“Who’d ever have believed I’d have a lucky talisman named Horace the Wonder Horse?” he said, leaning back against the wall of the booth.
“Zach?” Eve took a deep breath. “There are things I should have told you, too. About—about my foster father, and how he tried—how he tried to molest me.” She had not said the words aloud in so many years. Oh, what a relief it was to say them now. “But no one believed me,” she said shakily. “He called me a—a whore, and I swore I’d never trust anyone again.”
Zach cursed himself for a fool and made a silent vow he would spend the rest of his life making up for Eve’s pain.
“Trust me, my love,” he said. “Give me your heart, and I swear I’ll cherish it. Eve—will you marry me?”
“Yes. Oh, yes. I love you, Zach. Only you. You were the first, the only one…”
The phone dropped from Eve’s hand. She ran to the door, flung it open and flew down the steps to the street. She saw Zach, already racing toward her. His arms opened wide when he saw her, and she flung herself into them.
“Eve,” he said, “Eve…”
He whirled her around and around while he kissed her, tasting the sweetness of her mouth and the salt of her tears, knowing that some of those tears were surely his.
“Marry me,” he whispered, and she laughed and put her hands on either side of his face and brought his mouth, his dear, sweet mouth, down to hers again.
“Yes,” she said, “yes, oh, yes…”
Behind them, a window opened. An old lady looked out. She watched as the lovers embraced, and she began to smile.
* * * * *