Chapter 47
Gabriella
It was really good to see Cookie in such good spirits. Of course, he had to give Vic shit about me being his girl. We all know Cookie’s crazy about his wife, I swear, he just loves trying to get under Vic’s skin. Troublemaker.
Living at Ty and Emma’s has definitely been interesting with three teenagers and four adults, but I guess there could be worse things. Vic and I took the week off work just to get things situated and to adjust to the new normal.
Kerri and Trip graduate in three weeks, and as far as I can tell, they’re both excited to just be done with school.
All four adults sat down with Trip and talked with him about the fire, to which he one hundred percent denied being a part of anything that would have caused the fire.
Kerri even stepped in and defended him, which was strange.
Even more strange was that she was listening in on the conversation to begin with.
We have quasi-settled in here, even though it’s not home. I guess it’s as close as we’re gonna get for a while.
“Hey, lady!” Emma greets me in the living room.
I’ve been in here catching up on reading today, just trying to keep my anxiety at bay with all the things we’re going to have to do in the near future.
“I heard Vic’s taking you out tonight! Ooooo.
” She sing-songs with a huge grin on her face. I can’t help but mirror her grin.
“Yeah.” My cheeks hurt, I’m smiling so hard. “Vic told me to be ready by 7:00, he was going to pick me up ‘old school’ style.” I feel a small flutter with the idea of him picking me up.
“Ummm, you know it’s 6:30, right?”
“What? Fuck!” I jump up from the couch, throwing the blanket off me and dropping my book on the end table.
“These goddamn books time-warp me every fucking time!” I can hear Emma cackling as I run up the stairs to get ready.
Fucking thirty minutes to get ready for a date…
good thing I’m already married to the guy.
7:00 p.m. on the dot. I hear the doorbell ring, and then I hear the door open, followed by muffled voices.
One last look in the mirror. I’m wearing my burgundy vintage 1950s halter swing dress with matching strappy wedges.
My eyes are dusted in nude colors with a lip stain dubbed Marilyn Merlot.
Damn! I’m hot tonight. Feeling sassy, I blow a kiss at myself, then head downstairs.
I stand at the top of the stairs and see Vic standing by the door.
The vision transforming my mouth into the Sahara.
Holy shit. Sometimes I think I forget how lucky I am to have a man that sexy.
Vic’s wearing dark, bootcut jeans, hello 2000s, and a black button-up with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up for that tattooed forearm porn.
Oooh, come to mama. Now my mouth is salivating, aaand my kitten is wet, sitting pretty, and purring like a jungle cat.
I smirk at Ty’s wolf whistle. Vic finally looks up at me, and I can see the moment his eyes process my image.
His eyes slowly roam all over my body. He licks his bottom lip, and I can almost feel his growl.
I descend the stairs, eyes still locked on Vic’s like the prom scene out of some teen romance movie.
Good news? I make it to the bottom of the stairs without landing on my ass.
Good job, Gabbs. I giggle a little at my own thoughts.
“What’s so funny?” Vic’s lips brush my ear when he leans in after wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me in for a hug.
With my hands on his chest, I tell him, “Oh, just laughing at something stupid I was thinking.”
Vic smiles his full, gorgeous megawatt smile at me, “Would that thought have something to do with a prom scene from a cheesy teen movie?” I bark a laugh, but quickly cover my mouth.
Sometimes my laugh can be so obnoxious. Vic pulls my hand away.
“Don’t muffle that amazing sound, R0ckstar.
I love hearing you laugh. I don’t hear it nearly as often as I’d like to. ”
“Sometimes you are smooth beyond words, Sergeant,” I whisper in his ear. I can feel him shift, and his cock rubs against my lower stomach, which makes a huge smile break out across my face.
“Mmmmm, you ready to go, Rockstar?” Vic pulls back and looks down at me. This man. I’m not sure how we got to this point, but I’m really glad we’re here. All I can do is nod in response.
“You two crazy kids have fun! By the way, all teenagers will be out at friends’ houses tonight.” Vic and I turn around and see Ty waggle his eyebrows with Emma tucked into his side. Well, that was subtle. Vic and I give them a laugh and a smile, then head out the door.
Walking out into the night with Vic’s hand on the small of my back causes a simmer of nostalgia to begin in my chest, only to erupt throughout my entire body when I look at the end of the walkway and see a 1985 Black El Camino sitting there.
My heart leaps and my stomach drops while my eyes start to fill with tears. “Vic.” It comes out on a whisper.
I feel Vic pull me close, then feel his chin on my shoulder, “You remember her, baby? She sure remembers you.” When he pulls away, his face is all mischief and heat.
He looks like he did when we were eighteen and he took me out to the beach.
“Wow, that’s a hell of a smile you have on your face, Rockstar.
” He calls me out as he opens the door for me to get in.
Sitting down in the passenger seat and looking up to him leaning over the door, I explain, “I was just remembering the night you took me to the beach for a date. You set up a – “
“Oh, I remember what I did.” Vic gives me a wink and a smirk, then closes the door. Oh boy, what does this man have planned?
“Are we there yet?” I whine. “I’ve had my eyes closed for the last twenty minutes.” I look over at Vic with my best pout. The excitement is causing a wave of chills across my entire body.
I feel the vehicle stop and hear Vic put it in park. “Almost, Rockstar, just give me a few minutes to get set up. I’ll let you know when you can look.” I can hear the smile in his voice, which makes me smile in return.
After a few more minutes that feel like hours, I hear Vic open the door.
“Keep them closed, baby.” Vic reaches for my hand and gently pulls me from the car.
I feel his chest press against my back as he walks me a few more feet.
With his chin on my shoulder and his hands on my waist, he finally whispers, “Open.”
As soon as I open my eyes, all of the breath leaves my body. “Oh, Vic.” I’m speechless and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat.
Fairy lights line the bed of the Camino. A futon mattress covered in layers of blankets with two pillows is laid out in the bed, with the tailgate down. A quilted blanket lies in the field next to the car with a picnic basket and several battery-powered lanterns surrounding it.
“Oh my god, Vic, it’s beautiful.” Words have escaped me, and the happy tears are starting to well up without permission. He’s replicated the most memorable date we ever had in our lives together. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“Of course I remember, baby.” Vic snakes his arms around my middle, pulling me in closely and pressing his lips to my ear, “Do you like it?” I huff a soft laugh and squeeze his arms, hugging my middle closer to him. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
We stand there silently, and Vic just lets the moment take us both over. Last time he had the Camino set up like this, we were 18, and Vic had taken us to the beach. We had a picnic, made love on blankets in the back of this very same car, and then he asked me to marry him, the first time.
Of course, I said yes, but we put off any official plans until after he was settled in the military.
Then, life just happened, and it took us a few years to get back together and officially become engaged, but that night was so magical.
There’s nothing that’s happened that could ever take away how happy we both were or how much we both knew we belonged to each other.
“Would you have dinner with me, love?” Vic asks, still hugging me tight.
I feel giddy at his words, like I was just transported back to being eighteen.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Vic chuckles as he walks me over to the picnic area and sits down, reaching up to pull me over to sit between his legs.
Even though I’m starving, I just sit there leaning against him, his chest warming my back.
“Thank you,” I whisper. He hums in response, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.