"What's that?"
"We're safe here, right? No danger of something bad happening as long as we don't move from this spot." When Eden nodded, he went on. "So, my plan is that we kiss for a minute or five, then we don't move. You simply let me hold you for the next fifteen minutes."
"I like that plan." Eden tilted her head as she leaned toward him, ready for his kiss, but he spoke again.
"But we have to agree that if something bad happens within the next twenty-four hours, we won't blame it on the kiss."
"Okay." Eden agreed, for no other reason than to have him kiss her already.
Finally, he pressed his lips to hers. Feathery and hesitant at first, then more passionate and possessive.
She let out a sigh as she pushed her fingers into his hair. It had only been ten days since the last time they kissed, but she'd missed this. The feel of his lips on hers, his scent that drove her crazy, his strong arms around her. She loved it all. She loved him.
Kissing him felt like coming home. She didn't care what the future held as long as Rudy was in it.
When he gathered her into his embrace so he could deepen the kiss, she willingly scooted into his arms, her mouth keeping tempo with his the whole time. The kiss lasted much longer than a minute, but to Eden's disappointment, it didn't last five minutes.
They were both short of breath by the time he pulled his mouth from hers and pressed his forehead to hers. "I'll take all the bad luck in the world as long as I can do that with you every day."
Eden giggled. "Be careful or you'll jinx us."
She settled into his arms, relishing the feel of his muscled chest at her back. She could get used to this. Making a new resolve, she vowed to not blame any more of her bad luck on God. She would only praise him, like her mom and Helen had taught her.
* * *
A strange senseof deja vu hit Eden as she spotted the roadside stand where she'd purchased strawberries seven weeks ago. The signs now touted raspberries and blackberries.
She thought about stopping, but she didn't want a repeat of the bee fiasco. Besides, the Wheelers had plenty of fresh berries in their garden.
She couldn't wait to get home.
She wasn't sure when she'd started to think of the Wheeler's house as home, but it was. And she couldn't wait to get there after this long, crazy week.
To keep her dad from stressing about work, she'd stuck around and assisted Sam and Dirk with some restructuring that would allow her dad to take it a little easier. They'd created two new positions, promoted a few people, and hired some more.
Then after dinner with her dad and Helen each evening, Eden spent her nights boxing up her apartment while she talked to Rudy on the phone. For now, she'd put all her stuff in storage until she solidified her plans for her future. Everything that is, except for the power suits and many of the expensive accessories she'd purchased over the past year. She'd taken those to a consignment shop that specialized in top quality, brand-name clothing.
After dropping them off, she'd found herself perusing the racks, even though she'd never bought anything second-hand before. She'd picked up a Louis Vuitton handbag before realizing that except for a handful of personal items and a few snacks and groceries, she hadn't been shopping for almost two months.
She didn't need to start now.
She had other more important things to focus on, like running her own business. Tired of trying to figure out what for Esmeralda meant, she'd developed a plan to go after what she wanted. Hopefully, things would play out the way she planned.
Excitement bubbled in her chest as she crested the hill just before Providence.
Only ten more minutes!
She pressed a little harder on the gas. Then out of nowhere, red and blue lights flashed in her rear-view mirror.
Frick!
She slowed and pulled her car over to the side of the road. Her hands grew sweaty as she waited for the officer to step out of his car. She'd never gotten a ticket before, and she couldn't afford one now. Not when she was about to risk everything she owned plus take out a hefty loan to follow her dreams.
When the tall, good-looking sheriff's deputy climbed from his car, a grin split her face. She lowered her window and watched in her rear-view mirror as the handsome officer sauntered forward.
"Do you have any idea how fast you were going ma'am?" Rudy's posture was stiff with his thumbs hanging off the front of his gun belt, but a hint of a smile teased at his lips.
"I'm so sorry, officer. I guess I was a little distracted. I was thinking about seeing my boyfriend again after being away forever."
