Clean Romance: Loves of Tomorrow (Contemporary New Adult and College Amish Western Culture Romance) (Urban Power of Love Billionaire Western Collection Time Travel Short Stories)

by Unknown

  “Hey Jose, I’m going to need to make some changes to the sails now that the wind has changed,” Randy said, trying to maintain his easy going character.

  “Go ahead Dude, do your thing, sail this mother!” Jose said, trying to maintain his “good guy” demeanor while Juan sat looking imposing.

  “Douse the jib and take the helm.” Randy yelled to Lindsey, over the roar of the wind, rain, and thunder.

  Lowering the jib sail would slow the boat down in the high winds. And giving Lindsey the helm meant that she could steer, but Randy would really be controlling the boat since he had control of the large, mainsail.

  Randy explained to Jose how their situation had just become dangerous because of the weather. He asked Jose and Juan to sit in the center of the cockpit and to stay out of their way if they didn’t want to drown.

  He also wanted to give Jake or whoever, a better shot at two fixed targets. Realizing that Jake couldn’t keep his drone airborne in the high wind, Randy knew that he was going to have to save himself and Lindsey if he couldn’t get the boat back to Jake’s position on the mountain at Oberlin pass.

  Randy began calling out commands to Lindsey. Although she was in the Captain’s position, her lack of experience meant that he needed to lead the boat from the mainsail position. “Prepare to tack—tack,” Jake yelled, again and again as they moved down the lake to Jose’s ride. Then, he and Lindsey raced across to the high-side of the boat repeatedly.

  Back and forth they moved across the boat in sort of a frantic dance that Jose and Juan first found amazing, then mind-numbingly boring, and began to ignore their movements. Lindsey had a feeling what Jake might be planning to do, so when she saw a large wave she steered right for it.

  Everyone in the boat popped up out of their seat when the little J/22 crested the wave. At that moment Jake saw his opportunity and swung the boom wildly across the boat, making sure to duck.

  With Lindsey already beyond the booms reach, at her position on the tiller, the heavy, metal bar that holds up the foot of the mainsail swung hard, carried by the wind and pitch of the boat, then “wham”, the boom cracked against the heads of Jose and Juan.

  Jose was knocked overboard and into the raging lake. Juan was unconscious and bleeding in the cockpit.

  Randy cleated the mainsail and used the jib halyard to hog-tie Juan, while yelling to Lindsey to tack back to where Jose fell out of the boat.

  After securing Juan in the cockpit, Randy got back on the mainsail and helped Lindsey to tack back to Jose’s guesstimated position. They scanned the water and didn’t see any sign of Jose and were about to give up looking when they saw his lifeless body wedged against a piece of driftwood.

  Lindsey managed to get close enough for Randy to pull Jose into the boat by his belt. After a few hard slaps on the back, Jose coughed up water and began gasping for air.

  Without mercy for his near drowning, Randy hog-tied Jose and threw him into the cabin. He wanted to separate Jose from Juan to keep them from conspiring or untying each other’s ropes.

  The Sherriff, Agents, and Jake were surprised when radio silence was broken and Randy gave them a sitrep on the boat’s status. Lindsey and Randy sailed back to Jake’s position, secured the boat as best as they could, and traveled back to the sailing school by SUV, with the DEA.

  “Hold up a minute.” DEA Agent, McFadden moved in closer to take a good look at Juan before he was put into the transport vehicle.

  “Hey, I know this guy!” The look of recognition and the act of recalling a nearly forgotten memory flashed across McFadden’s face.

  “Okay, that clown over there, pointing to Jose, “He ain’t even Mexican. I bet you he’s Puerto Rican, but American born. This guy right here”, pointing to Juan, “he’s with La Familia.”

  If they sent him across the border they were trying to take somebody or some people out.

  “Are you sure about that McFadden?” The Sherriff asked.

  “He’s an assassin, he used to be tight with Nazario Moreno—El Mas Loco (The Craziest), before the Mexican Marines killed him. Yeah, we’re gonna have fun talking to you Mano Rojo (Red Hand),” McFadden said, using Juan’s cartel name.

