Prologue
May, 1986
“Cassandra Villalobos.”
The warm breeze blowing across the sun-soaked football field made the tassel dangling from Samson Cutter’s graduation cap tickle against his cheek and chin. Swiping it away impatiently, he craned his head to watch as Cassandra paced to the center of the stage and received her diploma from Divine’s school district superintendent with a congratulatory handshake.
Samson ignored the murmuring behind him, as well as the sight of two administrators whispering behind their hands on stage as they looked at Cassandra and then at him and his brother. He was used to it, and saying anything only seemed to make the situation worse. Divine would likely never forgive and forget what her mother had done and what his father had tried to help her cover up.
Samson saw her biting her lip as she made her way down the steps from the outdoor stage and knew she was uncomfortable with having so many eyes on her. They locked gazes when she scanned the crowd of seniors. Her smile widened and her eyes danced as he and his twin, Ivan, both gave loud celebratory whistles, despite their class having been warned beforehand by the high school principal to demonstrate restraint as the names were called.
His heart pounded with each step that brought them closer to the end of this chapter in their lives, not because he got the girl but because he had to somehow let her go. As she walked past his row, he forced himself to face forward as the final names were called and the principal made her closing remarks.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Class of 1986! Congratulations, graduates!”
Thunderous applause rolled from the stands where Cassie had shouted Samson and his brother on to victory in more football games than he could recall. In response to the cheering cue, the class rose as one and threw their caps high in the air.
In the chaos of scattering bodies, he craned his neck once again, looking for her.
Still beside him, Ivan was doing the same as he unzipped the front of the red gown, revealing his blue jeans, cowboy boots, and white dress shirt and tie underneath. “Do you see her? Wonder which way she went. She wouldn’t leave so fast, would she?”
Samson shook his head. Nothing about this day was ending the way he would’ve liked it to, but he knew enough about her to be certain she wouldn’t just up and leave as soon as it was over. “No, she’s here somewhere.”
Moments later, Cassie practically tackled him from behind. “I found you,” she gasped and then giggled as she brushed the tassel from her lips. Samson wasn’t surprised to see she’d retained her cap, not enough of a free spirit to throw the damned thing in the air thanks to her dad and the men in her family.
“I’d never leave without seeing you first, chiquita,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. She was so gorgeous she took his breath away.
She sniffled, and when he pulled away, he saw the sheen in her eyes forming. “I will miss being called chiquita.” She quickly swiped the tears while he tried to gather his churning thoughts and clear the lump in his throat. Cassie congratulated and hugged Ivan and then kissed his brother’s cheek before turning back to him, her diploma in its thin bookbinder clasped to her chest.
Damn it! Why does it have to be like this?
Letting instinct rule, he gently took her upper arms, not caring if her father was in sight or not, and kissed her full on the mouth, luxuriating in her soft, warm lips, her clean scent, and the delicious essence of her once more, and possibly for the last time. The dull pain in his chest sharpened and spread downward to the heavy ache at his groin as she moaned quietly against his lips and tightened her arms around his neck. Ivan stood by, calling some reply to a passerby but staying right with them.
When Samson released her, the tears welled from her eyes as she whispered, “That felt too much like goodbye.”
He regarded her hands as he clasped them, smiling at the calluses on the tips of her fingers from playing her guitar so much. He blinked the mistiness in his own eyes away before he looked up into her sweet brown gaze. “I know your family is probably out of the stands and looking for you by now, Cassie, but will you promise me something?”
“Sure,” she said in a rough voice as she glanced at his brother and then at him. “Anything.”
He and his brother closed their arms around the girl he loved who had also been their closest friend as she struggled with her emotions, shielding her from the whispering passersby. He wanted so much to give her a reason for the hope shimmering in her eyes, but he couldn’t, not where he was headed. He didn’t know where he’d end up after basic training or whether she could even come with him. That was no way to start a life together. Besides, she had big dreams, and the talent to bring them to life.