Much
later, at the Midsummer Night’s Fest, Susannah and Hogan watched the fireworks
explode over Courthouse Square. Like just about everyone who attended the
annual festival, they were content after a long evening of good food, cold
beer, and the small town production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which
proved to be more comical than Shakespeare probably intended when the entire
cast spoke with broad Texan drawls.
Hogan’s
talented fingers drew lazy circles on Susannah’s shoulders, making her breath
quicken and her insides turn to mush. Each time his hands slid over her
shoulders and traveled a bit farther south until Susannah grabbed his hands in
both hers. In a whisper, she warned, “My mother is right over there.”
“Yeah,
but it’s dark over here,” Hogan whispered back. “And she and Walter
have eyes only for each other.” He kissed her ear then his mouth slid down
the side of her neck. He found the sensitive spot on her neck and flicked it
with his tongue. He deepened the pressure with his mouth, and Susannah moaned.
His
quiet chuckle held more masculine superiority than she could allow him to get
away with. She squirmed away from him. “My cousin’s mother is on the other
side. And she’s got her two nieces with her.”
“Yeah,
but they have eyes only for the fireworks.” He pulled her back against him
and went to work with his mouth. His sly hands reached for her.
Susannah
managed to gasp, “What about Allison and Brian or Luke and Paula? They
could look over here at any moment.”
“You
worry too much. Are you going to revert to being rule-bound, prim, and proper?”
Susannah
scooted back between his widespread legs. He wrapped his arms around her, and
she wriggled even closer, eliciting a quick groan from him. She grinned,
knowing that what she felt wasn’t his gun. His body was hot against hers. She
felt like purring.
Instead,
she parried his question. “Prim and proper, huh? Hmm. Let me think about
that.” Hogan’s hands slid down her arms, raising the gooseflesh. Susannah
reached for his hands. She knew the darkness hid them from view, but, in that
moment, she really didn’t care. When he signed, she knew what he thought so she
surprised him by boldly placing his hands on her breasts.
Hogan
laughed and hugged her to him. “I love you, Susannah Quinn.”
“And
I love you, D. E. Hogan.” With a muttered exclamation, she thrust his
hands away and turned. Exasperated, she
asked, “Am I going to have to go through the rest of my life calling you
by your last name?”
“Well,
since you’ve agreed to marry me, I guess I can trust you with my secret.”
“Is
your name really gross? Something like Dork or Dweeb?”
“No,
but it’s bad enough. First, let me tell you how I got the name. When my mom was
a kid, she was on a dance show.”
“What
fun. But what’s that got to do with your name?”
Hogan
sighed. “She named me after the guy who was the star the day she met my
dad who’d also come to the show. She always had a soft spot for that singer. He
was singing when she first saw my dad, and she said it was love at first
sight.”
“Well,
it can’t be Elvis or you’d be E. P. Hogan,” Susannah joked. “I can’t
imagine what D. E. stands for.”
“Duane
Eddy.”
Even
Hogan’s pained expression couldn’t stop her laughter. “Duane Eddy Hogan?”
He
scowled. “See, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you. I knew you’d
laugh.”
“I’m
not laughing, darling. It’s cute. It’s adorable. Why I might eventually get
used to calling you Du-ane,” she drawled, giving it two distinct
syllables.
“You
do, and I won’t be responsible for my actions.” He pressed her to the
blanket they lay on, not caring if everyone in the world watched.
“Is
that a threat or a promise, Hogan?” Susannah asked, her green eyes
sparkling with a promise of her own.
“That’s
a promise, Deputy Quinn, and it’s a promise I intend to keep. Trust me. ”
THE END
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