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The Sweetheart Tree by Peggy Mor




The Sweetheart Tree
by
Peggy Moreland
Chapter One


As Annalise drew the faded card from the old cigar box, she sank back on her
heels, running a finger along its tattered, heart-shaped edge, emotion filling
her throat. She'd been 13 when Webb had given her the valentine. Eighteen when
she had told him goodbye, promising to return to him. Blinking back tears, she
turned the card over and traced a nail along the words scrawled on the back.
Love forever, Webb.

Forever, she reflected sadly. Did anything last forever?

"Annie?"

Startled, she turned to find a man standing in the doorway of her childhood
bedroom, his wide shoulders nearly filling the space. Though the cowboy hat he
wore was pulled low on his brow, shadowing his face, it didn't keep her from
recognizing him... Even from a distance of eight years. Slowly she rose, her
heart thrumming wildly in her chest. "Webb?"

He took a step into the room, then stopped, as if reluctant to enter. He dragged
off his hat, exposing familiar features honed into sharper relief by the years.

"I saw the light in the window as I was driving past and thought someone had
broken in." He scowled, his fingers tightening on the hat's brim. "I didn't
expect to find you here."

She lifted a hand, indicating the boxes stacked around the room. "I came to
close up the house."

"You're selling the ranch?"

She dipped her chin and nodded, unable to meet the reproach she knew she'd find
in his eyes. "Yes. They've been gone six years now. It's way past time."

She lifted her head and glanced around, her eyes filling as she noted the
peeling wallpaper and the water stains on the ceiling, the result of a leaky
roof. Signs of disrepair. Signs of neglect. She gulped, swallowing back the
regretthe guilt. "I've held on to it too long as it is."

"Why didn't you sell it years ago?"

How could she tell him that she hadn't been able to sell it, not when selling
her family's ranch would sever her last remaining tie to this town, to him? She
lifted a shoulder, avoiding his gaze. "I don't know. Sentiment, I guess."

She heard the creak of his footsteps on the hardwood floor as he drew nearer,
but she couldn't look his way. She couldn't let him see her tears, her guilt.

She felt the warmth of his touch on her hand and squeezed her eyes shut as his
fingers closed around hers. Memories surged through her, old ones that filled
her with an unexpected longing to turn into the familiar warmth of his arms.

"What's this?"

She opened her eyes just as he turned her hand over, exposing the forgotten
valentine she held.

Embarrassed, she gestured vaguely toward the cigar box on the floor. "I found it
while I was going through my closet."

He stared at the card a moment, then angled his head to peer at her, his eyes
narrowed in suspicion. "Odd, the things we hang on to, huh?"

Her cheeks flaming, she tugged her hand from his and turned away, stooping to
place the card in the box again. "Mother always said I was a pack rat, never
throwing anything away."

"You didn't seem to have a problem tossing me aside."

She kept her head turned away, shamed by the reminder. "That was years ago,
Webb."

"Not so long ago that I don't remember. Do you?"

She squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to block the memories, the promises
made, the love they'd once shared. "Yes," she whispered. "I remember."

"I heard you're getting married."

She tensed at the reminder, then stood, self-consciously smoothing her sweater
over her hips, still unable to meet his gaze. "Yes. In a couple of weeks."

He didn't respond, leaving only silence to hum between them, silence that
stretched her nerves tighter and tighter until she finally turned to look at
him. The fierceness of his expression stole her breath.

"Do you love him?"

She gulped at the anger in the question, the accusation, then lifted her
shoulders in what she hoped would appear to be a careless shrug. "Isn't that why
most people marry?"

Before she realized he'd even moved, he had grabbed her arm and was whirling her
around to face him. His hands gripped her upper arms tightly, forcing her to
look up at him.

"That isn't an answer. Do you love him?"
 
Chapter Two

The story so far: When Annalise Bevins left home for college, she never dreamed
that an innocent photograph taken of her by a fellow student would thrust her
into the world of professional modeling. Seduced by the glamour, fame, and
wealth that came her way, she left behind her hometown, her family, and the man
she'd promised her heart to Webb Aiken.

Now, six years after her parents' deaths, Annalise has returned to her hometown
to sell the family ranch. Seeing a light in Annalise's old room, Webb walks in.
Knowing that Annalise is soon to be married, Webb asks her if she truly loves
her fiancé.

