While he was in the hospital, he’d written a letter to Truman, telling him what had happened. About a week later, he got a reply. All Truman had to say was “That’s tough,” and that he was moving to Oregon.

Now that Hoover was being moved to another prison, he had to accept that he and Truman were going to lose each other, and from the tone of Truman’s reply, Hoover didn’t think he was going to care.

* * *

The week of the wedding, Melissa put the wedding invitation to the citizens of Blessings in the paper, because when someone got married in Blessings, everyone was invited.

All of Sully’s belongings had arrived safe and sound from Kansas City some time back, and now that he had all of his clothes here, he was wearing his best suit, which just happened to be black, with a white shirt and a black tie to go with it. He was still in the dark about Melissa’s dress, but that only added to the excitement.

The days flew past until they were finally down to the wire. The big day was tomorrow, and Melissa had worn herself out today making sure everything was in place.

She was in her nightshirt when she came out of the bathroom into the darkened bedroom. Sully was already in bed watching TV, and she dropped on the bed beside him.

“I am so tired.”

“Poor baby,” he said, and when she laid her head on his bare shoulder, he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

Melissa sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m tired, yes, but I’m so happy where our lives are going. You. Me. Us. I never thought I would be part of an us again, and then you walked back into my life, and the familiarity and comfort I felt was so immediate that I knew it was meant to be.”

“I know. We were so young, and to be able to pick up right where we left off is a gift. I didn’t realize how solitary my life had become. Now I can’t imagine my life without you. Thank you for your faith and trust in me. Thank you for saying yes to spending the rest of your life with me. I won’t fail you, Missy. I won’t ever let you down.”

He nibbled his way up her neck, then behind her ear, then centered his mouth on her lips and groaned when she opened them ever so slightly for him to come in.

That one kiss turned into more, and then more, until it morphed into a game of strip poker. For every kiss she gave him, he took off another article of her clothing, stroking the spot he’d just bared until she was naked beneath him.

Foreplay was over.

He moved between her legs and took her, with passion and purpose in every motion. The heat between them set a flash fire burning. Within a minute, they were lost in the feelings, chasing that ever-building surge toward the lightning-fast climax that hit—leaving them sated and weak.