Starlight Cowboy

by Stephanie Beck

  He settled a tray over the tub and covered it with towels. Annalina wiped her hands. “I’m going to destroy these. What do you want me to call you, because you really are the best whatever in the whole universe?”

  He pulled up a stool and sat beside her. Since the raid, he’d showered and changed into a comfortable civilian outfit. He’d gotten a haircut, close shave, and wore a blue shirt the exact color of his eyes. Civilization looked good on him.

  “I’ve got this idea.” He opened the boxes of golden pretzels sparkling with Martian salt crystals and pots of cheese, jams, and chutney. “I got water too, just a second. Try the orange sauce first. You’re going to like it.”

  She dipped the hot bread. “I’m so happy I can eat this. The mere idea of being sick right now makes me want to cry. And I’ve cried so much today I deserve an acting award. What’s your idea?”

  She popped the bite into her mouth and moaned. “This is the kind of thing that prompts undying love and devotion.”

  “Well, hell. I wonder what this’ll do?” He set another box on the tray, this one already open and not holding food.

  She swallowed the bite before she’d chewed enough and had to suck down water to dislodge it.

  “Don’t choke,” Shields said.

  “I’m fine.” She wiped her mouth and leaned closer to the box, though didn’t dare touch it. “What is this, Shields?”

  “I’m not going to be your boyfriend—saying that felt ridiculous. I want…I want us to be more. We’re already more.”

  Her heart raced, and yet…this made total sense. In the world of Shields…in the mind of Shields—in his heart.

  “Why?” She had to know before she made any decision. They were on terra firma, but had spent over a year together without mention of marriage. She wasn’t going to make any big steps if his only reason was “because.”

  He picked up the ring. “This thing was expensive, and I didn’t go into the store intending to get it. I was going for flowers—shockingly more expensive than even the jewels. Anyway, I was going to buy you some stupid flowers because you hadn’t seen any in a while. It seemed like a good boyfriend move.”

  “Flowers would have been situationally appropriate,” she agreed. The ring sparkled, the stone bright blue like Shields’ eyes.

  “And we both know how appropriate I am.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I had the flowers in one hand, the ring in the other. I think we’re past the flowers…only going forward from here. You know what I mean?”

  She did. Sort of. Part of her wanted to jump hard and fast. What would marriage mean? Could matrimony be any more intense than the last year? Could she imagine her next year without him?

  “I want you to marry me because it’s where I see us going. It’s the only place I want to be.” He rolled the ring between his fingers. “I see myself loving you the rest of my life, and I think this is a good start. And now you talk because I can’t guarantee I won’t start rambling about stupid crap. No one wants that.”

  She plucked the ring from his grip. “You’re right. No one wants rambling. This means everything to me. It means—what is that? Do you see the light next to the mirror?”

  “It’s a fucking ring, Annalina. Sign of commitment and—”

  She pressed her hand to his chest. The natural light had taken some getting used to, but she didn’t think her eyes were playing tricks on her. She blinked, and across the room circles of sunshine continued to glint off something out of place.

  “The light,” she whispered. “Get help.”

  “Fuck that.” Shields jumped to his feet. “We see you. Get out here and face us.”

  Shields picked up a heavy basket and chucked it toward the circle of light. Annalina pushed out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. It didn’t give her much, but it was better than being naked in mud. She grabbed another basket and tossed the towels out, ready to use it however she needed to. “Amy?”

  The bubbly blond she’d attended final classes with stepped out in one of the hotel’s beige uniforms. She held an electric blaster in her hands, a frown on her face.

  “I was trying to give you two your privacy,” Amy said. “Though, Shields was ruining the moment. Surprise, surprise. What do you see in him? He’s worthless.”

  Shields took a small step toward Annalina. She wished he’d go toward the call button instead. She’d thought the traitor was Anderson. Being wrong had never presented such consequences.

  “How do you know James?” Annalina asked.

