Page 98 of In Death, Love Survives
She smiles sweetly.
“Wolfe. I’m not actually a doll. I won’t break.”
I exhale loudly.
“I know that. I just want to make sure you know how seriously I take all this. When we get back to the ranch, you’ll see. You can make a life with me worth your while.”
Nova wraps her arms around my neck and leans up on her tiptoes.
“We’ll figure it out. One day at a time.”
Before I have a chance to answer, she presses her lips to mine. It’s soft and gentle, exactly what I needed to calm down this sudden anxious feeling.
She pulls away and leans her head against mine. With heavy breaths, we finally break apart. I loop my hand in hers, and we face toward the mountain pass.
“This is some spot to stop at,” she says after a few moments.
“It’s usually more popular than this.”
“I’m not going to complain.”
I squeeze her hand at the double meaning.
“Me either.”
Nova keeps ahold of my hand as she arranges our positioning, having me wrap my arms around her waist from behind. I rest my head on one of her shoulders.
“Hey, can I take you somewhere?” I whisper.
“I’ve got time,” she says with a giggle.
I place a quick kiss on her cheek before bringing her back to my bike.
“It’s down a trail nearby here.”
Nova smiles as she puts her helmet back on and then resumes her position on the back of the bike.
I rev the engine to life and head back on the highway for just a few minutes.There’s a secret spot that only locals really know about. It’s near a field of wildflowers that reminds me of my girl.
I take the cutoff and slow to a near stop as I navigate down this man-made trail.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere I think you’ll like. Have you been out this way before?”
“No, I didn’t really explore. I should have.”
I come to a complete stop close to the wildflowers.
“You’re from Montana, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Ever think about leaving?”
“No, I’ve always wanted to stay close to home.”
Nova throws one leg over the bike and hops off. She’s getting so used to the routine already, setting the helmet on the back before I have a chance to take it off her hands.