Peggy Moreland continues the story from there.

Furious with Webb for demanding an answer to a question that she'd been asking
herself for weeks, Annalise jerked free of his grip.

"My feelings for my fiancé are none of your business."

Scowling, Webb took a step back and settled his cowboy hat on the back of his
head, his gaze narrowed on her.

"No, I guess they're not." Without another word, he turned and walked from the
room, leaving Annalise standing alone in her childhood room, surrounded by a
lifetime of memories...and a barely repressed urge to run after him.
 
* * *

Webb couldn't sleep. Not when he knew that Annalise was back in town and less
than a mile down the road. But for how long? And this time when she left, he
knew it would be for good.

He swore, dragging a hand through his already finger-spiked hair. Why had he
stopped at her house when he'd seen the light in the window? And why had he
asked her if she loved the man she was planning to marry? What business was it
of his, anyway?

He sank wearily down onto the side of his bed and dropped his head into his
hands. Because he loved her, he admitted miserably. Always had and always would,
in spite of the fact that she had chosen a life of glamour and fame as a model
over a life with him.

With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed to the window, bracing a
palm against the frame as he stared out across the dark moonlit pastures that
separated his ranch from hers. He imagined her there in her parents' home,
asleep in her bed, her long blond hair spread out on her pillow like a halo
around her face.

How many times as a teenager had he stood just so, thinking about her and
yearning for her, then finally giving in to the urge to see her, hold her, and
sneaking out the window? The Sweetheart Tree, he remembered, rubbing a hand over
the sudden ache in his chest. He would race across the dark pastures, throw
rocks at her window to awaken her, then she'd slip out, too, and meet him at
their special tree.

The Sweetheart Tree. A thousand times since she'd left, he'd told himself
he was going to cut down that damn tree. But he'd never been able to bring
himself to do the job. The memories attached to it were too strong...too sweet.
The Sweetheart Tree. Annalise. His sweet Annie.

He couldn't lose her, he told himself, feeling the panic growing to tighten his
chest. Not again. With a growl, he turned from the window, grabbed his shirt and
shrugged it on as he headed outside and into the darkness.
 
* * *


Restless, Annalise lay in her bed, her eyes stubbornly closed, but her mind
racing, refusing to let her sleep. She loved Bryan, she told herself for the
100th time since Webb had left. He was the perfect man for her. They had dated
for two years, shared the same interests, the same group of friends. They
enjoyed an uncomplicated and comfortable relationship.

She flipped open her eyes, her heart racing, to stare at the water-stained
ceiling over her head. Comfortable? Had she mistaken comfort for love?
Was it enough to base a marriage on?

Something hit the window at her left and she bolted upright at the sound. She
listened, staring at the window, her heart pounding against her ribs, as rocks
once again clattered against the glass. Webb! She leaped from the bed,
ran to the window and threw back the musty drapes. She caught a glimpse of him
in the moonlight, just as he disappeared around the side of the barn.

She stood, staring, her fingers fisted in the musty drapes. The rocks were the
signal he'd used when they were teenagers to signal her to meet him at the
Sweetheart Tree.

Memories swamped her of other times Webb had come to her in the night. The wild,
breathless races through the shadowed pastures to meet him at the Sweetheart
Tree. The hours they would spend in each other's arms, enveloped by velvety
darkness, a silvery moon offering the only light. She shivered, remembering the
excitement, the passion that filled those moonlit nights.

Passion, she thought again, gulping as she continued to stare into the
night. Had she ever experienced that level of passion with Bryan? The answer was
quick...and negative. No, she'd never experienced with any man the passion she'd
known with Webb.

She strained to peer into the darkness, knowing that Webb was long gone and had
probably already reached the tree by now. Should she follow him? No, she told
herself and gripped the drapes more tightly, as if to hold herself in place. She
was engaged to Bryan. She had no business chasing through the night to meet
another man. Especially Webb Aiken.
Chapter Three


When Annalise Bevins left home for college, she never dreamed that an innocent
photograph taken of her by a fellow student would thrust her into the world of
professional modeling. Seduced by the glamour, fame, and wealth that came her
way, she left behind her hometown, her family, and the man she'd promised her
heart to Webb Aiken.

