Page 82 of Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas 2)

She gave him that smile, the one that was pure mischief and sweetness, the one he remembered her flashing at him when they were kids and she was about to throw him a curve ball.

“I love you too. I love you so much that the thought of being without you for a minute breaks my heart. I don’t think I’ve gone more than an hour all week without crying my guts out, and I never want to feel that again. I want you with me always. You were my first hero, my first friend, my first kiss, and my first love. And I hope you’ll be the one I share the rest of my firsts with; because there is no one else I could ever love as much as I love you.”

He slipped his hands through her hair and said, “Well, damn. If it means that much to you.”

She started to open her mouth but he sat up suddenly, ignoring the spinning world, and kissed her instead. He kissed her again, and again until the sound of booted feet crunched beside them and a dark shadow fell over them.

“Seriously? Are y’all going to do this the whole way home, because honestly, I don’t think I could stomach it?”

Red’s voice was filled with irritation and Jake looked up at his best friend with a grin. “It was her fault. She knocked me down. I think I have a concussion and she just kept taking advantage.”

His loving wife hit his arm. “I told you it was an accident, I just got excited. If I’d known what a big sissy you were and that my light weight would knock you down…”

“Light weight? You forget I’ve carried you several times honey and that is the last thing I’d call you.”

“Maybe you should hit the weights a bit more because I bet Red could lift me. Red, you want to prove what a weakling my husband is?”

Red shook his head. “I’m really happy ya’ll have settled your issues, but you can’t get into my truck until you’re done with all this lovey dovey shit.”

When Red left them, Jake kissed her again and said regretfully, “I guess we better go.”

Rand wrapped her arms around his shoulders again and teased, “But we can pick up the good parts again later?”

Jake teased her mouth. “With less clothing?”

“Mmm…and maybe you could tell me all the things you love about me.”

“It might be a short list.” His joke earned him a punch on the arm. “Ow, I just meant because I love everything about you.”

Her dark eyebrow raised, giving him her bullshit face.

“Okay, so there is the snoring, I’m not in love with the snoring.”

With a cry of outrage, she pulled his hair and with a laugh, he pulled her back into him, coaxing her into a lull of submission until the blare of a truck horn startled them apart.

Rand stood up and gave him her hand. “Lets go home.”

He let her help him up and when he slipped his arm around her waist, he didn’t say what he was thinking. He’d save it for the next time he screwed up.

Wherever you are is home to me.

Epilogue

Eleven Months Later…

Jake woke up with a start, relaxing when he remembered he was in Hawaii on a long overdue honeymoon with his wife. He was lying in bed, listening to the tranquil waves, and the quiet of the night when he realized he was alone in bed.

Again.

“Rand, are you reading it again?”

Jake sat up and spotted his wife guiltily hiding something behind her back by the window of their hotel room. “No, I was just watching the ocean.”

Jake swung his legs over the side of the bed and said, “Uh huh. With the light on. In the middle of the night. With no moon out.”

Rand nodded her head and tilted it up to look at him as he loomed over her.

“Yep and it sure is pretty.”

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