Page 21 of Stone

“So, she screwed over her daughter to save herself?” Elise asked disbelievingly.

I shrugged. “Yup.”

“I’d die for our kids,” she murmured. “I’d sacrifice myself over and over to keep them safe and away from harm, son or daughter.”

I turned my head to look at my beautiful girl. “Me too, Leesy.”

Her face fell to the side, and our eyes locked. Something passed between us, a wave of emotion, and my heart swelled inside my chest. “I can’t wait to give ‘em to you, Duchess. I can’t wait to do everything I need to do so I can come back and spend the rest of my days lovin’ you.”

My girl turned onto her side and reached into her pocket, pulling out something wrapped in tissue paper. “Happy birthday, John.” She leaned forward, kissed my cheek, and slipped the small gift into my hand.

Carefully, I unwrapped the paper, gasping as a flash of metal attached to a long, gold chain glinted in the moonlight. I held up the old, hard object, and my breath caught. “An arrowhead?”

“It was, but it's worn down,” Leesy explained. “I found it over there near that cluster of rocks a couple of months ago and had the chain added so you can wear it around your neck. Maybe it could be your good luck charm for when you go into the military.”

Warmth filled my chest.

Elise knew how I sucked in books about the Native American Tribes who originally lived in Southern Wyoming. Giving me an arrowhead like this was so damned thoughtful. I examined it closer, studying how, over the years, the flint had eroded into something like the shape of a bullet. “This is amazing.”

“I wanted to give you something unique, something that would remind you of me when we can’t be together,” she whispered, touching the golden links. “I got a long chain, so youcan wear it under your uniform. Nobody will see it, and it won’t get in the way.”

“Put it on me?” I asked, moving to a sitting position.

Elise sat up and knee-walked to my back, taking the chain from me and fastening it at my nape. “I’m glad you like it.” Her arms circled my back, and she kissed the side of my neck.

“Come here, baby.” I took her hand, helping her move until she faced me. Then, grabbing her thighs, I hauled her onto my lap. “Best gift ever, Leesy. Every time I look at it, I’ll think of you.”

Her cheeks reddened. “It’s just an arrowhead necklace. It’s not like a new bike or anything.”

“I’d take this over a new bike any day. Throughout my life, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of bikes.” I raised a hand to touch the cold metal. I’ll never be given one of these again.”

Light from the moon danced across Elise’s face. She gave me a huge smile, shivering involuntarily as the breeze caught a lock of her hair.

“You wanna go back to the party for an hour, or do you want me to take you home?” I asked, slipping my jacket off and placing it across her shoulders. We were heading into June, but the air still cooled at night.

Leesy checked her watch. “My curfew’s in thirty minutes. I better get home.” Her gaze met mine, and she frowned. “Are you going back to the party?”

I took her hand. “Nope. I’ll take you home, then turn in myself. From tomorrow I gotta get up early. Wanna start running and hitting the gym early, ready for boot camp trainin’.”

She laughed softly. “It’s your party, John.”

“D’ya think anyone’s missed me?” I challenged. “And Mom would’ve dragged Dad home by now, especially after the whole Foxy situation.” Taking Leesy’s hand in mine, I stood, pulling her to her feet, and we started for the truck. “Knowing Pop, heplayed the Foxy shit up to make Mom jealous. He loves it when she gets territorial over him. He probably only waited thirty minutes before he dragged her home.”

Elise giggled. “I love how your mom’s so small and unassuming but still takes no crap. I’m not sure I could ever be that brave.” She glanced up at me. “I’m so shy that sometimes I worry I won’t ever fit in the club. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle them as well as Connie does. What if I let you down, John? What if I’m not strong enough?”

My steps faltered. Turning Elise around to face me, I dipped my face closer to hers so she could see how deeply I meant my following words. “Strength isn’t about how loud you are, Leesy. The quieter brothers in the club are probably the strongest ‘cause they’ve got nothin’ to prove to themselves or anyone else.” I lifted a hand to rest on her heart. “Strength comes from here. It’s about bein’ yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It’s about how you care for the people around you, as well as your love and your loyalty. Anybody can learn to fight, but not everyone has the confidence to go against the herd. Strength comes in many forms, baby, and you’re probably one’a the strongest women I know.”

Elise’s hands snaked up my chest, resting on my shoulders. “I love you so much.”

Smiling, I kissed her lips. “I love you, too. Now, I don’t want any more crazy talk about how we’re not right for each other. No woman ever had faith in me like you do, Leesy. You make me believe I can take on the world.”

“It’s the same for me, John,” she whispered, her stunning green eyes locking with mine. “All my life, I’ve been too afraid to speak, but with you, the words come easy.”

A lump formed in my throat.

Elise was quiet, but I never realized it was because she felt as if she didn’t have a voice or anything important to say. Suddenly,I felt ten feet tall because if I gave her an ounce of extra confidence, I was doing my job right.

It hit me how desperately I’d miss her, and for a split second, I resented the thought of leaving. It took a beat for reason to kick in. I’d planned to go into the military since I was a boy, and my dad told me all his tales about ‘Nam and the camaraderie he found with his platoon. Just like him, I wanted to see something of the world and have adventures. I wanted to grow and learn in ways I couldn’t if I stayed in small-town Wyoming.

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