Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Redmond stopped at the front bumper of the cruiser, watching.
Malachi’s face was apologetic as he said, “License and registration.”
Frankie ripped off her helmet.
“You’re not seriously going to give him a ticket, are you?” Frankie gasped.
Malachi winced. “Listen, Franks,” he began. “I don’t have a choice here. Ol’ Redmond is with me. If I don’t, I could get into seriously big trouble. And I happen to like my job.”
I looked at Redmond who was playing the part perfectly, then over to Frankie who was staring in horror at Malachi.
“But if he gets a ticket, he’s going to get into trouble at work!” she cried.
Technically, she would’ve been correct.
I had to, per company policy, report tickets almost the second that they happened, or I would get my ass in a sling at work.
Tickets weren’t necessarily a bad thing until you go too many. Or you failed to report them.
Then they became a bad thing.
“Both of you step off the bike and come back here,” Redmond suddenly ordered, voice tight and urgent. “Whose bike is this?”
Frankie looked worriedly at the bike.
“It’s one that we’re test driving,” Frankie gasped. “Is there something wrong?”
Redmond continued playing the part perfectly. “The bike is registered to a known drug dealer in the area. And it was stolen.”
Frankie’s mouth dropped open.
“What?” she gasped. “No!”
“Step back here please,” Redmond ordered.
Frankie followed, reluctantly, body tight with anger.
Frankie stared at Redmond, a seasoned police officer who used to be the highest ticket writer in the department before the traffic division—also known as Motorcycle Patrol—began.
“I need you to…” Redmond began, talking as if he suspected Frankie of nefarious activities.
While she was distracted, Malachi quickly handed me the ring that he’d so graciously held onto for me.
I caught it in my hand, slipped it out of the box, then got down on one knee.
Frankie growled at something Redmond said and turned in a flurry.
Her dress twirled out in a rush.
Her eyes suddenly lit on me, the ring in my hand, and then her empty hand where her ring usually resided.
I’d had to steal it off of her finger while she slept a few days ago and she’d been devastated.
Seeing her so down and glum had torn me apart, but in the end, I had decided to continue with my tactic, knowing she’d love the outcome.
“You dirty little cheat!” she cried out.
I grinned.
“Francesca Solomon, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She studied the ring, my face, and then the two officers that were now smiling wide.
“I hate you all,” she cried. Then threw herself into my arms.
I caught her with a grunt, nearly fell straight on my ass, and started to laugh.
“I can’t believe you stole my ring.” She pulled back and practically yanked it free of my hold.
That was when she started to cry.
Frankie’s dad, Cora, my parents, and almost all of our motorcycle division came out of the trees.
Cora had a phone aimed right at Frankie who was crying her eyes out and not answering my question.
“Answer him already, kid!” Coke bellowed.
Frankie turned, saw all the people there, and then started crying harder.
“I thought about straight-up asking you when you wanted to get married,” I said to her silence. “I thought… maybe we can just leave where we left off.” I swallowed hard, staring into her tear-filled eyes. “But I didn’t think that was right. How could I leave where we left off when I couldn’t remember where we started?”
Frankie sniffled hard.
“I can’t remember our very first kiss. I can’t remember our first time to touch….” I stopped mid-sentence and looked over Frankie’s shoulder to see Coke glaring at me. I grinned. “I won’t finish that sentence because your dad’s giving me the evil eye.” I winked at her. “I can’t remember our first anniversary. Or when we first said ‘I love you.’” I reached for her hand and pulled her closer to me. “But I can remember the first time the new me remembers. You were so patient with me. Allowing me to bumble around in this new and uncertain world. And, when I got lost, you didn’t try to lead me down the correct path. Only leaped off the edge with me, hoping that it would lead somewhere we wanted it to go.”
Frankie swallowed hard.
“You’ve been with me through thick and thin. You’ve watched over me. Taken care of me. Loved the old me. The new me. You’ve loved me even when I didn’t deserve to be loved,” I said. “And now I know that you’re there, for better or for worse. For the old me and the new me.”
She sniffed.
“Frankie, will you please marry me?” I whispered.
She nodded her head without saying a word.
“I thought about getting you a new diamond ring,” I said softly, finally showing her the top side of the ring. “But I didn’t think that was good enough.” I slipped the ring on her finger, my eyes on how well it fit there. How great it made me feel. “So, I stole the one that I gave you before. Had the jeweler do some creative designing with it.”