Page 116 of The Right Garza

Ugh. Go to hell, True!

I fling myself at him, hugging him hard. “I love you. I’ll miss you. Call me every day. Please.”

His chuckle is deep and rumbling. “I’m not going off to war, babe.”

With this job, he might as well be. It’s not as safe and easy as he tries to make me believe.

Taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilts my face up until our eyes lock. “I’llalwayscome back to you.”

I nod. Even though I know that’s not a promise he truly can’t keep.

He kisses me swiftly. “Love you more than life, Hellcat.”

“Love you, too,” I whisper back, but he’s already jogging across the lot to the jeep.

I sag against the car and watch as their jeep speeds out of the lot before he is even properly inside.

I miss him already. But I know he will come back to me.

He always does.

Chapter THIRTY-SIX

“It’s like she doesn’t even know you.”

Trent

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, unendingdrip, drip, dripon the head.

One would think that after years of exercising patience at its finest, that small stuff, like waitingtwo daysto open a birthday gift would be a walk in the park.

Not even a little.

Not when it’s fromher.

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.”