My One True Love Read Online Free

own…without shoes.
    And if she did, well, he would let her. She didn’t have to know that the cabin was only a mile or so from town. She also didn’t have to know about that snowmobile parked in the wood shed. If she was determined to marry the rich doctor, then who was he—a lowly park ranger—to stop her? He wouldn’t deter her, but he certainly wouldn’t help her.
    A few days ago, his life had been nice and predictable. Now he entertained thoughts of breaking up engagements and whisking his former fiancée away from her wedding.
    But he wasn’t made that way. Every direction he turned it, he couldn’t make himself stop her if she was determined to go through with her marriage to another man. She knew her own heart, and maybe after all these years, she really was happy. Maybe what she said was the truth: When she left him seven years ago, she hadn’t looked back.
    It hurt more than he wanted to admit, but wouldn’t let it turn him into someone he wasn’t. He’d kissed her and before things were over, he’d tell her how he felt. If that didn’t change her mind, he’d pretend to get over her like he had the first time.
    When the tree finally fell into the snow with a quiet swoosh , he felt like it was his heart breaking in two.
    Angrily, he chopped the tree up, ignoring the bitter cold. So much for Valentine’s Day and falling in love.
    Even if she meant those delirious words she’d spoken during the few hours she was unconscious and she didn’t love this guy, he had to trust she would recognize her feelings and do the right thing. But if she was still in the cabin, he wouldn’t stop his original plan. She wouldn’t marry Patrick without knowing how he felt.
    Seven years was a long time to be away from someone, and when he really thought about it, he didn’t know much about Lizzie anymore. She’d moved away in the middle of the night to some big city up north–Baltimore, last he’d heard–and made a life for herself without him.
    Who was he to stop her now? Maybe marrying a rich doctor and living a mediocre life full of money was part of her plan.
    But one old cliché remained true: Money couldn’t buy happiness.
     
    * * * *
    He’d been gone several hours and didn’t expect to find her sitting at the small kitchen table with a crossword puzzle when he returned.
    His heart sped up at the sight of her brown eyes zeroing in on him when he walked through the door and shook off his boots.
    “What’s a five letter word for high-maintenance?” she asked, tapping the pen against her chin.
    “Women,” he mumbled. She shot him a look of annoyance but didn’t say anything. “Did you decide missing a few toes wouldn’t accessorize your wedding dress the way you wanted?”
    “I radioed in and Sheriff Bagley was able to get Patrick on the line. He’s going to try to rent a snowmobile to come out here and pick me up.” She paused. “We’re still getting married,” she added softly. To Jason, it sounded like an apology.
    Fed up with himself and the crazy rollercoaster of emotions, he turned his back to her as he removed his winter gear. He couldn’t look at her right now.
    The chair she sat in creaked, and her soft footsteps padded across the room. She stood behind him, but he couldn’t turn to look at her. Not with the huge lump in his throat.
    “Jason.” She laid a soft hand on his shoulder and the note of sympathy in her voice cracked his carefully controlled façade.
    He whirled around to face her. “What do you want me to say? Congratulations? Or how about I think you’re making the biggest mistake of your life, besides running out on me to begin with? Would it change anything?”
    She smiled sadly. “No.”
    Those brown eyes penetrated his. He could see she wanted to believe herself by the stubborn tilt of her chin, but those eyes told a different story.
    His control broke. The anger washed away, and sorrow filled its place. “What if I told you I wish things had been different for