Like The Wind

by Bengtsson, J.

  “Oh, but she is.”

  Bodhi?

  I turned and found him stalking toward our little trio. All eyes were on him. And I had to smile. There was a reason the guy was a star. His mere presence commanded attention.

  His fiery gaze flicked to my arm before locking on Brandon like a heat seeking missile. “I’m going to need you to take your hand off my girl.”

  Eyes wide, my ex jerked his hand away as if I’d burst into flames. Bodhi slid between Brandon and Jenna and looked down at me.

  “There you are.” His hand found mine, lacing our fingers together. “Let’s dance.”

  Too stunned to protest, I followed Bodhi to the center of the room. And then his arms were around me, and I was off my feet,

  “I see you,” he said, a second before his lips found mine.

  I didn’t have time to ponder. To wonder why he’d come for me after I blew us apart. Because there was nothing in the world but his taste. His scent. And the feel of his body against mine.

  Heat pooled in my belly, spreading to my limbs.

  “You came back,” I said in a breathy whisper.

  “Of course. I never should have let you go.”

  His mouth descended once again, and this time there was no urgency in his kiss. We had forever. Bodhi hadn’t said as much, but there was no way I was letting him go. Not again. Not ever.

  The room erupted into a series of hoots and hollers, bringing me back to the present.

  Eyes dancing with amusement, Bodhi broke away from my lips and then turned to our audience, lifting our joined hands over our heads like we’d just won a competition.

  The crowd erupted in applause as we took a bow.

  Embarrassed, I shuffled to the side with Bodhi in tow, but I’d only made it a few steps before he ground to a halt.

  Cupping my cheeks, he stared deeply into my eyes. “Before you try to hustle me out of here, I’ve got something to say. What we have is a once in a lifetime deal. And the reason I know that is because I’m surrounded by people all the time— coming in and out of my life at a dizzying speed. Every once in a while, I might connect with someone, but to actually like the person.” He shook his head. “Breeze, that just doesn’t happen. Not to me. You’re so pretty and smart. You fascinate me. That quirky personality and all your positivity. It just bubbles out of you… I just… It blows my mind. You blow my mind. As farfetched as it sounds, I think I might be in love with you, and I’m not afraid to say that because I truly believe it.”

  My heart swelled to twice its size as I blinked up at him.

  Doubt crept into his eyes. “Say something, Breeze.”

  Before I could respond, a lovesick squeak drew our attention. I’d been so engrossed in Bodhi’s heartfelt declaration that I hadn’t realized my relatives had formed a circle around us, waiting on my answer. Smack dab in the middle was Uncle Raymond. Well dammit. Where had he been when I needed him?

  “Are you crazy?” asked the squeaker, Reese, my nineteen-year-old second cousin. “What’s there to think about?” She turned her attention to Bodhi. “Yes. She says ‘yes’.”

  “Reese.” I waved a hand at her. “My conversation.”

  This wasn’t going to work. We needed privacy.

  “Come on,” I said and, grabbing Bodhi’s hand, I took a step, but got nowhere.

  Rooted to his spot, Bodhi smiled. “Actually, no. This is your family, right?”

  I nodded.

  Scanning the crowd, Bodhi’s eyes landed on my stepfather. “Terrance, I see you put on some pants.”

  My stepfather puffed out his chest. “I did. Thanks for noticing.”

  Bodhi’s focus shifted to my mother. “Thanks for giving me the address to this place.”

  She lifted her glass. “Of course, sweetie.”

  Swiveling my head in her direction, my eyes narrowed to slits. “You knew he was coming?”

  “He called me last night when you were making up pet names with the f-word in them.”

  I cringed, hoping Bodhi hadn’t heard me in the background screaming out “Sweetfuckingpea” at the top of my lungs.

  “So, when you were giving me that pep talk this morning about destiny and all that crap, you already knew he was coming?”

  She shrugged. “Yes.”

  I shook my head. This woman. “Unbelievable,” I muttered.

  “Breeze, eyes up here.” Bodhi tipped my chin with his index finger. “You’re sort of ruining my declaration of love.”