  Shields froze and looked toward her, eyes wide. He didn’t see it. His innocence in all of this made her want to protect him more. Shields wanted to live a good, simple life. She wanted that with him.

  “He hired me years ago. Friend of the family, you know.” Amy stepped closer. “I was supposed to keep Shields from the Jup moon, but didn’t quite manage.”

  “Leave this one unfinished,” Annalina said. “Leave it and walk away. If you hurt Shields, it’s for nothing.”

  “That’s the kicker.” Amy pointed the blaster at Annalina’s chest. “It’s you who pisses me off in all of this. He’s a puppet. You’re pulling his strings. If not for you, he’d be dead three times over. Interfering bitch—”

  Annalina threw the basket at Amy’s face, interrupting her monolog. The second the basket flew, Annalina hefted a bucket of mud and threw it as well. Amy recovered quickly, but not before Shields tackled her. Annalina ran for the door, shouting for help. The hotel was still crawling with police and in an instant, uniformed officers had Amy—muddy and screaming—restrained and on her way to join James.

  “Captain, are you expecting any more trouble?” one of the officers asked her. “We can assign you two a detail. Yeah, I’m assigning you a detail. I don’t want to worry about this.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to assure the officer they were fine, but Shields pushed to his feet, only to slip into the mud.

  “Thanks, officer. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

  “Yeah, looks like you two can use all the help you can get.” His eyebrow rose. “When do you leave again?”

  “As soon as our ship is space worthy, we’ll be on our way to Earth.”

  “I know a guy. I’ll get him on it.” The officer strode away.

  Annalina couldn’t blame him. She and Shields were nothing but trouble. She picked her way to her lover, her boyfriend, her man.

  “Don’t offer me a hand. I’ll pull you down and you’ll get hurt. I’m going to crawl to our room and shower this muck off of me. You should join me. I’m sick of this intrigue nonsense. I suck at it and it’s going to get me killed. For the love of God, watch my back.”

  “I do wonder how you’ve managed to survive this long.” She searched the tray he’d brought. The pretzels were destroyed, but more importantly… “The ring.”

  “Huh?” He looked up. “Yeah, my ears are ringing a little from when I tackled Amy.”

  “No, the ring. I was holding it when Amy came out. It’s gone.”

  Her stomach sank. She wanted to wear the ring with the jewel the same tone as his eyes. Her damn need for detail bit her in the ass again. If she’d gone with the classic excited response and taken Shields at face value she’d have had it on her finger. Now it was gone. Her nose burned, the tears real this time.

  “Shit. We’ll find it. Don’t worry.” He continued crawling toward the door. “For curiosity’s sake, what were you going to say to my question?”

  “Which one? Hell, where did it go? Please, find it.”

  “Are you going to marry me?” he asked.

  “Well, of course. Would I be this stressed over a ring I didn’t want?”

  She dug through the mud, but there were gallons of the stuff. There was no way they would find it. What if it had fallen into the filtering tub? It could be gone. Fish food. Dirty fish food. Because she was stubborn.

  “I’m so sorry, Shields. I should have said yes and not made you say anything else. I know how you feel, an
d I know your heart. I thought I needed more, but I don’t. I love you. You love me more than I deserve, and now I messed up the most thoughtful proposal of all time.”

  Shields’ strong arms wrapped around her middle and turned her around. He kissed her before she could finish apologizing—his strong, soft lips gentling hers open. His tongue slipped between hers, stealing away her worries. Shields massaged her back. Even when he pulled away, smiling, his hands continued their light work.

  “Yes, huh? That’s all I needed to hear. And don’t worry about the questions. This has been a fast, weird year, and I want you to feel good about me and our future.”

  She ran her fingers through his muddy hair. “You’re so wise.”

  “Nope, not at all. But I’ve had a hell of a teacher in the School of Annalina. There’s no way we’ll find the ring in this mud, but I bet the staff can. Let’s get to our room, clean up, and start our honeymoon.”

  He led her toward the bedroom, tiptoeing through the mud.

