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BOOT CAMP

HOPE FORD

CONTENTS

Love Handles 1. Adam 2. Adam 3. Adam 4. Adam 5. Adam 6. Adam 7. Adam Epilogue Love Letters 1. Riley 2. Kelly 3. Kelly 4. Riley 5. Kelly 6. Kelly 7. Riley 8. Kelly Epilogue Love Lately 1. Tara 2. Lee 3. Tara 4. Tara 5. Lee 6. Lee 7. Tara 8. Lee 9. Tara Epilogue Free Books JOIN ME!

About the Author

Boot Camp © 2021 by Hope Ford Editor: Kasi Alexander Cover Design: Cormar Covers All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

LOVE HANDLES

1

ADAM

“I’ M GOING TO HIT IT TONIGHT . I MEAN IT SHOULD BE EASY , SHE ’ S A fat ass,” Private Jess Franklin tells the others.

My blood starts to boil. He doesn’t know I’m standing in the hallway outside the locker room. I know exactly how men like this are. They are cocky. They sail through ROTC in high school and automatically think they are a soldier. While they’re here, I weed out the weak. The ones that are too cocky for their own good. The ones that make stupid decisions. The ones that have no moral code. They won’t make it to the next level if I don’t pass them. But obviously Private Jess Franklin had me fooled because he graduated a few days ago. He is now o cially a solider with the United States Army.

I’ve been in the army for twenty years. For the last twelve I have been the Boot Camp Coordinator and moved from base to base. Now I am stationed at the training facility here in small-town Tennessee. I’m over the whole facility and rarely get involved in the training. However, I will make a point to teach Soldier Franklin a lesson. He is here still waiting on his assignment for advanced individual training. He may be gone in a few days, but I will make sure he remembers us here at boot camp.

The rest of the day is uneventful. Walking into the only restaurant in town, The Grease Rack, a few hours later, I see a few of my men eating. I walk to the table and after a round of ‘hello’s’, I order a steak and glance around the room. I come here quite a bit, just because I don’t want to cook for one. It’s a decent restaurant and I’m usually gone before it gets too wild later at night.

My eyes are drawn to the door when a woman walks in.

She looks unsure as she scans the room. The light shining behind her from the open door almost acts as a halo on her long blond hair. She’s a curvy woman and I don’t even try to hide the fact that I take in all of her curves, staring at her.

She has on a skirt to her knees with calf-high boots. Her shirt is loose and buttoned all the way up her neck. I don’t know if she thinks she’s hiding her curves by wearing that, but it’s obvious to any man exactly how curvy and beautiful she is.

Her lips are pinched together as she looks around the restaurant until suddenly she breaks into a wide smile, causing me to suck in a breath at the dramatic di erence that smile brings to her face.

I consider walking over to her. She’s younger than me, quite a bit younger, but she’s definitely old enough. As I get up from my chair, I find that I’m a little late. Soldier Franklin walks up to her, brushes her hair o her shoulder and whispers something in her ear. At first she tenses and pulls away as his hand brushes against the slope of her breast when he touches her hair, but then she smiles tentatively at him before following him to a table toward the back of the restaurant.

Turning back around in my chair, I watch her as she walks across the room. Her hips sway slightly and I couldn’t take my eyes o of her even if I wanted to. I find that I have a perfect view of her at the table. His back is to me, so I have

no idea what he’s saying to her, but I can see every expression she makes.

My food comes and I can barely touch it. I don’t know what it is about this woman; maybe it’s what I heard Franklin say in the locker room earlier today. Was it her he was talking about? My fist clenches around the knife in my hand until I drop it to the table. The conversation goes on around me but I can’t take my eyes o her.

Franklin gets up from the table and she looks around the restaurant. When her eyes finally land on me, I am staring blatantly back at her, almost daring her to keep looking at me. Even from here, I see the blush on her cheeks.

Penny I FINALLY HAVE A DATE . It’s my first one since graduating college and coming back home. I was warned by my mom and my friends not to go out tonight with Jess. I know he’s not exactly what I need in a man. I met him a few nights ago when I was here for dinner with some girlfriends and he was here celebrating his basic training graduation. I was the only single one in the group, so after finding out that he didn’t have a chance with any of my married friends, he then put his sights on me. He’s arrogant and overly confident, but I’m not ashamed to admit it, when you are twenty-five years old and you’ve had sex with one man and it wasn’t all that, you feel like you sometimes have to take your chances.

So far, it’s going fine. He’s been nothing but polite to me.

He went to the restroom and gazing around the room, I see a man obviously staring at me. When I look back at him, he doesn’t look away—if anything his gaze doesn’t waver. He’s older and handsome, obviously an army man. He’s built and

his shoulders span almost the width of the side of the table he’s at. He’s surrounded by other men, talking and laughing, but he’s not part of the conversation. It’s like his whole attention is on me. I feel my face heat at his scrutiny and I have to tear my gaze o his when Jess returns to the table.

I try to ignore his obvious interest, but it’s really hard.

It’s like he’s burning a hole in me with his striking gaze.

The waitress Kaylee walks up to the table and asks, “What can I get y’all?”

“Uh, I will take a hamburger with a side of fries…” I start to order.

“She will take a grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side and I will take the burger and fries,” Jess interrupts me.

The waitress looks between the two of us and after giving Jess a disgusted look she walks o . “Uh, I don’t want a salad,” I tell him.

“Yeah, but you need a salad,” he insists.

I gasp at his words. I know I’m a big girl. I know it. Does he not think I realize it? I’ve spent my whole life heavier. I have done all the diets until finally, I decided to be happy with myself. And although I was excited about this date, I now realize what a bad idea this was. My shoulders slump and I sit back in the chair.

Jess doesn’t even notice. He’s droning on and on about his training and I keep looking between the table and the door, willing myself to get up and walk away.

I look up when I notice a man standing next to the table.

My mouth drops when I realize it’s the man from across the room. He’s eyeing me, never taking his eyes o me, even when he asks Jess, “Soldier Franklin, how’s it going?”

“Good, First Sergeant. Just having dinner with my date.”

2

ADAM

E VEN FROM ACROSS THE ROOM , I CAN TELL THAT S OLDIER F RANKLIN upset her. I fought with myself about getting involved, but the longer she sat there with her shoulders hunched and lips pinched I knew I had to do something.

I stick my hand out toward her. “I’m Adam Stone.”

She stares at me before finally putting her hand in mine.

It’s like I’ve been holding my breath since I first saw her and can now only breathe since I literally have my hands on her.

“Penny. My name’s Penny.”

Still holding on to her, I tell Franklin, “You have an early morning tomorrow. I believe Trainer Dodson gave you a list of things that need done tomorrow. I expect you to get this pretty woman home early.”

I reluctantly release her hand and step back when the waitress steps to the table with their food. She smiles at me, and then sets two plates of food down in front of them.

“I ordered the salad for her,” Franklin tells her.

The waitress throws her hand up on her hip and I can’t stop the smile from forming on my face. Obviously, he hasn’t met Kaylee. You don’t mess with her. “Yes, you did order her a salad. But she wanted a burger – so I got her a burger,” she replies.

He grabs Penny’s plate and shoves it back at Kaylee.

“Well, get her a salad.”

Penny’s face is fifty shades of red at this point and I want to pummel him for disrespecting her this way.

I put my hand on Kaylee’s shoulder. “I got this.”

She looks at me and I see the anger raging in her face. I’ll actually be saving Franklin by intervening. Nobody messes with Kaylee. She’ll always get the upper hand.

She gives one last dirty look at Franklin and then walks away. “Franklin, your night is over. Head back to base.”

“But—” he starts, before he looks up at me and then as if it dawns on him that I am his superior, he says, “Yes, First Sergeant.”

He gets up and starts to address Penny, whose head is down still looking at the table. “Penny,” he starts.

“Move,” I growl at him and Penny’s shoulders jerk at my command. I try to calm myself. I don’t want her afraid of me.

That’s the last thing I want.

When he finally walks away, I don’t take my eyes o of him until he walks out of the restaurant.

I sit down in the seat he just vacated and stare over at Penny, waiting for her to look at me. When she doesn’t budge, I slide her plate of food back over to her. “Penny, eat your food.”

Penny I HAVE NEVER BEEN as mortified as I am right now. This is so embarrassing. I grab my purse beside me, and acting like I’m digging in my purse, I say, “Thank you, Adam, uh, for intervening. I’m going to go and let you get back to your table.”

His hand lays down on the table in front of me. It’s large and it makes me want to put mine on his to see exactly how much bigger it is. I’m not used to men that make me feel smaller. “I was hoping you would have dinner with me.”

I’m worried if I look up at him that I’m going to see a laugh on his face. Is this some kind of initiation? But I pull my shoulders back and look across at him. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I really am ready to go home.”

“Please stay, Penny. I couldn’t eat earlier, but now that I’m sitting here with you, I would really appreciate you eating with me.”

I think about it for a second and then pick up my sandwich. When I have it halfway to my mouth, I stop. “I’ll stay, but I’m not eating a salad.”

He just smiles widely at me. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

He has Kaylee take away Jess’s plate and she then places a steak down in front of him. He starts cutting into it, but every few seconds he looks up at me.

We eat in silence and it gives me time to get a close-up look at him. He’s even more handsome than I first thought.

My heart warms a little toward him. He didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to get involved, hell, he didn’t have to stay and eat with me. I know he could probably have any woman he wanted in here. So I appreciate his niceness. It makes the night not a total loss.

He sets his utensils down. “So, tell me about you, Penny.”

I can feel the heat blooming on my face. “There’s not much to tell. I’m a townie. Born and raised here. I went away to college and just returned back home. Now I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. What about you? How long have you been stationed here?”

He smiles at me. “Just a few months, which explains why I’ve never seen you before.”

I feel a tug in my lower belly looking at his smile. “How long have you been in the army?”

“Twenty years. I joined right out of high school.” I try to do the math in my head. Yep, not only is he too handsome, but he’s probably too old for me as well. If my calculations are right, he’s about thirty-eight years old – thirteen years older than me.

The rest of the evening passes by fast and before I know it, it’s already eleven o’clock. “I have to get home, Adam. But I want you to know I really appreciate you having dinner with me. You didn’t have to do that, but I’m glad you did. It was nice getting to know you.”

“What’s your number?” he asks me.

“Why?” I ask him.

He grabs my phone o the table and punches in some numbers. “I’m going to call my phone so I have your number. Will you text me when you get home?”

He puts my phone back in my hand and I grab my purse and stand up. “You don’t have to worry about me. I only live five minutes from here.”

