by Twyla Turner
“Come in,” he called from the other side.
“Hey, Mark.” Val said as she opened the door. She took a deep breath and pressed on. “I finished up that pile and I’m about to head out.”
“You’re a rock star, Val. You have a great weekend, you’ve earned it. And I’ll see you on Monday.” Mark said without even looking up from his computer.
“About that, Mark. I won’t be back on Monday. I quit.”
That got his attention.
“What?!?” He shouted as he shot up from his desk. “You can’t quit and with no notice!”
“Actually, I can. I mean, it’s not good business etiquette, I know. But neither is refusing to give your administrative assistant the title of executive assistant with a raise to match, when she does the work of an executive assistant. Not to mention sending her out to attend a meeting you were supposed to go to, but didn’t because of Valentine’s Day plans you could’ve postponed until the weekend, only for her to nearly die in a flash flood and lose the car she loved and paid for out of her hard earned crappy salary and not paying her for the inconvenience that she suffered.” Val finished her tirade.
Mark stood their stunned into silence. There wasn’t much he could say as a rebuttal, considering everything she’d said was hundred percent true.
“Thank you for ten years of valuable experience on how to run a business. For that, I will always appreciate you. But it is time for me to move on. I have no growth here and I have too much to give to waste it all here on you. I hope you find a great replacement and I hope you treat him or her better. Bye, Mark.”
Val closed his door as his jaw flapped opened and closed. She took a relieved breath and felt the weight lift off of her shoulders. She grabbed her purse and box on her way to the door.
Phase One of Operation Get Val’s Life Back was completed.
“Now, on to Phase Two.”
Chapter 10
Bo worked his fingers to the bone on Friday when Val left, just to keep his mind off of her. It didn’t work, but he’d tried. He figured, that at least if it didn’t get his mind off of her, he surely was able to relieve some stress. If wood could think, the wood he’d chopped probably thought he had anger management issues, as aggressively as he’d attacked that pile of fire wood.
Even though he’d tired himself out, that night he could barely eat the leftover steak he had. Sleep had alluded him too. He’d tossed and turned for hours, until he finally got up, got dressed, and visited with his horses in the stables. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any answers for him either.
He’d never felt so helpless.
There was literally nothing he could do to make her come back if she didn’t want to come back. He didn’t know her address or her number to find her, but he’d find her anyway if he knew it would make a bit of difference. He’d drive around all of San Antonio until he found her, even if it took ten or twenty years. But that still didn’t change the fact that she didn’t want to be there with him.
When he’d left the note and sweatshirt on the bed as she slept, all he wanted to do was crawl in next to her and hold onto her until she decided to stay. It had damn near ripped his heart out when she’d looked back at him and then got in that car anyway. He had envisioned a hundred times, her dropping that purse, shutting that door, and running to him, telling him that she’d changed her mind.
He knew fantasizing about it wasn’t going to make it happen. So on Saturday, he pushed on and worked just as hard again. Luckily for him, ranchers didn’t get a day off. There was always something to do to fill the time.
On Sunday, Bo decided to take King out for a ride. It had been a while. He’d wanted to go for a ride with Val, but that hadn’t happened. He shook his head to clear it of thoughts of her.
“Dammit, Bo! You gotta get over her,” he shouted to the wind.
King’s ears turned, trying to listen to him. Bo leaned forward and patted him on the neck. He tapped King’s flanks with his heels and the horse took off. A gallop around his property usually picked Bo up from whatever was bothering him.
The wind blowing by. The strong animal flexing its muscles beneath him. The way it made him feel free.
None of it helped this time.
Frustrated, Bo pulled on the reins and decided to turn back. As his house came into view, a large moving truck was pulling up the long driveway.
That feeling he’d been searching for moments before burst through his chest and lit him up like fireworks from within.
Bo’s heart pounded as he pushed King into another gallop. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but they were already there. He slowed King down to a trot as they approached the driveway. The truck pulled to a stop and the door opened.
The love of his life hopped down from the truck, dressed in jeans, sneakers, and his sweatshirt. She’d never looked more beautiful.
Val watched him as he trotted up to her on top of King. He pulled the reins, swung his leg over, and hopped down before King could even fully stop.
Bo approached her slowly, as if she’d disappear like a mirage if he moved too fast.
“I swear, you riding up on a stallion like that is straight out of a romance novel or something.” Val smiled up at him.
“What are you doing here?” Bo asked cautiously.
He didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Though there weren’t too many other conclusions that could be drawn from a moving truck sitting out front of his house. But he still wanted to hear it straight from her mouth.
“I changed my mind…if that’s okay.” Val said slowly, her voice filled with worry. “You were right. I didn’t have a life. But I want one now. And I want it with you.”
Bo ran the last few steps towards her, wrapped her up in his arms, and lifted her off of the ground. He kissed her hard and with as much emotion as he could muster. Val clasped either side of his face and kissed him back equally happy. He felt wetness on his face and opened his eyes. Tears streamed down Val’s face and she laughed brightly.
“I love you, Valentine Hart.”
Her eyes brimmed even further with tears as she gave him wet kisses all over his face.
“I love you, too, Bo Montgomery.”
Bo’s heart expanded to twice its size and he grinned like a fool against her soft mouth. His tongue flicked her lips and she opened up for him without hesitation. He deepened the kiss and she melted into him.
King reared up on his hind legs and kicked out his front legs in excitement. Val broke their kiss and pulled back in surprise.
“Did that really just happen?” Val looked at the horse and then back at Bo. “All I need is a corset and some petticoats. And you a cowboy hat and spurs and that could’ve been the cover of a western romance bodice ripper.”
“Hey, he’s a smart horse. He knows a good thing when he sees it,” he grinned down at her as he put her back on her feet and took her hand.
“So you’re sure you’re happy I’m here?” Val asked curiously.
“You have no idea. I was ready to come find you and steal you away like a bandit in the night.”
He guided her towards the stables with King following behind. Bo had planned on removing King’s saddle and bridle to let him out to graze with the rest of the horse, but got distracted as he glanced over at the stall filled with fresh hay.
Bo pulled Val into his arms and kissed her so deeply that both their bodies responded.
“How about another roll in the hay?”
“Absolutely.”
“I want lots of babies,” Bo informed her.
“Isn’t it a little late in my life to start having a bunch of babies? I’m not in my twenties, you know.”
“Then we can adopt. We can adopt a kid of every race.” Bo kissed her, obviously excited about his plan.
“A United Nations of babies?”
“We’ve got the space.”
“Let’s do it. But first, let’s try to make one of our own.”
Val grinned and backed up to the
stall. She reached for his shirt, gripped the material in her hands, and pulled him in. Bo stumbled in after her and they fell into the hay wrapped in each other’s arms.
~~~
Val sighed contentedly as she laid across Bo’s naked body. He leisurely picked hay out of her hair and she could only imagine what Sam would say about messing up her hair again. She figured she’d be back in a week or two anyway to bring Bo to meet her family. Sam could just hook her up then.
Packing up her life had been a lot easier than she’d anticipated. Her friends and family a lot more easygoing than she’d originally thought. Her happiness more important to them than she’d ever realized. In the end, they’d given her the strength to take what she wanted.
She still couldn’t believe that the worst day of her life, that ended in an epic rescue would turn out to be the greatest day of her life. The day that her Valentine’s curse was finally broken.
Maybe love really does conquer all…
The End
If you enjoyed Val and Bo’s story, please leave a review at the online retailer where you purchased The Rescue. Just a few words are always appreciated.
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Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my ever vigilante beta-readers Nadia and Cosalyn. My loyal readership, who keep me going and remind me why I write. My parents for all of their support and encouragement, even when I drive them crazy. And my comrades in arms, the amazing group of authors I have befriended over the past couple of years. You ladies are what keep me sane because you know the struggle.
I love all of you to the moon and back!
About the Author
Twyla Turner currently resides in Arizona. She was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, a Midwest girl at heart, though constantly moving from place to place, and always thinking of where she wants to go next. Having been an avid romance novel reader since junior high and minoring in Creative Writing. She felt that it was finally time to start combining her love of travel and writing, as well as her life experiences and putting them down on “paper”. Which experiences, she’ll never tell…well maybe, if you ask nicely.
Other Books by Twyla Turner
The Struck Series:
Star-Struck
Awe-Struck
Damaged Souls:
Scarred
Open Wounds
Healed
THR3E
Love in the Wild
Curvy Ever After:
Forbidden Curvy Girl Fairy Tales
Chasing Day Series:
Chasing Day
Catching Day
Empyrean:
Return of the Fire Faery
The Curvy Girls Club:
The Red Scot
Connect with Author
Website:
www.twylaturner11.wix.com/novelswithcurves
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