  “You know, honeymoons usually happen after the wedding,” she pointed out through the haze of adrenaline and now unbelievable love and affection.

  He glanced over his shoulder, blue eyes sparkling. “What will starting early hurt?”

  “Not a thing.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Six months later

  The ink was still drying on the new contract, but Shields couldn’t wait to get home. He ran, feet pounding the pavement. Gravity…he loved the stuff sometimes. Florida had been made for pleasant outdoor activity, and since being back on Earth, Shields took full advantage of the nice weather.

  Living on the air base made sense since Annalina’s home was there and established. His much-larger home in Colorado would be there when they needed a break, or were no longer affiliated with the military. And that day was coming.

  “Afternoon, Shields,” one of the neighbors called.

  He waved but kept running. If he’d timed it right, and he knew he had, Annalina would be walking through the front gate with Kale. Hopefully, the little guy would already have a fresh diaper, and it would be time for a bottle. Feeding his piglet son ranked right up there with captaining an airship.

  They’d arrived in time for Annalina to give birth. He’d tried to get her to stay on Mars for the duration of her pregnancy, but she’d refused to have a Martian baby. They’d arrived two weeks before Kale—nine pounds of screaming baby boy—joined them in the big wide world of Earth. They still hadn’t gotten around to their vows, but the package in his pocket would put them on track to finishing what they’d started in deep space.

  He jumped the tiny white fence around Annalina’s house. The feminine space personified the Annalina he loved. She might claim to have a practical heart, but her affection for feminine and sweet showed in unexpected ways. The fence, the polka dots on the welcome mat, tiny tea roses in the flowerbeds—all sweet. When they found their next place to live, it would be both of theirs. And Kale’s. And whoever else came about in the future.

  He grabbed a tulip from the flowerbed before he pushed open the door to hear the sounds of Annalina cooing at Kale in the living room. Shields eased the door shut behind him. She most likely had heard him come in, but she hadn’t stopped talking to the baby.

  “We’re going to make a yummy supper with Daddy. And then you’re going to have a bath. And then you’re going to Grandma’s house for three whole hours. During which you are permitted to cry, fuss, and soil as many diapers as you want since your Auntie Karen is going to be there to help. Her firstborn cried his entire first year while I still lived at home, studying for finals. I feel a few hours of payback are appropriate.”

  Shields leaned against the doorframe, watching the loves of his life in the late afternoon sunshine. Light filtered through the sheer curtains, leaving circles from the pattern all over Annalina. She wore black, still in her work clothes, but the pattern made the plain clothes playful and fun—just like her. She might not have considered herself those things, but he saw her heart. There wasn’t a more loving woman on any planet in any solar system. Hadn’t she seen what was beneath the surface on him and loved him?

  “And look who is here.” Annalina stood with Kale—down to his diaper—in her arms. “Is that Dad? What’s he doing, hiding while Mom is fussing with diaper business?”

  “Enjoying the view.” He took in his son, the spitting image of Annalina with dark fuzzy hair and caramel skin. The Albright showed in his eyes, though, twin cobalt stones glowing with joy. He’d do everything in his power to keep his kid this carefree and excited for the world. “Hey, babe. I got something in my pocket for you.”

  Annalina rolled her eyes. “Like I haven’t heard that one before. My mom is picking Kale up in about an hour, so the two of us can meet with your lawyer. Still work for you?”

  “Nope.” He cuddled Kale to his shoulder and, with his free hand, pulled Annalina close. “Because instead of dealing with Walter, you and I will be going out to celebrate the deal I closed this afternoon.”

  “What? No way.”

  “Yes, way. Walter called this morning. The sellers dropped their price to what we were going to offer, and I swooped. You’re looking at the new co-owner of Shipping and Freight-Global Currier. You’re going to have to sign away your life tonight. I have the papers on the table. Now, would you get the box out of my pocket? It’s digging into my—”

  “You’re the holding the baby,” she snapped, but it lacked real heat. She reached into his pocket and pulled out the cardboard box he’d found in his mailbox. “What’s this?”