Now, six years after her parents' deaths, Annalise has returned to her hometown
to sell the family ranch. Seeing a light in Annalise's old room, Webb walks in.
Knowing that Annalise is soon to be married, Webb asks her if she truly loves
her fiancé. She answers that it's none of his business, and won't admit that she
has asked herself that very question. Later that night, Annalise is tormented by
the thought that she is marrying Bryan for the wrong reasons. Suddenly she hears
a tap at the window. It's Webb, using their childhood signal to call her to meet
him at the Sweetheart Tree.

Peggy Moreland continues the story from there.

Annalise remained at the window, her fingers clutched in the folds of the musty
drapes, her gaze fixed on the spot where she'd last seen Webb. She knew that by
now he'd have arrived at the Sweetheart Tree. She could imagine him there.
Waiting. Pacing. Stopping to peer in the direction of her family's ranch, his
eyes narrowed in impatience, watching for her, just as he had so many times in
the past.

A smile would spread across his face when he saw her running toward him. He'd
open his arms wide and she'd run into his embrace, enveloped by his strong arms,
crushed against his muscular chest. She could almost hear the sigh that would
flow between them when their lips met, taste the heat, the need. Tremble at the
passion that would follow.

God, how she'd missed him, she thought, tears blurring the moonlit scene beyond
her window. The passion, the excitement. The comfort and warmth she'd always
known with him.

A thousand times over the years, she'd told herself her memories of Webb were
nothing but youthful infatuation, a romance captured at its height and cherished
for its innocence... She had been sure that their romance would not have lasted
the test of time. But seeing him again earlier that evening...every feeling and
emotion she'd ever felt for him was there, as if the years and the choices she'd
made had never separated them.

On a strangled sob, she whirled from the window and grabbed a sweater, tugging
it on as she ran from her parents' home. She all but flew across the pastures,
her heart racing ahead to guide the way.

Just as she reached the clearing where the tree stood like a sentinel, beckoning
to her, the moon slipped behind a cloud, shrouding the area in sudden darkness.
She stopped, her chest heaving, her legs trembling as she searched the shadows
for a sign of Webb.

He's gone, she thought, her heart sinking, as she realized she'd waited too
long. Dropping her chin to her chest in disappointment, she turned away.

"Annie."

She jerked to a stop at the sound of his voice, then spun, her heart leaping
into her throat. She searched the shadows for him, while above, the clouds
continued to drift lazily across the velvety night sky, masking the moon. At
last a sliver of moonlight bled through. The silvery glow grew, spreading slowly
across the clearing, until it finally reached Webb where he stood beneath the
thick branches of the Sweetheart Tree.

Long seconds stretched into what seemed like a lifetime as they each stared
silently at the other. Then, as if in slow motion, he opened his arms. Annie
took a hesitant step toward him. She gulped, then took another. Then she was
running, laughing, her cheeks drenched with tears of joy as she raced across the
distance that separated them.

With each step she took, the years fell away, and she was 18 again, innocent,
free, and impatient to meet her lover. She threw herself against the solid wall
of his chest and his arms enfolded her, crushing her to him, just the way she'd
always remembered. With their chests pressed tightly together, she felt the
thundering beat of his heart, the relief that shuddered through him, the warmth
of his breath as he turned his lips against her hair.

"Annie," he whispered, his voice husky. "My Annie."

Choked by emotion at the familiar endearment, she leaned back in his arms to
look up at him. The heartbreakingly familiar features. The deep blue eyes filled
with so many questions, yet so much hope. She drew her hands from around his
neck to frame his cheeks with her palms.

"Webb," was all she could manage to say.

He lowered his face and his lips brushed hers. Once. Twice. Warmth spilled
through her in waves, leaving her weak, and her eyes shuttered closed as emotion
thickened in her throat. "Webb," she whispered. "I "

Whatever else she might have said was lost as he closed his mouth over hers
completely. The hunger was instantaneous, sharp and jagged, like a knife ripping
through her. Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself up
to the moment...to him.

Yes, she thought dizzily, as he thrust his tongue between her lips. Yes, her
mind screamed as he brought her hips up hard against his and she felt the
stiffness of his erection. He slipped his hands beneath her sweater and the silk
tank top it covered, and sent her nerves skittering wildly as he smoothed his
hands up her back.

