Page 43 of Cowgirls Love French Kisses
“And he’s supposed to be the athletic one in the family!” Sophie teases as I right myself, laughing along.
My mother joins my father at my side as I declare myself off-limits for tag. She puts her hands on my cheeks. “It’s wonderful to see you so happy, my son.”
“She's got a good heart, Mathieu,” Anne-Laure says, putting words to what I’ve known ever since that first night when she finally lowered her walls with me.
I watch her, so vibrant and alive among the people I love, and my heart swells with a silent plea for time to stand still, to let us linger in this moment of perfect harmony a little longer.
This is it. What I always wanted.
It’s strange to realize that your dreams have come true without you even knowing it. Right here, right now—this is it. I want this every day, forever.
And I want it with Annie.
“I’ll be right back.”
I splash cold water on my face, hoping that will dull the ache inside.
* * *
The goodbyes were sticky with candy fingers and took longer than ever, as every child and adult wanted to hug and kiss Annie goodbye.
“What a day.” She loops her arm through mine as we walk to the village train station. “I didn’t know France could be so wholesome.”
I look into her deep brown eyes, that word swimming around me. Wholesome. Not just wholesome, butwhole.
That sets off the panic in my gut again, but there’s no time to dwell.
“Run!” I grab her arm. “That’s our train!”
“Let’s boot it, kid!” she squeals and next thing I know, she’s rushing past me.
Mais comment ça?
I’m out of breath, but she barely has a hair out of place as she holds the door of the train open.
“Come on, darlin’,” she’s the one taking my arm to help me in. “Seems you’ve never been chased by a bull before or else you’d know the meaning ofrun.”
The train car hums softly around us, a gentle lull of motion and soft clacking of wheels is almost enough to put me to?—
Annie’s head comes to rest on my shoulder. If I gently crane my neck, I can make out her slightly parted lips and closed eyes.
No chance I’m sleeping now.
I’m caught in the tide of memory, each second with her filling places I had ignored, places I tried to pretend didn’t exist anymore.
And I want it to last forever.
Forever.
The realization that I want to marry her settles over me with an intensity that's both terrifying and exhilarating. It's a future I can see with startling clarity: Annie beside me, her hand in mine, through every season that's yet to come.
But we only met a couple of months ago.
But there’s so much we don’t know about each other.
But I’ve gotten it wrong before.
As we pull into a station, Annie's voice breaks through my thoughts.
