From This Moment

“I’ve never gone without before,” she whispers.

“Neither had I until the other night. Cade nearly fainted.” I chuckle. “In fact, don’t show it to Jake and we’ll have dinner the night before we go on vacation. Cade can get ready first then you can come up to my room and we can get dressed together. I’ll wear my red dress.”

Elise doesn’t look too sure.

“Trust me Elise, it will only be us four and I’ll be wearing the same as you, plus Cade and Jake will both be in the same ‘condition’ throughout the meal.”

She nods and laughs. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

“It will be fun. C’mon, let me just grab some thongs and maybe a skirt or two then I’ll pay and we can go for a coffee. I need to rest my hip for a short time.”

Elise groans. “Rona, you should have told me you were hurting.”

“Don’t worry, it isn’t too bad. I just want to rest it before it does get bad.”

“I’ll just go pick up some jeans I like, and another dress, then I’m ready. We need to meet Justin, then get the coffee, and maybe a cake,” she grins, “before heading back, unless you want to go somewhere else?” Elise looks at me before she launches herself into sorting through the racks to find the perfect items.

I smile at how wonderful today has been, despite the pain in my hip and say, “Sounds perfect.”

Chapter 26

Rona

Waiting for our drinks and cakes to arrive, we laugh at the latest joke Justin has told us. It has been enlightening and I have discovered that Justin is very good at entertaining. Neither Elise nor I can get a word in.

Finally, our refreshments arrive and as I’m just about to take a bite of mine, a concoction of meringue, I look up into the smiling face of Josh Mitchell, the DEA agent, and freeze.

“Hello, Rona. How are you feeling?” he asks, still smiling at me.

Shit!

“Hi, Josh. I’m fine, thank you,” I say before realizing he doesn’t know Elise. “Josh, this is Elise.”

“We’ve already met.”

He turns to Elise. “Nice to see you again, Elise. Justin.”

“Oh right.” He seems to be hovering and his eyes keep flicking to mine.

“Do you want to join us?” Justin asks.

“If you’re sure I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, take a seat,” Elise invites.

He sits right next to me.

“We’re taking a breather from Rona’s exhausting shopping spree,” Elise laughs.

“Hey, I’m not that bad, besides I’m not the only one who bought a sexy dress!”

Elise blushes.

He looks from Elise’s blush to me trying to eat my cake without getting it all over me. “Sexy dress, huh? You want to try them out on me?” Josh asks.

Fuck!

“They’re packed in the car. Sorry.”