Love Lasts Forever Read Online Free Page B

feverishly excited. Now Willow understood why.
    “Willow,” he whispered her name softly like a gentle breeze. “Just say it once. I promise to behave myself then.”
    “Do you solemnly promise?”
    “Scout’s honor.”
    Yet, another peculiar phrase passed from his lips. She wondered if he often spoke in riddles or had her highly-strung senses addled her brain. No matter, he had the water she needed. She had no choice but to accept his promise and take him at his word.
    “Thor.” Her voice sounded unnaturally low and husky.
    Head bowed and peering at her through lowered lashes, he gave her a smile that singed her flesh. “See, Miss Willow, that wasn’t hard at all.”
    His remark dumbfounded her. By the time she collected her wits, he had disappeared up the trail. Lifting her skirts, she hastened after him.
    When she reached him, the color had drained from his face. His bright gaze swept over the cabin and the surrounding elements. Suddenly, his handsome features clouded over with uneasiness. His rich voice shook noticeably. “Oh, my God. What happened here?”
    “What’s wrong?” His change in demeanor troubled her.
    “The cabin is wrong. Where’s the rest of it? What’s that barn doing over there? Where did these chickens come from?” The two pails thudded to the dusty ground. He looked east and west. “What happened to the road? Why is all this dirt and gravel covering the pavement?”
    Willow moved cautiously toward him. “That’s the road right there.” She pointed to the ground.
    The cabin door opened. Eva, her petite frame consumed by the width of her womb, stepped outside. “Willow, I thought I heard you… Anders didn’t tell me that family was coming.”
    Eva welcomed Thor with the warmth of her smile. She stepped down the steps with more energy than someone her size should have had and slipped her arm around his. Leading him toward the cabin, she continued to talk.
    Willow grabbed the two pails and followed them. Even though she was not close enough to hear his reply, she sensed his bewilderment. A change came over him when they stepped into the clearing. Maybe now he remembered what was acceptable and what was not in the modern times of 1860 Georgia.
    * * *
    “Anders should have told me.” The brunette steered him inside the one room cabin. “I would have had something more than collard greens and hot water cornbread prepared. Maybe we can get one of those chickens to fry.”
    Wide-eyed and staring, he mumbled, “Don’t go to any trouble for me, ma’am. I’m fine.”
    “Call me Eva.” Fluttering about, the pregnant woman talked up a storm.
    He tuned her out, just the essentials registering. He mumbled, smiled, and nodded in all the right places, which seemed to please her while his brain tried to make sense of his surroundings.
    Despite the extra foliage along the way—there were more trees than he ever remembered seeing, and all sorts of flowers and plants everywhere—the trail had been the same distance from the creek to the cabin. He was damn sure about that! But the cabin…wasn’t the same.
    The changes were startling. The family sanctuary now consisted of one moderately sized room. A solid-looking wall hid the hallway, leading to the three bedrooms and the very important bathroom. The sofa, easy chair, and television were gone, too. The fireplace consisted of the same multi-colored stone blocks and the numerous family pictures on the mantel had vanished, leaving only one framed photograph. He moved slowly to get a closer look.
    “That’s Anders and me on our wedding day.” Eva glowed with love and devotion. “I told him it was too extravagant, but he was determined. You know how you Magnusen men are when you get your mind set on something; just about as stubborn as a mule.”
    Thor offered a polite chuckle. Her close proximity forced him to maintain a calm, cool façade. Deep down, unease threw him off kilter. He breathed a sigh of relief when Eva moved away from him to