Page 89 of Texas Kissing

I testified against Antonio, too, for his part in the killing and for his attempted kidnapping on the bus. At first, he glared contemptuously at me from his seat. As the hours passed, though, his expression started to falter. He was beginning to realize he’d underestimated me.

The trial stretched on for weeks. But when it came time for the jury to deliberate, they took less than a day. They found my uncle guilty on all charges and Antonio guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted kidnapping and assault.

My uncle and Antonio both looked at me as the verdict was read out. And for the first time, it was them who looked scared. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding...and then I felt Bull’s strong arms around me, lifting me up out of my seat and pulling me close.

The trial was over...and our new life could begin.

We could pick any names we liked, as long as they weren’t our own. I couldn’t be LilyorTessa, so I chose Mary. After teasing me withCletusfor a while, Bull chose Luke.

“Mary and Luke,” I noted. “Very Old Testament.”

Bull shrugged. “They’re good names.Honestnames.”

We weren’t given a choice as to our destination,but I pleaded with the FBI for somewhere in the country. It was a huge relief when they told us we were going to Montana.

Within a few days, Bull’s comment about honest names made sense: he enrolled with the sheriff’s department as a trainee.

It took a while longer for me to figure out what to do with my life. I couldn’t go back to faking passports and driver’s licenses—it felt like that was tempting fate. I boxed all of that stuff up...but couldn’t quite bring myself to throw it away. Those skills had helped me escape my uncle—without them, I’d never have met Bull.

So I stashed the boxes under our bed and told all my clients I was retiring. I pulled back from all the underground forums I was on and kept just one email address alive, for emergencies. Because, you know. You never know.

A month after we arrived in Montana, I went back to college...but nothing to do with computers, this time. I started training to be a teacher.

“You turned out to be a schoolmarm after all,” said Bull, coming up behind me. I was standing on the porch, looking out over our land. We’d bought a cozy little place on the edge of town with a couple of acres of land. There were trees and a river and we were even talking about getting a couple of horses. It was simple. It was everything we needed.

“Don’t forget, though,” I said, turning around. “I’m a former saloon girl.” And, after checking that no one was in sight, I hooked one shoulder strap of my summer dress off, then the other, and let the whole thing fall to the floor.

Underneath, I was wearing a scarlet bra andpanties set. Bull took a step back so that he could fully appreciate the view. He gave a long, low growl of approval. “Woman,” he said, “I hope there ain’t nothing you need to be doing for the next few hours.”

I yelped in delight as he scooped me up into his arms and carried me towards the bedroom. It was exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for.

And if red underwear had that effect...well, wait until he found out that what I’d done just before we left Gold Lake for the final time. I’d contacted the photographer from the fair and bought the saloon girl outfit.

One Year Later

Bull

“Are you sure about this?” l asked. “We’re taking a risk.”

“If you try to control everything,” said Lily wisely, “you won’t have any fun.”

I stared at my fake passport for the seventeenth time. “Cletus?”I asked. “You couldn’t resist, huh?” I scratched at my stuck-on beard. “This itches like all hell.” I ran a hand through my newly-blond hair. “And I think the bleach has done something to my scalp...”

“Quit complaining,” said Lily. She tossed her long, auburn hair. “Do you see me complaining?”

I forgot my gripes and just stared at her. She did lookvery, very goodas a redhead.

“You sure it’s okay?” I asked. “I don’t want to put them in danger. That rule about no contact—it’s therefor a reason.”

“Most witnesses don’t have access tome,”she said. “They can’t make whole new identities like I can. As long as we’re discreet and it’s only once a year and we use different identities each time...I think it’s okay.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this.” And I knocked on the door.

When my mom opened it a few seconds later, Christmas music spilled out around her. In the background, I could see my dad, brother and sister dressing the tree.

My mom stared blankly at the two strangers in her doorway. And then she took a second look.

Lily and I leaned our head together. “Surprise!”