The palms that caressed her bare skin were wide, strong, and roughened with
calluses. The fingers that curved around her sides to knead at the fullness of
her breasts were thick, blunt-tipped, and sure. And when he covered her breasts
completely, desire lashed through her like the crack of a whip. Moaning, she
fisted her fingers in his hair, clinging to him to remain upright, bringing his
face closer, his mouth more firmly against hers as she melted against him.

With one hand still closed over her breast, he dragged his other hand down her
middle, setting her flesh on fire. Her breath caught in her throat and burned
there as sensations swirled through her body like a thick, heavy fog. She
couldn't breathe, couldn't think. She could only feel. Heat. Passion. Desire.
They wove themselves together low in her belly, a twisting knot of impatience,
of need.

Need, she thought fleetingly. She needed Webb. She'd always needed Webb. Loved
him, even when she had turned her back on him. Tears burned behind her closed
lids and her heart twisted painfully in her chest, as she realized how much she
must have hurt him in her greedy chase for fame and fortune. How much she
herself had lost. How much more she stood to lose by settling for comfort,
instead of passion and love.
Bryan.

Even as her fiancé's name slipped unwanted into her mind, Webb cupped his hand
over her femininity. Instinctively, she arched against the delicious pressure
and her mind went blank. He curled a knuckle against her center and she
exploded, a million pinpoints of light bursting behind her closed lids.

He tore his mouth from hers and she blinked open her eyes to stare up at him,
gasping.

"I want you," he said, the look in his eyes as unrelenting as the tone of his
voice. "I want to make love to you, Annie. Here. Now."
Chapter Four


The story so far: When Annalise Bevins left home for college, she never dreamed
that an innocent photograph taken of her by a fellow student would thrust her
into the world of professional modeling. Seduced by the glamour, fame, and
wealth that came her way, she left behind her hometown, her family, and the man
she'd promised her heart to Webb Aiken.

Now, six years after her parents' deaths, Annalise has returned to her hometown
to sell the family ranch. That night, Annalise is tormented by the thought that
she is marrying her fiancé, Bryan, for the wrong reasons, and that she still
loves Webb. Suddenly she hears a tap at the window. It's Webb, using their
childhood signal to call her to meet him at the Sweetheart Tree. Annalise runs
to meet Webb, and their smoldering passion is reignited.

Peggy Moreland continues the story from there.

Annalise's pulse roared in her ears, her heart pounding like a symphony of drums
within her chest. With her gaze riveted on Webb's, she framed his cheeks with
her trembling hands, drew his face down to hers, and gave him the answer he
wanted.

Their lips met and molded, fused by a common need, an invisible bond that had
held them together throughout the years. His groan vibrated against her mouth as
he gathered her tighter into his embrace, and she absorbed the sound, her lips
curving slightly at the relief she heard in it, the impatience she felt snake
through him.

Slipping her arms around his neck, she sank down with him to the thick bed of
grass in the clearing. He pressed her back against the ground, stretching out
over her, and the dew on the grass quickly seeped through her sweater and tank
top. But the heat and familiar weight of his body more than compensated for any
discomfort the cool dampness created on her back.

She closed her eyes against the swell of tears that rose as he swept his lips
across her face. Oh, Webb, her heart cried out to him. I've missed you
so much. Though she hadn't voiced the words out loud, he somehow must have
sensed them, because he drew his head back to look down at her. The passion, the
tenderness she found in his blue eyes, melted whatever doubts remained about her
decision to make love with him. This is right, she told herself. This.
Him. The two of us together again.

Even as her heart and mind accepted him, he was peeling her sweater back and
pushing up her tank top, his mouth finding and opening over her bare breast to
draw her in. A shiver shook her as he suckled, the sensations spreading warmly
through her body and settling to swirl low in her belly. With each stroke of his
tongue across her aching nipple, her need for him grew. Impatiently she tugged
at his shirt, fumbled at the buttons on his jeans, until his hands joined hers
in their frantic rush to free them of the clothes that separated them.

When the last article of clothing was tossed aside and flesh at last met naked
flesh, he slipped a knee between her thighs and spread her legs, creating a nest
for himself. She felt the stiffness of his erection as he pressed himself
against her center, gloried in the strength and thickness of it, yearned for it.
Hungry for more, she lifted his head from her breast and guided his face back to
hers.

