G.I. Stacy

Epilogue

Epilogue

********** Back to Stacy's POV! ************

"I'm not eating that worm Scotty!" I call to Scotty as he approaches me.

He chuckles in what I can only describe as an 'evil' tone.

"It's sorted, we catch a boat tomorrow morning that will take us up-river," Scotty says as he sits down next to me.

"Excellent!" I grin at him and take a deep breath.

The air is cool and fresh, but the view... oh the view takes your breath away.

Below me terraces of light-grey stone and green grass form banks that go on forever. Ancient stone walls and buildings are spread out all around us and in the distance rolling green hills stretch for as far as the eye can see. Today its overcast and it might rain at any moment.

I don't care, we are not part of a tour group that has to keep to a schedule and I'll sit here all day if I want to.

Here happens to be probably one of the most interesting places on earth.

Machu Picchu. Five thousand year old Inca ruins.

I pull my phone from a pocket and take another picture; and a selfie I'll send to Libby later.

Scotty sees a guide he wants to talk to and I watch as he pulls a couple of notes out of his pocket.

I smile to myself. That man can organize like nobody's business. He is the perfect travel-companion.

The silence here is absolutely mystical. It calms you like no yoga class ever can. The threat of rain makes it seem even more magical.

My attention is diverted by a tiny stone that had just landed on my foot.

Curious I glance around at the potential source and I freeze.

No way...

Striding towards me is the one person I never expected to see.

Eric? Can this be real? Maybe the magical powers of Machu Picchu are making me see things.

Frozen I watch him approach and stop a couple of paces away.

He is wearing a pair of jeans, heavy boots, leather jacket and a wide grin.

"Of all the ancient temples in all the world..." He drawls in that sexy way of his.

"You walk into mine..." I finish and jump up to run over to him.

When I'm close enough I jump into his arms to land the kiss of all kisses straight onto his lips.

He wraps his arms around me as I wrap my arms around his neck and we kiss passionately. That scent of sandalwood and leather I love so much envelopes me as he pulls me even closer.

This is what complete elation feels like. I'm afraid that if I let go he is going to disappear like the apparition I thought him to be.

Somewhere behind me, I hear Scotty's rumbling laughter.

Hand in hand we walk down to the ancient gates. Eric is telling me about his journey here and how he found me. We wait while Scotty organises us a lift back to town.

Eric touches the side of my face tenderly.

"I'm sorry I didn't call Stacy; I thought it would be easier on both of us if I didn't interfere in you and Theo's relationship. But it nearly killed me. I thought about you all the time..." he pauses to kiss me softly.

"I missed you too," I whisper against his lips.

"I hate to break up happy reunions, but we gotta go kids," Scotty interrupts our cuddle by placing a hand on our shoulders and steering us towards a truck.

"So, Eric, do ye have anything against eating worms?" Scotty asks.

**********

One month later... somewhere along the coast of Morocco.

I roll over in the warm sun and smile at Eric snoozing next to me. Gently I trace the outline of the tattoo on his side with a fingertip. When I saw it the first time I was quite surprised but once he explained it to me it's become my favourite. I run the fingertip all the way down to where his jeans start.

One of the two camels a short distance behind us groans in that annoying nasal way. Perhaps lying partially naked on a blanket on a sandy dune is not the best plan. Sand in awkward places and all that!

Eric stares at me from below his lashes as I wrestle myself back into my pants and I feel him run his fingertips down my spine and in spite of the warm sun I shiver.

"Damn you're beautiful," he whispers.

I smile at him over my shoulder before shaking out a white long-sleeved tunic.

I pull it over my head and lean over to place a kiss on his chest.

"You're not so bad-looking yourself," I say.

Grabbing me by my hips he quickly rolls us over until I'm flat on my back and he is straddling me.

"Marry me," he says.

"Why?" I challenge him.

"Because I can never be apart from you again," he says.

Good answer...

"Yes!" I say with a smile.

"Good answer!" he grins and bends down to kiss me.

From the small pocket of his jeans he pulls out the intricate ring I saw at the market yesterday. He slides it onto my finger and I examine it closely as the sun glints off the layers of brass, copper and gold.

"It's perfect," I sigh.

"I'll follow you to the ends of the earth my love..."

The End