Lucky's Choice(74)

“No.”

“I did, Willa. I rode back on the plane with their bodies and informed the families, watched their hearts break, and knew they would never be the same again.#p#分页标题#e#

“I married Knox and Sunshine. I still see them together that day. Knox was so happy, and Sunshine looked beautiful. A week later, I was telling Knox that she was gone.” A tear slid down his cheek. “I’ll never forget his face. Knox is as big as a mountain, and he fell to his knees, crying. After that, I couldn’t do it anymore.

“I took the Seal training, left being a pastor behind. I didn’t lose my faith in Him, though; I lost faith in myself. I had to learn differently—to take a life instead of saving them. I began to enjoy the adrenaline rush when we were in combat. This way, I was making a difference. I was saving the brothers I served with, giving them a chance to make it another day.

“I became tight with Bridge. We had gone through training together, spent vacations together. I got to know his family. Mine were all gone, but his took me in and made me one of their own. When his younger brother joined, Bridge called and asked me to watch out for him, and I swore I would. I made another promise I couldn’t keep. I promised he would make it home, but he died his second week there.”

“You can’t blame yourself.”

“Yes, I can. I left him behind.”

“You had to have a reason.”

“The reason doesn’t matter. He’s dead, and Bridge wants payback.”

“Payback?”

“He wants me to lose something I love, to feel what it’s like.”

“Is that why you bought Ria when we pretended to be engaged?”

“Yes. I wanted you to be protected when I couldn’t be with you. That’s why I only went out with women who would be able to move on when Bridge grew tired of me waiting to fall in love. He doesn’t know that I found what I was searching for. I found that out when you nearly died, when Ria gave her life for yours.”

“What did you find?”

“I found home. You were what I had been searching for all along. I didn’t want you hurt because of me, yet you almost died. None of us know how long we have on this earth.”

Lucky stood up, coming to sit down next to her with his back to the table. Reaching into the picnic basket, he took out a ring box.

“I love you, Willa. Will you marry me?”

“Am I dreaming? I’m afraid, if I say yes, I’ll wake up.”

Lucky opened the ring box, showing her the large, pink diamond in the rose gold setting that she had fallen in love with all those months ago. The tiny diamonds twinkled up at her in a starburst of color as he slid the ring onto her finger, closing his hand around hers.

“No. This is as real as it gets.” He kissed her with a passion that was able to convince her that her body wasn’t asleep.

“I guess this is my lucky day,” she teased.

He winced at her pun, looking up at the bright blue sky. “I have another question to ask God when you see Him.”

“What?”

“How many times I’ve heard that before.”





Chapter 22



“Bitch, you didn’t just carry those cupcakes in here?” Sex Piston paused while blow-drying a pretty blonde whom Willa once would have been envious of as she set a bright pink box on Sex Piston’s reception desk.

“Is it me or does this box get a brighter shade of pink every time I see one?” Killyama asked, opening the box to take out one of the cupcakes.

“I keep experimenting with the color. I thought you girls could use a treat while Sex Piston does my hair.” Willa smiled.

Killyama stared down at the box as she ate her cupcake. “You chose this shade of pink deliberately? Pink is pink, bitch.”#p#分页标题#e#

The comment didn’t hurt her feelings. She knew she was a little OCD over her boxes. She was in search of the perfect shade of pink; therefore, she ordered a different color each time she ordered boxes.

“Do you know how many shades of pink there are? It’s hard to pick just one.”

“My ass doesn’t need another cupcake!” Crazy Bitch wailed as she teased a woman’s hair.

Willa laughed. “I say that all the time.”

“Give me five, and I’ll be with you,” Sex Piston told her.

“Take your time.” Willa started to take a seat, nearly tripping when she saw Sissy sweeping the floor. The girl had stopped to glare at her.

“What are you doing here? I thought you left with Travis.” Willa started to give the girl a hug then stopped when she saw the reaction on her face.

Killyama took a chair that was near where Sissy was sweeping.