  Randy and Lindsey sat in the back seat of a black, DEA, SUV. They were wrapped in aluminized, Kapton, warming blankets, holding hands, with minds racing.

  Arriving at the sailing center they both couldn’t wait for a moment alone. They were finally placed in a cold conference room and handed hot cups of coffee to warm up.

  As soon as the doors closed, Randy took Lindsey into his arms and they both began to release the fear and relief that was pent up in their bodies.

  Lindsey began to cry and freak out a little, saying over and over, “we survived, we survived!”

  “Yes, we’re okay, you’re okay Lindsey. We made it.” Randy said as he frantically kissed her forehead, nose, cheeks and then lips. Lindsey melted into the long kiss.

  “I’ve got you,” Randy said. “I’ve got you and I’m never letting go, so ditch that sailor. Tell him you have a soldier now, and this soldier’s holding on to you forever.”

  Randy smiled and kissed Lindsey hungrily as he spoke. An elated Lindsey felt the same way. She knew in that instant that she found the man she was looking for, just as Randy knew he found the woman of his dreams.

  The couple was enjoying their lovely embrace when the room’s door flung open.

  “Dude, you made it. I thought I lost you, man, I thought I lost you.” Jake said as he hugged his friend, sandwiching little Lindsey in the middle.

  “Help, I can’t breathe Lindsey squeaked.”

  “Oh sorry sweetheart, you must be Lindsey,” Jake said as he hugged Lindsey tightly.

  “Yes, nice to meet you, Jake.” Lindsey laughed while being bear-hugged by a stranger—Jake.

  Jake released Lindsey, looked her up and down and said—“Dude if you don’t freakin’ marry this girl I will kill you! She’s a ride or die chick for real!”

  Randy and Lindsey laughed at Jake’s words.

  “She was all Xena Warrior Princess out there, on the water, with the Mexican cartel, and she handled her business like a champ!” Jake continued.

  Lindsey blushed at the compliment then looked at Randy to see his reaction.

  After laughing hysterically, Randy suddenly became serious, taking Lindsey’s hand and pulling her towards him he said, “you heard the man, I guess you have to marry me.” They kissed again, just as Agent McFadden entered the room.

  “Uh, what did I miss?” Agent McFadden asked.

  “We’re getting married!” Lindsey and Randy replied.

  THE END

  Another bonus story is on the next page.

  Bonus Story 8 of 10

  THE ONE LOVE

  It’s been two years since graduation. Hard to believe the three of us are still going strong. It seems we’ve beat some sort of odds here where so many others have issues with a successful relationship between just two people. Here we’ve made it work for this long with flying colors and are still that fearsome threesome. We’re just awesome like that. I am officially the luckiest girl in the entire world, right here.

  If I’m going to tell this story right I’d better start at the beginning and that would definitely be “The Graduation Party”. Cash’s folks really did things up for us that night and the place looked more like a prom than a party. That romantic air though, probably helped nudge along some feelings that had been brewing beneath the surface of our inseparable friendship more and more in that last year. We were happy, the three of us as friends, so none of us wanted to tamper with that tight bond and think outside of our perfectly fine constant party of three.

  We were just freed from our four year’s hard work and dues paying in college, and we were shining stars on cloud nine out to enjoy the night meant to celebrate just that. Toasts had been made and cocktails downed, we were well fed on hors d'oeuvres, and were laughing our heads off with all of our favorite people, dancing the night
away.

  I was out on the patio with my long time friend Charlotta when Andrew asked if he could talk with me for a moment. Immediately I knew something was off and thought maybe a relative was sick or that he was going to spring on me that he was moving away—he was that serious.

  *****

  Andrew sat me down and seemed to take things in for a moment, catching his breath. My sleeveless metallic and shimmering jacquard frock embellished with beaded flowers near the collarbone, with its princess seams and flared skirt with pleat accents, a Teri Jon by Rickie Freeman, was shining under the lanterns. It helped to keep up my glow and confidence from within. I sat up straight and intently tried to read him caringly, as he seemed to be sweating something.