At the exact moment their lips met, he pushed inside her. She gasped, arched at
the exquisite pleasure that lanced through her, then melted on a sigh, while he
held himself perfectly still, waiting for her acceptance of him. Then he began
to move slow, rhythmic thrusts that urged her to follow in a dance as old as
time.

Need rose sharper, greedier while the moonlight washed over them, and she sank
her nails into his shoulders, arching higher and higher to meet each new thrust,
racing with him toward the satisfaction that awaited. "Webb," she sobbed.
"Please"

Even as she begged for release from the demons that held her in their grip, he
rose to his knees, bringing her with him. With their gazes locked, their chests
heaving, he gripped his hands at her waist and, with a low growl, pushed her
hips down hard against his, filling her completely.

Lights exploded in her head. Bright glorious lights that melted into a rich
rainbow of colors as her body convulsed around him in a shimmering climax. He
shuddered once, twice, as he pumped his seed into her. Then, spent, he slipped
his arms around her waist and guided her back down to the ground, covering her
body with his own once again. He laid his head in the curve of her shoulder, his
breath hot and fast at her ear.

"Annie," he whispered, drawing her face to press his lips against her cheek. "My
precious Annie."

Choked by emotion, Annalise wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes,
wishing that this moment could last forever.
* * *


"Annie?"

Annalise opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight that suddenly blinded
her. Momentarily disoriented, she turned her head and found Webb stretched out
beside her on the grass, watching her, his face only inches from her own. With a
slow smile, he lifted a hand and brushed tendrils of hair from her cheek. "Good
morning."

Warmth flooded through her at his touch, as memories of their lovemaking pushed
themselves into her sleep-clogged mind. "Good morning," she murmured, suddenly
feeling self-conscious. "What time is it?"

"Way past time to get up." He rose and offered her a hand, seemingly unfazed by
his nudity, as he tugged her to her feet.

Annalise stood, shivering at the coolness of the early morning air, watching as
he gathered their clothes, her breath all but stolen by the beauty and majesty
of his body and his movements. Comparisons formed quickly as she mentally
contrasted Webb's body with Bryan's. Bryan. Guilt flooded through her.

Webb handed her her silk tap pants and tank top, which she quickly put on while
he tugged on his jeans. "Cold?" he asked, teasing her with a smile, as he slid
his gaze to her chest and her erect nipples pushing against the thin fabric.

She hugged her arms beneath her breasts and looked away as she shook her head,
hoping to hide from him the guilt she was feeling.

He quickly closed the distance between them and slipped his arms around her
waist. "Hey," he murmured, drawing her hips to his. "You aren't having second
thoughts, are you?"

Drawing in a deep breath, she braced her palms against his chest and looked up
at him. Though the guilt was still there niggling at her, as she met the concern
in his gaze, felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her palms, she realized
she had no regrets. Not with Webb, at any rate.

"No," she said honestly and pushed to her toes to kiss him. "No second
thoughts." She laughed softly and stepped back, looping an arm around his waist.
"Just cold."

He hugged her against his side as he walked with her across the pasture toward
her house, both lost in their own thoughts for the moment. Annalise's were fixed
on her departure, scheduled just two days away, wondering how she could possibly
leave Webb again.

"I won't let you leave me this time, Annie."

She glanced up at him, wondering if he had read her mind. "Oh, Webb, I"

But before she could say more, a voice called to her from her house. "Annalise!"

They both turned to stare at the man walking toward them.

"Bryan!" Annalise dropped her arm from around Webb's waist and took a guilty
step to the side, putting distance between them. "What are you doing here?"

Webb glanced down at Annie, noting the sudden rush of color to her face, the
nervous twisting of her hands, then turned to narrow his eyes on the man who
approached.

"I flew down to help you finish up your packing." Bryan reached them and
stopped, his smile dipping into a frown as he took in Annalise's rumpled
appearance. He turned his gaze on Webb. "What's going on here?" he asked
angrily.

Annalise quickly stepped between the two men. "Bryan, this is Webb Aiken. A
neighbor and " she glanced at Webb, then quickly away, unable to meet the
expectancy in his gaze as he waited for her to continue " an...old friend."

"Annie?" Webb spoke with hurt and anger in his voice.

