Page 54 of His Last Shot

With a low groan, I roll my head back. “Okay, you’re not playing fair. You can’t expect me to be interested in anything you have to say now.”

She shrugs and laughs. What a little tease she is being. I love it.

Holding the card in place with her finger, she slides it over to me. I lift it and examine it.

The logo is of an eight ball with a fork and spoon criss-crossed behind it. The letters J-O-H-N-N-Y-S curve over the top in big, bold black letters. Taunting me.

My name.

My chest tightens. Across the bottom, it reads: Under new ownership. My eyes snap to hers, and she shrugs one shoulder while taking a sip of her wine as if to say, What’s the big deal?

I flip it over to find the address, hours of operation, a phone number, and one more sentence. It reads: Pool lessons offered every Monday and Wednesday evenings. By appointment only.

I lift the card, holding it between my pointer and middle finger. “Rachel, what is this?”

“After Dexter died, we found out he left us the bar. The government seized everything after his death. Except the bar. He was smart enough to put it in a trust for Micah and me. I never knew. Neither did Micah. We were at least grateful to him for that. Maybe he loved us after all.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “I mean, great , but is that what you want? To run the bar? What about nursing?”

“I want nothing to do with the bar. I mean, it will always hold special meaning for me. It brought me you.” She smiles.

My body is doing its own thing at this point because I’m propelled out of my seat, rounding the table, Rachel in my sights.

After that declaration, I need this woman in my arms.

Her eyes widen as she tracks my every movement. “What are you doing?” she asks as I scoop her out of her chair before she registers what’s happening. She squeals. “Johnny! ”

I sit in the chair she was once occupying and gently place her in my lap.

Immediately, her fingers find my hair, stroking the stands as she attempts to adjust the hem of her dress, tugging it down.

My hand playfully slaps hers because … not happening.

“Don’t you dare.” She laughs as my palm splays over the smooth skin of her thigh. “I like this better. You can continue.”

“So dramatic.” I tilt my mouth and smack my lips to hers in the smackiest of kisses. But I love it.

She grins and rolls her lips as she continues. “Anyway, Slick bought out forty percent. He and Micah run it now, with them being majority owners. I wanted to sell my whole share to Slick, but he refused, so ten percent of it is mine.”

This doesn’t surprise me one bit.

She continues. “They took out half of the pool tables and donated them to a couple of homeless shelters, then turned that half of the pool hall into a small restaurant. Micah will run that part as soon as the renovations are done.”

I sweep my hand over her hair, soaking in every word. “Wow. So he will finally run his own restaurant.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty excited.” The thought causes her to smile. “But you want to know the best part?”

I hold my breath, hanging on to her every word.

“We put in a small espresso machine.” With a surge of pride, she lifts her chin, knowing how happy this will make me. “So no more lime club sodas.”

My head dips, the laughter pouring out, vibrating in my chest. “I will have to come and have a cup then.”

“Yes, you will.”

There’s a sudden heavy thickness with unspoken words as I summon the courage to ask my next question, rubbing my thumb along her tan skin. “Rachel, why is my name on that card?”

Her fingers stall in my hair, and she composes herself.

“Micah didn’t want it named after him, and neither did Slick.

So, I suggested your name.” We stare, an invisible string of emotions pulling us.

“My life began in that bar the day I met you. Plus, Micah and Slick want you to offer pool lessons there if you’re willing. But no pressure— ”

“Yes.” The answer spills out of my mouth.

“Yeah?” she asks, perking up.

I nod, then shift her so I can pull out my keys. Her keychain dangles between us. “I can’t believe you got this to me.”

“Micah heard it through some mutual friends that you were offering lessons in your garage. Brandon was an old high school buddy of his.”

The string pulls tighter. “I was floored when he gave this to me.”

She takes the eight ball, pulling it to her eye, squinting, and looking inside.

“I love this picture.” She lowers the keychain, and I place the keys on the table as she continues.

“After this”—her fingers find the star necklace—“I had to do something. Somehow, I needed you to know that I was here. Still loving you.”