  “Oh, sorry. Please continue.”

  “First. I want to introduce myself to your family.” He waved. “Hey, everyone. I’m Bodhi. Most of you probably heard what happened to Breeze and I and how we escaped a fire together. But what you might not know, is how I fell head over heels for the girl. Our time together. The romantic connection. I’m telling you, people, it just doesn’t happen. I mean, I love everything about her. Her smile. Her beauty. Her heart. Oh, and she does this really cute clapping thing with her hands when she’s excited, and it’s the cutest shit I’ve ever seen in my life. Like it’s better than those kitten videos on YouTube.”

  A group of my great aunts giggled as they nodded in agreement.

  “Anyway, I’m telling you all this because I’m trying to win her over and, if she doesn’t choose me, I’ll honestly be devastated.”

  My knees shook from the force of his confession. In what world was I allowed to choose him?

  Bodhi swallowed hard as he took my hand. “Breeze, I don’t want another night to go by where I don’t know if you’re mine.”

  Sighs echoed off the walls. Bodhi had laid himself bare in front of the people I loved. That was him. He lived his life in the open. In front of crowds.

  But not me. What I had to say was for his ears alone.

  I pressed a kiss to his lips. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”

  This time he didn’t balk when I took his hand. My family wasn’t as agreeable.

  The minute we took a step boos erupted.

  Bodhi looked a little crestfallen as I led him to the far corner of the room.

  “What the hell?” His eyes darted back to the dispersing crowd. “They’re booing me.”

  “No, they’re booing me. You, they’re swooning over.”

  And then, as if he realized why we were here, he squared his shoulders. “There’s only one person I care to swoon and that’s you, Breeze Marigold Cassidy.”

  Oh boy. That charm again. Like Pat, I was putty in his hands.

  “Before you say anything, I have to ask. How are my animal peeps? Little Dick? Is he still being a dick?”

  “Yes, of course.” I laughed. “Would you expect any less?”

  Bodhi shook his head. “God, he’s such an asshole. I love that dog. And the family?”

  “They landed yesterday. And you want to hear something amazing? Their house was only one of three on the block to survive the inferno! It’ll be a while before they can move back in but at least they still have a home.”

  “Damn. That was unexpected. Honestly, Breeze, fuck the county! You’re the best pet-sitter in the whole state!”

  “Yep, I’ll be adding ‘saves homes’ to my flyer too.”

  Suddenly serious, Bodhi gripped my arms, staring all the way to my soul. “You amaze me. I’m in awe of everything you do. I want you to know that whatever scares you about us, I will find a solution.”

  My heart soared. Bodhi was ready to fight. For me. For us.

  But there was no need. I’d already chosen him. Now all he had to do was be quiet long enough for me to tell him how I felt.

  “How can I help you see that we’re perfect for each other? You and I, we’re not meant for anyone else. You’re my tailor-made princess.”

  He buried his face in my neck, placing feather-like kisses onto my flushed skin.

  “And if you’re worried about the Dayers, don’t be. In a little less than two months AnyDayNow will officially be over.”

  The gasp that burst out of me startled us
both. “Oh no.” I shook my head, panic sweeping through me. “Oh Bodhi. You didn’t do that for me, did you?”

  He cupped my cheek, thumb skating over my quivering bottom lip. “It’s not because of you, I promise. Remember what I told you before— what happened when I was a child star who’d worn out his welcome? Well, boy bands have expiration dates too. I’d rather take myself out of the game now while I’m still at the top than to end up somewhere down the road on Dancing With The Stars.”

  “So what does this mean?”

  “It means…” Bodhi pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. If you stop playing so hard to get, that is.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be difficult, Bodhi. I was just scared.”

  He frowned. “Of me?”

  “No, not you. Just the idea of you. We’re so different. You’ve never even been in a relationship before. How do you know I’m the right woman for you if you haven’t tested the waters?”

  “I’ve tested the waters. Remember the nickels?”

  “I’m not talking about sex.”