Though she couldn't look at Webb, she felt the hardness of his gaze, the anger
that emanated from him in waves. He spoke only her name, yet there were a
thousand questions in the simple word. Questions that demanded immediate
answers.
Chapter Five


The story so far: When Annalise Bevins left home for college, she never dreamed
that an innocent photograph taken of her by a fellow student would thrust her
into the world of professional modeling. Seduced by the glamour, fame, and
wealth that came her way, she left behind her hometown, her family, and the man
she'd promised her heart to Webb Aiken.

Now, six years after her parents' deaths, Annalise has returned to her hometown
to sell the family ranch. That night, Annalise is tormented by the thought that
she is marrying her fiancé, Bryan, for the wrong reasons, and that she still
loves Webb. Annalise runs to meet Webb at the Sweetheart Tree, and they make
love. The next morning, Webb is walking Annalise back across the fields when
Bryan arrives and confronts them.

Peggy Moreland continues the story from there.

"Annie," Webb said again, more forcefully this time.

Annalise stood between Webb and Bryan, trembling uncontrollably. She felt as if
she were being ripped in two, torn between her love for one man and her duty to
the other. She knew that to bluntly confess to Bryan her love for Webb, as Webb
wanted her to, would be cruel, an unkindness Bryan didn't deserve. Yet, if she
didn't...

She turned to Webb, beseeching him with her eyes to understand. "Webb, please
try to understand. I " But before she could say more, he took a step back,
setting his jaw, his blue eyes hard with accusation as he glared at her. Then,
without a word, he turned and strode away. Annalise watched him go, wanting
desperately to run after him, but knowing that it was best this way.

"Annalise, just exactly what is going on here?"

With her gaze still on Webb, watching as he slowly disappeared from sight, she
drew in a deep breath and turned to Bryan. Forcing her lips into a semblance of
a smile, she looped her arm through his and started with him toward the house.
"Come inside and I'll explain everything."
 
* * *


Bryan sat at the round oak table, his forearms braced on its scarred top, his
hands clasped into fists as he listened to Annalise. Though his gaze never
veered from hers and the intensity of his expression never once wavered, she
sensed his shock, the hurt her explanation caused him.

When she was finished, she held her breath, waiting in strained silence for his
response.

Finally, he reached across the table and closed his hand over hers. "It's okay,
Annalise," he said, his expression softening. "I forgive you."

Stunned, she stared. "Forgive me?" she repeated.

With a weary sigh, he dragged his hand from hers and rose to cross to the sink.
"Yes. You're going through an extremely emotional time right now." He drew a
glass from the cupboard and gestured with it vaguely. "Sorting through your
family's things. Dealing with a lot of what I'm sure must be painful memories. I
should have been here with you," he said, frowning as he filled the glass from
the tap. "You needed someone for support, someone to lean on, and this Webb
person was here."

Slowly, Annalise rose. "No, that's not it at all. I love Webb."

He turned, bracing his hips against the sink, and offered her an indulgent
smile. "You think you love him," he amended, then lifted a shoulder. "In your
current emotional state Well, it was only natural for you to turn to someone
familiar, someone you had a past with, for comfort and strength."

Annalise rounded the table, her legs trembling with fury. "You're wrong, Bryan.
I do love Webb. I always have. I " When he started to interrupt her, she lifted
a hand. "No. Please. Hear me out." She drew in a deep breath, struggling for
calm, for just the right words.

"I care for you, Bryan," she said carefully, "and I always will. But what I feel
for you, what I've always felt for you, is friendship, not love." She watched
his jaw slacken in surprise. Slowly, she pulled her engagement ring from her
finger, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said and held it out to him. "I
can't marry you. Not when I'm in love with another man."

* * *

Webb paced his house like a caged animal. She'd denied him. Annie. His sweet
Annie. The woman he'd always loved, even when she'd chosen a life of glitz and
glamour over a life with him. She'd denied her feelings for him, as well as his
for her, with her refusal to tell Bryan that she loved him.

He stopped at the memory and dug his fingers through his hair, then fisted them
to squeeze against his head, as if he could hold in the fury, the
disappointment...the pain. Annie, his heart cried. He'd lost her again.

He dropped his hands and spun, looking wildly around. He couldn't watch her
leave him a second time. He had to get out of here, he told himself. Away from
this town. Away from her.

