Sunshine Valley

Instead of answering the daily prompt with personal stuff; I’m gonna work the prompt into my story. Hope you enjoy.

Stop me

     She rose, “were you tellin’ me the truth when you said you was too scared to stop me from leavin’?”

     He brushed a random hair out of her face with his finger, “why would I lie?”

     “Do you think our lives would have been different?”

     “Yes.” His answer was immediate. 

     “Would you have tried out for the sheriff’s job?”

     “No.” Again, his answer was immediate. As if he had been thinking about this question his whole life. 

     “Let’s say, you and I had gotten married back then, what would you, we,” she corrected herself “had done?”

     He straightened up in his seat, “Jack would have gotten me a job at the mill. With what you’ve been tellin’ me about your mom,” he rubbed his lips together. “I often thought we would have had a little home, couple kids, been happy. But now, I think it would have killed you. I think you would have ended up like my mother.”

     Evie sat there thinking about that. She never knew Rose to have a happy moment. Never saw her smile. “Really?” 

     “As much as I wanted you.” He paused, “one of the biggest regrets in my life, I wasn’t able to help mom. By the time I was in any position to, she was gone.”

     ‘Wanted.’ He said ‘wanted’. Was her dad wrong about Dillon still loving her?’ Fool, she scolded herself. He put a ring on it. “I’m sorry.” She finally blurted out. 

     ‘Here goes nothing’. He gently pulled her onto his lap. She did nothing to stop him. “I sat here in this spot all day and all night prayin’ you would come back. When dawn rose on the next mornin’, I knew you were gone.” He slid his hands up her back, under her shirt as he spoke.

     “Lawman,” she leaned over and whispered in his ear. “That’s gonna get you in trouble.”

     “Promise?”

     He gave her a kiss.

     “So,” she breathed. “Wanted?”

     “Want.” He corrected through kisses. Kissing what was left of her black eye as well. 

     “Are you still havin’ head aches?” She trailed her fingers through his hair.

     “Not so much.” He sighed, “they are starting to dull down.”

     “Dillon, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been in that spot.”

     He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, “let’s not think about that.”

     Evie moved to lean up, as she blindly reached behind her, she accidentally turned the radio on. A woman was talking about baby names. “What does your name mean?” She asked. “And does it suit you? Talk to me Sunshine Valley.”

      Dillon leaned forward turning it off. 

     “What does your name mean? Dillon Jack Pace? Jack is in honor of dad.”

     “I’ve never looked it up. Evelyn Rose Rice. Rose is in honor of mom.”

     “I’ll look up yours. You look up mine.” She giggled reaching in her pocket for her phone. Dillon leaned forward again pulling his out of, to Evie, seemed like thin air. 

     “Dillon,” she spoke. “Multiple origins of Irish, Welsh, and French. Means loyal, faithful, sea, or lion. I’ve never met a lion but sea lions are adorable.” 

     “Evelyn,” he smiled. “Origin, British, meaning, desired; island; wished for.”  He raised up lying his phone on the dashboard; extending his hand to take hers. “This was fun.”

     “Really?” She seemed surprised.

     “I’d rather think I’m loyal.” He pulled her back to him. “And I know you are desired.”

Sunshine Valley