Patrick’s conviction healed the wounds in her heart and his words reminded her of the promise she had received only days before. “Someone else I love very much told me almost the same thing just a couple of days ago.”
“Oh yeah?” He refused to be jealous, again. He had no reason to be.&nsp Instead he cuddled her close and kissed the spot she was so worried about again. If kisses could heal, it would soon be gone. “And who would that be?”
“My mom.”
He stepped back. “Really? Was she alive or . . . .?”
Patrick knew her well. “She’s in heaven.” Of that, Savannah was certain.
“I think I need to hear this story.”
“You will,” she promised, “and I can’t wait to tell you about Felix, too.” Rubbing her hand across his broad strong chest, she whispered. “I looked for you, you know. I searched and called and begged for you to hear me. I wanted you to know that I hadn’t forgotten you.”
“I heard you, Savannah. In my dreams, I heard you calling me.”
“You’re my miracle, Patrick.” She hugged him close.
“And you’re my Destiny.”
*****
They sat in the doctor’s office holding hands – and waiting.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he assured her. “It’s going to be something simple and very treatable – like psoriasis.”
Savannah laughed. “Psoriasis? The heartbreak of psoriasis? That sounds awful. It could be cancer. I’ve thought of that.”
“Hush,” he kissed her lips. “Don’t even say that out loud.”
“Cancer is a respectable disease,” she explained softly.
“There’s nothing respectable about anything that could cause you one minute’s pain – not to me.”
About that time, the doctor returned. “Well, Miss Doucet, it seems like you had a little visitor in your bed, maybe. You’ve been bitten by a spider. Nothing dangerous, a little ointment and you’ll be right as rain.”
Savannah almost collapsed from relief. Patrick squeezed her hand and said, “Let’s go home. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”
*****
“Elope? Are you sure you are okay with eloping?” She was packing fast. “What about your friends?”
“We’ll have a party for them later. I don’t want to wait another day to be your husband.” Most of his stuff was still packed, so he was trying to help her.
Savannah wanted to laugh at him, but he was so sincere. He was in her underwear drawer, just digging. Panties and bras were flying through the air and she was catching them one after the other. “We have to get a marriage license and the waiting time is like seventy-two hours, I think.”
“Not if you get special permission from the Justice of the Peace.” He sounded very sure of himself – like always. But he stopped mid undie-toss and stared at her. “Do you want a traditional wedding? Do you want to get married in a church with the girls as bridesmaids?” He put his hand on his hips and looked disgusted with himself. “Of course you want a real wedding – you’re a girl.”
“No,” she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want to be your wife more than anything. But I do have a request.”
Patrick pulled her in front of him so he could look her in the face. “Name it – it’s yours.”
Savannah smiled and his heart thumped in his chest.
“Can we go to Galveston for our honeymoon? While you were gone, I would go there in my mind with you. We could rent a beach cabin and make love while the tide roars outside.”
“Make the reservations and I’ll load the car and alert our witnesses where to meet us.”
“Witnesses?” It was a good thing that Patrick was in charge; she was too excited to think straight.
“Yes, I want this marriage ceremony to be legal, binding, permanent and short. The sooner I get my ring on your finger, the better.”
Stepping closer, she embraced the big Marine. “I never took your ring off, Baby.”
“I know, but I have another one to add to it – or I will have as soon as my best man arrives. I picked it out when I bought your engagement ring, but I never got a chance to go back and get it. Revel picked it up for me.”
“God, I love you. I can’t believe I’m holding you again.”
“I’ll hold you as long as you want to be held.”
“Do we have time for a kiss? I need one. Everything has happened so fast and we’ve made love, but I need to kiss you.”
He knew exactly what she meant, but he lived for her smile. “And where would you like this kiss to be?”
“My mouth is lonely.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” As she gazed at him, she saw his eyes darken with passion.
“During my time in The Pit, you’ll never know how many hours I kissed you in my heart, Savannah. I would close my eyes and leave that hell-hole I was in and lose myself in your arms. I would kiss you till I ached with longing for it to be real.”
“Show me.”
“Come up here to me.”
He cupped her bottom and lifted her and she wrapped her legs and arms around him. He was hers.
Then he kissed her like he’d been dreaming of.
He kissed her like she had never been kissed before. Soft kisses, rubbing, tasting – then they turned hot and deep – and all of the pent-up desperation and days of starving for her touch poured out into the melding of their mouths.
And she accepted his passion and returned it with such fervor that he had no doubt she had missed him and ached for him every single second he was gone.
Savannah dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on to him with everything she had. Patrick was making love with her – it wasn’t just a kiss, it was a commitment.
When they drew
