Page 109 of Beautiful Thing

Archer is still recovering from his hockey incident. He’s still bruised up, and he’s also kind of limpy with his sore ankle. But he seems to be growing tired of all my fussing over him.

He’s been putting on his best tough guy act, downright refusing to take any painkillers. He insists on acting like he’s perfectly fine when he’s not.

I had ‘the nerve’ to try and take out the trash this morning. He snatched the bag right from my hands and marched it out to the curb in an angry, barefooted limp.

The man’s stubbornness is off the charts.

But I kind of love the moments when he lets me take care of him. The other night, he even let me talk him into an epsom saltbath to relieve his lingering aches and pains. His only condition was that I had to join him in the tub. I didn’t complain at all.

He waves off my every offer to handle things around his house or even around the hardware store. Mostly, he just asks for my company.

We spend our evenings in his library, trying to piece his jigsaw puzzle back together. At the end of the night, he usually requests nighttime snuggles. Those snuggles always end with him inside me while I’m moaning his name.

My god—the man is an amazing lover. He’s generous and attentive and so damn skilled. Even with his injury, he makes my pleasure his priority and he’s always coming up with extra creative ways to make my toes curl. So, yes—now that we’ve come up with our new agreement to bend those original rules of his, we’ve been taking full advantage of our living situation.

“Hey, not too fast, buddy,” I call out to Sky for the fourteenth time when he tries to run ahead and point out all the booths that look exciting to a busy toddler.

TheSweet Tooth for Love Festivalis currently in full swing here at the market. The whole look and feel of the place has completely changed since the last time I came shopping. Instead of the festive Christmas vibe, everything is now decked out in a romantic red and silver heart scheme. It’s like Starlight Falls has turned into a Hallmark movie set overnight.

I’m starting to think I might be in said Hallmark movie when Archer buys me a steaming paper cup of hot cocoa, before leaning in to button my coat right up to the top.

Ha. Who am I kidding?

My story is probably closer to going up on the Lifetime Network. But it is what it is. I can’t change the painful events of my past. I have no control over my uncertain future. But the present? I’m enjoying the present moment very much.

It doesn’t take long to find some adorable red velvet cupcakes for the party. Even still, the three of us go from booth to booth, browsing all the Valentine’s-themed goodies. I pretend not to notice how slowly we have to chug along so Archer can keep up.

Sky motions over his back for me to speed it up as he runs toward the small crowd gathered near Rainbow’s booth. “Quick, Mommy! Quick!”

Archer chuckles. “That’s just his way of telling me to move my butt faster.”

I grab hold of Sky’s hand while looping my other arm through Archer’s. I smile at him. “Don’t worry, Mister Mustache. We’d never leave you behind.”

As we approach the circle of market-goers, we notice Rainbow’s husband, Jimmy, perched on a high stool, softly strumming his guitar.

Rainbow sways to the music, her colorful hair fanning out around her blushing face. Tonight, Jimmy is playing a romantic ballad just for her. She absolutely soaks up the attention. She soaks up all of her man’s love.

Jimmy doesn’t talk all that much. He’s one of those brooding lumberjack types this town is known for. But he’s obsessed with his wife and he goes out of his way to make sure she knows it.

After he croons the last notes of the song, Jimmy sets his guitar at his feet and pulls Rainbow onto his knee. Then he plants a smacking kiss on her lips. The crowd erupts into cheers and Rainbow beams like a school girl with a crush. The applause doesn’t end until Jimmy stands and takes a bow.

Still grinning, Rainbow heads back to her booth where all of her goodies are laid out for sale.

I go over to greet her. “Wow, Rainbow. That was a beautiful serenade. You’re such a lucky lady.”

“I am.” She nods in agreement. “My Jimmy isn’t the most talkative man. But he has his own ways of showing me how much he loves me.”

“He certainly does.”

A few months back, Jimmy painted a nude portrait of Rainbow, bare tits, bushy bush and all.The Garden of Eden, Reimagined—as he called it—even made it into the local newspaper, much to the horror of many of our neighbors.

But Jimmy didn’t care. He only cares about making sure Rainbow knows how he feels for her.

Rainbow glances over to where Archer is busy showing Sky some cool rocks and crystals at the end of her table. “Looks like you’ve found that kind of love, too. You definitely look like a woman whose lettuce is getting properly watered, on a regular basis.”

“Rainbow!” I hiss in shock.

She snickers with mischief. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

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