Page 99 of Diamonds in the Mud

You couldn’t walk into a movie theater or a mall without fearing violence these days.

She’d had an ex-lover hold a gun to her head at her workplace. I knew the statistics about violence against women done at the hands of someone who supposedly cared for them. Most women, most people for that matter, weren’t as lucky as Rayne to walk away from those kinds of situations.

When I was done filling her in, we were back lying in each other’s arms. Rayne was tight up against my side.

“You’ve been busy,” she said with a yawn. “You must be exhausted.”

“I am, but being here with you makes it all worth it,” I admitted. I pulled her closer and just held on. She smelled so good. Felt so good. This was right.

Falling asleep next to Rayne was the first time in years that I felt completely relaxed and in control of my future. Waking with her wrapped around me had other things filling my mind.

As I slowly blinked my eyes open, the soft morning light filtered through the curtains. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace wash over me. This is where I belonged. Where we belonged. Together.

Somehow, the events of the previous day seemed like a distant memory now, replaced by the warmth of Rayne’s presence beside me.

Stretching lazily, I rolled over to find Rayne already awake, her eyes fixed on me with a soft smile playing at her lips. “Morning,” she greeted, her voice husky with sleep.

“Morning,” I replied, returning her smile as I leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her lips. The weight of her against me felt like home, grounding me in a way I hadn’t known I needed.

I wanted to spend the day with her here, in bed, but knew that in less than half an hour, my phone would be going off with calls demanding my presence.

“I have to go back in. You?” I asked.

She nodded. “Most likely we’ll have meetings to discuss what happened. For now, we’re keeping”—she paused and took a deep breath—“certain details from my mother.”

I nodded, understanding. “Breakfast?”

“Shower first.” I saw her shiver and wondered just how many showers it would take for the memory of yesterday to be washed away.

“I’ll cook,” I offered.

She smiled. “I’d like that. Make yourself at home. I think you can find your way around my kitchen easily enough.”

I brushed my lips across hers. “I love you,” I said, then added. “If I say it too much, let me know.”

She chuckled. “I don’t think it’s possible to hear it too much when I feel the same way.”

With a contented sigh, I rolled out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. A few minutes later, after easily finding what I needed, I made the coffee, and the smell was like a siren’s call. As I started to prepare breakfast, I could hear the sounds of Rayne in the shower.

I easily found eggs, bacon, and the fixings for cinnamon toast. Her pans hung over the island and by the time the aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, she came out fully dressed for the day. Her hair was still wet and tied in a long braid.

We carried our plates out to the back deck to enjoy our food out there, the morning sun casting a warm glow over everything it touched.

Sitting side by side, we ate in companionable silence, the only sound the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. But as we finished our meal, the weight of the conversation we needed to have hung heavy between us.

“So,” Rayne began, her voice soft but determined. “What happens now?”

I paused, the question lingering in the air like a delicate promise, and looked into Rayne’s eyes.

“Whatever it is, we’ll do it together. I’ve asked for time off. I’ll extend it as long as I can until we come up with what’s next for us.” I reached out to take her hand in mine.

With a smile, Rayne squeezed my hand, her eyes shining with unspoken emotion. “My dad’s about to retire. He actually thought you’d make a great replacement.”

I was surprised and a little shocked at first. But then I really thought about it. That could work. Couldn’t it?

Then her words played over in my head. Most of the time when Rayne talked about Randy, she called him by his name. However, just now, she’d called him Dad, and she’d done so yesterday as well. I wondered if she realized that.

“Maybe I’ll have a chat with him about it,” I suggested.