Mateo readjusts in his seat, scooting closer to me. “Well whatdoyou want to do?”
I grab his hand and pull it into my lap. I look down at his fingers and trace them with my own. I note the calluses in his palms, at such odds withthe tenderness he shows me whenever he brushes his fingers down my face. I love these hands that work so hard to take care of his family and me.
I look up into his eyes that look like melted chocolate in this lighting.
I take in a deep breath and muster the courage to say the words that have been running through my mind for days.
I weave my fingers through his and squeeze his hand. “I want a family. I want you, I want your family, I want space from this place. I don’t care if anyone judges me for leaving. I don’t want to deal with the backstabbing and insincerity of the social elite.Youare sincere.Youare who I want. All I want is to come home to you and fall in your arms, and not worry about anyone else.”
I pause. “Mateo, I love you. I have scars from my past I will be working to heal from for a long time. But Mateo, you’ve dented my armor and wiggled your way into my heart, and I can’t get you out.”
My vision of Mateo blurs with the last sentence. His hand comes up, cupping my jaw and wiping away my tears. I lean into the contact and savor the tenderness of his touch. “I want you, Mateo. Do you think we can figure this out together?”
Mateo leans in closer, his hand moving from my jaw to the back of my neck, tangling in the hair I took out of its chignon before coming to the living room. His smile is wide, his dimple on full display as he stares at me.
Tears gather in his eyes as he takes in a ragged breath. “I love you, Holly. Yes. Yes, we can work this out together. Yes, I will be right beside you as you heal and as we grow into better people together. I love every part of you, imperfections and all. I would love to have a family with you.”
He pulls me toward him, kissing my forehead and trailing his lips down to my cheek, where he kisses away my happy tears. My cheeks hurt from smiling, but it’s the best pain I’ve ever felt.
I move my hand up, tangling my fingers in his curls I love so much as I close the distance between us. “We’re moving to Bolt, you’ll go back to working on the farm, and I’ll figure out how to work with just Alex fromthere?”
He nods, his forehead bonking mine. We both laugh as he peppers me with kisses. “Yes. Absolutely yes. Let’s do it.”
I pull away, my mind racing with ideas and timelines. “I’m going to give my clients two weeks' notice. In that time, we can pack up essentials that can fit in the back of your truck. Then I’ll hire a moving company to pack everything else up.”
Mateo laughs. “I don’t know if my house can fit everything in your house, Holly.”
My head spins, making a list of things I want to keep and things I could sell.
“Hey, wifey. We can figure it out tomorrow. Right now, I want to revel in the fact we’re going to move back home.”
He kisses me, and I fall into him, basking in the feeling of kissing my husband without reservations, deadlines, or anything else looming in the back of my mind.
Mateo peppers kisses across my cheek before holding me tight and whispering in my ear. “I love you, Holly. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”
“Te amo,” I whisper in his ear.
He jerks back, his eyes alight with joy as he laughs. “Mi amor, I will love you forever. Tu eres mi esposa, mi vida, mi amor.”
Our lips meet, and I send up a prayer of gratitude to God for this amazing man he placed in my life.
Chapter 44
The Plan
Mateo
Iwake up on the couch, a throw pillow under my head and my wife tucked into my side. We talked late into the night about future plans, and eventually Holly fell asleep.
I couldn’t move even if I wanted to. This is heaven, despite my arm’s uncomfortable tingling from having it positioned under my wife’s head over the past few hours.
The vibration from the coffee table sends a jolt through me, and I lean over to grab it, trying my best not to move my sleeping wife.
Alex’s name stares at me on the screen, and I swipe to answer the call.
“Hey bro,” I whisper.
"Mateo!" Alex’s voice is laced with worry. "Where’s my sister? What’s going on?”