  “Holly, I—” and he rethought for a moment, “I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to say it.”

  “Okay.” I said, my eyebrows raised. I nodded, ready to be there for him.

  “I love you Holly.”

  “I love you, too, babe!” I smiled back and felt the excitement of the evening, such a glorious time for all of us.

  “Look, I want you to know that you can always count on me, like always. But we’ve graduated now—we’re supposed to all be moving on and finding jobs and running off and getting married and starting families and…” We both started laughing, it’s a lot to swallow, but true. We were expected to work on growing up at this point. He went in again to get to a point, and I stared at his blue eyes and cute little stubble mustache look and grinned at the sight of him, just loving this man to the core.

  “I want you,” he blurted out.

  At that point I remember my heart stopping and my smile faded with pure shock. I almost opened my mouth enough to try and talk him out of it when he interrupted.

  “Don’t say anything,” he went on, “I just can’t ever imagine ever wanting to be with anyone else, I love you too much. Please don’t freak out. Don’t tell Cash, just take some time to think about it.”

  This was taboo. Our mere existence survived on the friendship between the three of us and I couldn’t imagine tainting that or hurting Cash, ever. I wouldn’t even let my mind wander into that territory. As I steamed up in thought, almost mad at Andy and stuttering, I noticed his eyes dart around the now empty patio and out of nowhere he just leaned over. I got this feeling he was going to kiss me but it wasn’t awkward.

  He grabbed my waist and with his lips brushing up against mine he said, “I’m going to kiss you,” and in that moment a rush ran up my spine, tapping into a lust buried so deep under what was right, all the way down to something I must have wanted all along and never knew—and he did. Up to that point it was the hottest kiss of my life.

  *****

  Frozen in time, Andy had to take my hand and pull me up.

  “C’mon, seriously, don’t freak out. Just think about it. Let’s just have a good time,” and then he led me back inside. I could feel myself two shades pinker as I walked in and him giving my hand a squeeze in his made it only a little better. It took a few distractions and laughing fits brought on by my beloved pals, but it wasn’t too long before I was able to shake the whole scenario and try to get back into party mode.

  Cash was busy being life of the party for most of the night, but when one of our songs came on we hit the floor. Oh, what a night and the electricity was surging through me. I was in a dreamland and felt like a diva of the night; just having such a good time and then there we were, laughing our heads off and catching our breath to this old slow jazz song.

  “It’s the best part of our life,” Cash sang out in sing-song fashion as he twirled me. “The world is our oyster,” he sang teasingly and dramatically pulled me close like we were on some kind of dance show.

  “Cynthia and her crew were at it again tonight,” he said with an eye-roll.

  Gosh those girls would never stop. For years they seemed to have nothing to talk about to Cash, who they were obviously all obsessed with, except to poke at him with asking when he and I were going to just drop the show and admit we were doing it… annoying! (To say the least.)

  “I got’em,” he said with this spark in his eye and I could tell he was up to something. I gave the question, do-tell eyebrow raise. “I told them I would ask you out just so they’d back off. I don’t think it was what any of them wanted to hear.”

  “Yeah, I bet not!” I laughed. With a quick glance out of our little dancing powwow, I saw the girls eyeing us and fake-slapped Cash on the shoulder. “You’re serious?!” He chuckled with this villain grin. “You’re playing with their fragile hearts,” I reminded him and with that he swung me around again and started back in with the sing-song talking.

  “So?” and he looked on with sincerity, I couldn’t tell why he was giving these girls such a show and sensed some kind of game. But Cash wasn’t a game player like that. “With Andrew’s approval, of course.”

  Just the mention of Andrew’s name was hard to hear at that point and I wanted to tell Cash everything that had happened but it wasn’t the time. It was only because of what Andy had just told me that I thought nothing could surprise me, and felt way off guard in general. I just stared at him trying to read if he was serious. That was when he looked me in the eyes like he never had before.

  For four years I had looked into the eyes of this guy and he had never looked at me like that. Softly, he said, “I thought maybe… we could try it.”

