Page 28 of Sunflowers and Surrender

Ricky shakes his head at Alex’s predictable gift. Every year, it’s a different classic. But until this year, I didn’t realize how much he’d paid attention to my conversations about my favorite authors. He’d let it slip one night when we’d been watching a movie adaptation of Jane Austen’sPersuasion, that some years he’d have to pry it out of me when he couldn’t pick up any clues during conversations with my mother.

Flipping the bookmark over, I bite my lip to prevent gasping. Tucked into the plastic sleeve holding the bookmark is a gold sunflower pendant on a chain. It’s the first piece of jewelry he’s ever given me. Tucked away in a book. My eyes snap up to meet his, and the love emanating from him nearly brings me to tears. While neither of us has spoken those three little words, we both know it’s there. Like the joy in the air one feels during Christmas, voices as carols are sung but otherwise taken for granted. That feeling is simply there.

How am I supposed to not hug him ’til later?

“Your gift is under the tree.” I point beside him to the rectangular gift box wrapped in bold blue and silver gift wrap.

He gives me a sweet grin and reaches for the package. It’s not worth much. I don’t make a lot working part-time at the flower shop. Yet, honestly, I love that my family doesn’t do over-the-top gifts for the holidays.Well, except that cruise.The gifts are usually more personalized. Meaningful. Okay, maybe the ones between Alex and Ricky, not so much.

As Alex peels back the paper, he beams. I was able to catch a great shot of him and Ricky laughing together along the railing of the cruise ship. I know Ricky moving away is going to hit him hard, and it seemed like the perfect gift.

“Sunny T.” His voice sounds breathy. “This is perfect.”

Ricky leans over and grins. “Hey, I want one of these.”

“If you stop playing with the wooden puzzle we gave you, you might get to the other gifts still sitting under the tree.” Mom laughs.

“I think there’s five dollars in here,” Ricky tosses back, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he continues to try and solve the puzzle that will unlock the box.

Alex stands and comes over to where I’m sitting. “Thank you.” He wraps his strong arms around me, and I have to try not to swoon in front of my entire family. God, I’ve missed him. And he feels and smells so good.

“You’re welcome,” I say as he withdraws from me. Our eyes are having a conversation we can’t put words to in our present environment.

“Three more days,” he mouths. Three more days until we can spend a quiet evening alone.

Chapter 20

Alex

It’s the start of a new year, and I’m itching to drive to Norfolk and tell Ricky I’m dating his sister. Don’t get me wrong, I’m dreading the conversation. But I’m tired of hiding how I feel about her. I want to be able to enjoy taking her out—live life like a normal couple.

We’d already missed out on New Year’s Eve together. There were the usual parties, but we didn’t want to be spotted out and about until we broke the news to her brother. Add to that, I had to work on New Year’s Eve, and it made ringing in the New Year with Tuesday difficult. We settled for kiss emojis sent to each other at midnight.

But as my girl is a glass-half-full kinda woman, I came home at the end of my twenty-four-hour shift to find her waiting for me in my apartment. We started the year off right with breakfast, sex, a nap, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes for good luck, sex, football bowl games, and another nap. Undercover relationship or not, I wouldn’t mind spending every New Year’s Day this way.

Tuesday

There’s an inch of black ice on the ground, and the 911 calls had been coming in back-to-back. Volunteering during inclement weather is no joke. The only good thing is knowing there is always the possibility of getting dispatched on a call in Alex’s jurisdiction. The thrill of seeing him in his uniform on scene never gets old.

I’d just turned on the television when the loud overhead blare of an impending call rang throughout the building.

“Okay, I blame Tuesday for that. It’s like you were tempting the gods, thinking you were going to have time to turn on the TV.” Max laughs.

“You’re probably right.”

We all head to the ambulance as we listen for them to repeat the address of the 911 call as well as the details of what we’re responding to.

“Medic 7, medic 7. Respond code three to an MVA on Highway 301 South at Route 54.”

“Big surprise, a motor vehicle accident,” Henry says as we head to the ambulance. He jumps into the driver’s seat, and Max is the senior EMT, so he takes the front passenger seat while I ride in the back. If I was more invested in a medical career, I would’ve completed my advanced life support or paramedic training as Ricky had. But I just haven’t felt motivated to add that to my already heavy course load, work, and newfound social life.

We speed down the two-lane highway, lights and sirens blazing, until we arrive on the scene of a multi-vehicle accident. It’s early evening but dark, given it’s January. Henry pulls up behind the last car on the shoulder and puts the ambulance in park. Grabbing the medic bag containing most of the things I’ll need to stabilize a patient in a minor accident, I fling it over my shoulder and jump out the back doors of the unit.

As I come around the ambulance, my boots slide beneath me despite their tread. The ground is very slick. I wish the cars traveling near us would move over, leaving a lane clear like they’re supposed to. Attempting to stick close to the vehicles in case I need something to grab onto, I walk carefully toward where the firefighters are standing. They arrive on scene first and can usually direct us on where we need to go. Coming closer, I notice one is standing facing me, a large smile evident despite the darkness that surrounds us.

My heart warms, helping to thaw my body from the frigid temperature better than any insulated squad jacket could. Deciding I’ll get the update on where I can best help from him instead of Henry, I keep my sights trained on Alex until his facial expression changes.

“Tuesssssss!”

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