CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
A LONG TIME AGO, I was forced to practice patience. I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it, but what I wanted didn’t want me. Wasn’t ready for me.
Still, I understood that “not yet” didn’t mean “no.”
And thus began a life lesson in patience.
With Fate. With the Universe. With life.
Waiting.
It’s torturous. Treacherous. Like a constant, unending drip, drip, drip on the head.
One would think that after years of exercising patience at its finest, that small stuff, like waiting two days to open a birthday gift would be a walk in the park.
Not even a little.
Not when it’s from her.
My dream girl.
“For the love of God, your anxious energy is bugging the shit out of me,” True grumbles from the driver’s seat, speeding like a madman and cutting off everyone in traffic. “You never could help peeking. Just open the damn thing and get it over with. We’re gonna need your focus, man.”
It’s true that I never could help peeking. Christmas presents, birthday presents, graduation presents...if it had my name on it, I’d sniff it out like a bloodhound and he’d be the one to help me re-wrap it after I’d peeled off the wrapper to peek.
What’s also true is that the mission we’re headed for now is more than a little tricky. Risky, even. And as long as I know there’s a gift for me to open, it’s gonna fuck with my focus. Yup, I’m still a big-ass kid in a lot of ways. Gifts are my weakness.
Nevertheless, I resist the urge and try to hold out.
Minutes later, we pull into the landing where the copter’s waiting for us.
As I start to jump out, True lands a punch on my shoulder to keep me in place, then points a threatening finger at me. “No,” he growls, serious as fuck now. “I’ll load the shit. You stay here and open that goddamn thing before you get on that goddamn chopper.” He pushes open his door and jumps out, grumbling, “Don’t know what the hell she was thinking giving that to you now. It’s like she doesn’t even know you.”
Except she does know me. Knows me too damn well, as a matter of fact.
Then it hits me. She knew telling me not to open it would only make me want to open it.
That damn Hellcat. She wants me to open it early.
Running against time, I untie the bow and flip the cover off.
On a wave of red satin cloth rests...a dog tag?
Yep. A dog tag. White-gold and lined with diamonds.
Whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t this. Disappointment sinks like a rock in my stomach. Anticlimactic to say the least.
To be honest, I was kind of hoping to find a positive pregnancy test. Granted, we aren’t trying and she’s still on the Pill, but miracles do happen.
I lift the tag out of the box and brush my thumb across the diamonds.
Why would she want me to have this early, though?
Or maybe she didn’t. Might just be wishful thinking on my part, to justify opening the damn thing.
I’m about to drop the tag back into the box when I feel light grooves on the back. I flip it over, and only then do I see the real gift.
Spelled out in cursive.
YES
A foreign, unprecedented sensation bursts in my veins like fireworks, every nerve within me sparking to life.
Patience, especially for the things we want more than anything in this world, is hard.
HARD.
But the rewards of it are worth it. Every. Single. Time.
It’s a virtue all right.
A victorious sound rips up my throat and explodes into the confinements of the jeep.
And then, I motherfucking fist pump.
~
Thank you for reading!
The Red Cage series continues with Torin Garza’s story in THE BRONZE GARZA. More about the Red Cage series here.
I Need Your Help, Pretty Please!
Did you enjoy this book? Or even just “meh” about it? If yes, I would really, truly, greatly appreciate it if you could take a minute to leave a quick review (or even just a rating). It does not have to be long or detailed, just a line or two would mean a lot to me.
Thank you so, so much!
If you enjoyed this book and would like to get updates on new releases, giveaways and sales, please sign up for my newsletter. A little birdy just might deliver this steamy, second-chance novelette to your inbox when you do : )
For more books by S. Ann Cole,
visit www.anncole.net/books
Join my private Facebook reader group