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She was right. I’d played it cool when I took her there, but Valentina was the first person outside my family who’d seen our spot. I didn’t know why at the time, but some instinctual part of me wanted to take her there. But now that she was leaving, I understood. Being around her changed me. She tapped into a side of me I didn’t think was there, opened something in me I didn’t think I’d ever have. Fuck, she split my chest wide open somehow in those few short days, and I already felt the pangs of her departure.

That’s when I knew for sure.

There was no way in hell I was letting her go. I still had no clue what would happen with Amber and Payton, but I knew I couldn’t lose Valentina.

The second Molly sent me their exact location, I grabbed my keys and got in my truck. The rain beat down on the windshieldas I drove to the highway, lightning striking on the horizon. A storm like that hadn’t come through Shady Grove in years. Molly wasn’t a bad driver, but I was glad she’d pulled over. Because even with my windshield wipers on full tilt, I was having a hard time seeing the road ahead of me.

Lucky for me, Molly and Valentina hadn’t gotten far, and just ten minutes later, I pulled up behind them on the shoulder, my headlights flooding the backseat. The rain was pouring harder than ever, but at that point, I didn’t care. I had to see her, had to talk to her, had to let her know how I felt.

I climbed out of my truck and jogged the few short yards between our cars, yanking the backseat door open and tumbling in. Valentina cursed loudly in Spanish, turning and looking like she was ready to smack me all the way to next Tuesday.

Somehow, I even loved that. She was feisty as hell, and it only made me smile.

“Relax, baby. It’s Duke,” I said, raising my hands in surrender.

“Puta madre, pendejo, what is your problem?!” Valentina shouted, chest heaving, eyes wild.

“I think that’s my bad,” Molly said, pulling her lips into a tight, apologetic smile. “I should have told you he was coming.”

“You think?!”

“Warning or not, I’m here now. And darlin’, you and I have to talk.”

Valentina rolled her eyes, muttering more Spanish curse words under her breath. Molly whistled through her teeth, shifting her eyes out the window.

“I, uh…I’ll give you two some space,” she said, reaching for her door.

“No, I’ll go,” Valentina said, grabbing my keys and climbing out into the rain, slamming the door closed behind her.

I immediately followed right behind her, exiting the car and closing the distance between us in two strides. It was pouring so hard that we were both soaked in seconds, my gray T-shirt sticking to my skin.

“What could you possibly want?” Valentina asked, crossing her arms and squaring her shoulders at me.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Lightning flashed, and for a brief moment, I could see her expression clearly. Surprise. Pain. Frustration. A hint of anger. And somewhere deep inside there, something softer, more tender.

“No, Duke, in this situation, what you want from me is the one thing that isn’t obvious.”

“I probably deserve that. But goddammit, woman, do you have to make this so hard?”

Her eyes grew wide, and she threw her hands up in the air. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You, Valentina. I’m talking about you.”

She paused, her hands slowly lowering to her sides. “What do you?—”

“I want you, you crazy, sassy woman. More than anything else. I didn’t realize it until you were about to leave my life forever, but I’ve fallen for you, and the last thing I want you to do is leave.”

I paused to take a breath, shoving the wet hair plastered to my forehead out of my face.

“Even if it turns out I’m a father.”

“Duke, I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to make a decision now. Just please, don’t leave yet. I’m meeting with Amber tonight to talk about what’s going on. Don’t throw this away over something that might not even be true.”

She sighed, bringing her hands to her forehead and rubbing her temples. The rain was finally starting to let up, a few small patches of sunlight appearing around us. Further down the highway, the storm raged on, continuing its course through the sky.