Page 22
Story: Her Protector on Route 14
She doesn’t reach for her camera, just stares.
“Darling?” I ask.
She clears her throat. “Yeah…”
“What’s wrong?” I push.
“I don’t know, I expected to feel more ... accomplished.”
“Is it because I did the driving?” I tease.
She shakes her head slowly and looks at me while she rubs her chest. I stand with her at the hood of the car, looking at the pre-sunset light dancing across the blue water and teasing the silhouettes of docked sailboats.
This was our guaranteed time together. Now we’re standing on the edge of a choice, one neither of us can make alone. I don’t want to be done with Holly. I don’t want to reach out to a ranger and get a ride home.
As wild and unpredicted as it is, I love Holly. It took less than two weeks for me to realize that. I’ve gone this long in my life without ever feeling a spark of love and now it’s bulldozed me.
Holly glances at me, then looks away, and I know she’s holding something back. So I decide to take the lead—at least that gives me some control over how this plays out.
“I don’t want this to be the last time I see you, Holly,” I say, voice steady. “I’m not ready for this to be over.”
She turns to me fully, blinking a few times like she’s trying to make sure she heard me right. “What do you mean? Just... be clear.”
I nod, no hesitation. “I want to stay in your life. I want more time. I wantyou.Not just a maybe if you head back to Florida. Not just a memory. I don’t want to cross my fingers and hope—I want to know I’m still part of your world when this trip ends.”
Her smile blooms slowly, and then she throws her arms around me, holding me tight. “I’m so glad you didn’t make me say it first.” She leans in, stands on her toes, and kisses me—soft, certain. “I don’t want this to end either.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I murmur against her lips. “No pressure, no big decisions today. Just one day at a time.”
She pulls back, beaming, and lifts her camera, aiming it at the two of us. “One day, one week, one month... as long as I still get to seeyou,that’s all that matters.”
Epilogue - Holly
Three Years Later
“You’re in another magazine and didn’t tell me!” Tanner says in greeting before lifting me up and hugging me tightly.
I gasp and wait for him to put me down so I can turn in his arms and kiss him. Tanner groans and rubs my hips, pulling me tighter against him. Three years of bliss, a year and a half of marriage and I still melt anytime he kisses me, still catch myself daydreaming about my husband, and still can’t believe thatthisman loves me.
“That’s nothing,” I say softly.
“It’s everything! My wife is in gallery exhibits and magazines for her photography and her creative eye. I found this at Kathy’s! Why you didn’t tell me?!” he says.
Despite how stoic he still is when he works as a private guide for exclusive off-grid excursions, he’s opened up so much. Three years together and he just keeps sharing more of himself, tells me about his days, asks about what I’m reading or working on. There’s no one in the world more supportive.
“I forgot about it,” I reply with a shrug, then kiss him again. “I was planning our next road trip. Alaska, remember?”
“How could I forget?” he asks.
He takes my hand and runs his hand over my wedding band. Despite the fact he got me the perfect engagement ring, it’s the wedding band that matters to him. I kiss him again as I think about our intimate ceremony in Lover’s Stroll Park. The place of our first kiss, where we started, and where we sealed our wedding vows.
“What else haven’t you told me?” he teases, eyes glinting with amusement. “Sold a photo to a king? A queen? Maybe a reclusive billionaire with a private island?”
I laugh, tracing slow circles on his chest. “Not yet. But haveyouever led royalty through the wilderness? Maybe taught a tech tycoon how to make a fire?”
He grins. “Let’s start dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it.” He pauses, leans in, kisses me softly, and adds, “I love you.”
He says it every day—just like he promised in his vows. And every time, it hits just as hard.
“Darling?” I ask.
She clears her throat. “Yeah…”
“What’s wrong?” I push.
“I don’t know, I expected to feel more ... accomplished.”
“Is it because I did the driving?” I tease.
She shakes her head slowly and looks at me while she rubs her chest. I stand with her at the hood of the car, looking at the pre-sunset light dancing across the blue water and teasing the silhouettes of docked sailboats.
This was our guaranteed time together. Now we’re standing on the edge of a choice, one neither of us can make alone. I don’t want to be done with Holly. I don’t want to reach out to a ranger and get a ride home.
As wild and unpredicted as it is, I love Holly. It took less than two weeks for me to realize that. I’ve gone this long in my life without ever feeling a spark of love and now it’s bulldozed me.
Holly glances at me, then looks away, and I know she’s holding something back. So I decide to take the lead—at least that gives me some control over how this plays out.
“I don’t want this to be the last time I see you, Holly,” I say, voice steady. “I’m not ready for this to be over.”
She turns to me fully, blinking a few times like she’s trying to make sure she heard me right. “What do you mean? Just... be clear.”
I nod, no hesitation. “I want to stay in your life. I want more time. I wantyou.Not just a maybe if you head back to Florida. Not just a memory. I don’t want to cross my fingers and hope—I want to know I’m still part of your world when this trip ends.”
Her smile blooms slowly, and then she throws her arms around me, holding me tight. “I’m so glad you didn’t make me say it first.” She leans in, stands on her toes, and kisses me—soft, certain. “I don’t want this to end either.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I murmur against her lips. “No pressure, no big decisions today. Just one day at a time.”
She pulls back, beaming, and lifts her camera, aiming it at the two of us. “One day, one week, one month... as long as I still get to seeyou,that’s all that matters.”
Epilogue - Holly
Three Years Later
“You’re in another magazine and didn’t tell me!” Tanner says in greeting before lifting me up and hugging me tightly.
I gasp and wait for him to put me down so I can turn in his arms and kiss him. Tanner groans and rubs my hips, pulling me tighter against him. Three years of bliss, a year and a half of marriage and I still melt anytime he kisses me, still catch myself daydreaming about my husband, and still can’t believe thatthisman loves me.
“That’s nothing,” I say softly.
“It’s everything! My wife is in gallery exhibits and magazines for her photography and her creative eye. I found this at Kathy’s! Why you didn’t tell me?!” he says.
Despite how stoic he still is when he works as a private guide for exclusive off-grid excursions, he’s opened up so much. Three years together and he just keeps sharing more of himself, tells me about his days, asks about what I’m reading or working on. There’s no one in the world more supportive.
“I forgot about it,” I reply with a shrug, then kiss him again. “I was planning our next road trip. Alaska, remember?”
“How could I forget?” he asks.
He takes my hand and runs his hand over my wedding band. Despite the fact he got me the perfect engagement ring, it’s the wedding band that matters to him. I kiss him again as I think about our intimate ceremony in Lover’s Stroll Park. The place of our first kiss, where we started, and where we sealed our wedding vows.
“What else haven’t you told me?” he teases, eyes glinting with amusement. “Sold a photo to a king? A queen? Maybe a reclusive billionaire with a private island?”
I laugh, tracing slow circles on his chest. “Not yet. But haveyouever led royalty through the wilderness? Maybe taught a tech tycoon how to make a fire?”
He grins. “Let’s start dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it.” He pauses, leans in, kisses me softly, and adds, “I love you.”
He says it every day—just like he promised in his vows. And every time, it hits just as hard.