36
Alex
I shook Meadow awake. “Baby, it’s only a nightmare.”
She blinked her eyes open, taking a few moments to recall her surroundings. “Alex.”
“You’re at my house, remember?” I said, twining her long silky strands through my fingers. “Joaquin is sleeping down the hall. You must’ve dozed off. You’re safe. Nobody will try to hurt you again.”
Sparrow was in the federal prison hospital. That stab wound Gloria had delivered with a pair of rusty scissors had apparently punctured a lung. Had she not used her phone to parse out a location that we could zero in on they would more than likely not be alive.
We had a lot of explaining to do to Joaquin the last couple of days, especially about the state of Meadow’s face. She would be swollen for days, but her wound was already looking better. Thankfully, the cheekbone wasn’t shattered.
Joaquin had been inconsolable that first night when he’d seen that his mother had been hurt in an “accident”. But according to Meadow, our constant presence in his life this week had gradually helped alleviate his panic.
Meadow turned in my arms, her face landing in the crook of my neck. I had just finished making love to her in my bed this morning for the first time since the traumatic event she had gone through. We had taken it slow, and she had fallen back asleep in my sheets.
The three of us had simply chilled out the past few days, enjoying each other without discussing much of anything else, like that horrible night or our future plans. But I knew one thing for certain—she wouldn’t be out of my sight again. Not if I could help it.
Meadow had been concerned about her job and the bills, but Dakota had given her paid medical leave. That bought more time for her to fully heal and me to decide some things. I wanted to ask Meadow to live somewhere with me, at least in the same city, if she wasn’t ready for anything more permanent.
“Mmmm . . . you smell so good.” Just having her in my arms and feeling her warmth, made me content beyond belief. I had almost lost her. I never wanted to experience that feeling of sheer panic and dread again.
“I love you,” I murmured as I kissed her lips, her cheeks, and her temple. “Mi Corazon.”
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight. I thought she might burst into tears again, like she’d done on many occasions this week. Instead, she nuzzled my neck and whispered that she loved me back.
After a few minutes more of breathing the same air, we got up to make breakfast as Joaquin sleepily drifted into the kitchen. He ate his cereal quietly at the table while I poured Meadow some coffee.
“So,” she said clearing her throat. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
“I thought I’d take you sightseeing some more,” I said, lifting my mug. “You cool with that?”
“Yes,” Joaquin shouted while doing a fist pump and we burst out laughing.
“Somebody’s awake now,” I said, looking at my watch. “If we leave in about an hour does that give you enough time to get ready?”
“Definitely,” she said. I loved that she wasn’t fussy about sharing the bathroom or any toiletries. It was as if she already fit so seamlessly into my life.
We took turns using the restroom to shower and change for the day and then went out the door to see the sights. We drove through downtown while Joaquin pointed out all the tall buildings on our way to the Georgia Aquarium.
As we walked past the jellyfish display, Joaquin grasped for Meadow’s other hand and led her through the crowd. She squeezed my fingers and threw a disarming smile over her shoulder.
When we got to the shark tank, Meadow fished out her phone and asked Joaquin to pose for a picture. I motioned for Meadow to stand beside him so I could snap some more. The elderly lady next to us offered to take photos of the three of us. I found myself hesitating until I met Meadow’s eyes and she nodded approvingly.
I stood alongside Meadow and behind Joaquin as the woman clicked away. My fingers were on his shoulders and I squeezed playfully. He giggled and squirmed before asking if we were done so he could check at the shark tooth display.
“What a beautiful family you have,” the lady said as she handed Meadow her phone.
I noticed how Meadow’s shoulders stiffened at the remark. When she became motionless, I reached for the device, said thank you, and ushered Meadow toward Joaquin as he jumped up and down near the stingray pool.
“Better to just agree than to have to explain to a stranger,” I whispered in her ear, feeling a bit unsteady about how she’d responded.
“I know,” she said, as we watched Joaquin being given instructions from the aquatic specialist about how to cup his hand to draw the fish forward. “It wasn’t that.”
I slipped my arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Then what is it?”
“It just made me . . . think.”
“About?” I asked as I gave Joaquin a thumbs up.
She shook her head. “It’s stupid, never mind.”
“It’s never stupid,” I said. “And how do you know we weren’t having the same thought?”
Her breath caught and she glanced up at me. “About how nice that snapshot felt, with the three of us together?”
I nodded. “And how I wish it could be true right this instant?”
“Yes,” she whispered and I quickly pecked her lips while a familiar warmth traveled through all of my limbs.
I stepped around her to bend down to Joaquin’s level and placed my hand in the water near him right as a school of stingrays swam by. When their noses touched our fingers, and he squealed, I thought I’d never heard a purer sound.
* * *
“I like this city,” Meadow said, as we drove back home.
“Me too,” Joaquin said from the backseat.
“For dinner, I want to take you guys to my favorite Colombian restaurant around the corner from my house,” I said. “Does that sound okay?”
