“Is it?”
“I’d better check the rest of you.”
“Oh, yes.”
He unbuttoned her shorts and stripped them off.She helped him remove her lingerie.When she was completely nude, he inhaled a deep breath and just stared at her.
“Are you having racing thoughts, too?”she asked.
“I am,” he said, swallowing hard.
“I think you need more oxygen,” she said and reached for his belt.“Maybe this is too restrictive.”
His gaze darkened as she unfastened the clasp.“It definitely is.”
She laughed at this answer while he scrambled out of the rest of his clothes.They didn’t talk about the future or make any specific plans.Paul was strong and alive in her arms.Vanessa was afraid to jinx it by thinking too far ahead.Instead of worrying about what might come, she focused on the here and now, and relished every stolen moment with him.
Epilogue
Three months later
“He got themaximum sentence.Twenty-five years.”
Vanessa squealed into the phone at Paul’s ear, making him laugh out loud.He’d laughed more with her since they’d reunited in September than he had in the past five years combined.They saw each other as often as possible despite their busy schedules.Paul was new to the mounted force in San Angelo and worked long hours on horseback.Vanessa’s position at the PT clinic was a more typical nine-to-five, which was great for Emily.The little girl had started preschool in the fall and she loved learning with other kids.She’d done a delightful drawing of Paul on horseback with his face on backwards.He’d displayed this art piece on the fridge in his apartment, and he smiled every time he looked at it.
Vanessa had invited him to several family dinners, hosted by her father.Eric had been teaching Emily how to make tortillas and other Mexican staples.The Navas had been thriving.Paul was glad Vanessa had the support of her family, because he couldn’t be there for her as much as he wanted to.Between his demanding job and the hundred miles of distance between them, opportunities to visit were limited.Emily didn’t like the long drive and Paul’s lodgings in San Angelo left a lot to be desired, so he usually came to them.
He’d been careful about going out in public, however.Although Miguel Mendez was behind bars, Aiden Mendez had yet to be apprehended.Paul had been watching his back for so long it had become second nature.
But now things had changed.
Miguel Mendez’s case had been expedited because of the threat he posed to Houston and all of Texas.He’d been convicted on thirteen counts last week.This week the judge had announced his sentencing.
“It’s over,” Vanessa said.“He’s finished.”
“He can appeal, but the case is ironclad.”
“Does this mean you’re safe?”
“I’m safe as long as I keep my part of the bargain.”
Vanessa laughed at the reminder of Aiden Mendez’s promise.Paul had to endeavor to make her happy—or else.“How should we celebrate?”
They’d already made plans to spend the weekend together.Paul had two days off in a row and so did Vanessa.They sometimes met in Rocksprings, a dusty little town halfway between San Angelo and Lost Lake.Rocksprings had a decent café and a run-down hotel that was the only option for fifty miles.As a romantic getaway, it didn’t pass muster.
“Let’s go to Arden,” Paul said.
“Arden?”
“It has a nice park off the main drag.”
“Okay,” she said.“We’ll be there in an hour.”
Paul was always excited to see her and Emily, but this weekend was special.He’d been waiting for the right time to propose an idea to her.With Mendez safely behind bars, this was the perfect opportunity to take the next step.He wanted more.
Most of his dates with Vanessa were too brief.They spent a single night in a hotel room or shared a few hours at her apartment.They supplemented these short visits with extended phone calls, but Paul wasn’t satisfied with the arrangement.Although he cherished every moment with her, he longed for more permanency.He wanted quiet evenings at home together.He wanted to sleepinwith her, not just sleep with her.
I’ll wait forever, he’d told her after the close call with Aiden Mendez.As it turned out, waiting to spend the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams was more difficult than he’d anticipated.