  He sighed. “Listen to me. The reason I’ve never been in a relationship is because I’ve never met anyone I wanted to risk my heart on. I’m not looking to waste your time. I want the whole thing—proposal, engagement, marriage, kids. But I only want to do it one time. That’s all I have in me.”

  “And you think the person you want to do that with is me?”

  Bodhi touched his forehead to mine. “I know it’s you. And it sounds crazy to even say, but I believe there’s love at first sight and I’m pretty sure it feels like this. There’s no one like you, Breeze, and there never will be.”

  My insides caught fire, spreading a warm glow throughout my body. “You’re a poet.” I brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. “You need to write this stuff down.”

  He grinned, rolling up his sleeve to reveal lines of fading ink. “Way ahead of you.”

  I ran a finger over the smudged edges. “What is it?”

  “The story of us.”

  I took a few moments to read the words before I tore my gaze from the tribute. “I guess what scares me most is falling in love with someone who gets me so well he has the capacity to destroy me.”

  Twining our fingers, he brought our joined hands to his heart. “And you know what scares me? That I’m never going to meet someone like you again and I’m never going to feel what I’ve felt in the past few days. I’ve got a dozen more concerts to go and then I want to lay low for a while. Maybe go on vacation with my woman.”

  Dipping his head, he slid his tongue along my collar bone.

  “Uh-huh. I’m liking where this is going. Continue.”

  “Okay, so I was thinking after I buy the Range Rover and have it repainted…”

  “You’re buying our Range Rover?” I cooed, clapping my approval.

  “Of course. Anyway, after that maybe we’ll rent a small trailer and start knocking things off your bucket list – like the world’s largest tater tot.”

  “Corndog,” I corrected.

  “Same thing. Anyway, shush. I’m making my pitch. We could then find a farm somewhere, away from the crowds, where I can work on my music, even become a solo artist. And you can give horses hip new hairstyles.”

  My lips curved into a smile. This was a life I could get behind. “Ooh yeah, talk dirty to me.”

  “You like that?” Hope gathered in his handsome face. “For you, I’d even be willing to get one of those disaster dogs you’re always going on and on about.”

  “They’re not disasters,” I said. “They have conditions that make them less likely to get adopted.”

  “Whatever. Bring it on. I’m not scared of missing limbs.”

  “My hero.”

  Bodhi tipped my chin with his thumb and leaned so close his breath became my air. “I could be.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pressed a featherlight kiss to his lips. “You already are.”

  “What do you say, Dime? You wanna make a beautiful life with me?”

  I kissed him again, tasting only the promise of love.

  “Where do I sign?”

  Bodhi lifted his shirt revealing a patchwork of lyrics and there, etched into the flesh over his heart was my name.

  Breeze

  “On the dotted line, baby.”

  27

  Epilogue: Bodhi

  The best part of living with a female was free food all day, every day. Sometimes, when I got really lucky, like today, I’d have my pick of an elaborate culinary spread. Going from tray to tray, Terrance and I popped appetizers into our mouths like dogs swiping food off the counter before our owners had a chance to swat us away.

  “Maybe you two could leave something for the guests,” Betsy suggested.

  Showing no mercy for the soon-to-be-arriving visitors, Terrance shoved a stuffed olive into his mouth. “I suppose we could.”

  I grinned, high-fiving my mealtime buddy. It was always smart to surround yourself with like-minded people, and Terrance and I… we were beginning to morph into one.

  “Besides, Betsy,” I said, “you need us.”

  “Yeah? How do you figure?”

  “No leftovers.”

  “Perhaps you two forgot what happened on Thanksgiving.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Terrance grimaced, the memory now fresh in all our minds. “That was not a good day to be in my pants.”

  “No,” Betsy confirmed. “It definitely was not.”

  Breeze blew into the kitchen, her hair a gush of auburn curls and her skin highlighted in a sunny glow. I always admired the beauty in my girl, but today – oh, man, she had me awestruck. How was it I could fall deeper and deeper in love with her every day?

  Gulping back my appreciation, I spoke between mouthfuls of crackers. “Damn, woman, you’re a smoke show.”

