Page 11 of Inevitable Dream

He furrows his brows, “And that’s a problem, why?”

“Because I’m a dork. And you’re this really cool, macho commando dude who rushes off to save people. You’re handsome and smart, and even though you were trying to be a jerk, you never quite succeeded, so I know that you’re sweet. I haven’t had a boyfriend since high school. Fred Carter doesn’t count because he was more of a friend than a boyfriend. We both figured that out after our first date when he kissed me. We just liked each other, and then I left for college. And all you had to do was touch me, and I felt all tingly.” I exhale, tears threatening to fall. “I’m going to freak you out, and you won’t like me. I’m already freaking out!” I exclaim.

I try to pull my hands back, but he doesn’t let go. I turn my face away.

“Sadie Eloise.” He says my name, and it sounds like a melody when he does. “Look at me. My name is Jasper Rebel Hanes. It was my father’s idea to add the Rebel. I think he knew from the second he laid eyes on me that I’d have a rebellious streak. He also knew that one day, I would meet a woman who would knock me on my keester, and here you are. I can’t make any promises, babe. We’re new. We’re working our way through to getting to know one another. What I can say is that I want to smash Fred Carter’s face in for being able to say he was your first boyfriend.”

I giggle. “Poor Fred. I don’t think he even thinks about me anymore. He’s married to Diane Langdon and has a couple of kids of his own. She had a crush on him since kindergarten. They’re meant to be together,” I tell him. I reach out to touch his face. “Your dad actually named you Rebel?”

“Yup! According to my brothers, it’s what decided my fate. I was a hellion as a kid, but that’s what led me to be the guy I am today,” he says. “Think you can handle it?”

I blush profusely, then gather enough courage to respond. “Well, tall, blond, handsome, and dangerous.” I fan my face with my hand and bat my eyes. “Every girl’s dream.”

Rebel laughs louder than ever and gathers me in his arms. I can still feel his chest shaking with laughter. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard, babe. It’s you, you know. Even when I was trying to push you away, you stood up to me, teasing me. You have no idea how difficult it was to stop myself from pulling you onto the bed and kissing you.”

“Really?” I whisper.

“Oh yeah.”

“You can kiss me now,” I tell him breathlessly.

“I can’t kiss you the way I want without hurting you.”

“I’ll risk it.” I really want Rebel to kiss me.

Rebel shakes his head and chuckles. “Two days, sweetheart. Then I’m going to do more than kiss you. Until that time, this will have to do.” He kisses me soft and sweet.

“I’m sorry about my parents being, well, forceful.”

“They love you. That’s what parents do.”

“Count on parental interruptions often. I’m pretty sure my mother has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to me. She always seems to call at the most inopportune times,” I warn him.

“Remind me to turn off your phone before I have my way with you in two days’ time,” Rebel says. This time, it’s my turn to laugh.

Rebel throws the blanket back over us and flips the television back on. The best part is, he never let me go.

Chapter5

Time’s Up

Rebel

Forty-six hours and twenty-five minutes later…

I’m going insane! I’m counting down the minutes left before I can devour my Sadie. The last couple of days, my focus has been on making sure Sadie is on the mend. Thankfully, we’ve had plenty of distractions.

The very next morning, Hubert came by as promised. He was just as Sadie described him, a gentle old soul. He was visibly upset when he saw Sadie and engulfed her in a big bear hug. It’s clear that he cares about my girl.

“What possesses a man to become this evil to hurt a woman like this?” he asked, shaking his head and clenching his fist. “He needs a lesson on how to treat a lady.” Hubert looked directly at me, clearly asking with his expressive demeanor,What are you doing about it?

“Rest assured, Hubert, he’ll be dealt with. I’ll make sure he gets what he deserves,” I told him. Hubert nodded and joined us for coffee. Of course, no visit would be complete without Gertie coming by to see what’s going on.

Hubert and Gertie got on like a house on fire. Gertie ordered me to go get the muffins she made earlier from her apartment, basically shooing me away.

“Rebel, my love, go get those muffins, and don’t you worry, I’ll take care of your guests. We’ll have a nice long chat,” she said. Translated, that meansI’m nosy and want to know everything. Had this been anyone but Gertie, I would have tossed them out on their ear. But Gertie is all about protecting the ones she loves. In this case, me.

I can see that she has a soft spot for Sadie already, but Hubert is new, and Gertie hadn’t quite finished assessing the situation yet. All in all, it turns out that Hubert is a lot like Gertie in that when he cares about you, it runs deep.

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