Page 19 of Choices

"Have you heard of The Vault?"

"The dance club that's in an old bank?"

"Yep!"

"Wow! Rico, you own that? And you run it?" She asks excitedly, turning her attention back to me - where it should be.

"Here, give me your phone."

Obligingly, she does.

"I'll program my number in and get yours in return. That way if you ever want to come out just shoot me a text and I'll get you a VIP pass."

Santiago glares at me through the rearview mirror.

She snorts.

"You don't like to dance?"

"Oh, I mean, I used to. It's just hard to find a sitter to watch all three kids. And I don't really have anyone to go out with."

I lean closer to her and slip a bit of her hair that's gotten loose from her bun behind her ear. "You do now."

She blushes again, so I hand her phone back, with my contact still up. She laughs out loud. I'd put my first and last name, but under Business put "Your #1 Fan".

What she doesn't know is that I saved her on mine under "Future Wife."

"You remember me from High School?" She asks.

"Of course I do."

Another deep blush. While I love being able to affect her, I don't want to spook her just yet, so I change the subject.

"Does she know where we're going?" I ask Rico.

Silence.

"He just told me to put on closed-toed shoes and to 'get in the car'. A man of few words." She grumbles.

I dancea little in my seat. "Oh good! He kept it a surprise. I'm so glad! Lauren mentioned the close-toed shoes."

Something that looks suspiciously like jealousy crosses her face before she schools it.

"Lauren is my brother's wife," Rico says from the front seat, ruining the illusion.

But I don't miss how her shoulders relax slightly.

Interesting.

Santiago drives us wordlessly through the suburbs of DC and into Maryland.

After thirty minutes of small talk, where I absorb every fascinating detail about my woman, Santiago turns down the driveway, passing between the large iron gates. The long drive is straight, flanked by mature trees that just look amazing in the fall. On the other side of the trees are paddocks lined with white vinyl fencing.

"What is this place?"

"It's Honey Acre farm. I bought it for us when my brother married an equestrian. It's got two wings, one for them, and one for us." He says as if that explains anything.

"You took me to see horses?" Her voice is high and wobbly, and Rico turns to look at her.

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