Home. I sure liked the sound of that.
EPILOGUE
HAYES
“So I finally get a date with you.” I held Megan’s hand as we walked into the bowling alley. “It only took how many orgasms before you agreed to it?”
“I guess it’s a little backward, isn’t it?” Megan asked as we stood at the high counter. The sounds of pins being knocked down, the electronic sound of an arcade game and a crowded Saturday night surrounded us.
“What size?” the man questioned, setting my rental shoes before me.
“Eight,” she replied.
“Maybe, but I’m enjoying wondering if you’re going to let me kiss you on your front porch at the end of the night.”
She rolled her eyes, but the smile that turned up the corners of her mouth was just what I was hoping for.
“Go pick out your ball, and I’ll grab your shoes.”
She nodded and went to the tiered rack to select the perfect weight from the options.
I snagged her rental shoes from the man and met her gaze. I pointed to lane twelve and headed that way. As I slid the velcro in place on my bowling shoes–yup, velcro–she set her ball in the ball return area. I went to the score computer and entered my name, Raf, and hers, BD.
“BD?” she asked, looking confused at the display up by the ceiling.
I grinned, then closed the few feet between us, leaned down and kissed her.
“Couldn’t wait until later.”
Her eyes went soft, and she was still smiling. Seeing her happy made my fucking day. It used to be that we took out a group of insurgents, or some missionaries were safely rescued. Now, my woman was content being with me in a bowling alley.
“BD?” she asked again.
“Baby doll.”
I turned and grabbed a ball from the rack, felt its heft, then stepped up onto the lane. Raising the ball, I eyed the ten pins and took the steps and swung. The hefty ball thumped on the lane and careened toward the pins, taking them all out.
I spun around, grinning. I raised a pointed finger to my mouth and blew on it, pretending it was a gun.
Megan, in her simple jeans and green long-sleeved top that was more than modest but didn’t hide any of her curves, grabbed her ball and stepped past me to take her turn.
“Hey, Deputy!”
A faceless voice called for her, and Megan turned toward it, waved with her free hand, then focused back on her objective. Before she bowled, she turned and faced me.
“Want to make this game a little more interesting?” she asked.
I was about to sit down but got close to her instead. “What did you have in mind? Strip bowling?”
She laughed and looked around. Almost every lane was taken with weekend bowling leagues, teenagers and families with small kids.
“Winner decides what we do next,” she said.
My dirty mind went to all kinds of possibilities involving me bossing Megan around in bed. Not the best thoughts for keeping my dick down in front of half the town.
“You’re on.”
“Don’t you wonder if I’m good at this? I mean, when I win, I might pick getting ice cream at the Sweet Cow stand.”
It was a stand only open in the summer and was always packed.
“Baby doll, you win, I win, you’ll be licking something. Or I will, and you know I love all that cream.”
She flushed and smacked my arm. “Your mind is filthy.”
I grinned. “Take your turn, baby doll. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
I wasn’t talking about the round of bowling either. I didn’t know what the future would bring, but it wouldn’t be boring. Not with Megan.
I went and sat down in front of the computer to watch my woman step three times, swing and send her ball down the center of the lane. Just like a pro.
I figured. There was nothing this woman didn’t do well. She was a top-notch deputy. A world-class cat burglar. A thief who stole my heart.
She could have it. It was always meant for her, and I never wanted it back.