Page 43 of Pretty

I meant every word that I said because he was my reason for fighting and going on to live another day victoriously.

“Almighty God must have known that we needed each other then, because that’s exactly what you did for me—brought me back to life. For so long, money and football were my goals. Eventually, my son became my reason for living. When that was snatched away from me, I felt like I was just drifting through life. You taught me that the power to live resides within me. I love you so much, girl. I can’t find the right words to express just how much.”

“You don’t have to find the words to express your love for me, Drew. You show me every time you show up.”

He removed his arms from around me, and he cradled my face. Drew stared into my eyes and professed, “I love you, Pretty.”

I smiled at him and replied, “And I love you, Drew.”

He covered my mouth with his, and he used his tongue and his lips to convey the message he wanted me to receive and that others could not hear. Our kiss was as seductive as the strains of the violin and as sweet as the melody rising from the cello.

He held me close to his body, and we spent the rest of the evening slow dancing to the music. I could think of no more perfect of an evening than the one he had created for us.

“What’s this?” Pretty asked, removing the three envelopes from the pumpkin in the middle of the table.

“This is our next date. You choose,” I replied. We were having breakfast at a little French café on the island. We had eaten croissants, baguettes with chocolate, scrambled eggs, fruit, and several slices of ham.

“Ooh! Let’s see what we’ve got,” she stated, preparing to slide a fingernail underneath an envelope.

“Wait a minute; you have to choose one. You can’t just open them all and then select one,” I warned, laughing as my hand rested on hers.

She pretended to pout. “Aww, where’s the fun in that?”

“This is the fun—seeing what you’ll pick. Besides, you can’t go wrong, no matter what you choose.”

“Okay. Have it your way,” she replied, continuing to pretend to pout. She weighed them in her hands as though she were weighing a major judicial decision. She finally chose envelope three.

“Can I open them all now?” she asked after choosing number two. She handed the chosen one to me as she held the others she hadn’t chosen.

“Yeah, baby.”

She ripped open each envelope and pouted.

Envelope 1

Crystal Lake Trail hike and picnic

Envelope 3

Lunch cruise with live band

“Those sound like they would have been so much fun. Let’s see what option I chose,” she declared excitedly.

I handed the envelope back to her. Her face went from surprise to elated joy as she squealed.

Envelope 2

Vineyard tour and a private lunch on Crystal Lake overlook.

“Baby, thank you so much!” she exclaimed, jumping from her seat and running around to my side of the table. She plopped down in my lap and kissed me deeply. I cupped her ass and slid my tongue inside of her mouth. She was sweet and creamy, just the way that I liked her.

“I should’ve been surprising you all along. If this is how you thank a brother, I want to be thanked every day all day.”

She laughed and smacked my chest. “When can we get started?”

“We’ve finished breakfast, and I planned for us to take a nap first. We could hop in the shower later and get dressed before we head back out for the tour.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”