  And I nearly passed out. Seriously, I got light headed and flushed and weak and backed away politely letting him lead me off the floor so I could sit down. I totally left him hanging there like a sad puppy and went to the loo, but I just had to go and take a moment to myself.

  The bathroom was peaceful, a silver motif in this one and for a moment I just enjoyed the scent of jasmine soap, but then I couldn’t help but notice the woman in the mirror waiting for my attention.

  I was thinking, Did this really all just happen? Did my two best friends just come on to me in the same night? Who I adore? Who I love? Who any girl would die to have the attention of for even a moment? I remember feeling tragic. Sick. Torn. Upside-down. I wasn’t prepared for any of this. I sighed out a big sigh and just thought about the two of them, their smiles… And then I had this idea.

  I watched a grin form on my face in the in the mirror. “I won’t have one of them,” I said to myself out loud, “unless I can have both of them.”

  *****

  “Ha!” I felt like I had outsmarted the evening and with my head held high I prepared to re-enter the party. I quickly reasoned that with everything that happened, and once we all had talked about it, that my decision, which at the time was just my way of skirting any decision at all, would be to not choose. Yes, as simple as that, and they would have to figure it out from there with the ball in their court.

  I heard laughter as I strolled down the hallway, and headed to the lounge where it was coming from to find a big group of my friends all looking more grown up but only because they were serving up scotch. Andy and Cash were both there.

  We lounged with our drinks and I felt like I had something tucked up my sleeve and the only way to clear the air was just to do it. When it was just the three of us in this one area all cozied up and laughing I blurted out, “So…Cash asked me out tonight.”

  Cash got white in the face and Andrew looked confused, only I laughed. Cash chimed, “I said with Andy’s approval.”

  “Wait, what?” Andy said, honestly dumbfounded, “but…” He looked to me to for some kind of direction, perplexed.

  “Yeah, Andrew professed his love for me, too,” I divulged, “out on the patio like, an hour before.” The two of them looked at each other with wasn’t horror or relief but something oddly in between, searching for where this could go.

  “Don’t worry,” I broke things up, casually lounging back with my glass and taking another sip, “I’ve already made up my mind.”

  “Oh, really?” Andy asked playfully, and we all laughed. Same three. Same laughs. There shou
ld have been this awful tension but with us all three there, there just wasn’t.

  “Do tell,” Cash inquired so formally.

  “I just simply won’t have one of you,” I remarked and it started to sound like a game.

  “Princess!” they both said in unison, and we all chuckled. Andy looked a little disappointed really, but Cash was deep in thought. He stood up and looked out in silence.

  “Okay, so what if?” he said and we listened. “What if we move forward in life just like everyone expects, just like we’re supposed to, but in our way. What if we reinvent things on our own terms? What if we dare, guys?” And he looked on to us, continuing his speech. “What if we dare to let love in?”

  It sounded crazy. I mean in a striking way, like a new business idea that’s so great, but will just die a dream. But then, all of a sudden, Andy spoke.

  “I’m in.” Then he looked at me intently, “I love you, Holly, and Cash if you’re serious—I mean, are you saying you love her?”

  Cash knelt down on one knee and looked at me, “I’m crazy about her.”

  “Then,” Andy said, “unless you’re screwing around I say let’s do it. Not like, ‘it’ I mean, you know, like try this idea.” We all cracked up laughing which was a good thing because that surely was in the back of everyone’s mind on how that whole thing would go.

  Now it was my turn, “So, wait, you guys are actually both saying that you love me so much you want to take things to the next level? Like relationship wise? I have to admit it only sounds fun and I can’t bear the thought to lose you guys so making plans together seems perfect. I just… I just can’t believe this is happening.” After a pause, I smirked, “It’s kind of hot,” breaking the ice and we all smiled. “So…what do we do next?”

  Cash was the one who answered. “We move in together."

  *****

  Not much seemed to change in the coming weeks after graduation. Cash and Andrew’s dads had known each other since school themselves and when we approached our parents about moving, the two agreed to spring for our place, and of course saw it as an investment as well.