“I still want to make sure you make it home safe.” He stands up and puts his hand on my shoulder.

My head is tilted backward staring up at him. He’s so much bigger than me, I almost feel dainty standing next to him. “Promise me you will text.”

I simply nod my head at him. He throws some bills on the table and then takes my hand and leads me out the door.

“Where’s your car?”

I point to the black Honda Civic in the corner of the lot.

He walks with me to my car, with his hand still in mine. I don’t know what parallel universe I’m in right now, but I know that this man is way too hot for me. Is he really just this nice of a guy?

Opening my car door, I take one last look up at him.

“Thanks again for dinner… and, well, saving me from Jess.”

He doesn’t respond. His hand goes to my cheek and he leans down to touch his lips to my forehead. Even after he stands back up, I can feel the heat left from his lips. I sit down in my car and with one last wave, I drive o .

3

ADAM

I DIDN ’ T SLEEP AT ALL LAST NIGHT . P ENNY NEVER TEXTED ME SO I finally texted her and she told me she was fine, that she didn’t know I was serious when I asked her to text me. I don’t know what kind of men she is used to, but obviously she hasn’t met one like me. I’m not a control freak, but when it comes to her safety, I need to know she is all right.

I had tried to get her to go out with me the next night, but she said she already had plans. My fists clench just thinking about it. Surely, she’s not going out with Franklin again.

The day drags by. I make a point to talk to Franklin’s trainer to let him know to keep an eye on his attitude. Hell, I should have him sent to confinement for a few days, but I digress. I sort of owe him for being an ass since that’s how I met Penny.

Penny. Damn, I can’t get my mind o of her. She’s all I’ve thought about all day. When I finally get o work, I run by The Grease Rack for a quick dinner. Sitting down, I order my meal and then look around the restaurant.

Imagine my good fortune when I see Penny sitting with two other women only a few tables away from me. I know she has seen me. I know because her cheeks are flushed and I can tell she’s fighting not to look in my direction.

I stand up and walk toward the table. When I get right next to her, I put my hand on the back of her chair. “Hey, Penny.”

She smiles up at me. “Hey, Adam. These are my friends, Casey and Kelly.”

“Hey, ladies.” I turn my head to briefly acknowledge them and then turn back to Penny. Penny who smells like honeysuckle. I scoot in closer to her. “So, are you available tomorrow night?”

A flush creeps across her face, and she looks at her friends to help her out. I guess she’s a little out of her element here.

Penny’s friends start gathering their purses and stand up.

“You know, Adam, we have to get home,” one of them says with a grin. “I have to get to my kids and Kelly is helping me, so maybe you can join Penny now.” She’s walking around the table and hugs Penny, whispering something into her ear. If anything, Penny looks like a fish gasping for breath.

Her friends hastily leave, and I’m left standing at the table next to Penny.

“I didn’t mean to ruin your girls’ night,” I tell her honestly.

“No, that wasn’t you. That’s was Casey’s idea of matchmaking. I’m sorry about that…”

I sit down next to her. “Why are you apologizing to me? I got exactly what I wanted… a dinner with you. However, I would have liked to take you somewhere better for our first date.”

“Date?” she squeaks at me.

“Well, yes.” Her face is shining with disbelief and I want to punch whoever I need to in the throat for causing this beautiful woman before me to doubt herself. “Do you not want to date me?”

She looks around the room and then back at me. “Look, Adam. I appreciate everything you did last night, but look, let’s face facts, men like you do not date women like me.”

She shrugs her pretty shoulders and then takes a big gulp of the drink sitting in front of her.

“I assume you are joining Penny,” the waitress announces as she comes and sets my order down in front of me.

I just nod at her. “What about you, Penny? What are you having?”

“Nothing else. We were only meeting for drinks since they both had places to go,” she explains easily.

“Well, order something so I’m not eating alone,” I plead with her.

She looks unsure, but then finally agrees. “Kaylee, I will take a salad with ranch dressing, please.”

“You need more than a salad,” I tell her.

She looks a little shocked, but quickly pulls herself together. “Really, Adam. I am fine with a salad. I had a big lunch today.”

When Kaylee walks away, I decide to address the thought that Penny doesn’t think I would date her.

“Penny, I want to date you. It’s not a game, there’s no ulterior motive here. I saw you last night when you walked in the door. I have thought of nothing but you since. And I want you to know I’m not going to listen to you bash on yourself.

You are a beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to have you on his arm.”

She starts talking and gestures over to me. “I’m not feeling sorry for myself or down on myself. I just know that men that look – well, your way… you don’t date women that look like me. I’m not saying that for attention, or comments… It’s the truth. We don’t make sense.”

Her hand lays down on the table between us and I put mine over it. Her cheeks are flushed and I see a bit of anger in their depths. “I don’t want to be crude, but what I’m going to say is something I think you need to hear. Since I first saw you, my fingers are tingling because I want to touch you. My heart beats doubletime when I think about you. And yes, right now, I can’t get up from this table because my cock is hard just sitting here next to you. So, in my opinion, we definitely make sense.”

Kaylee interrupts us by bringing out Penny’s salad. When I assure her we don’t need anything else, I wait until she walks away and then ask Penny, “Do you want some of my steak?”

I can tell that I’ve shocked her and maybe it was a little harsh. But every bit of it was true. I do want her.

I had waited until her salad came out before I dug into my food. She tried repeatedly to get me to start without her, but I don’t even consider it. My momma would roll over in her grave – she raised me better than that.

As we eat, I talk to her about my day and she shares with me her volunteer work that she did all morning. She’s a child advocate for neglected children. My heart softens even more after learning this about her.

Once she finishes her salad, I cut a bite of steak and feed it to her, not giving her option to tell me no. Watching her lips wrap around the fork has my cock hard under the table. I can’t take my eyes o her mouth and when she sticks out her tongue to lick her lower lip, I know right then, not that there was any doubt before, but I’m going to have this woman in my bed… and in my life.

I start counting backward in my head trying to rein in my lustful thoughts. When she laughs at something she said, I realize I’m a goner. I might as well give it up and just realize

that I will be hard around her. Hopefully, that doesn’t scare her o .

“So… will you go out with me Friday night? I have a late meeting but maybe once I’m done I can come and pick you up and we could go to the movies.”

She still looks unsure, and I refrain from putting my head in my hand with frustration. When my gaze doesn’t falter, she finally agrees. When I walk her out to her car, I am glad to finally have her alone. I held her hand through most of dinner and now I have her pressed against the side of her car with my big body pressed against her.

“I’m looking forward to Friday,” I tell her before putting my lips to hers in what is supposed to be a simple kiss. But when my lips touch hers, I can’t pull myself away. I deepen the kiss, as if I’m begging for entry, and she finally opens her mouth so I can sweep my tongue inside. As I taste her, smothering her soft mewling sounds, my hands slide down her hips, holding her still and firm against me. Her body freezes under mine momentarily before she slides her hands up my chest and loops them around my neck, pulling me even closer. I kiss her until it hurts. My hard shaft is pressed against her belly and I abruptly pull away when I realize that we are in public and as a first sergeant I don’t need to be seen pawing a woman in the parking lot. My face is lying against her head and we are both trying to catch our breath.

When it finally returns to normal, I apologize to Penny.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let that get out of hand.”

Penny O H MY G OD ! I feel like I’ve run a marathon. My heart is pounding like it’s about to come out of my chest. I feel

trickles of sweat dripping down my back and I’m beginning to wonder if I should put my arms above my head to stop from passing out.

My lips are swollen, I know they are. I want to reach up and feel them, just so I know exactly what it is he did to me.

Hell, I know what he did. He turned me into a big pile of mush. After that kiss—damn that kiss that is forever engrained on my brain—he helped me into my car, had me give him my address and then I drove away. My legs twitch, feeling the liquid pooling between my thighs. If I’m feeling all of this with one kiss, I can’t even imagine what he would do to me with more than a kiss.

I don’t remember the drive home. I was still lost in that kiss he threw at me. I text him when I got home to let him know I made it and then fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of him.

The next day I jump up early with plans to get a job. I can’t let my degree be for nothing. I apply at a few social services o ces and then head back home later in the afternoon.

There are five days until my date with Adam. Honestly, I thought he would bale out on me, but instead he has texted me every day, sometimes a couple of times throughout the day. He sends me random questions, like what’s my favorite color or my favorite flower. He asks me about the places I’ve applied to and if I plan on staying here. He texts me funny stories about his work and di erent things about his day.

He’s even sent me pictures of his breakfast and his lunch.

It’s almost like he wants to share his whole day with me.

When Friday finally gets here, I’m a barrel of nerves.

About midweek I realized that he fully intended to take me out, that this wasn’t just a nice gesture on his part. And in turn, the more I got to know him this week, the more excited I was for Friday to get here. By midafternoon, I start getting

ready for my date. But thankfully, I have a while, because finding something to wear has proven to be a problem.

I finally decide on a short flowing skirt with a black somewhat fitted shirt. I curl my hair and leave it down before applying a little mascara and lip gloss. When I’m finally convinced that this is as good as it gets, I sit on the couch in the living room and wait. Thankfully, my parents will be out all evening. I shudder to think that I’m twenty-five and still living at home, but I have to remind myself, I had some pretty good leads today for work. At the first opportunity, I will be finding my own place.

When he arrives, I hear him pull up outside. I want to rush out, but I take a minute, taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself. When he knocks on the door, I open it and am stunned again by how hot he is. I can’t help it, I look him up and down, taking in his tight jeans and black T-shirt stretched across his hard chest. His hard body towers over me and I can feel the tight pull in my lower belly. I want to reach up and wrap my arm around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me. All I’ve thought about all week is that kiss. I want another one. When I finally look up into his eyes, he lifts his sunglasses o his nose, and I almost gasp at the look of desire and possession in his eyes.

“You look beautiful, Penny. And unless you want me to take you right here on the doorstep, I suggest we go,” he huskily whispers to me before leaning in and kissing my cheek.

In a daze, I grab my purse and lock the door on my way out. His hand goes out to me. Please don’t let me regret this, I say to myself before latching on to his hand and following him to his truck.

4

ADAM

I F I THOUGHT IT WAS BAD SITTING NEXT TO HER IN A BUSY restaurant, nothing compares to sitting next to her in an almost empty theater. The movie we wanted to see was sold out, so instead of giving up, we decided on another, less popular movie, and I am paying the price now. I mean, the movie’s okay, some rom com, and Penny seems to be enjoying it. But me, I can’t get my mind o of her. We are sitting in the very back of the theater and there is only one other older couple sitting in the front. Her scent is making me crazy. And her short skirt, which is raised up high on her knee while sitting down, has my palms itching to touch her.

