Page 85 of Forever Mine

“I think I’m going to need you to be more specific. Say, ‘I promise I won’t put my life on the line for myquerida. I promise I’ll still be alive when this is all over.’ Say that, Gabriel,” she tells me nervously. I chuckle as I take her in my arms.

“I promise, amor.”

“Thank you,” Monica whispers against my neck. I love that she burrows into me. I can tell she’s breathing me in, taking strength from me. This tiny little spitfire, this strong and independent Italian woman, has finally let me in. Monica is letting me care for her and protect her. It is the best feeling to know that she trusts me unconditionally.

Once the steaks are cooked, Monica grabs the rest of the food from inside before we sit and enjoy the sunset. Having her here is so poignant. When I bought this place after my divorce, I was hell-bent on never being in a relationship again. Certified bachelor for life. I never imagined this little ball of excitement would bounce into my life and throw me on my ass, showing me everything I had been missing. I felt a pull toward her when I saw her in that bar. Monica completes me in ways I never imagined.

As we finish dinner, Monica lets out a big yawn.

“Let’s save the s’mores for another night,querida. You’re exhausted. A good night’s sleep is needed,” I tell her as I grab her plate and walk inside.

“Can we sit out here for a few more minutes? It’s so peaceful. I want to revel in it,” she calls from the patio.

“Absolutely.”

I grab a blanket off the bed and return outside, covering us both on the loveseat. Summer in the mountains is beautiful, but there can be a chill in the air. As the crickets begin to sing their nightly songs, I rest my head against Monica and enjoy the moment.

“Gabriel,” she breathes, “Look!”

I open my eyes to see a group of deer meandering about a hundred feet from where we sit. I peek at Monica and see a shocked and exhilarated expression on her face as she stares at the deer.

“This is so freakin cool,” she whispers. We watch the deer until they are out of sight. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the wildlife here. I never had anything like this in Oklahoma. I’d hear a pack of coyotes every once in a while but never see them.”

“Yeah, this is one of the reasons I wanted to retire here. I love how different it is. And the mountains help me decompress and relax.”

Monica turns to me and studies me.

“Did you have a lot of bad experiences in the Army?” she asks quietly. I take a moment to formulate my answer.

“Nowhere near as bad as other people, but it wasn’t a walk in the park either. Deploying sucks. I saw things I definitely didn’t want to see, and they stuck with me. It’s tough being deployed when your family needs you, too. My grandfather died while I was in Afghanistan, and I didn’t find out about it until a week later because we were on a mission and didn’t have contacts back at the FOB.”

“FOB?” she asks.

“Forward operating base. It’s basically like a regular military post but more mobile and much more rustic. No amenities.”

“So you weren’t even at the FOB, you were out in the field?” she asks.

“Yeah. Like dangerous camping where you have a weapon, and you know other people might shoot at you.”

“Sounds … horrifying.”

“Eh. In some ways, it was. But I had trained for it. I was with my buddies. That deployment ended well.”

“Ended well?”

“Yeah, because no one from our group was killed.”

“Have you had someone get killed from your group before?” she asks softly. I nod. On my third deployment, I lost one of my best friends. His name was Sam. I still don’t like talking about him, even fifteen years later. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I can’t imagine how traumatizing that must have been for you.”

Monica puts her head on my chest as I close my eyes and struggle to rein in my emotions. I don’t like talking about my time in the Army. It brings up so many negative memories. Losing Sam, my marriage falling apart and Courtney ultimately cheating on me, and even some tension with my family for not moving back to Texas. My family loves me and respects me, but they’d prefer I move home. Now that I have Monica, and she loves Colorado as much as I do, there’s no chance I’m moving back to Texas.

This, right here, is my future.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Monica

Gabriel is quiet as we both are lost in our own thoughts.

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