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Ariella was the most gorgeous woman I had ever laid eyes upon. She had long, black hair woven into an intricate braid with a few stray hairs framing her beautiful face. Her almond-shaped green eyes were stunning and captivated me the instant they connected with mine. When she slipped her hand into mine—and I felt the spark travel up my arm and straight to my heart—I knew that I was a goner.
When I told her my name was Patrick Kent, the cutest giggle escaped her lips, and a blush covered her cheeks.
“Kent? As in Clark Kent?” she tittered. The comparison has been made before and has always annoyed me, but not this time. I’ll be her Superman any day, especially since I know she will be my Kryptonite. I tried not to roll my eyes at my silly thoughts and schooled my features into a passive mask. I’m supposed to be a professional, not a little schoolboy with his first crush.
“More like a Clark bar, but you’re not the first to suggest the reference.” After that, we were inseparable. The following month flew by much faster than I wanted or expected, and I was sad that our time was nearing its end.
When King Trevor invited our team to go to the Bahamas with them, I wanted to jump up and down and yell, “Pick me! Pick me!” I didn’t do that, but I didn’t need to. Roger, in all his years of experience reading people, knew that I not only wanted to go but that I needed to go.
It wasn’t until our last day that Ariella and I had the chance to spend some time alone, without bodyguards or prying eyes following us around. Other than my parents, I’ve never told anyone the choice we made together that night. That’s just for us. Although I had hoped she would contact me after she was whisked away upon learning that her home had been bombed, she never did.
Three months later, I discovered that Ariella had eloped with the Prince of Brachha, and I nearly fell apart at hearing the news. I have always loved Ariella, and nothing will ever change that. What we did that night may not have meant anything to her, but it meant the world to me.
“Another successful mission,” Carter tells me as we stand in line at the coffee shop inside the Windham Lodge, nestled in the heart of the Catskill mountains. We’ve just caught the guy who had been harassing Leanna, Carter’s girlfriend. They’ve been best friends for two years but only recently admitted their feelings for one another.
I thank God for that because everyone has been rooting for them to get together since they met. You couldn’t find a couple more perfect for one another, and it was excruciating for us all to watch them as they figured out what we already knew.
Savannah, one of the six Alpha team members for Shining Knight Protective Services and my partner for this assignment, walks up and slips her arms around my waist for a hug. We’ve been posing as a newlywed couple so we could move about the ski resort and be Carter’s backup should he need it. Since we haven’t vacated the premises yet, we’re still technically undercover. When she kisses my cheek, I hear a familiar voice I’ve yearned to hear for nine very long years.
“Patrick?”
I look in her direction, my jaw dropping and eyes widening at the figment before me. She doesn’t look like she’s aged a day. Savannah squeezes my middle and smiles adoringly at me, unaware of who it is that has my undivided attention. I can’t imagine how this must look to Ariella, standing at the lobby entrance with a stunned expression. Before I have time to react, I see her eyes well with tears just before she turns and darts away.
“Ariella?” I whisper, removing Savannah’s arms and taking off after her.
When I get outside, I look left and right, but don’t see Ariella anywhere. Her beautiful face and warm smile have plagued my dreams every night, so much so that maybe I’m now imagining her in real life. An elderly couple notices my despair and points toward the parking lot.
“Thank you,” I tell them.
“We’ve had our fair share of lovers’ quarrels,” the elderly woman says playfully.
Her husband gives me a wink, “It’s because the make-up is well worth it! It’s how we’ve made it through 50 years of marriage.” They both laugh and continue on their merry way.
I don’t wait around and immediately take off in a full sprint, hoping to catch Ariella before she gets in her car and drives out of my life for good. As I get to the top of the ramp, my feet hit a patch of ice and fly out from underneath me. Trying to regain control, my arms flail wildly but do nothing to stop my imminent fall.
Oomph! That’s the sound made by all of the air in my lungs being expelled as my back hits the ground, followed quickly by my head. Slightly dazed, I lay there momentarily with my eyes closed, waiting for the stars to disappear and try to regain my bearings.
A tinkling laugh can be heard from a few feet away, getting louder as she draws near. I’m afraid to open my eyes, fearing that she’ll vanish if I do.
“And here I thought Superman could fly! I had no idea he could crash with gusto!” she teases.
I open one eye and see her squatting beside me, a small smile on her lips even though her eyes are ringed in red. “Are you really here? Or did I hit my noggin harder than I thought?” I ask. I slowly sit up, rubbing the back of my head but never taking my eyes off her.
“I’m really here.”
I move to stand up and wobble a little bit, still unsteady on my feet. She holds my elbow until I’ve shaken off the effects of the fall.
“It’s truly great to see you, Patrick. I’m sorry for running off like that. I hadn’t expected to run into you here, of all places, and was a little shocked to see you happily married.” She looks down at the fake wedding band on my finger.
“It’s not…” I’m about to tell her that it’s not what it looks like when she interrupts me.
“Although I shouldn’t be. You deserve every happiness in the world, especially after the way I left things,” she mumbles. Her eyes are cast down toward the ground in embarrassment.
I tilt her chin upward so our gazes connect and ask her the one question I need an answer to. “Why didn’t you contact me, Ari? I waited years for you.” I don’t bother telling her that I never stopped.
“I should have. But circumstances prevented me from doing so, along with obligations to my country. Maybe one day I’ll get the chance to explain, but not here and not now.” She looks around as if someone might overhear us, and I notice a slight tremble in her body that isn’t from the cold but from fear.
I’m about to wrap her in my arms and provide comfort, but as I step forward to do so, a child’s voice yells out, “Mommy! Who’s that man you’re with?”