When I can’t fight it anymore, I put my palm on her bare knee. I see her intake of breath out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head and look over at her, wondering if she’s going to shove my hand away, slap me or both. When she smiles at me, I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Her hand goes to my forearm and wraps around me. I love the feel of her holding on to me.

She leans over and kisses me on the cheek before whispering to me, “Thank you for tonight. I’m having a good time.” And then she leans her head on my shoulder.

The good guy in me wants to let her stay there on my shoulder and enjoy the movie. But the bad side, the side

that’s been clawing to come out since I realized that part of her sweet smell is her arousal, well, he’s coming to wreak havoc.

I slide my hand up the inside of her thigh. Slowly, I stroke circles along her soft skin. She freezes next to me, and I consider pulling my hand away, until I feel her spread her legs a little wider and damn near come in my pants at the invitation to take things further. Once I’ve stroked the lace of her panties, I palm her soaked mound. She’s not just wet, she is soaked and it makes me realize that everything that she makes me feel, she feels it too.

I slide the leg of her panties to the side and stroke her lips. When my finger strokes through her wet slit, she moans quietly and I bend down to kiss her. I whisper into her mouth between kisses, “Are you okay with this?”

She nods her head at me, but I pull my mouth back from hers, leaving my hand between her legs to continue stroking her. “Words. I need to hear it, Penny.”

“Yes. Don’t stop,” she whispers to me and I then focus on rubbing her swollen clit with my finger. Her soft mewls of pleasure excite me, make me want to please her. She’s scooted down, legs wide open, giving me better access to her.

There’s nothing hotter than a woman spread out before you with complete disregard to what’s happening around her.

When her moans keep getting louder and louder, I cover her mouth with mine, smothering her pleasured sounds. When her body tenses, I hold on to her, pushing her to the edge until she’s completely satisfied and her juices are flowing freely. I want to taste her. I want to drop to my knees and fasten my lips to her core. I do the second best thing; I pull my hand from between her thighs and suck her juices o my finger. She tastes as sweet as honey and I groan as her taste infiltrates all my senses.

At my noise, she sits up quickly and looks around the theater. The movie is still playing and no one is the wiser of what just happened back here in the dark. Even in the dark, I can see the blush on her cheeks. I just kiss her, grab her hand and hold it. Making plans for the future. The movie ends shortly after, which thankfully gives me time to get the steel rod in my pants under control. I definitely couldn’t have walked out like that.

Walking out into the lobby, with her hand held in mine, I don’t even notice Julie until she stops me with a hand on my shoulder. I barely stop the look of foreboding on my face. She is an ex, someone that I hooked up with shortly after being stationed here. We haven’t seen each other since.

“Hello, Adam,” she purrs and tries to come in for a hug.

Stopping her from reaching in, I tug Penny closer to me.

“Julie, this is Penny. Penny, Julie.”

Julie looks at Penny with disgust on her face, and then a sinister smile comes over her. “Aww, is this your little sister?”

Penny tries to back away, but I keep a steady hold of her hand, not letting her get too far.

“No, Penny is my date. Now if you will excuse us,” I insist and start to walk away.

“I can’t believe you dumped me for that,” she declares before tossing her hair and storming the other way.

I turn around to go back toward her, but Penny stops me with a hand to my shoulder.

“Don’t make a scene, Adam. It’s okay,” she assures me and tugs me out the door.

Penny

B UT EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY . We are both quiet the whole way back to my house. I am truly embarrassed. How could I have thought anything could have happened between Adam and me? He really is out of my league, and Julie just proved that.

She is thin, svelte, dressed in the latest fashion and makeup done perfectly. She’s everything I’m not. I looked like a frump standing next to her. There’s no way that he would choose me over her.

Pulling into my driveway, Adam stops me from jumping out of the car. I take a deep breath and pull my shoulders back before turning to him. I am not going to let him see me cry.

His hand goes up to stroke his hair, causing it to stand up all over the place. I want to reach over and smooth it down, but stop myself before I make an ever bigger fool of myself.

“Penny, I’m sorry about Julie. I’m sorry she ruined our night.”

I act like I’m thinking about it, but really I’ve been planning it out in my head the whole way home. “I think meeting Julie was actually a good thing, Adam. She woke me up, I guess. We are a joke together. You saw her face when she found out we were on a date. It’s not believable, and I can’t imagine why I was willing to believe it could work.”

“She’s a bitch. I made a mistake going out with her, but we haven’t talked in a long while. She doesn’t mean anything – she was just being mean. She was jealous and wanted to hurt you.” He looks like he is still trying to control his anger.

I just shake my head at him. I didn’t think it would be this hard. I really thought I would tell him it was over and I would walk away. Why is he fighting so hard? We just met a few days ago.

“I’m sorry, Adam. I like you, I really do, but I can’t do this…” Getting out of the car, I start to walk up the steps to

my house. Adam gets out and is following close behind me.

He doesn’t touch me but he gets in front to stop me.

“Well, I like you too. More than I’ve liked anyone in a long time. Enough to know that we should see where this goes.

You can’t let what one silly woman said upset you like this. It shouldn’t matter what she thinks.”

By this point, the tears are rolling down my face, because it all comes down to that. Letting what someone else thinks control my life. I’ve always been worried about what people think of me. They judge me because I’m bigger, I’m not pretty enough or smart enough. It’s always something… and when you are treated as inadequate for as long as I have been… it’s hard to believe otherwise.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I just can’t.” And I slide by him and run into my house.

5

ADAM

H ONESTLY , WE HAVEN ’ T KNOWN EACH OTHER LONG . H ER WALKING away shouldn’t a ect me like this. But it has. I can’t concentrate on anything. I’m getting nothing done at work and the insomnia is getting the best of me. It’s been five days since I last saw her. I’ve sent her texts every day. I know she’s read them, but she hasn’t responded.

Damn, that fucking Julie.

I’ve eaten dinner every night since then at The Grease Rack. I’m sure my arteries are hardening and I’m one meal away from a heart attack, but she’s worth it. Eventually, she is going to have to talk to me. But I can’t force her to.

Eventually, it’s going to be up to her. She’s going to have to be willing to make this work. She’s going to have to believe me when I tell her that I want her. Hopefully, that happens sooner than later.

Penny M Y WHOLE BODY is sore from crying the last few days, not only because of my insecurities controlling my life, but also

because I let them come between me and the first good man that I’ve had in my life. Well, besides my dad.

I’m sitting on the back porch. My mom has given up on trying to cheer me up and my dad is ready to pummel whoever it is that broke his daughter’s heart. I tried to explain to him what happened, but gave up when he couldn’t understand why I ended it.

“Okay, Penny, that’s it – I’m here to cheer you up.” My best friend Kelly comes through the back door of my house.

She’s all laughs and usually able to cheer me up, but one look at me and she falls down in the seat next to me. “Penny, you look awful. Are you okay?”

I can’t help it, I start to cry. Damn, I’ve never been a crier, but that’s all I seem to do anymore. After I cry in her arms for awhile, she pulls away from me. “Okay, how are we going to fix this?” she asks.

I know I look hopeless, because that’s how I feel.

“Tell me the whole story,” she insists, “and don’t leave anything out.”

And so I do. I tell her about Adam taking me to the movies, I tell her about what I let him do in the theater and then what happened when we saw Julie outside the theater.

But her only response is, “Okay, so that doesn’t tell me anything. Why did you end it with him? Why don’t you want to go out with him anymore?”

Frustrated, I blow a breath out. “C’mon, Kelly, you saw him. He and I don’t work. He is so out of my league.”

She holds her hands out in front of her to stop me.

“Really? That’s why you broke it o with him? Because you don’t feel good enough?”

A little o ended that she is belittling my reasoning, I explain to her, “Well, I’m just stating the obvious. To date someone like him, damn, you have to be almost a model. If you had seen this woman you would understand.”

“Okay, let me explain this to you. Since high school, you have been down on yourself. All the boys that liked you, you wouldn’t even give a chance. You just automatically thought that no one wanted the heavier woman…” She gets up, grabs my hand and tugs me toward the house. “C’mon. I’m going to show you something.”

I follow behind her up the stairs and into my bedroom.

She shuts the door and turns me around to face the mirror on the back of my door. As soon as I look at my reflection, I try to turn away.

“No, stop. Look at yourself. Really look at yourself, Penny.

Is it so hard to believe that someone finds you beautiful?

Desirable? You’re so hard on yourself. Because boys were mean to you in high school, you’ve let it take over your whole life. You’ve let it stop you from truly being happy.”

I try to see myself through Kelly’s eyes, but I don’t see it.

I know I’m not horrible, but I’m not enough for Adam. And I tell her that.

“Okay, when you ended it with him, how did he take it?” she questions me.

I shrug my shoulders. “He tried to talk me out of it.”

She smiles at me in the mirror. “Okay, and have you heard from him since?”

I almost smile at all the texts I’ve received from him.

“Yes, he’s texted me.”

She rolls her eyes at me in the mirror. “Okay, so you have an army man that obviously likes you. He gave you the best orgasm of your life. He hasn’t given up on you and has told you over and over he wants you.”

At this point, I just shrug my shoulders at her, starting to feel overwhelmed by it all.

“So you are willing to give him up… because you don’t think you’re good enough?”

It’s like my mind goes to an instant montage of all my favorite moments with him. Him saving me that night with Jess, him interrupting my girls’ night and then kissing me until my toes curled. Then the theater, damn, what he did to me in the theater. And then the heartbroken look on his face when I ended it with him.

Shaking my head, I tell her, “I have to see him.” I start walking toward the door.

She stops me. “Great, now you’re talking. But first, let’s get the mascara o your face and get you cleaned up a little.”

While she’s helping me get ready, I ask her about the boot camp graduate she met last week. She gets a dreamy look on her face and tells me about how much she enjoyed meeting him. But her face quickly changes. “He left the next day. His next training is six months long. He said that we would keep in touch, but you know how that goes…”

I try to cheer her up and I try to reassure her, “Kelly, don’t give up on him yet. Maybe you guys will keep in touch.

Maybe that night meant as much to him as it obviously did you.”

She smiles at me and then turns me to the mirror. “Okay, enough about me. Let’s get you to your man. You’re beautiful, Penny.”