He strode to his room, grabbed a duffel bag from his closet and stuffed in some
clothes. Crossing to the bathroom, he threw in his shaving gear, zipped the bag
closed and headed for his truck.
 
* * *

Annalise watched as Bryan drove away, her heart heavy with regret. She hadn't
wanted to hurt him. But she couldn't marry him, either. Not when she loved Webb.
She turned to peer in the direction of Webb's ranch, her eyes filling with
tears. She'd always loved Webb. Even during the years they were apart, she'd
kept him with her, tucked away into a special place in her heart.

As she stared, the landscape blurred by an unexpected rush of tears, she started
for the pasture that separated her family's ranch from his. Her steps were slow
at first, hesitant. Then she was running, the tall grass whipping at her bare
legs, the sun warm on her face, the fragrance of the wildflowers she trampled
filling the air.

Reaching his house, she raced up the steps to the front porch and pounded on the
front door. She waited, pressing a hand over heart, as she struggled to catch
her breath. She heard the roar of an engine start up and whirled around just as
Webb's truck appeared on the drive at her right.

Waving a hand over her head, she leaped down the steps, shouting, "Webb! Wait!"


He slowed at the sound of her voice and his gaze met hers through the truck's
passenger window. She stumbled to a stop, shocked by the anger she saw in his
blue eyes.

"Webb?" she whispered, unconsciously reaching out a hand, as if to touch him.
Chapter Six



The story so far: When Annalise Bevins left home for college, she never dreamed
that an innocent photograph taken of her by a fellow student would thrust her
into the world of professional modeling. Seduced by the glamour, fame, and
wealth that came her way, she left behind her hometown, her family, and the man
she'd promised her heart to Webb Aiken.

Now, six years after her parents' deaths, Annalise has returned to her hometown
to sell the family ranch. That night, Annalise is tormented by the thought that
she is marrying her fiancé, Bryan, for the wrong reasons, and that she still
loves Webb. Annalise runs to meet Webb at the Sweetheart Tree, and they make
love. The next morning, Bryan arrives and confronts them.

Torn between love and duty, Annalise allows Webb to leave. Once she and Bryan
are alone, she ends their engagement. But afterward, when Annalise runs to
Webb's home to reunite with him, she finds him about to drive off in anger.

Peggy Moreland continues the story from there.

Webb stared at her for a long moment, his expression hard, unforgiving, then
tore his gaze from hers and stomped on the accelerator. The truck shot forward,
its tires kicking up a cloud of dust behind it.

Annalise stood on the drive, her hand still outstretched, her heart feeling as
if it were tethered to the trailer hitch on his truck and being painfully ripped
from her chest. Suddenly, the brake lights flashed a bright red and the truck
slammed to a stop, then reversed, careening crazily back down the drive toward
her. Annalise stood, rooted to the spot, until Webb braked to a screeching halt
again beside her.

But he didn't look at her. As desperately as she willed him to do so, he kept
his eyes narrowed on the drive ahead. She stared at his profile through the open
window, at the hard set of his jaw, unsure what to do, what to say. Angrily, he
braced a hand against the steering wheel and shot the gearshift into park.

"If you've got something to say," he growled, "then say it."

The harshness in his voice, the impatience in it frightened her. Realizing how
much she must have hurt him by sending him away, she took a step closer to the
truck and laid a hand on the open window, silently praying she could make him
understand.

"I'm sorry, Webb," she said, her voice trembling. "So very sorry. I wanted to
tell Bryan about us. But I couldn't. Not with you there. It would have hurt and
humiliated him if I had." She dropped her chin to her chest, remembering the
look on Bryan's face as he'd driven away and knowing that, in the end, she'd
done both, anyway. "He's been nothing but kind to me," she said, lifting her
head. "I couldn't hurt him that way. He didn't deserve that kind of treatment
from me."

If possible, Webb's jaw tightened even more. "But I do," he replied flatly.
"Well, not any longer." He jerked the gearshift back down into drive.

"But, Webb " she began frantically, and reached for him.

He shrugged free of her grasp. "Not this time, Annie. Twice burned is enough for
me."

He stomped on the accelerator and Annalise stumbled back a step as the truck
shot forward. She stared, wide-eyed, watching as he sped away. The fissure
working its way painfully through her heart finally split open, the tear a
rending pain that dragged her to her knees. She huddled on the dusty drive, her
shoulders hunched in misery, her hands fisted against her knees, tears streaking
down her face, watching as Webb disappeared from sight.... and from her life.

