Page 55 of Burning with Desire (Forbidden Heat 1)

“We will be just fine,” I said. “I appreciate your concern.”

“I’m not concerned. If you can make a go of it, then great,” Dad said. “But you know the odds are stacked against you when it comes to a long distance relationship lasting at all. That’s it.”

“I know what you are saying. I’m aware of all that. But what Ricky and I have is different. It is very special.”

My father didn’t say anything right then, but I could tell he was rolling his eyes. I wondered if that meant he really thought he was right, so he didn’t have to argue the point or convince me of it. He figured I would see soon enough.

And this was the most unsettling thing at all. What if my father was right about this? What if this did mean the end for Ricky and me?

No, it’s fine. You will make it work. Ricky believes in you and your dreams. You’ve worked too hard and long to get this opportunity, and you are not about to let anything ruin it.

I made it through the rest of dinner with my folks without any major disruptions or arguments. I hoped that eventually my father would come around to accept the idea of Ricky and I together as a couple, but it was most likely not going to happen. At least not for a while, until he could no longer see any reason why we might end things or not work out. I knew that was his reasoning. He hoped it was just a passing thing and that we would eventually split up for one reason or another.

After I left the dinner, I went to Ricky’s place where he and Zoe were relaxing with a board game. They were both happy to see me. “Want to play?” Zoe asked me.

I saw they were playing a board game version of Uno, which was one of my favorite games to play when I was a kid. I grabbed a drink and sat down to play with them. Ricky loved to see me and Zoe playing, and it was fun to see her sweet little face light up the way she did when I was with her. We’d bonded so well. She was wonderful.

“Wow, you are so good at this game!” I exclaimed as Zoe won the next round.

“I can’t be beaten!” Zoe cheered.

I laughed. “Well, I’ll just have to see about that.”

Zoe set up the next hand and we played through with her winning once again. She gloated and jumped around feeling superior and awesome. I had to laugh at her sweet ways. She was such a bundle of energy.

As we played and had a great time together, I found myself thinking that this was not the best time to bring up the subject of art school. We were all going to the park the next day, so maybe I would bring it up then. I was tired and after a pleasant, but still exhausting, dinner with my father, I just wanted to relax with a good glass of wine and then hit the sack.

After we put Zoe to bed, Ricky and I cuddled on the couch for a bit. I half expected him to initiate things that would lead us to the bedroom, but we were both interested in just relaxing with a good movie.

“So, how did it go?” Ricky asked, referring to my dinner with my parents.

“Oh, it was ok. Surprisingly, pleasant.”

“Yeah, I knew that cantankerous old guy would come around,” Ricky said.

“I’m not so sure he has, but I guess we have to continue to give it time. Maybe next time you can join us,” I teased.

Ricky laughed and shook his head. “No. That isn’t going to happen for a while. I think it’s best if we just let that chill for now. Your dad is going to need some more time to process things.”

I agreed. “Yeah, I think that’s for the best.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ricky

I threw the Frisbee to Zoe and

watched her run to make a leaping catch for it. She stopped to do her little dance as if she’d just won the Super Bowl or something. That kid was a laugh riot.

“Great job Zoe!” I yelled. “Throw it back.”

Zoe threw the Frisbee right back toward me showcasing her good arm and athletic coordination. The kid was a natural. I wondered if she would end up joining a Frisbee golf team one day. I heard that sport was really taking off.

I caught the Frisbee and quickly heaved it back towards her. She almost missed it this time, but I saw the reason why. A few kids from the neighborhood that she knew wanted her to come and play on the swings with them. She looked over at me as if to ask permission. I nodded. “Go ahead!”

She smiled and threw the Frisbee back to me before running off to join her little friends. I was glad she’d finally made some good friends. For the longest time she was such a loner and just wanted to hang out by herself. My poor daughter had grieved so hard for so long. I missed that light inside of her which had finally started to shine once again. A big part of that was Julie. I knew this without a doubt in my mind. She had touched that sweetness inside my little angel again and helped her to feel happy. Julie had done that for both of us. I didn’t think that she would ever have any idea how much beauty she had injected into our lives. I loved her so much.

I placed my arm around her waist and held her to me as I kissed her on the lips quickly. “I love you. Do you know that?”

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