Page 101 of Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie
I smile at him. “The car.”
He smiles back. “I was hoping you’d get what that meant.”
“Well, thanks to you, I speak car now, so I have a pretty good idea what it means when a man rebuilds a car for a woman.” I reach up and touch the edge of his smile with my fingertips. “Especially a badass astronaut car.” I look around, squinting. Flynn retrieves my glasses from the bale of hay next to us and helps slide them on. “Thanks.” I blink a few times, my eyes focusing.
“I love you.” His words send tingles through my body.
“I believe you.” I rest my forehead on his.
He smiles, tugging on the end of my hair.
I place my palms on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “And I love you.”
Flynn’s body stills for a moment before slowly wrapping my hair around his hand, forcing my chin up.
“Before you kiss me again, I have something else to tell you.”
“And what’s that?” he asks, his eyes intent.
“I devised a new protocol,” I whisper against his mouth. “A relationship procedure.”
“Procedure, huh?” His mouth brushes mine, his other hand fisting my shirt.
“Mm-hmm.” My hands lower to his hips, skimming around to his back. I dip my fingers under his waistband, grabbing his ass.
“So what’s this new procedure called?”
I whisper it, suddenly embarrassed, hoping he won’t laugh.
His smile is slow and so sweet my chest tightens.
“Operation Happily Ever After,” he murmurs, touching his nose to mine. “I like it.”
Epilogue
Five Years Later
Flynn
I checkmy watch for the fifth time. Then I adjust the telescope Jackie got me for Christmas this year, making sure the coordinates are set.
I drove to the ranch for this, so I’d have less ambient lights mucking up the sky. I’d already driven Holt crazy asking him repeatedly if he’d cleared the north field of cattle for me, turned off all the motion and flood lights around the property, and had him double and triple check the strength and batteries of three different portable internet sticks I’d bought. He finally pushed me out the door twenty minutes ago and I drove out in the middle of one of the fields. Nothing but grass and sky for miles. Forty minutes ahead of schedule.
I pull out the origami heart from my wallet I never took out. It’s become a sort of talisman I touch whenever I miss her, or I’m nervous for her. So it’s gottena lotof wear.
Jackie’s done a lot of exciting but scary stuff these past few years on her way to fulfilling her dream. And tonight is a big part of it. I check my watch again.
I don’t want to miss her.
Five minutes pass. My leg starts bouncing, shaking the fold-out chair I’m sitting on.
Another five minutes.
I’m about to slug back the flask of whiskey I brought when Elton John’s “Rocket Man” lights up my laptop, the sound drifting across the empty field.
I toss the whiskey to the ground and pounce on the accept call link.
“Flynn?”
