Page 98 of Falling For Temptation

“This is the winery capital of Texas. There are vineyards stretching for hundreds of miles, and they supply wine to the entire state and most of the surrounding ones.” I can’t help but smile, looking down at my beautiful girlfriend.

Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t speak.

My side is aching, but I don’t touch it. We finally pull into our destination, a field of bluebonnets stretching for acres around us.

“Let’s walk for a bit,” I suggest, unable to stop grinning.

She turns to me, shaking her head as we get out.

“We don’t even know who owns this,” she says, stretching her legs in a perfect, dainty cream-colored sundress. It’s shorter than I would like, but that just means I get to look at more of her legs.

“I do,” I say, reaching out my hand for her. She grabs it, following me into the field of violet.

My phone starts to ring, and I curse myself for not silencing it. The screen shows my dad’s name flashing, and I’m about to deny it when Harley waves at me.

“Answer it. You’ve been dodging him too long.”

She walks ahead of me, and my stomach sinks. This isn’t how this moment was supposed to go.

“Hey, Dad. I can’t talk long,” I say into the old plastic.

He clears his throat. “That’s okay, Adam. Your mom’s here.”

Her voice sounds a little quieter. “Hey, honey. It’s Mom.”

“Hey, Mom,” I say, hoping they make whatever it is quick.

“Son, we…wanted to invite you and Harley over for Easter Sunday lunch in a few weeks.”

As soon as he finishes, my mom pipes up, “Yes, we’d love to have you. If you come a day early, we can take her to pick apples in the orchard on Saturday.”

My mouth is open as I watch her floating through the state flowers, like a dream suspended over violet water.

“I—I’ll have to talk to her about it. Thank you for the invitation,” is all I can manage, but a tiny burst of hope has flared inside my chest.

Maybe they’ve come around. Maybe they want to get to know her.

“Tell her we want to meet her again. Tell her…please just tell her we want her to be here. With you, Adam.” My mom’s voice is a little strained as she says it.

I force out a response, “I will, Mom. I’ll tell her. Thanks for calling.”

I flip the phone closed, looking up to see that she’s disappeared. I run forward, panic licking my veins. Seconds later, I see a squished section of the flowers. My heart rate starts to slow, a smile forming on my face.

I lie down next to her, nuzzling her neck. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Her fingers are playing with the collar of my flannel.

I stare into her electric-blue eyes for a few blissful moments.

“How’s your side?” she asks, pulling up my shirt.

The ink is dark, my skin bleeding slightly. It’s a type of Medusa, but instead of snakes for hair, she has green vines curling around my rib cage. Tiny butterflies in a rainbow of fuchsia, lilac, and blue are fluttering throughout them.

“It’s fine, a little sore. What about yours?”

She smiles at me, closing her eyes. “I’ve gotten a bazillion of these, Farm Boy. A few vines and butterflies were nothing. I was glad you were there to hold my hand though.” She lets out a sigh of contentment, ebony hair fanning out among the flowers, making her look like she has them woven into her dark tresses.

“Guess what.”

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