couldn’t believe that she and Colton had lost control so completely yesterday morning, making love in broad daylight, without protection. But later, in the quiet of her room, she’d looked at the calendar and decided that there was next to no chance she’d get pregnant, and she felt a sharp twinge of regret at this realization, which just about knocked her on her ass.
Living with Colton? Check. Loving Colton? Check, again. But forever with Colton? A forever that included a home and his children? Sure, she might have had some nebulous thoughts about it, but now the strength of her longing broadsided her. Yes, she wanted forever. Yes, she wanted it with him. She’d sat there on her bed as the calendar slipped from her fingers, trying to get her head around the enormity of this revelation. They’d been together for only a little over a month, but she knew. In the profoundest depths of her heart, she knew he was the one. The only one for her.
Back at work on Monday afternoon, it was hard to concentrate. All she wanted was a glimpse of Colton, and, checking the clock, she realized she’d earned one.
Glancing at Beverly, who’d been keeping an eagle eye on her since last Wednesday, she said, “I think I’ll take my break now, if that’s okay?”
Beverly was taking inventory of the Renaissance jewelry while Verity had just finished balancing the register. “Yeah. Fine. But you get twenty minutes. Not twenty-five. I don’t want to have to talk to Lynette again.”
Yeah, you do, you patronizing cow.
But she wasn’t in the mood for a spat with Beverly. Too much was going right in her life to let Beverly spoil it.
“Twenty minutes. Got it,” said Verity, giving Beverly a small smile as she slipped out from behind the counter.
She thought she’d head to the stables to check on Ryan and maybe get a peek at Colton practicing fencing in the sunshine, his muscles tan and taut. Her insides clenched and relaxed with memories of yesterday, and she grinned as she walked down the employee hallway. After they’d made love in the sunshine, he’d held her close and whispered he loved her, followed by the single word: forever. And she couldn’t help but wondering if his mind had been visiting the same wishful thoughts of a future that hers had.
It wouldn’t be such a strange notion, would it? For the caregivers of two special-needs people to find each other, to understand each other, to fall in love, and to build a life together? There was a certain, well, verity to it, like maybe Colton was right about them being a fairy tale, like maybe her bad luck really was all prepayment for the good luck she was enjoying now, like maybe some people in the huge, wide world were simply meant to find each other, and when they did, they shouldn’t let go, no matter what.
She grinned as she pushed open the door to the stable area, letting her eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. In the middle of the ring, Colton, on Thor, looked over at her and winked as she waved. And Sebastian, whom Verity had gotten to know a little, wolf-whistled.
“Quit whistling at my woman,” growled Colton, swinging his mace at Sebastian.
But Sebastian caught it with his lance, watching it wind around and laughing heartily. “You know I don’t swing that way.”
Which was a shame for the women at The Legend of Camelot because he was one beautiful man, thought Verity.
“Still . . .,” groused Colton, “if anyone could turn you straight, it’d be her.”
“Do the routine again,” shouted Morgan. “And this time, in character. Viking Knight showdown with Renaissance Knight. No bullshit, boys.”
Colton shrugged, winking at Verity again as he turned and rode Thor to the other side of the ring to go through the routine again.
Verity strolled along the ringside, peeking into the barn doors for Ryan, but she didn’t see him.
“Hey, Joe!” she said, finding him in the empty stall that had been refitted as a small office. “Know where Ry is?”
Joe looked up from the saddle on his desk.
“This ain’t a saddlery.”
“Sorry?” she said.
“They bring me these saddles like I can fix ’em. I can’t.”
“Oh . . .,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Sorry.”
He sighed. “I’ll have to send it out.”
“Ryan?” she asked again.
“Oh, yeah. Had him preparin’ a stall for a new horse comin’ in. I can . . .” Joe started to get up.