Eek!
It was a ful -on kiss, tongues and everything. I shouldn’t have responded but I did. Maybe it was the life or death situation, the thril of being alive, desperate gratitude or maybe it was because it was a great kiss. It was likely al of that and more. I wasn’t going to analyze it, I was going to go with it, then bury it. Deep.
His head came up but he didn’t let me go and stayed firmly in my space.
For my part, I had both hands curled on his neck, just below his ears, and I found I couldn’t let go.
We both sat there, silent, staring at each other in the dark and breathing heavy.
There was something important about that moment for Mace, I felt it, I didn’t entirely get it but I was honored by it.
The only thing I knew was that, for me, it was about him saving my life and me being alive.
Then Mace broke the moment.
“You tel Chavez I kissed you, we’re disappearin’ in Mexico where no one can find us.”
Sweet Jesus.
He said “us”.
I couldn’t blame that on the Smithie’s uniform.
“What was that about?” I whispered.
He was quiet for a beat.
“I’m just glad you got a face left to kiss.” Hmm.
Guess, for Mace, it was the thril of me being alive.
Yeesh, men were so weird.
He let me go and I dropped my hands. He yanked his tshirt out of his jeans, pul ed a penknife out of his pocket, cut away the hem and pressed it against my temple. This must have meant he didn’t have tissues in the glove box.
I took over with the pressing, he turned away and buckled up.
I put on my seatbelt too and off we went.
He drove to the parking lot at the Kmart strip mal off Alameda and Broadway by Indy’s house. There was a clutch of vehicles parked haphazardly, close to the entrance off Alameda, al SUVs except for the red Dodge Ram.
I scanned the huddle of people, counting. Lottie was there, her arms wrapped around her middle, standing next to Vance. Indy was being held by Lee. Tod had hold of Daisy. Matt was leaning against one of the SUVs.
No Dad.
Everyone was alive and breathing and I appeared to be the only member of the walking wounded.
Eddie was close to Indy and Lee, pul ing a hand through his hair, but when our lights flashed into the lot, his head jerked around. He started walking toward us before Mace had a chance to get close.
Mace swung the truck around, positioning my door close to Eddie and stopped. I didn’t even get a chance to put a hand out when the door swung open, the interior lights went on and Eddie saw me.
“Dios mio,” he said, soft and quiet.
“It’s nothing, just a—”
He didn’t let me finish. He reached around, released the belt, pul ed me out of the cab and into his arms which went around me so tight, I could barely breathe.
“Graze,” I finished on a poof of expel ed breath.