The Wedding Wish

that’s it’s just me and you.”
    And it was. Not even the gulls were awake at this hour, and all the sand crabs had long since been tucked in. “I like that too,” she answered.
    He spread his car blanket on the ground and offered her a seat beside him, tucking her under his arm to shield her from the early chill. “Robert,” she said as the waves crashed and roared before them, “I’ve got something to ask you.”
    “You can ask anything you want. But first, I need to do this…”
    When he brought his mouth to hers, Isabel thrilled at the moment. She’d wanted him for so long, and his slow, languorous kiss was like warm molasses on a sultry afternoon. Isabel sighed against him as she kissed him back and he threaded his fingers through her hair.
    “You’re even prettier than I remembered,” he said, gazing down at her. He lightly brushed his lips to hers. “And you’re a helluva a lot better kisser too.”
    “You’ve improved yourself.”
    His brow rose in mock offense. “You mean I wasn’t good then?”
    “You were fine then,” she said with a smile, “but you’re rocking now.”
    He growled lightly and pulled her to him. “You don’t know how much I want you.”
    “I want you too,” she breathed, even sensing it was wrong with her not fully knowing the truth.
    “I think I’ve always wanted you,” he said. “But somehow, with time and space…and life moving on…it’s almost like I’d forgotten.”
    “Yeah.”
    He kissed her again, then spoke in a husky whisper. “I want to make this work. You and I… We have something, Isabel. Something worth fighting for. I believe that.”
    “I do too.” She met his eyes as the sky streaked purple with the dawn. “But, Robert, I’ve got to know… Is there somebody else?”
    Robert broke their embrace.
    “Robert?” she asked, her voice tinged with pain.
    He rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head.
    “You’re the only woman in my heart.”
    Isabel felt as if a blade had sliced straight through her. “In your heart?”
    He took her hand.
    “I need you to do something for me. I need you to trust me.”
    “But what about—?”
    “Sometimes life is complicated. More complicated than you know.”
    “But until tonight, you never… You didn’t try to—”
    “It wasn’t because I didn’t want to.” He set his eyes on hers. “I’ve been working on something. A way to make things right. And I’m getting very close. I swear.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    He looked at her with sad understanding. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
    She bit her lip and turned away.
    “Izzy, please. Look at me.”
    She slowly turned her gaze to his. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”
    “I know. But I remember. Remember very clearly what our being together was like.”
    “What was it like?”
    “It was like…magic.”
    Isabel couldn’t argue. What they’d had together as kids had been truly special. Even if their parents had thought of it as puppy love, it had certainly felt like more than that to her and Robert. And now, being here with him, Isabel understood how easy it was for Robert to still exert his power over her. She’d all but forgotten him. Or that was what her head said, anyway. But the truth was, her heart remembered. She recalled the longing in his eyes and the way he used to hold her for hours on end when neither of their parents was home. Her dad had worried about them getting into trouble, and they had. But not in any sort of way nearly as risqué as he might have imagined. They never did much more than kiss and hold each other tight. During a couple of those close-together sessions, Isabel had gotten the idea Robert’s body was ready for something more. Though he’d never said so and had never pressed her. Just being with her the way they were seemed good enough. It certainly had been for Isabel. In truth, it had been more than good. It had been wonderful. Theirs was like a storybook love from another realm. Unique and mystical… And yes, it had appeared at the time, most especially magical.
    “Yeah,” she said softly. “It was.”
    He wrapped her in his arms and tugged her close, his mouth hovering over hers. “I want us to find that magic again,” he whispered. “But this time…we need to hold on to it.”
    Isabel nodded in numb understanding, knowing that she could never fight her feelings for Robert now. Whatever his worries, he was working on a way to sort them out. Isabel had to