Reaching Rachel (39 page)

“I can never get enough,” she whispered back as his lips found hers. Pressing her against the car, desire pooled in between them instantly. Devin’s hands traveled up her short dress, following the path of her thong. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to make you take me right here.”

“Is that a promise?” His voice was low, husky. She would like nothing more. Pressing herself against him, she put her lips against his ear.

“I promise to use this blindfold in any way you want later. Right now, I want you to show me my surprise.”

“Maybe this is your surprise,” Devin laughed, and Rachel joined him. He helped her into the car, then went around to his side and headed to their destination. Rachel sat back against the passenger seat, her mind reeling at the events that had happened since they had been back together. First, the craziness of Devin being the one that saved her from that asshole Mark/Justin. Then, her healing and therapy from the trauma, and dealing with what could’ve been a catastrophic run in with Zack. The trial that thankfully didn’t happen, meeting Alana, plus the truth of what had happened in their past, and Devin’s reaction to that and almost risking his job to avenge her hadn’t even broken them. Then the final straw of the baby that almost was, yet here they were. Together. They had endured more trauma together already than most people saw in a lifetime. All she could hope was that from here on out, they could focus on the good things in life. While she was doing a lot better with the panic and anxiety from what happened with Justin, it probably wouldn’t ever be completely gone, but Devin loved her for her, and she was finally accepting that.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Devin broke through her reverie.

“Just thinking of all of the things we’ve been through together. We should write a book.”

“No,” Devin kissed her fingers gently. “We’re going to write a new book, from here on. And it’s going to be a damn good one.” Rachel felt the car stop, and Devin turned off the engine. “Ready?”

Rachel’s stomach flipped. “Ready.”

Devin got out of the car and opened her door, helping her out of the car. “I love when you move to get out that I can see that beautiful thong under that hot dress. Tonight, I’m going to take it all off with my teeth.” Just like that, her belly clenched and she felt hot.

“Not fair,” she complained as he dipped down to kiss her neck, sending goose bumps up and down her legs and arms. He pulled the blindfold off her gently, and she blinked her eyes so she could see where they were. When she saw the sign, she gasped. It was their place! It looked exactly the same.

“Oh my gosh, Dev! It’s where we met!” The neon sign over the door bounced colors on the ground, and the bikes lined up against the front sent her back almost 8 years to the night that changed her life forever.
Bikes and Beers
, still the same classy name it had been then.

“Thought we could have some fun, remember the good ol days,” Devin winked, lacing his fingers through hers and pulling her towards the door.

Sliding into a table close to the dance floor, Devin ordered them both drinks. Rachel looked around, taking it all in. It was like no time had passed at all since they had last been here. If she looked carefully, she could almost see her and her college friends right here on the dance floor, not a care in the world. She looked over at the door that they had just walked through, remembering the moment she laid eyes on Devin Putnam and he had strode right up to her and asked her to dance. After that, they hadn’t moved away from each other all night.

Pulling her to her feet, Devin settled her on his lap. “This place is where my life was changed,” he said into her ear. “I never would’ve thought that meeting you that night would affect me the way it has. I want us to only remember the good things from now on, okay Rachel? I love you.” She rested her head under his chin, reveling in the warmth and security of him, and nodded her head. His strong arms wrapped around her, and they may have been in the middle of a biker bar, but she had never felt so safe in all of her life.

“Let’s dance,” Devin announced after they had finished their first drink. “I want to feel your hot body pressed against mine.” He winked, helping her stand up off his lap. There was actually a live band playing that was very good, and they were playing Daughtry’s “Crawling Back to You”, a song she loved.

Wrapping her arms around Devin, she rested her head against his broad chest. She loved the smell of him. It was nothing she could pin point, but rather a mixture of soap, after shave, and his manly smell. Not really caring that they weren’t even dancing, they rocked back and forth with each other. Periodically Devin would kiss the top of her head, and she would tilt her head back so could plant a kiss on her lips. They paid no attention to the people around them.

Devin caught the lead singer’s eye and signaled over Rachel’s head that he was ready. He nodded back as he finished up the current song, then indicated to his band what song they were playing next.

As the song began changing, his stomach fluttered like a thousand butterflies taking flight. Rachel didn’t move, still pressed up against him tightly. Reaching for her hands, she caught his movement and backed up so she was looking into his eyes. The chords of the song started playing, and she smiled at him.

“Want to keep dancing, or are you thirsty?”

“Let’s dance this one, then go sit down.” He pulled her closer, and she tilted her head so that she could look him in the eyes. He held onto her hands, ready. She arched an eyebrow at him, noticing a change in him.

“Are you okay?”

Devin nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The band started singing, and Rachel looked at him, her eyes wide. “I love this song. This was my favorite song when … when …”

The band was playing “Far Away” by Nickleback. It had been Rachel’s favorite song when they had first met, and it was also very significant for them right now. The lyrics were perfect for what they had been through and the way he felt about her every second of the last 8 years. “I know,” he whispered, still gripping her hands. “It’s perfect for us. Listen.” He pulled her closer so that his lips were against her ear, and he sang the lyrics along with the band.

She didn’t seem to mind that his voice was off kilter or out of tune. She was completely frozen against him, her heart beating rapidly against his. As the lyrics continued, the melody of the song entwined within their bodies, eliciting more emotion than either of them could vocalize.