  She tore it open and plopped on the sofa. “Oh, I’d thought it was lost forever. It’s as beautiful as I remember. How did you find it?”

  He’d paid a shit-ton of money to the smarmy manager of the spa on Mars, that’s how. “Staff found it when they were cleaning and sent it this way. Classy, right?”

  “I never wore it,” she said, her excitement replaced with something much quieter.

  Shields set Kale down in his playpen; the little guy flipped to his stomach and attacked a stuffed rocket. He patted his son’s back and then sat beside Annalina.

  “You can now. If it fits. It might not. We can take it to the jeweler, or if you want something else, there are a lot more options down—”

  “Shhh.” She handed him the ring. “Will you put it on me like we’re not already living together with a baby and making long-term plans of being business partners?”

  Their whole relationship had been built on practicality. Their bodies had wanted each other before their hearts had been involved. Even after they were both all in…they were practical people. But he’d discovered his one, true weakness before Kale was born.

  Shields hit his knees. Annalina’s eyes widened, and the apples of her cheeks pinked.

  “Annalina, I never imagined a life like this. A life where I run home every day after work to be with my best friend. I’m excited for the future in a way I’ve never experienced, and it’s because I have someone to watch out for me and I have someone—a couple of someones—I can watch out for. I want to spend the rest of my days adventuring with you. Will you marry me?”

  Her lips quivered. This Annalina—the one who loved him and their son— had a heart much softer than she’d ever let show in the past. It bothered her, he knew, but it was an honor she let her heart shine through for him.

  “I would love to.” She ran her fingers through his hair once, but pulled away, offering her left hand. “As soon as we can. Something wonderful.”

  “You got it, babe.” He slipped the ring up her finger, past the knuckles. “It’s a little big.”

  She made a fist. “Then I’ll get it sized, just not today.”

  She threw her arms around his shoulders. Shields stood, spinning in a circle with her in his arms. The sunlight shone in even stronger than before, giving light to what mattered.

  Shadows could kiss his ass.

  He was living in the sunshine.

  Epilo
gue

  Nicodemus licked his finger and pried at the velum again. The pages stuck toward the end. Didn’t they always? Sometimes the future didn’t want to show itself. He pulled the pages apart, gentle as not to destroy the hard work of so many years.

  A rocket soared across the starry sky, drawn in crayon. Portholes showed four little faces of increasing age—two boys, two girls—all with blue eyes and hair the color of the finest caramel and chocolates combined. They watched the stars and planets pass by.

  At the front of the ship, two more faces. Instead of in their respective chairs, one sat on the other’s lap, their arms encircled. A giant red heart framed them in, blurring the word “gross” scrawled across it in green crayon.

  A masterpiece of many artists? Perhaps.

  In the distance, the sun’s rays pulsed, bringing light, new and old, to the family aboard the ship. Light to show the way to grand adventures and a perfect day.

  And they all lived happily ever after.

  ~A Letter from Stephanie Beck~

  When Decadent Publishing announced the call for Beyond Fairytales, I jumped right on. What a fun idea—taking an established Grimm’s fairytale and giving it a spin. I had princesses in mind, because I have little kids and princesses tend to be the focus of our fairytale reading. When I got “The Sun Brings it to Light” the challenge was thrown down right at my feet. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to think about a story. The original tale is a mi x of just desserts and redemption. I did my best to combine the two with Annalina and Shields—my leading couple in Starlight Cowboy. I am so in love with both characters. Shields is so earnest in his shortcomings. In some ways I feel he’s almost an anti-hero. Annalina made me laugh so often in our time together. I was right there the whole time, with my pompoms, cheering them on. I’m a firm believer in ‘happily ever after’ and finding one for two of my very favorite characters became a mission I was thrilled to take on. If you’d like to email and find out more about Starlight Cowboy, or any of my books, please email me at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com . Happy Reading!