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on there, but if you’d like to see more of her work, it would
be best to visit their house. She keeps all of her favorite pieces there.”
    Kristen looked at him, trying to decide if
he was serious. He’d never even invited her on a date, yet he was asking if
she’d like to meet his parents? “Um, I’m sure she has some lovely pieces at her
gallery.” She gestured toward the piece on the wall. “If there are any like
this…” He looked at her so intently, she couldn’t find words. “Why are you
looking at me like that?”
    “I knew you’d react this way. Don’t ask me
how, but I just knew you’d feel it too.”
    “Feel what?” she asked, experiencing a
breathlessness she couldn’t quite explain.
    “The way I do.” He stepped closer, setting
the card on the table as he reached for her hand. “When I walked into this house
the first time, it felt like the place I’d always belonged. I didn’t look at
any other houses. I didn’t have to. I knew this would be my sanctuary.”
    Sanctuary. That was a perfect word to describe his house. It didn’t feel as though it
belonged in a bustling city. It felt as though it belonged in the country, by
the sea, or with a panoramic view of the mountains.
    “You feel it too, don’t you?” He searched
her face as though he was as in awe of her as she was of his home. “The history
here? The good memories, the love, the laughter, the warmth…” He smiled. “There
was a leather-bound book on the dining table when I came to look at the house.
It outlined the history, with pictures of all the families who’d lived here
since it was built in the late 1800s.”
    Kristen wanted to ask what happened to the
book and if she could see it. But before she could, he brushed her hair off her
shoulder and moved in closer.
    “I’ve learned to act on instinct. I felt it
in my bones that this house was supposed to be mine. This was the place I was
supposed to bring my future wife, the place we were supposed to make our
babies…”
    Kristen was stunned by his candor. She’d
never known a man to be so honest and vulnerable about what he felt. “Did you
and your wife live here?” If they had, the haven would be tainted for her
somehow.
    “No. I bought it after the divorce. It was
time for me to start over, to start a new chapter in my life.”
    “I can understand that.”
    He reached for her wrists and kissed her
pulse point before wrapping her arms around his neck. “Do you ever feel like
it’s time to start a new chapter? To leave the past behind, forget about all
the people who’ve hurt you, the disappointment and anger, and just take another
chance on life?”
    It sounded as though he was making an offer
she couldn’t refuse, but Kristen had to tread carefully. She still had scars on
her heart to remind her of what happened when she fell in love.
    “It feels good to let go, doesn’t it?” He
brushed his lips against the hair covering her cheek. “To forget everything and
everyone and just live for the moment?”
    “I wouldn’t know.” Kristen had never been
reckless. She’d witnessed first-hand what happened when someone chose to live
fast and loose with their life. Closing her eyes and leaning her head on Matt’s
shoulder, she thought about her baby brother, Lionel.
    “Maybe you just need someone to teach you
how.” He brushed her hair aside and tipped her head back. “Hey, why do you look
so sad?”
    “Just thinking about something I’d rather
forget.” But she would never forget. Lionel had loved motocross racing. No
matter how often they warned him it could be dangerous, he lived for the next
race. Until the one that took his life.
    “You wanna talk about it?”
    Kristen shook her head. He was only trying
to help, but she couldn’t. “Maybe some other time.”
    “I like the sound of that,” he said,
caressing her face. “That means there will be another time.”
    How could he doubt she’d want to see him
again? As dangerous as it was to risk