“Take your time,” Scarlette said before she walked inside.
I stared at the door, hoping to hell Scarlette would be my wife someday. She was it for me. And if that came to be, I knew Mom and Dad would want to move closer to us.
I walked around the yard, scoping everything out. There were no fresh tracks, no out-of-place broken branches. Charles, my ex-captain, wasn’t giving it much thought, but I knew that an unbalanced person could be pushed to extremism. From what I could find, Angie was a normal girl who’d had her heart broken. But “normal” people had been known to do bad things for less reasons.
I was on edge. In the last two days, I could have sworn I saw Angie drive by our place at least three times. I added surveillance cameras in the middle of the night to help me monitor the situation after we found a dead animal on our front porch. Angie was inexperienced and could easily be subdued. But if she had a gun and had any skill whatsoever using it, any control I thought I had became an illusion. So, it had to be balanced with safety.
Charles was wrong on this one. I was sure of it.
I’d put together a “go” bag for myself and for Scarlette in case of a speedy departure. At this point, there wasn’t much the police could do since Angie hadn’t broken any laws. So I considered my options. My goal was to help Angie, not hurt her.
The anniversary of Kevin’s death might have sent Angie over the edge. I couldn’t be sure. There was constantly an underlying concern for safety, but we pushed forward with as much normalcy as possible. I would not let this jeopardize us. Against my better judgment, I kept Scarlette informed of everything—that was the way she wanted it.
We needed a change of scenery. I knew Scarlette could feel the tension radiating through me. I walked into the house and saw her reading a book. Even now, staring at her, my dick hardened. I would never tire of her. But we needed to change things up. “Would you be up for a little adventure today?” I asked.
Scarlette turned my way with a teasing smile. “Will there be kissing? Maybe more?”
“I think I can arrange that.” I stared into her blue eyes, drowning in their beauty. I knew I was in love with her, but I had no idea how to tell her. Shit. I had never told a woman I loved her.
She set her book aside and beckoned me closer. When I was an inch away, she pressed her lips to mine, murmuring, “It’s a yes from me if I can have as many as I want.”
“
Let’s go. The faster we get there, the faster I can make good on my promise.” I picked her up and headed for the truck.
The sound of her laughter never got old. If she wasn’t laughing half a dozen times a day, I wasn’t doing my job as her boyfriend.
After loading up, we drove to a place I knew was special to my girl. Scarlette hummed along with the radio as the truck bounced on the gravel road. The recent rain had made the road a little worse, so I had to drive slower than usual. I looked over at Scarlette, and she gave me a smile that lit up my life.
I could die a happy man right now.
When I put the truck in park, Scarlette peered around outside. “Why are we here?”
“I remember you told me this was where you dad took your mom on her first date.”
Scarlette’s eyes teared up as she looked through the windshield. “You remembered?”
“I remember everything.”
Scarlette got out of the truck and walked over to the crest of the hill that overlooked Beaver Lake. I followed closely behind, hoping her reaction was a good sign. When I caught up with her, I stood behind her, rested my hands on her hips, and looked out over the land. It was mesmerizing out here.
A gentle breeze blew, and I thought of Scarlette’s parents. I will take care of her, Mr. and Mrs. Noelle. I swear it. I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to think those thoughts.
I squeezed her hips as I thought about wanting her parents’ blessing. And then I realized if there was any place to tell her, this would be it.
Scarlette exhaled and turned in my arms. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Oh, Austin. Thank you. This means so much.” She kissed me hard, and I melted at her touch. “I love you.” Scarlette paled and covered her mouth as she took a step back. “I’m so sorry. That slipped. Oh my… I…”
Wait. Did she just say it?
Scarlette attempted to take another step back, but I held her firm, willing her to say it again. She ducked her head and averted her eyes.
No. No. No. We are not missing our shot. Gently, I put my finger underneath her chin to raise her eyes to meet mine. “Sweetheart, did you mean it?”
“I… uh…”
I wanted it out there. There were so many times over the last couple of days I’d wanted to say it. Needed to say it. “Scarlette… did you mean what you said?”
She bit her lip before staring into my eyes. “Yes, I meant it.”