Page 134 of His Wounded Heart

Renzo: Will do.

“Mama I’m scared. Why do we have to stay in the bathroom?”

Bella has sat on the small bathroom counter for almost an hour. She hasn’t talked at all. Not even when Renzo tries to talk to her in Spanish while he made funny faces.

“Okay, ladies,” Renzo says. “We’re safe now. Simon took care of our problem. You two need to stay in the bathroom a little bit longer, and then you can come back out. Okay?”

Bella just nods and so do I. I want to ask if Simon is hurt, but I can’t ask that in front of my daughter.

Renzo leaves the bathroom with a jaunty wave.

“Is it true? Did Mr. Simon save us?”

“Yes, he did. He’s going to come here and tell us that the bad guy is taken care of and we don’t have to worry about him ever again?”

“You promise?”

“I do.”

“I’m going to ask Mr. Simon.” Bella said.

“I think you should,”

The wait seems to take forever, but finally there’s a knock on the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes,” as I scramble to the door and open it for Simon. I look him over in a millisecond and he looks fine, then I throw my arms around him and give him a passionate kiss. In just a moment, his arms are around my waist and the kiss starts to get carnal. My breasts are tight, and I feel an ache in my core.

“Mama?”

I reluctantly release Simon.

“Are you all right?” I ask, as I pet his chest and look into his eyes.

“I’m fine, Honey.” He looks over my shoulder. “Hey there, Bella. Do you want to get out of the bathroom now?”

“No, I have to tinkle. But I didn’t want to do it in front of Mr. Renzo.”

Simon and I chuckle. “That makes sense,” Simon says with a smile.

“You like my Mama a whole lot, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I love your Mama.”

My knees go weak, but Simon clutches me tighter so I don’t fall. He looks into my eyes. “Trenda, I am so in love with you.” His gray eyes look almost black, they are so filled with emotion.

“I love you too, Simon.”

“Do you love me, Mr. Simon?”

Simon releases me carefully, making sure I can stand on my own. Then he turns us both so that we are facing Bella who is sitting on the counter with a worried expression on her face. Simon bends down so that Bella and he are eye to eye. “I love you very much. I think I started loving you when you helped me bag groceries.”

Her eyes get wide. “That was a long, long time ago. You must love me lots, Mr. Simon.”

He lifts her off the vanity and brings her in for a hug. “I do love you lots, just like I love your Mama lots.”

“We all love each other, that’s really good.” She smiles.