Page 62 of Hearts to Mend

Rico loops an arm around me and squeezes me tighter against his side. “That’s just bonus.”

“This is all very confusing.”

“Confusing good or confusing bad?”

“Isn’t all confusion bad?”

“I don’t think so. Sometimes confusion is filled with hope. My current state of confusion, for example, is chock full of hope.”

“What is it you hope for, Rico?”

“I hope for everything, with you.”

Well… Shit… I’m sinking deeper and deeper into all these feelings. Like quicksand, the more I struggle, the more I sink.

So I stop struggling. I cuddle a little closer to him, letting myself enjoy the comfort of his embrace. Rico plants a soft kiss on my forehead, and he inhales, like he’s breathing me in. I’ve seen him do that with Mateo, and now, with me too?

That’s what does it. That’s when the emotional quicksand swallows me up. That’s the moment when I let myself fall completely and totally in love with him again and let myself be loved by him again. And that’s when I start to cry.

Like I once advised Mateo, I put all my old hurt feelings into the tears, and I let them out, all over Rico’s chest. I sob as quietly as I can, and Rico hugs me, so tight, so strong, so protective. Like I’m safe with him because he understands how precious this thing we have is.

When we were young, we loved each other, but we took that love for granted. Now, we understand that life is precious, time is precious, and love is precious. I’m precious to him; I can feel it in his arms as they hold me, his lips as they kiss the top of my head. And he is precious to me too. He always has been. And he always will be.

I shift up onto my elbow and wipe my tears away as I look at him in the pale light of the moon. And I admit it, giving power to my emotions when I say, “I love you, Rico.”

“Oh God.” He pulls me so close I’m crushed against his chest as he kisses my head. When I look up, he kisses my mouth as he whispers such sweet words against my lips. “I love you too, baby.” He finishes it all with a hand against my cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a second chance.”

EPILOGUE

RICO

* * *

Three Months Later

“Where are we going?” Matty asks with a definite whine in his voice.

I grin and shake my head. “You’ll see. Have you cleaned your bedroom?”

He nods in that way that tells me he’s fibbing.

“If I go in there, I’m not going to step on any toys, am I?”

Matty considers, then runs off to his room, like he has more cleaning to do. I grin at the sight of him disappearing into his very own bedroom.

We’ve spent the last few weeks helping Drew, Chloe, and their cats move out of this place and into their dream house on the other side of mamá. Then Matty and I moved in here.

The house is perfect for him, perfect for us. It’s a great place for a kid to grow up, especially with his abuela living right next door. Plus, there’s the massive deck outside, perfect for watching the sun rise. The first thing I did was build him a swing set, too, so he’s got a space to run and play with friends. Though we’re still working on helping him find friends in his class. Today’s little adventure might help a bit with that.

I’m finishing up the dishes and drying my hands when the front door swings open, and Dee comes in, fresh off her shift, looking so damn hot in her uniform pants and station T-shirt. She glances around, sees we’re alone, and jogs over to me for a quick make-out session in the kitchen. She pretty much climbs me like a tree, her legs wrapped around my waist, her ass perched on the counter as I kiss the hell out of her.

Her shifts are too long. Twenty-four hours apart is rough. I can’t get enough of her, ever. I’m ready for her to move in here, to make things official, but Dee deserves romance, so we’re taking our time, dating when our schedules align, and longing for each other when they don’t.

“Dee!” Matty squeals when he sees who I’m ravaging in the kitchen.

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