Was he really that mad that they had whistled at them?
“They are just kids,” she whispered, and he finally turned his head toward her and away from the kids.
She stared into his eyes, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. His eyes held an edge that she couldn’t place. After a moment of staring at each other, his face lost some of the dangerous feeling to it, but he was still slightly frowning down at her. She decided to get his mind off whatever his issue was.
“Do you have my license with you?” His head jerked back.
“What?” His hands on her waist clenched.
“Well if I have a license now, I want to go shopping. There’s a Walmart across the street.”
“So you thought a Walmart was the place to celebrate?” he smirked.
“Well it’s all I’ve got.” She huffed at him, and he threw his head back laughing.
“Get in the truck, little bird.” She kept her eyes on him as she slid her legs around and he shut the door, walking around the back of the truck.
She would bet everything she had, which wasn’t much, that he was eyeing the kids as he did it too.
He opened the back door, rustling in his bag for something before shutting it and coming to the front.
As he slid in the front seat, he tossed something in her lap. Looking down she picked up the small square card.
She couldn’t help the feeling that went through her in the moment. It was one of hope, sadness, and a feeling of freedom. It was something that she hadn’t ever felt before.
“You okay little bird?” Mark whispered, after a minute.
She looked up through the window, the scenery of the freeway passing them by, then turned to look at the man next to her.
“I’m perfect,” she whispered back.
Winter Rodriguez
That was her name.
She smiled, a lightness entering her heart.
Whether it was luck or divine province, right then she couldn’t have been more thankful for what she had been given.
Her Mark.
“Hmmm. So I could go anywhere I wanted then?” she goaded trying to contain her smile and his narrowed eyes flew to her.
That look.
She knew then.
It hadn’t been anger when he had been eyeing the kids.
It was jealousy.
Could it be that he had the same feelings that she did?
Was she really this lucky to have found him?
She tried to hold her serious face, she really did, but it was too much, and she started laughing. Joy filling her that this was her life. That everything she had been through had led her to something even more beautiful than she had ever imagined.
“You little shit,” he grumbled a smile on his face. Reaching out and quickly grasping her hand, pulling it up to his lips where he gently nipped at her finger, then kissed the back of her hand. Her tummy twirling the whole time, her heart lighter than she even knew possible, so light that it made her head spin.
