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This big, orange lug, apparently.
Fallon sat up straighter. The sun had risen now, and sunlight came strolling in, sprinkling itself lovingly on his pale yellow hair; the high planes of his cheekbones; his full, usually-smiling-but-currently-serious mouth.
“Happiness does not begin to describe the way I feel,” he said in a voice that could have been strained with emotion but instead was very calm, clear, every word precise. Like he didn’t want me to miss or mistake a single syllable. “For the first time since I was a child, I look into my future and I see something worthwhile. I see something good.” He brushed his knuckles softly against my cheek. “And it’s you.”
Oh, no. I was not about to start bawling because my alien husband just said I was good and made his life worthwhile.
I was saved from having to come up with a reply – or bursting into tears – by the sound of footsteps in the hall leading to the bedroom. A moment later, a soft knock on the door preceded Magnolia’s voice.
“Darcy?” she called quietly. “Are you awake?”
I was awake, alright. It felt like I’d already been awake for hours what with all the stuff that had transpired by sun-up.
There was a jug of water on the table nearest Fallon’s side of the bed. It was probably for drinking, but I plunged my hands into it and washed my face.
“One sec!” I called to Magnolia, my voice muffled as I tugged my nightgown over my head. I didn’t think Magnolia would come knock on the door this early for no reason. It was likely for something important and I didn’t want to keep her waiting.
I scraped my hair back from my face and started marching towards the door, only for Fallon to grasp my hand, his gaze sober as I turned around to look at him.
“You are feeling alright?”
“What? You mean from last night?” I nodded. Without thinking, I gave Fallon’s hand a reassuring squeeze. He seemed startled by that, staring down at our hands, before he tentatively did it back. “I think I’m a bit tired, maybe a little sore. But otherwise, I’m good.”
“Sore,” he repeated, his brow contracting. “I should kiss you better. Like you did to me.”
The thought of Fallon dragging his mouth all over my body made my skin prickle with awareness. His gaze slid to my other hand and his face fell in dismay.
“You need a new bandage! That one is wet,” he said. He sounded outraged, as if offended by the audacity of my bandage to be wet after I’d been the one to put my hands in the water.
“I’ll let Magnolia take a look,” I said, tugging my other hand from his grip. “Now you go over there and put some pants on before I open this door.”
He grimaced down at his come-splattered belly and groin.
“I should wash first.”
“We talked about this. You can’t go walking around in front of human women who aren’t you wife all naked like that! Just… Just go stand in that corner for a minute.” I flapped my hand towards a corner of the room that would be hidden from Magnolia’s view if I didn’t hold the door open all the way.
Fallon obeyed, taking only a few big steps with his long, bare legs to reach the specified corner. Making sure he stayed there, I finally went back to the door and opened it.
I was relieved to see that Magnolia didn’t look upset or worried, so whatever she’d knocked on the door for couldn’t be too troubling. If anything, she looked excited, her eyes glowing. She beamed when she saw me.
“Good morning! Sorry, did I wake you?”
“You didn’t,” I said quickly, thanking my lucky stars that she hadn’t heard all the humping, screaming about snakes, and blow job action.
She nodded hurriedly.
“Good. I just had to come let you know right away. I’ve had a call from the warden…”
21
DARCY
Magnolia barely came inside all day. Even though we knew this Garrek dude apparently wouldn’t be arriving until evening at the earliest, she still spent almost the entire morning and afternoon – when she wasn’t packing or getting ready, that was – flitting excitedly about in the sunshine, watching the road.
From what the warden had told her, some other nearby-ish rancher named Garrek was going to be traveling with his herd towards Magnolia’s intended, Oaken, and the warden had arranged for Garrek to bring Magnolia along.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I’d asked as we’d figured out the shower together that morning.