6

ADAM

S ITTING AT T HE G REASE R ACK , I’ M ABOUT TO GIVE UP AND GO BACK home. I’ve been sitting here for a while and finished my meal a while ago. I’ve scanned the whole restaurant and know she’s not here. So now my eyes are trained on the front door. Every time it opens, I am watching to see who’s coming in.

A little deflated when the door opens again, I look up and my mouth falls open. Penny is standing in the doorway, looking around the restaurant. She has on a pair of tight blue jeans and a black shirt that hangs o one shoulder. Her lips are a cherry red and my pants get snug thinking about kissing her.

She’s dressed to kill. Hopefully, she’s not here for a date, because I’m afraid I will kill any man that gets near her at this point.

I get up and start to walk toward her. I stop when I get right in front of her. “You look beautiful, Penny.”

She smiles shyly at me, o ering me a little encouragement. “Can we talk, Adam?”

I lace my fingers with Penny’s, bring it to my lips, and tug her back to my table. The restaurant is busy and loud, but I don’t focus on anything but her.

“I’m sorry, Adam,” she starts to say.

I hold my hands out in front of me. “Sorry for what? Are you planning to walk away again, because I can’t do this.”

She grabs onto my hands and assures me, “No, no. I want to tell you that I’m sorry. For everything.”

I look at her skeptically. I’ve been without much sleep lately and I can’t help but be a little slow on the uptake.

“Okay… so you’re sorry. What exactly are you sorry for?”

I need her to spell it out for me.

She reaches across the table and puts her hand on mine.

Instinctively, I flip my hand over to hold hers. She smiles at me. “I’m sorry for walking away from you. I was scared… I’m still scared. But I don’t want to give up on us… I want to see where this goes.”

“I want you, Penny. But you can’t walk away from me again. Not like that,” I plead with her.

“I won’t. I promise,” she assures me.

I’m about to take her out of here when a woman that tried to buy me a beer the other night walks up to the table. “Hey Adam, I thought maybe we could get that drink tonight.”

My first thought is, some women are clueless. Is there no loyalty to their sex? Does she not see me sitting here with Penny? My second thought is what is Penny thinking? How is she going to react to this?

I look over at her and she has a small smile on her face. I look at her questioningly. Her smile widens and then she turns to the woman who’s waiting on my answer. “I’m sorry.

He can’t tonight. He’s taking me home to have sex.” She even throws in a wink before tugging my hand so I’m following her.

Fuck yeah, I cheer in my head. I don’t know what changed with Penny, but I know I like it. I swing her up in my arms and sprint over to my truck.

She’s laughing, but tells me, “You don’t have to carry me.

I’m going with you.”

I set her down outside the passenger side of my truck.

“I’ll bring you to your car tomorrow. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

She shakes her head side to side. “That’s not necessary. I had Kelly drop me o . I saw your truck out here and hoped you would give me a ride.”

When she climbs up into her seat, I lean over and seatbelt her in. “Oh, I’m going to give you a ride all right. One that will make sure you truly realize you’re never leaving me again.”

And then I kiss her lips.

Penny H E DRIVES me to his house on base and I follow him inside, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering. I’m nervous. About being here with him. About getting naked with him. But mostly I’m nervous to see what tomorrow will bring. But I’m doing it. I’m not going to chicken out.

As soon as I walk in the door, he shuts it behind me and pulls me into his bedroom. I don’t even hesitate. I start pulling my clothes o . I pause when I get down to my bra and underwear, but when I see him sitting on a chair next to the bed with desire burning in his gaze, I unsnap my bra and let it fall to the floor. Bending over, I pull my underwear o and then stand up, fully naked and with a snap, I pull my shoulders back and look at him across the room.

He has his large cock in his hand and he’s stroking it back and forth. My mouth waters as I see the precum on his tip glistening in the moonlight from the open curtain. I slowly walk toward him and drop to my knees. Kissing his tip, I pull back at his sharp intake of breath.

“Sorry, baby, I’ve dreamt of having your mouth on me.

The real thing is even better than I imagined.”

I smile slightly at him and then start tugging his boots o and his pants and underwear down his legs. He pulls his shirt over his head and I gulp deeply at the sight of him, hard, naked, and hot sitting before me. I lean over him, my bare breasts pressed against his legs. The friction of his hair-roughened legs against my naked body only adds to the feelings erupting inside me. I position myself between his thighs and seal my mouth over his large, erect manhood. As I wrap my tongue around his girth, a guttural moan escapes his lips. His hand wraps around my hair and pulls and tugs me as I stroke him up and down. His hips are pressing against me with each downward stroke. When I’m gasping and eventually gagging on him, he releases me and pulls me up on top of him.

“Kiss me, Penny. I want your mouth on me, but when I come, I want you to come with me.”

I settle on him, straddling his lap and I push my ass back as I feel his length sliding along my backside. I cover his mouth with mine and I swear I can feel how much he wants me from his heart pounding in his chest under my hand.

I lift and try to position him at my entrance. “Honey, are you on the pill?”

Like a splash of cold water hitting my face, I jerk back from him and would have fallen o if he hadn’t grabbed on to me.

“Oh my God, what was I thinking? No, I’m not on the pill.” I shudder to think about what would have happened if he went bareback. My stomach clenches with longing thinking about having his baby, but I try to hide it.

He stands up with me still in his arms. I don’t even get on to him about picking me up. I’m still stunned that I almost put him inside of me with nothing between us.

He lays me back on the edge of the bed and positions himself between my thighs. “I want you bareback, Penny.

Actually, there’s nothing I want more than to feel you wrapped around me deep inside you. But I also know that whatever comes of it, I wouldn’t let you walk away from me.

So until you know that you are for sure not walking away again, it’s probably best if I wore a condom.”

I look up at him and notice the circles under his eyes and the sadness in their depths. I really did a number on him when I walked away. My heart hurts just thinking about it.

The last thing I want to do is hurt him. Hell, I never even imagined I would be capable of hurting him like I did.

I nod at him. My throat is thick with emotion. I want to assure him that I’m not walking away from him, but I also know that until we are solid and he trusts me again, we probably should use something.

He grabs his jeans o the floor and, withdrawing a condom from his wallet, he pulls it onto his length. He leans down to kiss me and then lines himself up at my wet, swollen center. With one thrust, he’s buried inside of me and I’m hanging on to him with a guttural moan. When he’s buried deep inside of me, he waits, letting me get accustomed to his size.

“You okay?” he asks me as he kisses me on the lips.

“Yes,” I whisper against his lips. “I’m perfect.”

He pulls back and says with a sparkle in his eyes, “Yes, you are, honey.” His hands stroke up and down my soft belly, places that I thought I would never be able to bare to him, he showed complete appreciation for.

He grabs onto my hips and slowly starts moving in and out of me. He’s thrusting deeply and with each thrust, my heart beats faster. His eyes never leave mine and I swear I can see all the emotions crossing his face. One of those I would swear is love. But before I announce my love for him, I

clinch my eyes tightly closed and enjoy the feel of his body over mine, moving in and out, bringing me to new heights.

His hands slides down my body between us and when he pinches down on my swollen clit, I come undone. My orgasm comes from deep inside and I’m crying his name as pleasure rolls through my body. When he grunts and I feel him expand inside of me, I wrap my arms and legs around him, holding him to me.

What’s probably only minutes later, he pulls out of me disposes of the condom and then helps me slide up the bed.

Lying down beside me, he tugs the blankets up and covers us. I fall asleep with his hard body wrapped around mine.

7

ADAM

I HAD HER TWO MORE TIMES THROUGH THE NIGHT . T HE LAST TIME , I helped her into the bathtub to help soothe her achiness. I shouldn’t have taken her that last time, even though she was begging me for it. I knew she was hurting. When I finally wake up at dawn, I look over at her. She’s snoring softly with her head pressed into the pillow. Her hair is in tangles all around her. I get out of bed and then call in to let them know I won’t be in to work until later today, and then climb back under the covers with her.

When I wake up an hour later, she’s on top of me and my cock is hard, feeling like it’s in a vice between her legs. I look down into her face and realize she’s still asleep. My hand goes to her ass. I try to hold her still, because with her moving on top of me like this, it makes it harder and harder for me to resist plowing into her.

When my hands cup her ass, she moans my name. I kiss her awake. “Penny, honey, I know you’re hurting.”

She moves her body up mine until I’m positioned at her opening. She slides her legs apart, causing me to touch her soft, wet opening.

“Oh baby, I’m trying to do right by you and you are making it hard,” I plead with her.

“I like making you hard.” She smiles at me.

And I can’t resist. I push inside her and she clenches around me.

EPILOGUE

A DAM HAS HAD ME IN EVERY ROOM OF HIS HOUSE . T HE MONTHS WE ’ VE been together have been the best of my life. I spend most of my time at his house. So much so, my mom and dad are changing my room to an exercise room. I didn’t move any of it to Adam’s because technically he hasn’t asked me to move in with him. So all of my belongings are in my parents’ garage and most of my clothes are at Adam’s house. I started my new social work job in town and Adam is taking me out to celebrate tonight. But I’m hoping we have more to celebrate than just a new job.

I meet him at the restaurant, The Grease Rack, because now it’s like our lucky restaurant, and after we order, I make my announcement.

“So… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” I am nervous about this, but I know it’s the right thing to do. I can’t stand to see the look in his eyes sometimes, the one that he gives me if another woman gives him attention or if he has had to work late. I can tell he’s worried about how I’m going to respond or if I’m going to walk away.

But all this time I’ve spent with Adam, there’s one thing that I’m absolutely sure of.

He clears his throat. “What is it?”

I inhale deeply and then decide the best way is to just say it. “Well, I wanted to tell you… I just want you to know that I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I want you in my life forever… for always. And I promise that I will always fight for us.. that I’ll never walk away from you again.”

He sits there smiling at me, but doesn’t say anything. “I love you too, baby. You know that, right? And even if you ever get scared again, I wouldn’t let you walk away from me.

I would hold you to me and make sure you realized just how much you mean to me. You will never question again how I feel about you.”

He leans in and kisses me thoroughly.

“Get a room, guys,” Kaylee announces as she sets our plates on the table in front of us.

We just laugh and when she walks away, he drops to his knees by the table. I gasp when he holds a little black box up at me. “I’m glad to know that you finally realize you love me.

Now, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

I jump out of my seat, screaming yes, yes over and over.

Once we embrace, I can barely eat for looking at the ring on my finger.

Adam interrupts me. “You know what I thought you were going to tell me?”

I glance up from my ring finger. “I don’t know. What did you think I was going to tell you?”