  Her lashes fluttered ever so flirty-like, and when she stretched up in her slip-on Vans and planted a kiss on my willing lips, I was a goner. Everything about her was a cool, crisp wonder. God, I was so lucky.

  “Are these jeans too tight?” she asked, rearranging them on her hips. “The struggle was real.”

  “Babe, in my expert opinion, they’re not tight enough.”

  “Good answer.” She laughed. “Of course, I’m not sure how much weight I can give your opinion. You did get turned on last night when I was wearing that green facemask.”

  “Hey,” I countered. “You looked sexy… in a gangrene sort of way.”

  “Ah, true love,” Terrance mused.

  “They remind me of us when we were young,” Betsy sighed, before drawing her daughter into her arms. “Sweetie, you look like you’re smiling from the inside out.”

  “I am,” Breeze replied, beaming as she settled her gaze on me. “I never thought I could be this happy.”

  Nor had I. The past year with Breeze had surpassed expectations. After the end of AnyDayNow, life had taken one unexpected turn after another. Since I’d been coming from an environment where every last minute of my day had been accounted for, Breeze had been the sorely needed shock to my system. Being by her side was like living in a Technicolor movie. Everything was brighter and more in focus than ever before… and ours was a show I never wanted to end.

  True to my word, Breeze and I traveled across country in a rented motorhome. Touring the world with the guys, I thought I knew everything it had to offer, but that was before I got to experience it through Breeze’s spirited eyes. Suddenly, the Banana Museum seemed as interesting a place to visit as Buckingham Palace.

  “Oh, crap!” The meatball Terrance had been preparing to consume had taken an unexpected death plunge to the ground, and as he bent down to pick it up, he was met with snarling and snapping as a set of menacing two-millimeter teeth prepared to devour him whole.

  Delivering hushed instructions, I bravely stepped between the two warring factions. “Terrance, do exactly as I say. Slowly back away from the dog. That’s it, nice and slow.”

&n
bsp; As Breeze’s father retreated to safety, I narrowed in on my tiny nemesis – Satan’s cocksure Chihuahua himself – Little Dick Beckett.

  “You really want to do this?” I asked him, more as a challenge than a question.

  His demonic growling told me oh yes, he really did. To my archenemy, the tasty meatball was worth a bloody round of combat. But I’d learned a thing or two about dealing with His Furry Highness, and all of it included protective oven mitts.

  “LD…” Breeze began to reason with the canine. “You’re on a strict diet…”

  “No offense, Breeze, but it’s a meatball. Any chance you had of making a deal with the devil went away when it hit the floor. Now, step aside. Let the pro handle this.”

  She laughed and waved her hand. “By all means. Please, handle as you see fit.”

  Grabbing the oven mitts, I advanced, ready to scoop him up and deposit him into the dog crate that had become his kingdom. But Little Dick wasn’t going down without a fight, and grabbing hold of the top of the gloves, he shook his head back and forth like a big cat violently shakes its prey to a bloody demise. Suddenly the idea of my severed fingers crammed inside his vindictive mouth wasn’t so appealing, and I scrambled backward. Little Dick took advantage of my hasty retreat to gobble up the meatball, and then casually walked away as if our confrontation had meant nothing to him.

  “God, he sucks,” I complained. “Why can’t we get a normal Breeze-type dog? You know, like the ones that crawl out of manholes with a single eyeball dangling off their foreheads. Because, seriously, dealing with a mixed-breed Cyclops would be easier to handle than that shithead.”

  Breeze gave me that look – the one that said I had no right to complain. It was, after all, my fault we were now Lucifer’s next of kin. Just before Breeze and I set out on our cross-country motorhome trip nearly a year ago, we’d received a frantic call from the Kufrin family, pleading for us to take their little menace in. Even though their home had not sustained fire damage, it would take months for the utilities to be restored to that area, so the family had been forced to move into a rental.

  As expected, the arrogant Chihuahua, formally known as Sweetpea, immediately made the wrong impression on… well, every living soul he came in contact with, and suddenly, those teeth of his were sending him on a collision course with euthanasia.