Jason gave them both a salute before he turned around in the driver’s seat and backed out of the parking space. Dante and Laurie waved back at them, as they drove away.
Dante stood holding her for a long while. He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around either side. His hands ran over the expanse of her belly in a soft caress. He hoped to feel those tiny movements again, but the baby was still.
Laurie leaned back into him.
“So we’re leaving the islands?” She nuzzled his shoulder
“Yes.” He laid his chin on her hair. “Kaimi has too many friends here. It wouldn’t be safe.”
Laurie nodded.
“Where will we go?”
Dante smiled into her golden hair.
“To the house I bought.”
“You bought us a house?”
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t we have bought the house together?”
Dante’s smile widened.
“Maybe. But I got a very fair price.”
“Dante!” She turned around. “We’re going to start a new life together somewhere just because you got a fair price?”
“Yes.” He gathered her close to him. “All we have to do is pick apples, and pears, and I hear there are grapes too.”
Laurie gasped, then she laughed. She cupped his face with her hands.
“You bought the orchard house from your parents?” Her bright blue eyes shined up into his.
“I told you I got a fair price.” He winked.
Laurie laughed, rubbing her nose against his.
“I guess you did.”
He kissed her for a long while, as they enjoyed the soft touch of skin on skin, the tug of war between their opposing tongues. Desire flooded Dante’s veins, but he knew it would be hours before he could indulge in that. He broke off the kiss and nuzzled Laurie’s neck instead.
“We should get going.”
He walked her to her car door. He helped her in, and after he asked her if she was okay three or four times, she managed to convince him she was perfectly fine. He walked around to the other side to get in. He pulled out of the parking lot onto the deserted road.
“So, where is the Marshals office in Nebraska? Will you have to travel far to work?”
“I won’t be a Marshal anymore.”
“What? They didn’t reinstate you? I thought Rick said—”
“No, no. They reinstated me just fine. There’s a Marshals office in Omaha, and I was going to put in for a transfer, but I just can’t live this life anymore. It was a great job when it was just me, but I want to be able to see my kids. I want to be able to see you. If I stay on as a Marshal, I’ll be gone for months at a time on assignments. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Laurie paused for a long while, as she studied him. He glanced away from the road and looked at her for a small moment.
“You gave up your job for me? Your whole career?”
“Well, not just for you.” Dante turned onto the highway. “I gave it up for us, for our baby, and for me too. I want to be a good father. I want to be there for them when they need me.”
Laurie took a deep breath. Her expression was troubled.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay, you know.” Dante smiled into her downcast eyes. “I’ve already got another job. I’ll start it almost right away. You don’t need to worry about money or anything.”
“No, no. It’s not that, it’s just…I feel like I took away the one thing I know you love.”
“I love you more than anything, and I already love our baby more than anything. A job is just a job, Laurie. Besides that, I’ve got a great job. I’ll be working for a private security firm. I’ll be planning and managing security teams, just as I do now. That’s why I got hired.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. I’ll also be making a lot more money than what I’m making now. I might have to travel a little bit, but not even half as much as I would as a Marshal. It’ll be different from what I’m doing now, a lot different, but it’ll be great. I might even make it through a few months without being shot at, though with you around maybe not.”
He grabbed for her hand and squeezed it.
“It was never my fault you were shot at, that was all Kaimi.”
“Still, I never took so many bullets until I met you.” He grinned. He pulled into the parking lot at the airport. He parked, then reached for both of Laurie’s hands.
“Listen, I don’t want you to worry about me, or my career, or anything, okay? We’ll be close to my parents, I’ll have a job, and I’ll be able to raise a family with you. That’s far more than what I need to be happy, I promise.” He stroked her hand.
“Are you sure? I mean, I hated the thought of you being hurt or killed while you were looking for Kaimi. I hated every minute we’ve been away from each other, but I don’t think I would have asked you to leave your job for me.”
She tilted her head to the side as she studied him.
“For us. I left it for us. We’ll see how it goes, we’ll see how I like this new job. If not, I’ll find something else. I just know for sure that I want to raise a family with you.”
Laurie digested his words. Then she smiled up at him, squeezing his hand.
“Okay. If this is what you want, I’ll support you.”
He kissed her hand.
“Besides, you can be the defender of justice in the family. There’s a law school in Omaha too. I figured after you have the baby, you might want to go back and finish. I’ve got us scheduled for an admissions visit.” He sat back in his seat.
“You do?” She didn’t wait for his reply; she leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed her back, brushing her hair away from her face.
“Thank you,” she said, when she broke the kiss. “Thank you for being such a wonderful man.”
“I try.” They paused for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes.
Dante checked the clock on the dashboard.
“Our flight leaves in a couple of hours. We could grab dinner or we could grab a hotel room.” He raised both eyebrows at her.
Laurie laughed.
“There’s always room service.” She shrugged.
“Best of both worlds.”
Laurie looked at the hotel, shaking her head.
“I can’t wait to see our house again. And our family.”
“Me neither.” Dante was amazed at the thought. They had a house and a family now. “Me neither.”
As they got out of the truck, the cool air and strong Hawaiian sunshine surrounded them. They smiled at one another. Dante took Laurie’s hand in his. Relaxed, weightless, excited, they turned all of their attention to the flight ahead. They headed for home.
About the Author
Rachel Mannino is a passionate writer who creates characters and settings that allow readers to explore power dynamics in relationships, the empowerment of women, and the ethical and moral dilemmas love can create in our lives. Rachel also uses her writing skills to raise thousands of dollars for entities that enrich our lives and create community change around the world. She has worked for the Peace Corps; the Humanities Council of Washington, DC; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; and the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events in Boston, MA. Her first novel, Love or Justice, will be published by Limitless Press in 2016. Rachel has a BA in theatre studies and writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College, and she has used it every day since graduation. She lives with her husband, author Christopher Mannino (http://www.christophermannino.com/), and their adorable dog and cat in College Park, Maryland.
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