He leans over the table and kisses my lips. “I figured you were going to tell me that you were pregnant.”

“Pregnant!” I gasp. And then my head starts calculating.

Oh my goodness, I haven’t had a period in almost two months.

“Breathe, honey, breathe. It’s okay. We haven’t been using anything. You had to know this would happen. We will

stop by the drugstore on the way home.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it.

“Adam, I bet I am pregnant. How did I not realize?” I ask him in amazement.

He nuzzles my neck. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. It’s not good for our baby.”

I feel the tears rolling down my cheeks and I smile at him.

“Our baby.”

LOVE LETTERS

1

RILEY

D EAR K ELLY , It’s been a week since I graduated boot camp and left you. I’ve tried to sit down and write you a dozen times but they have kept us pretty busy. By the time I get back to the barracks, it has been time for lights out. I know I owe you an apology. I should have told you when I met you that I was leaving the next morning. It wasn’t right to keep that from you. Maybe it makes me an ass, but I knew that if I did tell you that night after graduation, you would never have given me a chance. And man, there was no way I could have left without getting to know you. It was selfish of me, but I can’t say I’m sorry.

I’ve had a lot of time to think this week, mostly when I’m running and working out. I hated leaving you knowing that I was hurting you. I don’t blame you for being mad, but you are wrong about me. I do not think of you as a booty call or a one night stand. I wasn’t just trying to get laid. From that first moment I saw you, when you were standing in front of your tower of cupcakes, I knew that you would be mine. I never doubted it then and I haven’t since.

Well, I think this is the first letter I’ve ever written someone.

Even with my nine weeks in boot camp, I didn’t send one letter. I have a little comfort knowing that I’m only a few hours away from you, even though I won’t be able to see you for four to six

months. Once this training is over, I have ten days leave and I hope to spend it with you.

Anyway, I hope you are doing good. Please don’t be mad.

Love, Riley I fold up the letter, stu it in the envelope and put a stamp on it. Meeting Kelly was everything. By the end of the night I was making changes and plans for our future. Crazy, I know. But she hooked me. I can’t help but think about meeting her last week. I had just finished nine weeks of boot camp. Nine weeks of physical training that almost feels like they are trying to break you. Nine weeks of learning everything you possibly can about being a soldier. I endured it, hell, I loved it. I reveled in it – I felt for the first time in a long time that I was home. I’ve known all along this is what I was meant to do. I followed in my father’s footsteps, much to my mother’s dismay.

He is a major in the army. My dad and mom split ten years ago and my boot camp graduation was the first time they’ve been together since then. I saw the honor in my father’s face after he handed me my graduation certificate, and when I sought out my mother in the crowd, I saw the tears rolling down her face, but still yet, her eyes shining with pride.

There was a small reception planned for after the graduation and for some reason, I felt like dinner with my parents was going to be harder than the nine weeks of boot camp.

Last week - The Night of Graduation: Riley Once the graduation commences, I lead my mom into the reception hall. My dad has certain duties he has to fill and he

will be joining us later. “Have a seat, Mom. I’ll grab us some drinks.”

She pats my cheek and I can tell she is still overcome with emotion. “Okay, honey. I’m going to freshen up in the ladies’ room and will be right back. Can you get me a lemonade?”

“Sure, Mom.” I walk over toward the food and pass by the finger sandwiches and sides and head straight for the dessert table. It’s been nine weeks without anything sweet and for me, that’s a long time. I have somewhat of a sweet tooth.

The table is full of small and large cupcakes, each one delicately decorated with the army logo on them or a US flag.

They almost look too good to eat. I pull one o the tower and barely get the wrapper o before I’m shoving the whole thing into my mouth. I can’t stop the moan that escapes my lips. It has to be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

I look around the full room and most everyone is in line at the food table. Hell, they don’t know what they are missing. I grab another small cupcake and again, I moan around the delicious taste.

“You sound like you are really enjoying that.” I freeze at the soft honeyed voice behind me. Swallowing down the last of the dessert, I turn around and my mouth drops.

Before me is a breathtaking, curvy woman in a hot pink apron with the words Sweet Cakes Bakery on the front of it.

The apron is fitted tightly to her, showing o her waist and the flare of her wide hips. Her long blond hair is piled on top of her head. Her blue eyes are sparkling, like she knows she just caught me doing something I shouldn’t. I am not much for emotions, or at least showing them, but I can’t stop the smile that forms on my lips.

I point to the large tower of cupcakes. “Did you make these?”

She just nods her head at me, and I try to think of something else to ask her, because I want to hear her voice

again.

“Congratulations… on your graduation,” she shyly says to me and starts to walk o .

“Wait, what’s your name?” I ask her, trying to stall her.

“Kelly. My name’s Kelly.” She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. People are now coming to the table to grab one of her treats and I step closer to her so we are not separated.

“I’m Riley. It’s nice to meet you.” I put my hand out to her. She stares at it for a moment and then gently puts hers in mine.

I wrap my fingers around hers and hold on tightly. “Do you have plans after this?”

She looks startled at my question and then shrugs her shoulders. “Probably a soak in the tub. I’ve been baking all day.”

She blushes almost the instant her words leave her mouth. My mind instantly wanders, and I imagine her lying in a bathtub surrounded by bubbles. Still holding her hand, I tug her toward me, wanting to feel her body pressed to mine.

“I would love to take you out.”

2

KELLY

I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM TO SEE IF THIS IS SOME KIND OF JOKE , BUT no one is laughing. The man standing before me is built.

Handsome and built. His uniform is almost too tight to contain his bulging muscles. His hair is short, like most of the men in the room, but his eyes are a deep brown and I swear I could get lost in their depths. He appears to be holding his breath waiting for my answer.

“Uh, that’s probably not a good idea,” I stutter and start to walk away. I cater this event every nine weeks. I run the local bakery in town. I could do it with my eyes closed now, it’s so often the same thing. However, I can honestly say I have never been asked out while I’ve been here before.

He stops me with a hand to my shoulder. “Why not? I think it’s the best idea I’ve had in a long time.” His voice is husky and sends chills up and down my arms. I’ve never reacted to a man like this before and I have to wonder if I would be making a mistake by turning him down.

“I’m sure you have family here and they are expecting to spend time with you.” I don’t know if I can resist him if he pushes too hard.

“This is a work thing for my dad. And after the reception, my mom lives an hour from here and will head home. But

even if I had plans with them, I would still ask you to join us.

C’mon, Kelly, say yes.”

I look at him hesitantly but then decide what the hell, you only live once. “Okay, uh, after the reception I have to clean up and take everything back to the bakery. I can meet you later.”

“Great. I will pick you up. Do you want me to pick you up at your house or the bakery?” he asks me.

My mind is swirling with how fast this is going and I’m trying to keep up. This never happens to me and honestly, I’m freaking out a little bit right now. “Either. Well, I mean, I live upstairs of the bakery. So if you want to pick me up at my house that is fine.”

We exchange numbers and my phone rings while I’m standing there and realize it is him. He just laughs. “I wanted to make sure you gave me your real number.”

Honestly, who would give this man a fake number? I doubt it’s ever happened to him before. But he still makes me laugh.

We make plans to go out to eat. He hasn’t had a real meal and is looking forward to having a steak. “So I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I nod at him and we stand there and stare at each other.

He’s looking at my lips and nervousness causes me to bite my lower lip. His nostrils flare and his hand comes down on my shoulder. For a second, I think he might even kiss me, but he doesn’t. He pulls back from me and tells me he will see me later, but still doesn’t walk away.

I grab a plate o the table and fill it with more cupcakes. I hand it to him. “Here you go. Some for your mom, too.”

Telling me, “Thank you. I will see you later,” he walks away.

Riley I RING the doorbell on the door next to the bakery. Only a moment passes, and I see her running down the steps to let me in.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her as soon as she opens the door. Her blond hair is in big curls flowing down her shoulders. She has on a pair of tight jeans with a pink blouse.

Her lips are a pretty cherry color and the longer I stand there and stare at her, the more her cheeks flush.

“Thank you,” she tells me shyly. “Uh, I hope it’s okay. I thought I would make us dinner. I felt bad that you haven’t had a home cooked meal in awhile.”

Surprised and pleased, I assure her that is perfect. “Let me tell the Uber driver he can go and I will have him pick me up later.”

“Oh, Riley, I didn’t even think about you not having a car with you. I could have come and picked you up.”

I smile walking back to the car. She is not only beautiful, she’s also sweet and caring. I can’t control the fast beating of my heart as I see her holding the door open, waiting for me.

I follow her up the stairs and I’m not even ashamed to admit that I watch her ass shimmy side to side. There’s no way I can take my eyes o her; I’m barely able to stop myself from reaching out to her.

She leads me into her small kitchen and the smells are making my mouth water. “Can I help with anything?”

She points over to a small table in the corner. “Nope, it’s ready. The steaks have been resting and I hope you like medium well.” She carries food to the table and sets everything down in the middle. She fixes my plate and sets it down in front of me, then sits down in the chair next to me.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sure you could have fixed your own plate.” She is looking down at the table as she puts a napkin

in her lap.

I reach around and grab her hand. “Hey, no, I appreciate you fixing my plate. And fixing me a home-cooked dinner.

This is really very sweet of you.”

She smiles at me. “Are you sure? I’m sorry if you planned something else.”

“No, this is great. I should have brought some of the cupcakes with me and then it would be perfect,” I tell her easily. She really does make a great cupcake.

She jumps up and grabs a covered dish o the counter, opening it once she sets it on the table. “I made an apple pie this morning and thought we could have it for dessert.”

I groan. Apple pie is my favorite and I tell her so. “This is perfect, Kelly. Really.”

“Well, you haven’t even tried your food yet.” She shrugs her shoulders. “I might be a horrible cook.”

I can tell by the sparkle in her eyes she knows she is a good cook.

I pick up my utensils and cut into the steak. The meat is so tender it cuts without having to apply hardly any pressure.

I put a bite into my mouth and close my eyes to savor the taste. Once I swallow, I open my eyes and look over at her, astounded.

She’s looking at me and hasn’t even touched her food.

She can’t hide anything with her big expressive eyes. Not that she’s trying. I can see the desire in her eyes and I know right then that nothing is going to stop me from making this woman mine.

3

KELLY

H E IS DEFINITELY ENJOYING HIS MEAL . I KNEW I WAS BEING presumptuous by assuming he would want to stay in, but cooking and baking calms me. I have been a ball of nerves since I met him this afternoon and when I got home, I thought this would be a way to give him a home cooked meal and calm my nerves.

