“You are an angel. A sex kitten. You know that?” He brushed his hand down the back of my head and kissed the tip of my nose. “No woman has taken me the way you do.”
I wrinkled my brows, finding his words exaggerated and overrated. I shook my head, the smile on my face permanent.
“Don’t flatter me with your flowery words.” I bit my lower lip, smiling at him as I gazed into his handsome face.
He looked at me with keen, expressive eyes, expressing the sincerity of his words. “You have always been beside us all the way. I can’t thank you enough. And even more than that, my heart is getting wrapped up in you. Be careful, lest you break it, okay?” He leaned closer, kissing my lips again.
I welcomed him warmly, kissing him back passionately. As I released his lips, I stared at him with so much desire. “You and Vince are the best blessings I have. I would never break your heart, or his. Never.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hunter
“Where’s Garren?” Vince was looking around the gun shop, searching for my best friend. The two of us were alone today for work. I watched as my son sat back at my desk table, returning to the books he promised Kylie he would read for the day.
“He just called in and said that he would skip work today. Some important matters, he said.” I was guarding the display cases as I waited for customers to walk in. I looked at my son who nodded and opened one of his books, committed to fulfilling his promise to Kylie.
“Vince, are you really going with Kylie tomorrow?” I was hoping for Vince to come along with me and spend some quality time with his dad. Unfortunately, he nodded, and his eyes begged for him to tag along with Kylie’s visit to her friend.
“Yes, Dad. I want to see Cat. I will be happy to play along with a cute and cuddly baby.” He was pinching the air, imagining the soft cheeks of Bailey’s adorable toddler before him. I scratched my head, submitting to his wish.
“Well, then I guess I can’t stop you.” I knelt before him, stroking his dark hair as I stared into his eyes. “But you have to promise me that you won’t eat too many sweets. Check your blood sugar too, okay? Ask Kylie to inject the insulin on a schedule, okay?”
“I got everything, Dad.” He showed two thumbs up, smiling at me as he returned to my desk table. He sat and picked up one of the books, continuing reading to meet his quota for the day.
I let out a heavy exhale as I watched him read. My little boy was growing up so fast.
My attention turned to the customer walking up to the gun store. He was beaming brightly as he approached me, greeting me with a friendly introduction.
“Good morning, son.” He extended his hand, offering me a handshake.
I took it and smiled at him, ready to entertain the man. “Likewise, sir. What are you looking for today?”
He adjusted his round rimmed glasses as he looked at the shelves. He was an old man, around his late sixties, but he had a good physique and toned body. He had graying hair and a few wrinkles here and there. He had an accent like that of a Texas native, but I’ve never seen him before.
“You got a lot of good collectibles here. How long have you been working in this gun shop?” he asked as he turned around to look at the vast shop filled with varied sorts of guns and weapons.
“Almost a decade, sir.” I watched him, thinking of his background or occupation. From his stance, he looked like a man who had undergone tough training.
“Sorry, sir. But I’ve never seen you around. Where are you from?” His eyes were on the guns, studying the shelves of the long range rifles behind me. Finally, he turned his attention to me after a few seconds of silence.
“I was born here in Mesquite. I have been living here since I was a kid until I left for college in Missouri. I stayed there until I had my own family. It has become a rare chance for us to come back to my hometown, but now I have the opportunity to return.” He looked like a candid man with a lot of heart for his hometown. He pointed to one of the guns in the display case, asking me more about it.
“How about this one? Is this a good gun?” He was pointing over to a .45 ACP handgun, one of the best weapons to use in a fight against another man. It wasn’t a hunting gun, but rather fitted for a duel with a human enemy.
“That’s great for self-defense, sir. It can literally blow big holes in just about anything you point it toward and shoot.” I showed him the gun in the case as he examined it fervently. He looked impressed, but he put the gun down on the glass counter.
He nodded and walked more, keeping his eyes on the guns displayed.
I smirked, realizing that his question a while ago was a trick question to test my knowledge about the gun.
“As soon as I heard about the famous Hunter Yonnie, I swore to myself that I’d pay you a visit. The rumors are true; you are truly a gun expert with the biggest gun collection in town.”
I turned to look at him, amused by his awareness about me and my business. After entertaining himself with the abundance of guns around him, he turned to face me with a smile on his face.
“Well, I came around to buy a gun for my son. What do you think about a 9 mm Semi-Automatic?” I stared at him with confused, startled eyes. He was talking about a pretty deadly handgun. It was considered one of the best weapons that soldiers used in battle. It was more powerful and had plenty of rounds compared to the other types of guns. Only an expert killer or someone with a dire need to protect himself would own such a mighty weapon.
“I guess your son is a pro, then?”