“I’m keeping you even if you kick me to curb,” he’d joked as he’d surprised me with his new ink, but I’d gone all-in as well. A few days later, his tattoo artist had snuck me on his schedule. I’d surprised Rick and gotten my first tattoo ever. A heart with “Savage” in the center on the inside of my wrist. I told him I’d chosen “Savage” rather than “Rick” because every girl wants a Savage in her life, well, at least in some way. He’d just laughed.
“Come, my love,” he purrs, curling his fingers in my direction. “I have a surprise for you.”
I set my coffee cup down and close the space between us, wrapping my arms around him. “Once again. I’m just telling you in advance, I’m not having sex on the porch in the broad daylight.”
“We’ll wait until dusk then,” he teases, kissing me and then turning me toward the front door.
He opens it and urges me outside and the minute I step on the porch, I immediately start laughing. There are now two white wooden rockers to my left. He steps behind me, his hands on my shoulder. “So we can grow old together and sit on our very own porch, once it’s built, in our rockers. Try yours out.”
I claim one of the chairs and his cellphone rings. He snags it from his pocket and glances at the caller ID. “Blake,” he informs me and then answers with, “Two months, Blake. I’m not coming back sooner.” He listens a minute and says, “Alrighty then. I’ve heard it all. I’ll tell her.” He disconnects and sits down. “They found the real Kirk.”
I blink in surprise. “As in alive?”
“Yep. He was at some Buddhist camp, as in a real sabbatical. He had no idea his identity and money had been stolen, but turns out he’s so rich and so well protected that what Mick took was a drop in the bucket. And he feels so bad about the museum deal, that he offered to fund the project.”
“Well, that’s good,” I say. “But I think the past is the past. I’ll leave that project behind. I have a house to think about.”
His lips curve. “Yes, you do.” He starts rocking and does his best old man voice. “You know, honey, my back hurts. I think it would feel better if we were in the bed with no clothes on.”
I laugh. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m serious.” He stands up, picks me up, and carries me in the house, where there is no doubt he will try to get me naked. And I’ll let him.
THE END