I watch as he puts a spoonful of twice-baked potatoes in his mouth and I have to force my eyes away. I know I’ve been staring at him all night, but I can’t and really don’t want to look away. I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as he is and I’ve never seen anyone enjoy their food as much as he does.

We make small talk. I tell him about the bakery and he talks about boot camp. The conversation flows easily and I breathe a sigh of relief, my nerves finally settling.

I smile and cover my plate with my napkin.

“Are you ready for dessert?” I ask him and before I can catch myself at how that suggestion sounds, his face lights up with a broad smile.

I laugh at him and slap him on the shoulder gently. “I mean would you like some apple pie?”

He tugs my hand until he’s holding it over his beating heart. I can feel the steady thump, and I open my palm and

press it against him. I can feel the pace pick up and I look into his eyes.

“Do…” He stops and clears his throat. “Do you know what I really want?”

I turn my head to the side questioningly. “What?”

His hand comes up to cup the side of my cheek. “To kiss you.”

His brown eyes get darker as I stare into them. He’s looking at me like he has a hunger building inside him, even though he just finished eating. I realize he’s asking for permission, and I nod my head, closing my eyes as he moves in toward me.

When his lips gently touch mine, I feel the jolt from head to toe. His hand slides up the back of my head, pulling me against him as he deepens the kiss. His tongue strokes along the seam of my lips, begging for entrance. When I barely open them, his tongue thrusts inside and I groan at the contact.

He pulls me from my chair and onto his lap. As I straddle his legs, his hands stroke down my back and cup my ass, pressing me tight against him. His hardness is pressed against my core and I grind my hips against him.

He kisses down my neck and my pussy floods when he softly bites along my ear. My body is electric, sensations flowing through me. He’s covering every part of my bare skin with kisses. In between each kiss, he softly tells me, “I want you, Kelly. If you don’t want this…if you don’t want me, we should probably stop.”

Alarmed, I tell him, “No – no. I want this, Riley. I want you.” Call me what you want, but there’s no way I could walk away now. I’ve never felt pleasure like this and I have to have him. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I have to do this.

I stand up and hold my hand out to him. When he puts his in mine, I tug him toward my bedroom. Once I step into the bedroom, I start to remove my clothes. He just stands there and watches me, making my nipples harden with desire. I’m a curvy woman, but I know he realizes that. It doesn’t seem to faze him so I stand before him proudly with my large rounded breasts free and my soft belly on display.

I put my hands out to remove his shirt, but he holds his hands out to stop me. “You’re beautiful, Kelly. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he tells me gru y.

I just smile at him and try to take my hands out of his to remove his clothes but he stops me again. “Honey, if you touch me right now, I will come in my jeans.”

Shocked, I look into his eyes and see the lust and sincerity in them. I pull my hands back and he quickly removes his shoes and clothes. I watch him as he removes each piece, my heart slamming in my chest at the sight before me. When he tugs his jeans down and his cock springs out, I gasp at the size of him. It’s hard and pointing right at me. He wraps his fist around it and gives it a good stroke from root to tip.

Already, a drop of precum glistens at the tip and I lick my lips, wanting to taste him.

He takes a step toward me, and I take a deep breath in anticipation. When his hands cup my shoulder and he pulls me against him, the feel of his hard body pressed to mine has me wrapping my arms around him and pressing my head to his chest. He bends down and kisses my forehead. My body is shaking uncontrollably and he whispers to me, “Baby, you okay?”

I lift my head back to look up at him. “Yes.” I wrap my hand around his neck and pull him down to me. When his lips touch mine, he pulls me up into his arms, lifting me like I weigh nothing.

He strides to the bed and lays me down gently. He lies against me, holding his weight on his arms. As he kisses me, his hand caresses my breast, circling my nipple with his rough palm. His hard cock is pressed against me and he grunts when I lift up against him.

He slides down my body, stroking and kissing every inch of me along the way. My hips lift o the bed when he nestles between my legs. His hot breath hits me and instinctively I spread my legs farther apart. The first stroke of his tongue has me about to come. When he finds out how responsive I am, he presses his tongue to my clit, circling the hard, swollen nub until I’m begging him not to stop.

I hold his head to me, pushing him firmly against me and I unabashedly raise and lower my hips underneath him, until I’m screaming my release and I feel the warm liquid sliding down my thighs. But still, he doesn’t give up. He doesn’t stop. His lips latch on to my hard nub and this time, I’m begging him to stop… I can’t… I can’t even imagine another climax already when I’ve barely survived the first one. He’s moaning and when he slams his finger inside me while biting down, I come again, flooding him with my juices.

Riley I CLIMB up her body and when I’m lying fully on top of her, I press my lips to hers. She’s so responsive, I’m beyond obsessed with her and know I can’t wait a minute longer to have her wrapped around me.

She’s smiling softly at me, still reeling from her recent climax. I lean back to line my cock up at her center. “Baby, I can’t wait. I want to be inside you.”

She nods at me. “Me too, Riley. Please.” And she lifts her hips up.

I slowly enter her tight channel and my body tightens at the constricting vise she has on my cock. I grab on to her hips and pull her against me as I slam inside her. The walls of her pussy grip me as I slide in and out of her. It’s too much, not only the tightness wrapped around my steel rod, but the tightness I feel in my chest as our eyes meet and we get lost in each other as our bodies find bliss together. A tear rolls down the side of her face, but I don’t ask her if she’s okay. I know what she’s feeling. Hell, I feel the same way.

Emotions are warring inside me and I deepen my strokes, showing her exactly what I’m feeling.

When she starts thrashing underneath me, I pull her further up my thighs, hitting her at another angle, and she starts screaming her head o as my cock rubs against her Gspot. As she climaxes, she grips on to me, pulling my release and I paint her womb with my seed. When I’m completely empty and my breath is so ragged I feel faint, I lean my head down against hers, trying to hold my weight o of her.

She presses her lips to the top of my head. “Riley, my God, Riley, that was…”

I lift my head to look up at her. “I know, baby. It was the same for me too.”

I pull out of her and lie down beside her, pulling her into my arms. I’m basking in the feel of her in my arms, but there is a slight twinge of guilt eating at me. I still haven’t told her that I’m leaving tomorrow.

4

RILEY

A FTER HAVING HER TWO MORE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT , I finally fell asleep at dawn. Each time was better than the last.

I’ve never felt a connection like this and I slowly wake up worried about what today will bring. For the first time, I am questioning my future. All this time, my sole purpose was becoming a soldier. But now, well, I still want to be a soldier, but I don’t want to leave Kelly. Not when I just found her. I reach over to pull her into my arms and her side of the bed is empty.

I grab a note o the pillow. I’m downstairs. I had to open the bakery. Come down if you want breakfast.

I run my hands across my face, knowing I need to go down and face the music. I clean up in the bathroom and, looking at my phone, I realize that I don’t have much time.

The bus will be leaving soon. I walk down the stairwell and into the front door of the bakery.

At the jingle of the bell, Kelly looks up and smiles brightly when she sees me. Her smile falters when she sees the serious expression on my face. Damn, I hate what I’m about to do.

The bakery is empty and I walk over to her and pull her in my arms. “Hey, honey, I didn’t know you had to be up this early. I wouldn’t have woken you up for that third round.”

She looks at me disbelievingly. And she’s right, there’s no way I could have lain next to her all night without having her again. “Hey, we didn’t talk about it last night, but we didn’t use anything.” The image of her big and round with my baby flashes through my mind and it stuns me when I feel the longing in my chest.

Her face flushes. “Yeah, uh, I’m on the pill to regulate my period, and well, I’m clean, I haven’t been with anyone in well a long time.”

The thought of her with someone else makes my fists tighten at my sides. I lean down and kiss her abruptly on the lips, wanting to stake my claim on her.

She pulls back from me and gestures to the shelves holding all the baked goods. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“I have to talk to you, Kelly,” I tell her softly.

She must hear the hesitation in my voice, because she looks at me sharply before shrugging her shoulder. “What is it?”

I don’t know how else to say it but to just say it. “I have to leave.”

She looks at me for a long minute and I can see everything she is thinking in her expressive eyes. “It’s not like that, honey. I have training that I have to go to.”

She looks at me, trying to read me, and my stomach rolls as I tell her, “I have specialized training that I have to go to.

The bus leaves in forty-five minutes and I have to be on it.”

Still not understanding, she sputters, “How long will you be gone?”

I hesitate briefly, and mutter the words to her. “Four to six months.”

She gasps and recoils from me, distrust taking over her emotions. “You knew you were leaving and you didn’t tell

me… Fuck, I’m so stupid. Why would you tell me? This was a booty call for you.. a one-night stand.”

I walk toward her and try to wrap my arms around her, but she tells me no, not to touch her. “Kelly, it’s not like that. You’re not a booty call or a one-night stand. You’re so much more than that.”

She grabs a box o the counter and starts filling it with pastries. She pours a cup of co ee. “Do you want cream or sugar?”

“What?” I ask, trying to keep up with what she’s thinking.

“Cream or sugar in your co ee?” she asks again, and I can hear the pain etched into her voice.

“Black... Kelly, please talk to me, I can’t leave like this,” I plead with her.

She shoves the box and the to-go cup of co ee in my hands, then points out the window to a car sitting at the front of the building. “I think that Uber is for you.”

My shoulders drop in defeat. “Baby, please, don’t do this.

I don’t want to leave with you mad at me,” I beg her.

“You probably should have thought about that before you fucked me and completely forgot to mention that you were leaving the next morning.” She points again at the door. “Go on. You have a bus to catch.”

I take one long look at her and I see the defiance in her face. There’s no breaking through to her now, not when she’s this mad.

I try one more time to convince her that she means more to me than one night. “I’m going to write you, Kelly. Please, promise me that you will read my letters.”

She looks at me for a minute and it’s killing me to see the pain on her face. “Why would I?” she asks before she turns away and runs to the back of the building.

“Because I’m falling for you,” I say into the empty room.

5

KELLY PRESENT DAY

I’ VE READ HIS LETTER SO MANY TIMES ALREADY AND I JUST GOT IT IN the mail yesterday. I really didn’t expect him to write me, even though he said he would. A part of me truly believed that once he was gone he would forget about me. I’ve never been more happy about being wrong.

There’s a part of me that wants to forgive him because looking back on it now, I have to ask myself ‘What did I expect?’ I had sex with a soldier that had just graduated boot camp. Of course he would be leaving, but I guess the surprise and the abruptness of it all took over my emotions and I didn’t handle it well.

