Page 108 of Wicked & Wildflower

“It was…” I find myself at a loss for words. I told him I had dreams of driving up and down the West Coast when I was younger, how I longed for a car that was impractical for a mother but could make me feel wild and free again, how much I dreaded turning thirty because it reminded me of the loss of my youth.

All these tiny words I said in passing but never expected him to remember.

In one afternoon, he had me feeling all the things I thought I’d been missing, obliterated my fears, and made my dreams come true.

He gave me everything and then some.

He’s… “Beautiful,” I say.

He hops off the bike, grabbing my waist and throwing one of my legs over as he helps me down from the seat. Reaching into the fabric case strapped to the back of his motorcycle, Everett pulls out a backpack. Holding firmly onto my hand, he takes off toward the cliffside.

“We’re not even there yet, baby.” He turns back at me, the sun hitting his face at the perfect angle, allowing me to see his amber eyes through his sunglasses.

“What do you me—” I’m cut off when we reach the edge.

The ocean extends in front of us, wide and blue, but what has me halting, losing my breath, is the rolling hills of bright flowers. Like the sun and sky clashing together, the fields stretch beyond us, meeting the ocean at the horizon. Yellow, red, and pink dot the landscape in front of us, with an overwhelming number of orange flowers taking up the space.

Wildflowers, I realize.

Everett takes my hand, navigating us down a narrow dirt path between the flowers. “Careful not to step on them,” he says. “It’s a fragile ecosystem, which is why it’s not open to tourists anymore.” He leads me along until we reach a small patch of plain grass within the blooms. Pulling a blanket from the backpack and spreading it out on the ground, he sits down, pulling me beside him.

“How did you find this place?” I ask, settling in against his chest as he drapes his arm around my shoulders.

“My dad used to take us here all the time when we were kids. It has been a while, but I remember the wildflowers peak around this time of year and…” He shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought of you, I guess.”

He seems almost bashful at the admission. Reaching into the bag he brought with us, he pulls out a small cooler before opening it to reveal a container of chocolate-covered strawberries.

Very messily made chocolate-covered strawberries.

“Those look homemade.” I laugh.

“Luz and I made them.”

I look up at him, watching as he plucks one out of the box and holds it to my lips. “You? Made these with my daughter?” I ask just before he slides the strawberry between my lips. I bite into it, feeling the sweet juice coat my tongue, mixing with the rich chocolate. “When did you do that?”

“Yesterday,” he says simply. “I told you I was at the garage, but I actually spent the day with her and my mom at their house. We wanted to make you something for your birthday, and she said strawberries are your favorite.”

“They are.” I don’t know what else to say. It’s spring break for the school district, and Monica offered to watch Lou so I wouldn’t have to take the week off work.

I had no idea that Everett had taken Friday off from his own business to spend time with my daughter, to plan a surprise for my birthday.

I’ve never had anyone do something like this for me.

Still holding the strawberry to my mouth, I lean forward and take another bite, keeping my eyes locked on him the entire time. His flare with heat as I wrap my lips around it, pulling back slowly.

He runs the fruit across my jaw and down my neck, skating it along my collarbone, leaving behind the melted chocolate before popping the remainder of it into his own mouth. He never takes his gaze from mine, and my breath catches as he leans in and drags his tongue across my skin. Flames erupt across my flesh.

I cup the back of his neck as he licks and nips across my throat, sucking the chocolate away. A primal moan tears from him as my fingers tangle in his hair, pulling his mouth to mine. He catches my lips in a fierce kiss that is such a contrast to the wayhe delicately lays me back on the blanket and hovers his body over mine.

“Happy Birthday, Dahlia,” he murmurs into my mouth as he continues devouring me.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I cling to him like a lifeline, and he wraps an arm around my waist, holding me just as tight. His lips move from my mouth, peppering soft kisses along my jaw.

“You guys didn’t need to do all this for me,” I say breathlessly.

Everett pauses, pulling up to look at me. Eyes bright with conviction bore through me as he says, “We wanted to.” I watch his throat move as he swallows before adding, “We love you.”

My heart hammers so erratically in my chest, I know he must feel it too. The pounding between us is enough to make this mountain crumble, because we both know he just said exactly what I think he did.

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