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Story: Her Protector on Route 14
I melt into his side. “I love you more. More than yesterday. Less than tomorrow.”
“That’smyline,” he mutters, then gives me that thoughtful look, the one that always makes my heart stutter. He pulls me even closer, like it’s never quite close enough.
“I never thought I’d want this kind of life,” he says quietly. “Coming home for dinner. Traveling once a month. Always being with someone.”
“You can still do your week-long excursions,” I tease. “I’ll keep the home fires burning.”
He shakes his head with a small, stubborn smile. “Absolutely not. I’d spend the whole damn time wishing I wasback here. Loving you… it’s set me free, Holly. In a way I didn’t even know I was stuck.”
I nudge his side. “Save that line for our anniversary. You’ll make me cry before dessert.”
He chuckles, but I can see it in his eyes—this isn’t a line. This is the man who shows up for me every day, and when hedoesspeak the words, they carry the weight of everything he feels.
“I’m serious, Holly. I don’t tell you enough how much you changed my life. I thought loving someone meant accepting the pain of losing them. I thought it was a tether to a life I didn’t want, but you proved I was wrong,” He takes my hand and puts it on his chest. “Keep doing it. Forever.”
I laugh and tear up a little. It’s like when he steals kisses in public when no one is looking. Because it’s for us. We don’t have to prove our relationship or our feelings to anyone but each other and as long as I’m Tanner’s wife, I know I’m loved, I’m supported, and I’m happier than I could be with anyone else. All because my car broke down and I had the luck of meeting him.
“That’smyline,” he mutters, then gives me that thoughtful look, the one that always makes my heart stutter. He pulls me even closer, like it’s never quite close enough.
“I never thought I’d want this kind of life,” he says quietly. “Coming home for dinner. Traveling once a month. Always being with someone.”
“You can still do your week-long excursions,” I tease. “I’ll keep the home fires burning.”
He shakes his head with a small, stubborn smile. “Absolutely not. I’d spend the whole damn time wishing I wasback here. Loving you… it’s set me free, Holly. In a way I didn’t even know I was stuck.”
I nudge his side. “Save that line for our anniversary. You’ll make me cry before dessert.”
He chuckles, but I can see it in his eyes—this isn’t a line. This is the man who shows up for me every day, and when hedoesspeak the words, they carry the weight of everything he feels.
“I’m serious, Holly. I don’t tell you enough how much you changed my life. I thought loving someone meant accepting the pain of losing them. I thought it was a tether to a life I didn’t want, but you proved I was wrong,” He takes my hand and puts it on his chest. “Keep doing it. Forever.”
I laugh and tear up a little. It’s like when he steals kisses in public when no one is looking. Because it’s for us. We don’t have to prove our relationship or our feelings to anyone but each other and as long as I’m Tanner’s wife, I know I’m loved, I’m supported, and I’m happier than I could be with anyone else. All because my car broke down and I had the luck of meeting him.