Page 130 of Rocky Mountain Devil

Time was passing, and time brought healing. She knew Rafe worried off and on. She figured he would for a long time, but he was happier now. He’d joined her family for dinner a few times, and even gone ice fishing with her dad before the melt set in.

She’d teased him about trying too hard to impress her father. “You don’t have to haul him into the wilderness. Just go out for a coffee or something if you want to talk.”

Rafe had laughed. “You’re right about that. Know what he said when I kept trying to make conversation out on the ice?”

She waited.

“He was polite and all for a bit then finally told me to shut up and fish.”

Laughter came quickly again, returning from wherever it had vanished to for that brief time—or maybe it had never really left. It was a part of them, and always had been. It had just gotten a little dusty for a while, in both their souls.

Laurel was determined to keep joy close to the surface from here on. Close to her heart.

She was already in her car before she noticed the note tucked under the windshield wiper. She popped out and grabbed it, letting her grin break loose at the oh-so-familiar message.

Do you want to build a racetrack?

They were going back in time, and while she wondered what Rafe was up to, she drove slowly to let the happiness soak in hard.

He was where she’d found him nearly ten months earlier, arms stretched on the picnic table, his legs out in front of him. She admired the view as she strolled up, stealing his cowboy hat and plopping it on her head. “Hey, stranger.”

Rafe rose and kissed her. He curled one hand possessively around her to hold them tightly together. Sweet, passionate heat rising.

Her heart was pumping hard when he finally let her go.

“Good day?”

“Great day,” she said. “Want to hear a secret?”

“I’d love to.”

“Someone is transferring to a different church.”

He blinked then grinned. “Okay, for a second I thought you were talking about your parents, and I couldn’t figure out why you were smiling. But this? Great news.”

“Don’t say anything to anyone. I might have been eavesdropping.” Her cheeks instantly heated up. “Fine, I was eavesdropping,” she hurried as he waved a finger in her face. “But it’s still good news.”

Rafe tugged her with him into the playground. “I wish him well, wherever Jeff lands.”

She snorted—couldn’t help it. “So now that he’s leaving he’sJeffagain instead of you calling him Pastor Ass?”

“I’m forgiving that way,” he deadpanned. “Although you have to admit it had kind of a ring to it.”

He dropped to the ground beside the sandbox and Laurel gasped as he pulled her into his lap. “Rafe.”

“Can’t build a racetrack from way up there,” he admonished her. “Oh, look, there’s already one here.”

The sand was pushed into piles and dips, a far fancier setup than they’d managed years earlier. She curled an arm around his neck and leaned forward to admire his work. “You’ve improved your technique. I like the corners—much smoother than I remember.”

He stole a kiss. “I’ve gotten more experience dealing withcurves,” he whispered, his hands brushing over her body.

Hmmm. “Naughty sandbox time. You’re going to get us in trouble, Coleman.”

“I certainly hope so.” He nipped at her lips. “Want to race?”

She ignored the playground and focused on him, straddling his legs and easing her body against him as she offered up a word of thanks there were no kids around. “I don’t have any cars with me.”

“You can share one of mine.”