Page 47 of You’re Mine

“Thank you,” is my whisper. “This means so much to us.”

He pulls me close, pressing a kiss to the crown of my head.

“No problem. I wanted to make my son as happy as possible.”

Suddenly, a female voice interrupts us.

“Hello.” I turn and see Roberto’s wife, who’s a kindly looking middle-aged woman. She has long greying hair tied in a braid, and a red carnation stuck behind one ear. I let go of Jace and hold out my hand in greeting.

“Hi, I’m Haley.”

She smiles, grasping my hand with hers.

“I’m Maya, Roberto’s wife. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Jace begins talking with Roberto, and I smile at Maya. I feel a little weird because I haven’t spoken to many other people in seven years. It’s been the residents and staff at Herb’s mansion and that’s it.

“So Roberto was telling me that you’re Jace’s girlfriend?”

“Yes,” I say, beaming. It feels so nice to hear it. She smiles.

“That’s great. You know, I never thought Jace would settle down. He was so caught up in his work and never talked about meeting someone special. There was one time when he got drunk and mentioned an old high school sweetheart of his, but then he went completely mum the next day.”

I smile a little tearily.

“Well, that’s me. We met in high school. I’m the old girlfriend he was talking about.”

Maya starts.

“You are? The one who got away?”

I smile gently again, suffused with emotion. “Well, I don’t know if I’d describe myself like that, but I’m here now.”

Maya looks at me oddly, then turns to look at Jamie, and then back at Jace.

“Is Jamie …?”

I nod.

“He’s Jace’s son. It’s a long story, but we lost touch and are only now reconnecting.”

“Oh, how wonderful,” she gushes. “It’s a real life happy ending.” I smile again, my heart full, but suddenly we’re interrupted.

“Haley, it’s time for your surprise,” Jace calls.

“Oh.” I look at Maya and she waves her hand.

“We can talk later over a glass of wine. A little girl talk,” she winks before walking back to her family. I like the middle-aged woman already, and it feels good to make a new friend. Actually, it feels good to have a friend, even if it’s only one.

I walk over to Jace.

“Should I get Jamie?”

He shakes his head.

“I was thinking we could leave him here. This surprise might be better just the two of us.” I wrinkle my brow, not sure what Jace could possibly have in store.

We walk back the way we came and we’re almost to the front of the house, when Jace stops me.

“Haley, I want to cover your eyes. Don’t worry, I won’t let you trip or anything.” I let him cover my eyes, and, slowly, we make our way forwards. I feel the ground change from grass to gravel, and my guess is that we’re back at the driveway. “Okay, you can stop here. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I breathe. Jace drops his hands and oh my goodness, my mouth drops open in shock. I turn to him, excitement coursing through my entire body. “Is that … ?”

“It is,” he responds with a satisfied smile. It’s his old red truck.

My mouth opens and shuts a few times.

“Jace, did you keep it all this time? For seven years?”

He shakes his head.

“No, I sold it before leaving Lenville, but once I got some money, I was able to track it down and buy it back. And you know why baby? Because this is where you and I consummated our love for the first time. Even if I didn’t have you anymore, I wanted the memory. That’s how much you mean to me.”

I throw my arms around him, pulling myself close to that bulk.

“I know, Jace, that’s how I feel too. We’re so lucky after all this time to be re-united. And we have more than just a truck now. We have a son.”

He dips his head to kiss me.

“You’re right, sweetheart. You and Jamie mean everything to me, and this red truck is just a token of my love. But it means that even back then, I never forgot you, do you hear? I never forgot the girl that I left in Lenville, and I’m so happy with the woman you’ve become. We’ve had a lot of challenges, but now that you and Jamie are here, I’m never letting you go,” he says fervently.

But instead of answering, I merely press my lips to his. This man is the answer to my longing, and I want him in my life. We had a difficult beginning because my father threatened and bullied, and even succeeded in driving us apart. But that was then, and this is now. I won’t be stuck in the past, and with Jace by my side, happiness blooms in my heart to last forevermore.

Epilogue 1

Jace

I hold up the keys to the old red truck, jingling them. Haley looks a little confused, but then understanding passes over her face. She starts bouncing up and down before swiping the keys from me.

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