Kayla breathed deeply, taking in the smell of the ocean and salty air as she looked out at the beauty of Charleston harbor from the balcony of the hotel room.
She had fallen in love with the beauty of Charleston when she and Steve had traveled there with Marcus and Gayle a couple of years before. The purpose of the trip had been to help Marcus find the truth about his family and why someone was trying to kill him.
A slight smile appeared on Kayla's face as she remembered how little help she and Steve had provided. Seeing that Marcus and Gayle were intent on figuring out the mystery on their own, Steve and Kayla had spent their days exploring the city and, in particular, the grounds of the old plantation that had been owned by Emily's family.
It had been a perfect moment in time for them - before Steve had gone undercover as Daniel Lucas, before Marina had interrupted their lives, and before she had lost Steve.
Kayla closed her eyes as she remembered how they had walked the paths of the old plantation and had read Emily's diary about her search for Gideon. Steve had teasingly indulged Kayla's fascination with the story of Emily and Gideon, the two Civil War lovers whose love had somehow survived both war and death.
It was only after Steve's supposed death that Kayla had realized how deeply Steve had been drawn into the story as well. She would never forget the Christmas present that had arrived last year - Emily's teapot, on which Steve had engraved their names.
Intended to be a special surprise, it had instead been a bittersweet reminder of all that Kayla had lost. Kayla remembered looking at the teapot and seeing her and Steve's names engraved along with Emily and Gideon's. In that moment, she had been jealous of Emily. Emily had lost Gideon, but had found him again in the end - a happy ending Kayla had believed she would never have.
Yet, Steve had known best after all. For just like Emily, Kayla had been reunited with the man she loved. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt Steve's presence behind her. Silently, he slid his arms around her waist. "So beautiful," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.
"Yes it is," Kayla replied, leaning back into his arms. "I can't believe we're really back here again."
"Neither can I." Steve said as he turned Kayla in his arms. "But I wasn't talking about the view, Sweetness. I was talking about you."
Kayla blushed and then smiled. Leaning up, she kissed him. She felt his arms tighten around her as he tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away with a giggle.
"Hey," Steve protested. "I was just kissing you over here."
"Aww, I know," Kayla teased. "But if we only have one afternoon and evening in Charleston, I want to make sure we at least make it out of the room."
Steve laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender. "All right, baby. You win. So what do you want to do this afternoon? A little sightseeing? A little shopping?"
"Yes." Kayla nodded, still smiling. "But you know what I'd really like to do?"
"What, Sweetness?"
"I'd like to visit that old plantation that belonged to Emily's family." Kayla smiled. "You remember, don't you? The one we visited before."
"Do I remember?" Steve said, stepping towards her again. "Let's see. . . . I remember you in a beautiful sundress, a picnic, and-" He put his arms around Kayla and pulled her close. "-making love in the shade of a big, old, oak tree." He smiled down at Kayla. "Yeah, I remember."
"That was a good day, wasn't it?" Kayla asked, lost in the memory.
"Yes, it was." Steve grew quiet and Kayla could see his expression grow pensive.
"What is it, Steve?" She reached out to stroke his face. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing. . . ." He shook his head. "I just . . . I guess that memory helped keep me going while I was gone." He turned away and stepped toward the window. "When things got really bad, I would try to remember . . . our wedding . . . Stephanie's birth . . . that day under the oak tree."
Kayla felt the tear slide down her cheek at Steve's words. With all that had happened in the last few weeks, it had been easy to forget that it had only been a few months since Steve had been rescued. Steve's sessions with Dr. Friedman had helped him deal with the PTSD and there were few outward signs of the time Steve had spent as Alamain's prisoner. But Kayla knew the wounds would never entirely heal.
Walking to the window, she slipped her arms around Steve's waist and laid her head against his back. As she held him, she could hear the sounds of the harbor and feel each breath he took.
After a few moments, she stepped back and took his hand, pulling him around to face her. Steve smiled down at Kayla, his eye shining with love. Without a word, she led him to the big canopy bed in the middle of the room.
Still smiling, Steve stroked Kayla's face. "I thought you wanted to go out, baby."
Instead of answering, Kayla kissed him and then pulled him onto the bed. Her fingers worked the buttons on his shirt as his lips found her neck.
As she slipped the shirt from Steve's shoulders, her lips brushed softly against his ear and she whispered a quiet request.
"I want to make a memory."