What would have happened? But even as he asked the question, he already knew the answer. If they’d gotten back together, they would have stayed together. He never would have left town, never would have started over. He would have made it work here, so they could be together always. He would have married her.

“We could have had three kids by now,” he said absently.

“Three? That’s a lot.”

“Two, then?”

“Yeah, two kids.” Her smile turned regretful. “But there’s no going back. Only forward.”

She leaned toward him. He met her halfway and kissed her. The wanting was just as strong, but this time it was accompanied by something else. A sense of rightness. He didn’t know what it meant, but he was going to let it sit for a while and figure it out later. In the meantime, he was going to pretend he was still eighteen again and kissing his girl.

Reggie walked home enjoying the steady snow and her general sense of happiness. As per tradition, snowmen had appeared everywhere. They were on porches and front steps and in yard displays, and the city workers were hanging snowmen banners on light poles. The snow had arrived, and now all was well in the Wishing Tree world.

On a more personal note, her parents’ wedding was less than a week away, and she felt good about being ready. The Christmas cactus were beribboned, her mother’s dress was back from the alterations lady, and according to her last call with Paisley, all was well with the resort. Which meant she was perfectly free to think about Toby’s kisses.

They’d been pretty good—in some ways better than she remembered. Or maybe it was that all the other kisses in her life were a poor second.

He’d seemed different today. More relaxed and open. She knew better than to get her hopes up—he had a lot to work through before he would be willing to risk a relationship—but maybe a little progress had been made.

That was what she wanted. She wanted Toby and Harrison in her life. She wasn’t sure when she’d decided it, but today, celebrating the first snowfall together, she’d known. He’d been a great guy when she’d known him in high school, and he was a better man now. He was a terrific father, an intelligent businessman, and a kind soul who loved his grandmother, and he kissed like a dream.