“Did you do this?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Did you ask them to play this?”

“Don’t you know yet, Rachel? I would do anything for you. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you.”

She shook her head as she took in the lyrics and his words. “How did I ever deserve to have you?”

Instead of answering her, Devin pressed his lips to hers as the last of the chords were played in the song. It was his turn now. Stepping back, he left her standing there looking confused as he continued moving backwards towards the stage. The lead singer, a very nice guy by the name of Jax, handed him the microphone as part of their prearranged plan.

When he looked out, he saw Rachel, still standing in the same spot, her mouth open. Did she have any idea what was going on? “Hi everyone,” Devin began, hoping his voice didn’t shake. “I’m Devin, and that right there, is my girlfriend, Rachel. She’s hot, but she’s mine, so behave.” The crowd laughed, and a few cat-calls were shouted out. “Come here, Rachel. Closer to the stage.”

He watched as she walked slowly towards him, her eyes narrowed. “See, my girl here? We met almost 8 years ago, right here in this bar. The second I saw her, I knew she was going to be mine. And I was right. But over time, some crazy things happened to us and we weren’t together for quite a while. We just recently reconnected, and so I wanted to tell her, in front of everyone here, how much I love her. You guys are okay with that, right?”

More catcalls and shouting accompanied his question, and Devin laughed. Rachel watched him, wondering what in the hell he was doing but loving it all at the same time. Devin caught her eye and winked.

“So, I’m not going to waste too much more time, because my girl is waiting on me,” he continued. “Rachel, can you come up here?”

Rachel blinked, shaking her head no. She did
not
want to go up there. The crowd started chanting her name, and she knew she had no choice. Devin reached his hand out and she took it, stepping up carefully onto the stage. He put his arm around her waist and smiled at her, the heart-stopping smile that was only Devin’s.

“Thanks to Jax for playing that song for me tonight. It was my girl’s favorite song way back in the day, and the words in it are very important to me, because we got a second chance, and I never want to lose that again. Rachel, thank you for being part of my life and loving me through all of our ups and downs. I promise I will never again leave you feeling alone or afraid. I’ll always be there to love you, to take care of you, and to support you.” Devin stepped away from the microphone and reached into his pocket.

Rachel watched him, open mouthed, as he stepped up to her and got down on one knee, his smile so wide it took up his whole face. She started shaking, tears filling her eyes as her brain registered what was happening. “Rachel Elise Dawson, will you please make me the happiest man alive and marry me? I can’t live without you being my wife.”

Rachel gasped out loud, tears pouring from her eyes without warning. She vaguely took in that they were in a crowded biker bar, but it didn’t even matter. Devin was on his knee in front of her, and he had a beautiful square cut diamond ring held out in front of him. She would never be without him again.

“Yes,” she squealed, leaning over to kiss him. “Yes, yes, yes, I would love nothing more than to be with you forever, until we are old and gray.” Devin stood, sliding the gorgeous ring on her finger. He crushed her body to his, their gazes locked on each other as he leaned over to kiss his new fiancé’s lips.

The room erupted in cheers as the couple kissed, oblivious to the attention around them. “I love you,” Devin whispered against her lips. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. Never again will we live one more moment without each other, Mrs. Soon-to-Be Putnam.”

Rachel beamed. She knew that, at this moment, she had never felt this happy in all of her life. They would be together. Forever.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, smiling to make sure she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth. Her green eyes shone brightly, and her red hair was a stark contrast to the gown. She was ready. She had waited for this day for a long time, and it was here.

“You ready?” Devin appeared behind her, his face next to hers in the mirror. Putting her hand up to touch his face, her ring glistened in the reflection. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Time to go, beautiful lady. Your chariot awaits.”

When they arrived, Devin kissed her gently. “I’ll be waiting for you. Knock ‘em dead.” Rachel went and took her seat, looking around at the huge crowd gathering, and the sea of people in matching gowns. As the people took the stage and the presenters started talking, a familiar twinge tickled her stomach, and she smiled. As they started calling names, she found herself daydreaming, thinking of all of the wonderful things that had happened to her in the past four years. She had worked her tail off, she knew that much, but her life had changed insurmountably. First, meeting back up with Devin at the worst point in her life. After that, a whirlwind of trials and revealed secrets had threatened to shake their foundation again, but they had made it through. Who could forget the amazing proposal at the bar where they met? And of course, their fairy tale wedding, only six months later. They had lived what seemed like a lifetime without each other and had no desire to wait very long. Then, Rachel had decided, with Devin’s support, to take on the one other dream that hadn’t come true yet.

“Would last names N-P please take the stage,” the president announced. Rachel stood, straightening her gown and following the rest of her classmates to the stage. Waiting behind what seemed like a line that would never end, Rachel looked out at the sea of people, all watching someone they loved making their dreams a reality. Oh, how she wished she could’ve done this years ago. But, right now, it felt like even more of a milestone than it would’ve been then. She found where Devin was sitting, and even though he was so far away, she felt him. She knew his love, his presence was standing right next to her, embracing her. He blew her a kiss and mouthed, ‘I love you’. No matter how many times he said it, she felt it all the way to her core each time.

“Rachel Elise Putnam,” the president called, shaking her from her daydream. “Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.” She walked forward, accepting her diploma and shaking the hands of all of the higher-ups in the college. She had done it. She had finally graduated college, and was going to do the job she was meant to do.