanya?"

She snuggled into his arms. "You've been very open and honest about everything else. I want to hear about your marriage."

Edward sighed heavily and played with a strand of her hair.

"My marriage was a complete sham, but it served its purpose at the time."

"What purpose was that?"

"Pissing off my parents," Edward replied. "Tanya was a friend of mine from college. She came from nothing and was determined to marry the first rich guy who came along. My mom was constantly on my ass about finding a wife and settling down, so . . ."

"Two birds, one stone?"

"You got it," he said with a grin. "My mother hated her, because she knew Tanya's intentions weren't completely honorable. Tanya wasn't a bad person. She'd just grown up poor, and she was determined to never have to return to that life. Unfortunately, she should have waited for a better rich guy to come along. Instead, she got an alcoholic husband. When she realized she could divorce me and still get her hands on my family's money, it didn't take her long to draw up the papers. I didn't contest it. There was no love there, and honestly, it was a relief."

"You didn't love her?"

"No, I didn't."

"Have you ever been in love?"

Edward had been asked that question many times in his life, and the answer had always been a quick and emphatic no.

But not today.

Today, he found himself hesitating.

"Have you ever been in love?" he asked, trying desperately to dodge the question.

Bella eyes flickered to his lips and back up to his eyes.

"I asked you first," she murmured.

Swallowing anxiously, he gently traced her lip with his fingertip.

"Is it possible to be in love with someone you just met?"

Bella puckered and softly kissed his finger.

"I think it is," she whispered.

"I think it is, too."

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