She smiled. “So you can finally introduce me to your rice and beans?”
“The best,” I said. “Outside of my mom’s, of course. Which reminds me . . .”
My mother and sister had been bugging me ever since I mentioned I’d have guests this week. And then even more so when I told them that Meadow was the same person who had made the eagle feather necklaces I had given as gifts.
I hadn’t been in town a lot recently and when I was, I just wanted to chill and be in my own space. My family always got on my case and my mother was constantly asking about future grandchildren, essentially driving me bonkers.
I told them I’d figure out Meadow’s comfort level and that they needed to tone it way down because right now the situation was delicate. I’d confessed a bit more to my sister about the case and she understood completely. She promised to rein mom in.
“If it’s all right with you . . .” I said, shaking away my thoughts. “And please be completely honest with me . . .”
She looked at me warily. “Okay.”
I took a deep breath because it felt like a huge step. “My mom and sister have insisted on meeting you guys. I should’ve never let it slip that I had visitors in town. But I kind of explained how we met and that we were figuring some things out right now. Is that asking too much?”
She looked momentarily taken aback. But then a small smile crept across her lips. “I’d be honored to meet them.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I figured she might need more time, even though Meadow and Joaquin had infiltrated my life so effortlessly. It was important for them to see how I lived and who I spent time with.
Forcing those thoughts aside, I tried to simply enjoy being in the moment with two people that I had fallen for.
Never in my life would I have considered having this much emotion for another person’s child. I kept the rage at bay that Sparrow was missing out on raising that amazing human being.
If all worked out between us, I hoped Joaquin didn’t blame me for where his father had ended up. Of course he woul
dn’t know all of the gritty details until later in life, but now I understood the guilt Meadow carried around much more easily.
After we got home, Joaquin and I played a racing game for a couple of hours before we got ready for dinner. It felt so domestic that I could almost picture us living together somewhere.
As we walked out the door in the mild weather, I purposely chose the route that would take us past a certain storefront. It was an Atlanta based shop that featured all handmade designs. Last time I was home, I stopped in and showed the owner Meadow’s jewelry. She agreed to place an eagle feather necklace in the front display to see if it generated any business.
As I steered Meadow toward the store window I had momentary doubts. What if she was angry that’d I’d done this without her permission?
As she stopped to look, Joaquin pointed straight to her necklace. “Momma, look, it’s the same kind that you make.”
“It certainly is.” When her eyes scanned the display, they widened. “Wait a minute.”
I figured she’d recognize her own handiwork.
She looked up at me, speechless. “What . . . did you . . . ?”
Her hand rose to her chest and her eyes softened to something unreadable.
“What’s wrong, momma?”
“I think Mr. Alex played a trick on me.”
He squealed like he wanted to be in on some kind of great joke.
“Not a trick. A surprise,” I said, ushering them inside. “I like your mommy’s jewelry so much, I brought one to this local store owner to ask if she’d be interested in selling it.”
“Alex, I can’t believe you would . . .”
Before she could get her thoughts out, the owner’s voice greeted us across the room. “Welcome.”
“Hello,” Alex said. “How are you, Mrs. Anderson?”
She seemed to go through a series of pictures in her head as if to remember who I was. Finally, she latched onto the right combination. “Is this by chance the artist you were telling me about?”
“Yes it is,” I said, smiling. “Please meet Meadow Starr.”
Meadow squared her shoulders and took the owner’s hand as she reached out.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Mrs. Anderson said. “Since I placed your creation in the window display we’ve had several requests. Can you ship to Atlanta?”
Meadow looked completely mystified. “Yes, of course. Let me give you my cell number and e-mail address. I can work on the pieces and have them sent.”
As she was led to the counter so that the two of them could exchange information, I hung back with Joaquin. We checked out cool pottery and I made sure he didn’t touch anything delicate. Because as sweet and endearing as he could be, he was still a kid. And kids broke stuff.
Back on the sidewalk, Meadow turned to me, her eyes watery. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“I hope you’re not mad.”
“Are you kidding me?” She gulped in air as if reining in her emotions. “That was one of the most amazing things anybody’s ever done for me.”
I slung my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my embrace, so relieved she was cool with it. “I figured potential customers needed to see your work and that seemed the perfect opportunity.”
“Group hug,” Joaquin said, shoving his little body between us, and grabbing hold of both of our legs.
An emotion I didn’t easily understand slammed solidly into my chest. Something that felt a lot like perfection.
37
Meadow
As we continued onto the restaurant I was still stunned by what Alex had done. It was as if he believed in my dream so much, that he gave me a fighting chance in a different city. Intense warmth and affection crowded my chest. I didn’t know if I could handle any more thoughtfulness from the beautiful man sitting across the table from me.
Joaquin was playing with the sugar packets when Alex’s mother and sister walked through the door. I stood shakily never expecting that I’d be meeting his family on this trip, after the ordeal we had gone through. Everything was turned upside down.