 
* * *


It took Annalise two hours to compose herself enough to tackle the job she'd
returned to her hometown to do. Several more hours to complete the sorting and
packing of her family's possessions.

After calling to give final instructions to the moving company, to transfer to
storage the boxes of items she wanted to save, she carefully locked the front
door behind her, carried her suitcase to her car, and climbed inside. With a
last, long throat-burning look at her childhood home, she started the car's
engine and headed down the drive, her airline ticket on the seat beside her.

Halfway to the highway, she slowed, her gaze on the stretch of pasture that
separated her family's ranch from Webb's. There, tucked among a large gathering
of trees, stood the Sweetheart Tree, its uppermost branches gleaming a soft gold
in the afternoon sunshine. With her gaze on the tree, she eased on the brake and
gradually brought the car to a stop.

Tears crowded her throat as she stared, remembering the times she'd spent
beneath the tree with Webb, both the old memories and those more recent, and
regretting that she had bungled things with him so badly.

She loved Webb. Always had, though she'd denied those feelings for a very long
time. And, by his own admission, she knew now that he loved her. Or had. But
now, through her own clumsiness in trying to spare Bryan's feelings, she'd
destroyed that love... a second time. As he'd said, twice burned was enough.

Knowing it was foolish, that she didn't have time to dawdle, she reached for the
door handle and stepped out of the car, giving in to the desire to see the tree
one last time. The sun shone warmly on her face as she walked across the field,
serenaded by birds perched in the tree's branches.

She breathed deeply of the clean, country air, filling her senses with the
familiar scent of the wildflowers that bloomed freely in the field where her
family's cattle had once grazed. She wanted, no, needed, to capture the scent,
the beauty of the scene for those lonely nights she knew awaited her in the
city.

As she reached the clearing shaded by the Sweetheart Tree, she stopped, hugging
her arms around her waist as she lifted her gaze to take in the vastness of the
tree's branches, and let her heart remember. The laughter. The warmth. The love.
The man who had so unselfishly given to her all those things. The man who had
given her a second chance. "Oh, Webb," she whispered, and closed her eyes,
choked by tears.

"Annie?"

Startled, she flipped open her eyes to find Webb standing beneath the tree. She
took a step toward him, then stopped, remembering his anger with her, and
knowing that she'd destroyed whatever feelings he might have felt for her.

"Where's Bryan?"

"Gone. He left this morning after I told him
about " The words dried up on her tongue, and heat burned in her cheeks as she
remembered telling Bryan about making love with Webb beneath the tree, and
sleeping there wrapped in his arms. Quickly she said instead, "After I broke off
our engagement."

"You broke your engagement?"

Not trusting her voice, she nodded. "That's what I was trying to tell you
earlier." She glanced behind her at her car parked on the drive in the distance.
"I was on my way to the airport, but I... I stopped," she finished futilely, not
wanting him to know how desperately she needed to see the tree one last time, to
gather as many memories as she could.

"You're leaving."

Though his comment was a statement, not a question, she felt compelled to
respond. "There's no reason for me to stay any longer."

"Yes there is."

She tensed, fighting the hope that surged within her. She searched his face for
some indication of what he was thinking, what he was feeling. "What?" she
whispered.

"Me. Us. I don't want to lose you, Annie. Not a second time."

Tears welled in her eyes, in her heart. "Oh, Webb."

He opened his arms and Annie flew into them, burying her face against his chest
as he folded his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Annie," he murmured against her hair. "I was mad. Hurt. Scared that
I was going to lose you again. I wouldn't listen."

"No," she argued, clinging tighter to him. "It was my fault. If I had explained
everything to Bryan from the first, as you wanted me to, this would have never
happened."

He tipped her face up to meet his, his eyes filled with an endearing blend of
tenderness and regret. "No. You did the right thing. The kind thing. It was my
ego that wanted me there to hear you tell him that it was me you love."

"I do love you, Webb. I always have and I always will."

"Annie," he said, and drew her close to his heart. "We've got a lot of lost
years to make up for."

Smiling through her tears, she cupped his face between her hands. "Then let's
not waste any more," she said as she drew his lips to hers.
 


The End