Page 67 of Trick Play
“I’m happy,” she said, her chest swelling with the emotion. “Extremely happy. I had no family and look what I have now?”
He pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll always be your family, Belle.”
She kissed him once more, never tiring of it. “I love you.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing that, I…what the hell, Vegas Baby, get down,” Erik said to the golden retriever hopping around them.
“Howler is here,” she said, reluctant to let Erik go. “The only thing missing is J.J. He didn’t Skype this morning. I hope he’s okay.”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Erik grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.
J.J. stood a few feet from her, tall and whipcord lean. “Hey big sis,” he held out his arms, his voice cracking.
She threw her arms around him, rocking him back and forth in the embrace of her hug. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek, before pulling back. “You’re home.”
“For the week. Erik flew me out here. I brought someone.” A girl stepped out from behind him. She greeted Belle in Spanish. Belle answered back in the same language and hugged her. “Welcome. There’s food and drinks. Non-alcoholic,” she warned J.J. which earned her an eye roll.
Spinning on her heel, she threw her arms around Erik. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Now are you happy?” he kissed her before she could answer.
She’d been loved by her mother. Then lost the only family she ever had. She’d found one again in the home of strangers. Fast forward and she’d tracked down her brother, only to lose a grandfather. Hope had been the one thing she’d never lost. Wrapped in Erik’s loving embrace, she’d hold onto hope with both hands and never look back, only look forward to her future happiness with the man she loved. “Ecstatic.”