Ever since he left, my one regret was letting him leave without hugging him one last time. I found safety and belonging in his arms, and I wasn’t quite ready to give that up. He should have told me he was leaving, there’s no doubt about that. But really, staying mad at him doesn’t hurt anyone but myself. I grab up the envelope and see that he is in training in a small town in Georgia, which after I looked it up, I found out is only three hours and seven minutes away.

I grab a piece of paper and sit down at one of the tables at the co ee shop to write him back.

Dear Riley,

I forgive you. I probably overreacted and I apologize for that. I don’t know what I was thinking. I met you and had sex with you the very same night. You are a soldier that just graduated boot camp. I should have put two and two together. Anyway, I don’t feel that you set out to deceive me.

I regret not telling you this before you left. I think that what you’re doing is very commendable. You joined the army to defend our country and that alone makes you a great man in my book.

My one regret is letting you leave like you did. I’ve regretted getting so angry with you, when really, I wish that I had spent that time getting one last hug from you.

Looking back on it now, I realize that it’s probably good that everything happened the way it did. You’re probably right. If I had known that you were leaving, I probably wouldn’t have gone out with you. But after the fact, I realize that I wouldn’t trade our one night together for anything.

I hope that you are doing well and that you enjoy your training.

Please be safe, Riley.

Your friend, Kelly

Riley D EAR K ELLY , You are right. I wasn’t trying to intentionally deceive you. I would never hurt you on purpose and in hindsight, I wish I had handled things di erently. But, like you, I wouldn’t trade that night for anything.

Training is going okay. My specialized training is at military police school. I have already learned a lot. I don’t remember if I told you this, but I always wanted to be a soldier. Growing up, I

never doubted that this is what I would be when I grew up. After meeting you, my plans have changed a little bit, but I’m going to wait to tell you about those. I feel like I need to let you get to know me better before telling you where my head’s at.

So, please tell me everything about you. I know that you are sexy as fuck. I know that you are kind and have a good heart. And I know that you make the best cupcakes and apple pie I’ve ever eaten in my life. But there’s so much I don’t know. Tell me everything.

Also, don’t think I didn’t notice that you signed your letter ‘your friend.’ I’ll let you get by with it, but you know we are more than friends.

I hope to hear from you soon.

With love, Riley

Kelly D EAR R ILEY , I can see you as a military policeman. You will be perfect for that job. However, my first thought is that it sounds dangerous, but then that’s stupid, because just you being a soldier is dangerous. I pray for you every night.

There’s really not a lot to tell about me. My parents had me when they were older in life and a few years ago they retired to Florida. I’m an only child. I love living in Tennessee and really can’t imagine moving anywhere else. My favorite things to do are read and bake. I read romance novels, but don’t poke fun, these are my book boyfriends we are talking about.

I’ve worked at the bakery since I was in high school. I plan on buying it from the owner as soon as I can get enough money saved up.

I made a few extra cookies this week. Enclosed are some of my favorites; chocolate chip, peanut butter and my famous (at least at the local fair) no bake cookies. I hope you like them.

Now, tell me about you. Everything.

Sorry, I can’t write more. I’m getting ready for girls night out. I hope to hear from you soon.

Your booty call, (Lol. Sorry, I couldn’t resist) Kelly

Riley D EAR K ELLY , I know you meant it as a joke, but you even mentioning your booty has my cock hard. Which in a barrack filled with other men causes problems. You know you are more to me than a booty call, right?

The cookies were perfect. I was the most popular soldier here. I had to literally fight them o me. One of my comrades told me if changed my mind about you to give you his number. I told him fat chance. You’re mine.

You’re an excellent baker and I hope that your dream of owning a bakery comes true. Plus, I would reap the benefits of that.

There’s not a lot you don’t know about me. My mom and dad divorced ten years ago and after that I lived with my mother. She actually only lives an hour away from you. My dad has always traveled for work. We always traveled with him, moving place to place until the divorce. I’m pretty close to both of my parents.

Their love story is something else. Yes, I know they are divorced, but they have one hell of a story. Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day.

But right now, I want to talk about girls night. What all does that entail? In my mind, I’ve pictured you at a bar while men hound you for your phone number and try to take you home with them. I’m hoping that you know I have no problem kicking anyone’s ass that tries to get too close to you. You’re mine now, Kelly. Did I mention that? That one night with me sealed your fate, honey.

Anyway, I hope you are doing well. Dream of me.

With Love, Riley

6

KELLY

R ILEY , Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I’ve gotten some kind of stomach bug that I can’t kick. I go to work early in the mornings and then crash almost as soon as I get home. I’m going to go to the doctor if I don’t get better soon.

So how is training going? I know it’s only been two months you’ve been gone but it feels a lot longer. Time seems to be standing still.

I would love to hear the story about your parents. How intriguing. You know you can’t just tell a woman something like that and not give the whole story. I’m anxiously waiting…

Girls night is actually pretty laid back. My friend, Casey, is married with kids and my other friend, Penny, actually just recently started dating someone. So it’s probably nothing like you are imagining. However, I did get asked to dance.

The bakery is coming along. The owner is allowing me to change up the menu some so I’ve been working hard on creating some new items and having people test them for me. I wish you were here. You would be a great taste tester.

I will talk to you soon.

Missing you, Kelly

Riley H EY M OM , I hope you are doing well. Training is going good. I’m really enjoying it.

I want to thank you again for coming to my graduation. I know it’s hard for you to be around Dad sometimes, and the last thing I want to do is cause you more pain. But it seemed di erent this time. You two seemed di erent, I don’t really know how to explain it. But you seemed happy – so I am glad about that. It’s funny, but since I’ve been in boot camp and training I think I see Dad a lot more than I used to. He’s talking about retiring. Did you know about that?

Anyway, I know by now you realize that I don’t ever write so there has to be something I want. Well, it’s sad to say but you’re right. Do you remember me telling you about Kelly, the woman I met at graduation? Well, we have gotten really close…. She’s the one, Mom. I am 100% sure she is the one I’m meant to be with.

In her most recent letter, she was sick and I hate to think that no one is checking on her. Scratch that, I trust you, Mom, I want someone I know to check on her. Her parents live in Florida. I would greatly appreciate it if you would do this for me. I just need to know that she is okay. She is around an hour away from you. I will enclose her address for you. She works at the Sweet Cakes Bakery and lives above it.

I love you, Mom. Your son, Riley Dear Kelly, I hate to hear you are sick. I hate it that I’m so far away from you and can’t check on you. I hope you don’t get mad, but I’ve asked my mom to come see you. I’m sorry, but I needed someone

that I trust to make sure you are alright. My mom is great though.

I think you will love her.

Have you been to the doctor? What did they say?

Training is grueling. They push us to the limits, but lately that’s been a good thing. All I’ve done is worry about you and it helps to keep me focused when they demand more of us than what our bodies are used to.

It’s great that you are getting to do more on your own at the bakery. I wish I was there to taste test for you. What has been your favorite new dessert so far?

You know I have to ask. Did you dance with the guy that asked you? I’m hoping that you said no. It kills me to think of you in another man’s arms.

Write me back soon. Please let me know you’re okay.

With love, Riley

Riley’s Mom D EAR R ILEY , It was so great to hear from you. You know anytime you need anything I am here for you.

I will cut right to the chase. As soon as I got your letter, I jumped into my car and headed to Kelly. And let me tell you, she is absolutely the sweetest thing. I can see why you are so smitten with her. I think she will be a great addition to the family.

She’s fine by the way. I’m sure she will tell you about it, but know that she is going to be just fine.

She and I had a long talk and she fed me some of her wonderful pastries. She is an amazing baker. I swear I left there ten pounds heavier. She was pretty emotional when I got there, but she was calmed down by the time I left. She and I plan to go

get pedicures next week. Don’t worry, my boy, I will make sure she is taking care of herself.

Now, about your dad. Yes, I know he is considering retiring. It was actually good to see him at your graduation. You worry too much, Riley. I am fine. Your dad is fine. And Kelly is fine.

Thank you for reaching out to me. I am so glad you did.

I love and miss you, son. Please take care of yourself.

Love, Mom

Kelly D EAR R ILEY , You want to talk about a surprise. Your mom showed up at the bakery not ten minutes after I got your last letter. But you are right. She is the best. She spent the rest of the day with me at the bakery and then we went out to dinner. She was more than happy to tell me all your embarrassing stories while growing up.

I appreciate you worrying about me, but you didn’t have to have your mom come all this way. Even though I’m glad you did.

We really hit it o . We plan on getting together next week.

And I’m fine by the way. Already feeling better.

I hate to hear that training has been so grueling. However, you seem to like and appreciate it, so I won’t worry about you too much.

I have added three new items to the menu. They were all approved by your mom. I know now where you get your love for sweets from. I sent some to you and hope you like them. I made sure to put in a lot so you can share.

By the way, your mom told me about her and your dad. What an amazing story. It gives me hope!

Thank you for being you! It’s so sweet that you want to take care of me even though you’re so far away. But I have to wonder, where is this going? What are your plans after training? Do you know where you will be stationed at?

Oh, and also, no, I didn’t dance with the guy that asked me to. I know we aren’t exclusive or anything, but it didn’t feel right.

With love and missing you, Kelly

7

RILEY

I FOLD UP THE MOST RECENT LETTER FROM K ELLY AND STUFF IT IN THE front pocket of my shirt. There’s so many questions I have right now and it’s killing me to not be there. My mom said Kelly was emotional but Kelly said she was fine. Neither one of them told me what was wrong with her. And Kelly said after talking to my mom about her and Dad’s relationship that she is hopeful. That doesn’t even make sense to me.

They’re divorced. And now, even after all these months, Kelly still doesn’t understand how much she means to me.

She doesn’t even know we’re exclusive.

I walk to the base o ce and request a meeting with the major. He’s been here all week and right now, I need some advice and maybe a little help from my dad.

When he exits the o ce, I salute him. “At ease, soldier,” he tells me and opens the door wider for me to enter. Once inside with the door closed, my dad pulls me into a hug.

Growing up, he was never a ectionate. Only lately has he softened around the edges a little.

He points at a seat for me to sit down. “What can I do for you, son?”

“Major… uh, Dad, I need to talk to you. It’s about my future.”

He looks at me questioningly, and he must see something in my eye, because he doesn’t even hesitate. “Who is she?”

Kelly: A few weeks later T ARA , Riley’s mom, is sitting across from me at the bakery.