We were in a city far from home—one that felt comfortable—maybe a little too comfortable, but I needed to ask myself if it was solely because of Alex.
I noticed the resemblance immediately. Both his mother and sister had Alex’s eyes and thick hair and though his shade was a bit lighter, they had a similar wave. I loved how Alex’s curled over his ears.
“Meadow, I’d like you to meet my mother, Josephine, and my sister, Claudia.” There was also a young boy who was holding Claudia’s hand. Must’ve been her child. “This is my nephew, Mauricio.”
Like kids sometimes did more easily than adults, Joaquin immediately engaged the other child in a conversation about a video game. They sat down side by side at the table and Joaquin shared a page of his sketchpad and crayons.
We chuckled as I shook his mother and sister’s hands and felt immediately at ease.
After we were all seated, Alex squeezed my knee beneath the table, and I noticed that his mother and sister were also wearing my necklaces. So surreal. It made me feel like I had possibilities and maybe that was exactly the effect Alex had hoped for with his surprise.
I ordered the empanadas with a side of those famous rice and beans and there was no lack in conversation at the table.
His mom and sister filled me in on some of Alex’s childhood, even mentioning his brother who had passed away, in more lighthearted moments. But I still saw the pain in his mother’s eyes and as I looked over at my own child I figured that would be a well of agony that would never be emptied.
After dinner as we all stood from the table, Joaquin grabbed for Alex’s arm and asked if they could play the racing game again.
His sister’s eyes lit up as she took in their effortless interaction and then her smile met mine. “It was great to meet you.”
Alex, Joaquin, and I walked hand in hand down the street. “That was so nice, thank you.”
“They loved you guys,” he said.
“How can you tell?” I asked as I watched Joaquin skip ahead to collect a short stick from the ground and stab it into the air like a light saber.
“I just know,” he said, easily. “They probably hope to see a lot more of you.”
“What do you hope?” I asked and his hand stiffened in mine.
My jaw tightened. “Did I say the wrong thing?”
“No, I just . . .” he turned toward me and swallowed thickly. “I’ve kept a lot of those thoughts to myself this week. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
“Try me,” I was nearly vibrating with nerves.
“I want you and Joaquin with me,” he said.
I angled my head and my heart thumped in my chest. “Where?”
“Here, if that’s even a possibility. Or there. Anywhere,” he said. “It wouldn’t matter as long as we’re together.”
I gulped, lost in my own thoughts.
The possibility of leaving the rez actually excited me. What did we have left there? Traditions and friends, yes—always and forever—but my family was dead and we were struggling to make ends meet.
I felt safe and welcome with Alex but maybe that was only the novelty of being in a new situation.
“Did I say the wrong thing?” he asked, tugging at my hand.
“No, I want everything single thing you want,” I said, looking up at him. “I just don’t know how to make that a reality. With your job and our . . .”
“We can talk everything through tonight,” he said. “Whatever you want. If you want.”
I smiled, my heart ballooning. “I want.”
* * *
After tucking Joaquin into bed, we made love on my terms, because I had been pretty shaky since that horrifying day with Sparrow.
I had called Gloria regularly in a shared sense of camaraderie. Though I wanted desperately to be with Alex, I was almost gun shy, the memories of that night crashing over me in too many waves.
But I was fina
lly coming out of the fog. This morning had been the first time we’d been intimate and I was already craving more of him.
Alex had understood my hesitation this week, promptly allowing me to run the show. In fact, I think he enjoyed it immensely.
“Fuck me, Meadow,” he said, placing his arms above his head on the pillow, as if in surrender. And God, I loved him for that.
He was naked on his crumpled sheets, his mouth gleaming from where I’d kissed him senseless. His cock was flushed and leaking and I marveled that this gorgeous man belonged to me.
I straddled his hips and in one swift move, impaled myself on his hard length.
“Uhhhhh,” Alex grunted, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.
I allowed myself a moment to adjust to his thickness before moving in shallow pulses that made a lick of heat travel up my spine.
My palms flattened against his muscular chest, my hips picking up tempo, swaying in a fast and frenzied rhythm, as I chased my own pleasure. His fingers tightened on the bedrail above him as he watched me with blissed out eyes, his lips trembling, his chest a wash of color.
“Feels too good.” My fingernails dug into his collarbone as my back arched and the room whited out, my orgasm slamming into me like a hurricane crashing against the shore.
Alex came straight after, shouting out my name, as my body slumped atop his.
Only then did his hands leave the headboard to wind through my hair.
Once he stopped quivering and our breath evened out, he reached for my face, his lips feathering over mine in a soft and shuddery kiss.
“I’m not sure I can ever let you go,” Alex whispered in my ear, still winded. His hand glided over my shoulder, to my back, and then lower, making me vibrate with need again. He tugged me firmly against him so that there was scarcely a hairsbreadth between us.
“I need you.” His hand connected with the nape of my neck, his lips resting against mine. “With me always.”
Those three sacred words meant everything.
Three Sacred Words (Golden Arrow #2) Page 20