Free Unconditional Love by Kelly Elliott Page A

sighs and then began laughing. “Well, I mean it’s not very romantic considering he just popped your cherry and all.”
    “Jessie! Oh. My. God. Really?”
    “Hey, I have to run. I see my handsome husband walking my way. Take it easy and stay at the house as long as you want, sweets. I’ll see ya when we get back.”
    “Hey, Jessie?”
    “Yeah?”
    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Do you think Lark is…well, do you think he is capable of just being with one person? You don’t think I just made a mistake, do you?”
    “Azurdee, I know I’ve never seen Lark look at someone like he does you. I know he never talks about bagging girls, as he so lovingly puts it, anymore. Yes, I think he is very capable of being with just one person. Do you think you made a mistake?”
    I chewed on my lip and said, “No. Either way, I wanted it to be him.”
    “Don’t worry, babe. I have a feeling Mr. Williams is officially off the market.”
    I gave a weak smile even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “One more thing, Jess. Bathtub sex is amazing.”
    She let out a laugh and said, “Oh hell yeah it is!”
    I hung up and tossed my phone to the side of me. I held out my hand and it was shaking. I dropped my head back and let out the breath I had been holding. I looked up and glanced over to the buffet table and saw a picture of Scott and Lark when they went fly fishing a few months back. I got up and walked over to it. I reached down and picked it up and ran my finger across his face.
    I closed my eyes and whispered, “Lord, please keep him safe and please let me shake this uneasy feeling I have.”
    I set the picture back down and decided I needed to go for a run and clear my head.
    I headed into the laundry room and put the sheets in the dryer and then bolted upstairs to change.
    By the time I was running on the dirt road that ran around Scott and Jessie’s place, I was finally feeling better. I began running a little faster as I thought about all the things I wanted Lark to do to me when he got home.
    I attempted to push Lark from my thoughts and began planning things for the restaurant. Another half a mile and I stopped. I put my hands on my hips and let my head drop.
    “Shit. Shit. Shit,” I yelled out. I shook my head and took in a few deep breaths and totally pushed Lark Williams out of my mind as I began running and started laying out the table locations in my head.
    When my cell phone buzzed, I stopped and pulled it out, shocked I even had a signal. One look at who it was and I rolled my eyes. I hit reject and started running back toward the house.
    The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Paul right now.

I sat on the hood of the jeep and watched the sunset as I wondered what Azurdee was doing. I felt someone slap me on the back and I glanced over to my left and saw Skip standing there smiling.
    “You’re deep in thought, Lieutenant. What’s going on? I don’t think you’ve ever been this quiet.”
    I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Probably just tired from all the wedding bullshit.”
    Skip laughed and said, “Don’t even be thinking of settling down like that crazy-ass friend of yours. I need your head clear.”
    I gave him a weak smile and nodded my head. “Roger that, sir.”
    Skip and I always addressed each other properly when on a mission. We never went by first names. Away from this madness and he was probably one of my best friends.
    “Damn, I swear the sunsets in Venezuela are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen.”
    I nodded my head and the ache in my heart grew ten times worse. What in the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t get Azurdee out of my head. I hated that I had to leave her and hoped like hell she understood.
    Skip gave me a good slap on the back and said, “Come on. Get some sleep. Y’all head out at oh-five-hundred.”
    Once I got to my quarters, I pulled up Azurdee’s text message.
    I took a deep breath and hit reply.
    Me: Just wanted to say I won’t be able