Page 79 of Cavern of Silence

He scratches his head and scrunches his face. "Hmm."

Julieta watches him with wide eyes and stifles a laugh.

I take several sips of beer while he figures it out then heckle him. "Come on. It's not a difficult question."

"I'm adding it up."

"Adding it up? Is there a calendar in your head?"

"No. But there was one woman whom I've broken up with seven...no, eight times."

"Eight times," Julieta screeches.

"Let me guess. You are together a month, and then you break up with her. A few months pass, and you get back together. But the next month, bam, you're done again."

He finishes his beer. "Sounds about right. On that note, I'm due for another." He waves his bottle in the air and leaves the room.

"Eight times." Julieta laughs.

"He's so predictable." I pull her on my lap. "Some men don't realize when a special woman is in front of you, you don't let her go."

Her smile falls. "I thinkyou'respecial."

Endorphins rush through my body. "You do?"

She nods and strokes the side of my head. "Yeah. Men should take lessons from you."

My ego soars. "That's the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me."

"It is?"

"Yes." I kiss her. "And I was referring to you when I spoke about special women."

She sets her beer down on the table, straddles me, and grasps my head. "Why is New Zealand on your bucket list? I don't know anything about it."

"It's supposed to have an amazing landscape and culture. New Zealanders are the first to see the sunrise each day. They have the world's least populated country but won more Olympic gold medals per capita than any other country. Oh, and they were the first country to give women the right to vote, so their people sound pretty smart to me."

She grins. "Those are all good reasons."

"What's on your bucket list?"

She frowns. "I don't have one."

"Why not?"

Her face scrunches. And she sits back on my knees. "I... I think I was always focused on Miguel's dreams."

More anger floods me. He's a selfish idiot and never deserved her. "You should create one."

"I wouldn't know how."

"Where are places you've never been you want to see or things you want to do?"

She shakes her head in tiny movements. "I'm not sure. I always focused on Miguel then everything in my life fell apart. I was just trying to hold it together."

I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's not too late. You can still create one."

Hope fills her eyes. "You don't think I'm too old?"