“I look at it. All the time.” She smiles and begins slipping, so I tug her tighter against me. “So, how is Brandon?”

“He’s good,” she replies, bobbing her head. “He said that he could tell you loved the game. You taught him a lot. He joined a pool league, and they went to Vegas. He won it for the team.”

Pride fills my heart after hearing this. “I love that. I have been offering lessons in my garage for the last few years now. It started out to keep my mind busy, but eventually, I fell in love with it.”

“Well, now, you can do it with me watching from the sidelines.”

Works for me.

Anticipation builds at the thought. “You don’t say?” She nods. With a tender touch, I pull her closer and press a soft kiss to her shoulder, the whisper of her breath against my ear. “Thank you,” I whisper.

“You’re welcome.”

I continue to pepper kisses, trailing up her neck, breaking only to ask, “We never forgot each other, did we?”

“No, we didn’t,” she replies with a slow exhale, then giggles when I reach the ticklish spot right below her ear, the sound vibrating throughout my whole body .

I stop laughing, anxious to ask the next question. “I know that day in the hospital, you said you were single.” Doubt settles around my heart. “But did you see anyone while—”

“No.” With a jolt, my head whips up, the truth hitting me like a physical blow. Deliberately, her thumb reaches and skates over my bottom lip. “No,” she answers again. “There has only ever been you.”

My fingers sink into the softness of her hair at the back of her head. “Me neither,” I confess.

Not one date, not one lingering thought of s he’s cute . Nothing. It was always only Rachel.

Her eyes darken. “Kiss me,” she commands.

Without hesitation, I obey.

With a gentle pull, I bring her closer, the warmth of her body against mine as our lips meet again in a passionate kiss. On instinct, my hand squeezes her thigh, her flesh soft against my calloused skin, feeling like the silk I remember.

As if I could ever forget.

Reluctantly, I pull back, and our gazes lock. “Want to stargaze with me?”

She bites her lower lip. “Yeah.”

She tries to get off of my lap, but I clamp her in place. “Let me.”

Hooking one arm under her knees and the other around her waist, I stand as she lets out a yelp followed by a giggle.

Having her in my arms again … is far better than I could have imagined. I never realized how much I missed her until this very moment. She wraps her arms around my neck. Hooded eyes meet my intense stare, filled with love and longing as I walk to the bed of my truck.

I place her on the air mattress, and she scoots back and under the blankets.

With a flick of a switch, darkness falls as the lights go out.

I kick off my shoes and snuggle into the bed to join her.

“Come here,” I whisper my plea while pulling her close, feeling the softness of her hair against my cheek as I take her in my arms. She rests her head on my chest, and in one swift motion, she slings her leg over mine.

We lie quietly as I run my fingers over her arm.

Except for our breathing, there is only silence .

It’s peaceful and safe.

Something we haven’t felt in a long time.

Scanning the vast sky above us, she hums. “The stars are so bright tonight. It’s so beautiful.” But I’m not looking at the stars. Instead, I’m mesmerized by the most beautiful woman, a sight that leaves me speechless.

I can’t believe she is mine. Again.

“ You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

She tilts her head, our eyes colliding. “I love you.”

I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. Goosebumps erupt over her arm. “I love you too.”

After that, we do little stargazing. And a lot of kissing.

Besides, we have our whole lives to look at the heavens. Right now, the only person I want to gaze at is her.

Forever. For the rest of my life.

After our non-stargazing, she rises on her elbow, resting her head in her hand, and gives me a concerned look. Her fingers rest on the cotton of my shirt. “I do have one question for you, though. It’s something that has been gnawing away at me for years now.”

“Anything.” I’ll tell this woman whatever she wants to hear as long as we never leave this truck and those goosebumps running up and down her arm as I rub it never leave.

Then, a knowing smirk appears on her face. “So, exactly what happened in Daytona all those years ago?”

Except that.

My huge billowing laugh echoes into the night.

Of course, eventually, I’ll tell her about that night in Daytona.

Because we have our whole lives to tell each other our secrets.

Today, tomorrow, and forever.