Page 24 of Mechanic Next Door
“I love you too. Stay right where youare.”
* * *
Peach is sittingon her front porch when I turn onto her street. As soon as she sees me she rises to her feet and jumps out of her chair. Her feet hit the grass of her lawn and she runs towardme.
I pull over to the sidewalk and throw the door open. She throws her arms around my shoulders. I kiss her. I hold her. I can feel her heart pounding in herchest.
“It’s okay Pea,” I whisper against her hair. “It’s okay. Everything is good. Everything isgood.”
I press my lips to hers and kiss her fiercely. I hold her. I pull her against my body. I push my tongue into her mouth and she pushes hers into mine. Her tears stain her cheeks and I brush them away before they can reach herlips.
I exhale deeply, a long shudder breaking through mychest.
“I love you,” I whisper against her lips before taking her face in my hands and looking into her eyes. I search them, and all I can see in them is us. “Peach, will you marryme?”
Now she takes my face into her hands and bruises her lips against mine, wrapping her arms around me slowly. With determination. With courage. With boldness. Withlove.
“Yeah, I’ll marry you,” she whispers as she pulls awaysoftly.
I throw the door of my truck closed behind me and scoop her up into my arms. I don’t know whether I should take her to my place or hers. It doesn’t matter, though, because they’re both oursnow.
“I used to think I wanted you to live next door forever,” Peach says to me, eyes bright, lips pink, cheeksflushed.
“I don’t belong next door,” I tell her. “I belong with you. You belong with me. And that’s all there is toit.”
I put her down on her feet, grab her hips and throw her over my shoulder, striding toward my house. When I get to the bedroom, I kick the door closed behind me and toss her onto mybed.
And I kiss her. I put my all into the kiss. I strip her clothes off and take my lips away from hers as little as I can manage. I throw my clothes off as she kisses me, I cover her body with mine, I wrap my arms around her and she wraps her legs around me. And as I drive into her and she takes my face and kisses me with passion I’ve never known, we start to make love, make noise, make fun and security and safety and pleasure together in our own little corner of theworld.
And as the sun’s rays stream through the window of my simple little bedroom in my simple little house, I hold her closer than I ever thoughtpossible.
“I’m going to make this your home, love,” I whisper against herlips.
“I love you,” she whispers as a smile plays. “And I think I’m already home. Anywhere with you is home,Thomas.”
I kiss my love andbreathe.
