Owen:LOL! Cool and rational, my ass!
Luca:Have you lost your damn mind? Getting shot and catching Covid has scrambled your brain. Make a new plan, man.
Hutch:Don’t listen to Luca. Go for it, Miguel. YOLO!
Tawny:I knew your heart wasn’t dead. You wouldn’t do this unless you’ve been ensnared. You’re too honorable. Love you, Miguel. Behind you all the way!
He swallowedboth the laughter and hot emotion rising in his throat and sent the group a simple message.
Miguel:I know what I’m doing. Forever is no longer an impossibility. I’m not asking you to agree with my decision. Just have my back no matter what.
His text messageprompted a series of thumbs up emojis, and Tawny’s red heart along with a single word:Always.
With that off his conscience, Miguel settled down to sleep.
After a restful night,Miguel awoke and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He tested them with his weight. Good and strong. Next, he flexed his arms. Same. Whistling, he headedinto the bathroom and took a shower. He shaved, brushed his teeth, and dressed in a pair of Levi’s and an LBPD sweatshirt. His jeans hung a little loose on him. He’d lost a few pounds.
Miguel went downstairs and found Julia with Brielle in the kitchen. A platter of bacon and eggs already sat on the table, along with a pitcher of orange juice. While Brielle flipped a pancake onto a plate stacked with them, Julia placed a bowl of cantaloupe chunks on the table. She spotted him and smiled.
“Good morning. Hope you’re hungry. We cooked a feast.”
Miguel’s stomach growled. “I’m famished, actually.”
Brielle set the pancakes between the cantaloupe and the eggs and bacon and poured three mugs of coffee. Miguel filled their glasses with orange juice. Amid lighthearted chatter, they passed the food among them. Miguel relaxed and enjoyed every bite, grateful there wasn’t any awkwardness this morning.
Toward the end of their meal, as they lingered over a second cup of coffee, Brielle began, her eyes sparkling with merriment, “Julia said you want to go home today, but before you have her all to yourself, she and I are going shopping.”
“Shopping?”
“Shopping,” Brielle replied definitively. “For the perfect wedding dress.”
MARCH 11
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Miguel and Julia
Julia blushed and protested,“Oh, no, Brielle, that’s not necessary.”
Brielle looked askance at Julia. “Of course it is. Every bride, no matter the circumstances, deserves a wedding gown. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, Julia. Just elegant.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Miguel interrupted. “Do you remember what I said to you last night?”
Her blush deepened. So cute and endearing on a seasoned DEA agent who’d recently blown up a few bad guys with hand grenades.
“Yes…”
“It’s real.We’rereal. And I even have a real tux to wear, this time as a groom. It’s been dry cleaned, and each crease has been pressed. My shirt has been starched to crispness. I’m ready to stand proudly by your side. To see you in your wedding gown.”
Julia stared at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted two heads. Her eyes grew suspiciously bright with moisture before she averted her gaze.
Brielle grinned and clapped her hands. “Well done, Miguel! Very sweet and romantic.” She rose to her feet. “Come on, Julia. We have several boutiques to visit. Don’t worry, Miguel. I’ll bring her home safe and sound.”
After the women left, Miguel packed his duffel bag. He wasn’t sure if Julia would want him touching her delicate unmentionables, so he sent her a text.
Miguel:I packed my stuff. Do you want me to pack yours?
