The Five Dollar Mail Book 3: The Road Home

12: La Vie en Rose

Cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Chapter artwork of Saint by Diego Candia. All graphics by me.

Book 1: The Green, Book 2: Lynch's Boys, Book 3: The Road Home, and the Riders & Kickers Anthology are available on Amazon under the name Regina Shelley. So if you hate waiting for chapter posts and/or want a more polished read, the finished product is available now.

"Your brother's crazy, Little Miss. You know that, don't you?" Saint gripped his coffee cup and stared out of the opening of the cave into the nearly blinding sunlight and the hazy blue nothingness outside. The air was cool and misty here, and he could feel fine mist settling softly on his face and in his hair. He felt a little sick looking at the drop. Heights didn't particularly bother him, but the idea of Jesse tumbling through the open air made his heart pound and a queasy feeling form in his stomach. "You're saying Bender saw him and he was alright?"

Lily called to him from where she was standing, well behind him on the flat, sandy floor past the rocks. Her voice was nearly drowned out by the clattering of the falling water. "He did. He says Jesse was waving and jumping around like he was happy."

"I guess he had reason to be, seeing as how he was still alive after that." Saint shook his head, wondering what grace Jesse had been granted that he hadn't hit any rocks on the way down or drowned. He knew that the young man liked excitement and danger, but this seemed a bit extreme even for Jesse. His relief that his friend was last seen alive after his harrowing experience was a great comfort to Saint, but his guilt at failing to protect him overshadowed his relief. He sighed heavily.

"Saint, come away from there," Lily called, fear coloring her voice. "You're too close to the edge."

Saint turned and eased himself back over the rocks as he made his way back to the sandy beach. "I'm being careful, Little Miss." He flexed his back, feeling his skin pinch and pull beneath the bandages around his torso and shoulder.

"I don't care. I've been afraid of enough things without worrying about you falling over the side."

He looked up at her face, smiling in spite of himself. "I ain't falling over the side, Sweetheart." He touched her shoulder, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her. He felt her embrace him, her face settling against his chest and her hands carefully avoiding putting pressure on his injured back. He sighed again, her soft warmth like a balm against him. "I'm sorry, Lily...I..."

"No. Bender will find him. I know he will. I'm not worried."

Saint knew she was lying about not being worried, but he also knew she was probably right. Hungerford would find Jesse. "Your brother might be crazy, but he's damn resourceful." Saint knew that for all his recklessness, Jesse could find his way around when it came to being out in the wilderness. Jesse had grown up in remote, unpopulated places while Saint had been raised in a crowded city. He knew Jesse viewed the world differently than he himself did. He nodded, craning his head to press his cheek against her temple as he held her. And I am not looking forward to finding out how he views this particular development... The feeling of betraying his friend was painful, but he knew he could not just walk away from how he felt about Lily. He was far too lost, far too given over to her. Feeling her pressed against him, her softness and her warmth and her sweetness in his arms like this, he knew he could never deny his feelings. Even if Jesse ended up hating him for it.

Jesse had been afraid Saint would hurt her. That he'd be careless with her heart. But Jesse hadn't counted on Saint falling utterly, irreversibly in love with Lily. He hadn't expected that his sister would ever hold Saint's heart in her hands the way she did now. Saint hadn't counted on it, either. I might have let you down, my brother. But I won't let you down in this. I'll keep her heart safer than I'll keep my own.

He cradled her head in his hand, tilting her face up to look at him, glad that without her glasses she probably couldn't see that his eyes were wet with unshed tears. He bent and brushed her lips with his, savoring the thousand sparks fluttering across his skin as she sighed and leaned against his chest. She snuggled into him, soothing his heavily stubbled cheek with her fingers as she drew back and met his gaze with her cool gray eyes.

"Saint," she whispered. "Don't blame yourself. It's alright."

Her cheeks were flushed sweetly with pink and he was certain he'd never seen a more beautiful woman. "I used to think you'd be the end of me, sweetheart," he whispered, leaning down and softly caressing her lips with his again, holding her gently. It occurred to him he hadn't kissed her properly. Not really. Not the way he desperately wanted to. He pulled her closer, capturing her mouth with his, silently promising himself that he'd release her if she tensed or pulled away at all. He closed his eyes, her nearness and the feel of her sweet lips against his sending a giddy delirium spinning through him.

To his vast surprise and relief, she didn't pull away. He felt her hands tangle in his hair, pulling him closer still. His heart was racing, bursting inside him and he knew she surely could feel it. She pressed against him, holding him, her hands carefully playing across his shoulders. He broke the kiss with a soft gasp, stroking her hair and meeting her startled gaze. Emotion made his voice tight and thick in his throat. "But the truth is...you're the beginning of me."

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