“The princess speaks,” Mitch muttered again, a smile in his voice.
“You know it,” I replied, my smile in mine.
“And love it.”
My soul sighed yet again.
That was mine too.
All mine.
“Right,” I whispered. “Love you, baby.”
“Love you too, honey.”
“Ready?” I asked.
“Ready,” he replied, a smile again in his voice.
“Break,” I whispered, my smile also in mine.
Then he was gone.
Epilogue
Hometown Bud Lawson
Mitch
Thirteen years later…
“That shirt burnin’ your skin?”
Mitch was looking down at his wife who was wearing a Colorado Rockies jersey.
The number on the back, 9.
“Absolutely not,” she replied and he grinned.
“Any Cubs fans see you in that, they’re gonna throw you out of the Die Hard Club,” Mitch warned.
“I’ll take my chances,” Mara muttered.
Mitch grinned.
“We’re late, we’re late! Sorry, we’re late.” They both heard and Mara’s head turned as Mitch’s eyes went down the row to see Billie and her latest boyfriend scooting along the row, her dark hair shining in the bright Colorado sun, way too f**king much of her long, tanned legs exposed by her short-shorts.
It was early April. It should be cold. At least chilly.
Not in Colorado. It was eighty-six degrees and had been for two weeks.
Tomorrow the forecast was snow.
But today, Billie was in short-shorts. And she had been for two weeks, Mitch knew from the evidence of her legs being tan.
“For the record,” Mitch muttered, his eyes having moved to Billie’s most recent, “I do not like that guy.”
He felt Mara’s gaze and he looked down at her to see her lips pressed together but her eyes dancing.