We’ve been talking for hours and I’ve plied her full of cupcakes and cookies. We have become so close these last few weeks. She’s even started helping out at the bakery. The first time she came and checked on me, I had just found out I was pregnant. Wanna talk about your life turning upside down. Wow. That was something. But she didn’t seem upset.

As a matter of fact, she seemed pretty excited about everything. Since then, she has gone out of her way to check on me and make sure I know I can depend on her.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” she asks me.

Instinctively, my hand rubs across my swelling belly.

“Well, I plan to tell him. I’m going to tell him. I just, uh, needed to think about it a bit. I mean, I was on birth control so I’m sure he never thought he would have to deal with something like this. And I mean, it was one night.”

My face heats at her scrutiny. I can’t believe I’m sitting here having this conversation with my baby daddy’s mom.

Her hand rests on mine and she squeezes it. “I’m going to trust you to tell him when you’re ready. But if you’re worried about how he is going to react, you shouldn’t be. He’s going to want this baby. He’s going to want you.”

I smile at her but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. The doctor said to avoid the stress but I haven’t been able to stop myself from worrying. I know he’s going to feel like I’ve trapped him. I just hope he doesn’t hate me for it.

“I’m going to tell him. I will tell him today,” I tell her with determination. I have to tell him. I’ll go crazy if I don’t.

Riley D EAR K ELLY , I’m so glad that my mom came and checked on you and it sounds like you have become friends.

I’m so glad that you are feeling better. What was it anyway? A stomach bug like you thought?

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write you back. I’ve been really busy. I had a nice big talk with my dad. I promised myself that when I joined the army, that I would never ask for his help, but I’ve already broken that rule. It’s not that big of a deal, we are able to request our permanent locations, but that doesn’t always mean the army is able to work it out. I’ve asked him to help push my request through. Fingers crossed it works. I should know soon.

I’ve put in double time in my training and have been passing tests with flying colors. I am thinking at this route my training will be complete in four months instead of six months. So you know what that means, I could be coming home sooner than later.

I can’t even tell you how excited that makes me. I can’t wait to have you in my arms again.

The treats you sent were excellent. I couldn’t pick a favorite they were all so delicious. I can’t wait to get there and eat some more.

One last thing. We are EXCLUSIVE. You’re mine, Kelly. Nothing is going to come between us. I know I’ve sort of railroaded you into this relationship. I know it will be tough sometimes, especially if I ever get deployed, but I want a life with you. You asked me about my future… well, you’re my future.

I should have told you that first night, or even that next morning, but I figured you would think I was crazy. I love you Kelly.

I hope you feel the same.

With love, Riley

8

KELLY

D EAR R ILEY , I love getting your letters. Especially this last one.

Where did you request your permanent location to be? I’m hoping and praying that it is here.

I’m so proud of you. It sounds like you were made to do this.

You really love being a soldier, don’t you? Good luck with your training. I would tell you to not push yourself so hard, but I feel like that would be a wasted breath. The sooner you get done, the sooner I get to spend ten days of leave with you. I can’t wait.

I wasn’t completely honest with you about the doctors appointment. I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about, but I did find out something while I was there. I don’t know how else to say it, so I’m just going to say it. I’m pregnant.

Let me begin by telling you that I really was on birth control. I don’t know how it happened, but the doctor said it is not 100% e ective. I hate telling you this in a letter. Because I don’t know how you feel about it. And I won’t know until your next letter.

I hope you don’t think that I intentionally tried to trap you.

And I want you to know I don’t expect you to do anything. I know with you just joining the army, your future is unsure. So I have no demands on you.

But I do want to let you know that I already love this baby. He or she is a part of each of us and I never even considered not

having it.

So, now that I’ve told you that, I need to tell you this. I love you too, Riley. I think I fell for you when you were standing in front of my cupcake tower at the graduation reception.

I can’t wait to see you.

With all my heart, Kelly Three Weeks Later KELLY I open the mailbox and it’s empty… again. It’s been three weeks since I sent Riley his last letter. I’ve been checking the box every day waiting for his response. It’s killing me that I told him I was pregnant in a letter.

I walk back into the bakery. There’s only a few customers.

After refilling a few co ee cups, I walk behind the counter and consider picking up the phone to call Tara, Riley’s mom.

I busy myself wiping down the counters and restocking the cooler. The bells ring over the door, letting me know that someone walked in. When I look up, I see Tara.

I walk toward her. “Oh my God, Tara, I was just thinking about calling you. What are you doing here?”

She smiles and embraces me in a hug. “I came to give you a break. Take the rest of the day o ,” she tells me as she wraps an apron around herself.

“I’m fine. I would actually like to hang out with you for a while. I took your advice and told Riley about the baby, but I haven’t heard back from him in three weeks.” I shrug my shoulders as if I’m acting like it’s not that big of a deal, but it has really torn me apart.

She looks at me sympathetically and then tells me, “Go on, take a nap and I will be down here when you get up. We

can talk then. Once you’re rested.” She all but pushes me toward the door.

With a quick wave, I stumble out the door. I have my key in the door to unlock the stairwell to my apartment when I feel a tingle run up my spine.

“Kelly.” I turn around at the sound of his voice. Riley is here. Standing before me. I stare him up and down, taking it all in. He has on tight blue jeans and a white T-shirt that is tight across his chest. I thought he was muscular before but he looks so much bigger now. He’s staring at me intensely, almost like he’s devouring me with his eyes.

I’ve imagined this moment a thousand times in my head, and I’ve always told myself that I would play it cool when I saw him. But there’s no hope in that. I run toward him and wrap my arms around him. He picks me up and swings me around, holding me tightly against him. Setting me down abruptly, he puts his hand on my slightly swollen belly. “Oh my God, Kelly. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you? Did I hurt the baby?”

“No. No. We’re fine. What are you doing here?” I ask him as he takes my keys from me and waves at his mom, who is standing in the front window of the bakery. I wave at her and see the big smile on her face. No wonder she was pushing me out.

He opens my door and gestures for me to go in. I walk the steps up to my apartment and once inside, he pulls me to him and kisses me with all the built-up passion from the last four months. I delight in his touch. His kiss deepens and catching my breath, I pull away from him. “Wait, Riley. How are you here? What’s going on? Are you on your ten-day leave?” My breath is ragged but I try to ask him all my questions.

His hand glides along my cheek and pulls me in for another kiss. “Let’s sit down.” He tugs me to the couch and

once he sits down, he pulls me down onto his lap. I try to sit next to him, but he stops me. “Let me hold you, honey. I’ll tell you everything, but I’m going to do it with you in my arms.”

Nodding my head, I smile at him and kiss his lips.

“I am going to be permanently stationed at the base here.” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me toward him.

My excitement gets the best of me and I laugh out loud, hugging him tightly. “Riley, that’s wonderful. Oh my God, I can’t believe this.”

“Wait… I’m excited here, but after everything with our rocky start, I have to make sure I tell you everything.” He slides me o his lap so I can face him.

Worried now, I ask him, “Well, tell me. Tell me everything.”

He lets out a breath and then starts talking. “I will be stationed here. We are going to get married and we will either move on base to family housing or get a place close by.

But you have to know that if I get deployed, I could be gone for a while.”

My mouth drops open. I’ve thought about all of this. I figured that one day he would get deployed, but I’ve known all along that I would still want this life with him. Yes, I’m scared of losing him. But I’m more scared of not trying. No, I have a di erent problem.

“I’m sorry, Riley. Did you just ask me to marry you?” I chuckle.

“Oh honey, I’m not asking you. You are marrying me. You can pick when, where, what I’m wearing, whatever. But you are definitely marrying me.”

I lean in and kiss his lips. “It sounds perfect to me.”

When I pull back from him, I look down at our joined hands. “So, uh, I guess you are okay with the baby?”

His hand tips my chin up so I’m looking at him. “I’m more than okay with the baby. You are giving me everything I have ever wanted, Kelly. I love you and our baby.”

He then lifts me up and carries me to the bedroom to show me just how much he loves me.

EPILOGUE RILEY

One Year Later R ILEY J R ., RJ, IS SEVEN MONTHS OLD AND WE HAVE FOUND OUT HE HAS a set of lungs on him. He wants to make sure we know he’s here. As if us doting on him twenty-four seven isn’t enough.

I’m carrying him into the bakery to pick up his momma.

“There’s my two guys,” she exclaims as we walk into the front door. I watch her glide across the room toward us with a huge smile on her face. I glance down her bod in the fitted apron. She worries about her body since she had RJ. Her breasts are bigger and her hips wider, but to me she’s just more beautiful and I try to make sure she realizes how much I love her body. I still picture her in her wedding dress. She was the most beautiful bride I had ever seen. She wanted to wait, but I put my foot down on that. I had to make her mine and gave her exactly two weeks from the day I told her she was marrying me.

“So how you holding up today?” I ask her.

She just shrugs her shoulders at me. She’s been down since she found out that the owner of the bakery was selling the store. Her dream was to one day own it. I have tried to surprise her with this, but I can’t stand to see the worry and hurt on her face any longer.

I pull an envelope out of my back pocket and hand it to her. “So I have a gift for you.”

She smiles at me when she takes it. “What is it?”

I shake my head side to side. “You have to open it.”

She flicks open the seal and takes out the bundle of papers, unfolding them and then reading them.

She shakes her head, confused. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, you are the new owner of Sweet Cakes Bakery.” I hug her and she wraps her arms around RJ and me.

“How did you do this? I don’t understand.” She wipes at the tear rolling down her cheek.

“I used some of the money left to me from my grandmother. She would have loved this place. She would have loved you,” I tell her while drying her tear with my finger.

“I don’t know what to say,” she sobs and sni s.

“Tell me that I make you happy. ‘Cause that’s all I want now, honey. I have you and RJ. Now, for the rest of my life, I just want to make you happy.”

She presses her body against me and puts her hand around my neck, pulling me down to her. “I love you so much, husband.”

I kiss her and smile against her lips. “I love you too, wife.”

LOVE LATELY

1

TARA

I REREAD THE EMAIL FOR THE FIFTH TIME BEFORE WALKING AWAY FROM my computer. I have to let this sit before I try to respond. I mean, we’ve been divorced for ten years. And in those ten years, I have made a point not to see my ex-husband, Major Lee Dawson. Just because I know how hard it would be, I knew that I would give in to him. I lucked out when he was out of town for our son Riley’s graduation from high school, but it doesn’t look like I am going to be as lucky for his graduation from army bootcamp.

Right after our divorce, I discovered exactly how hard it would be to turn him away. So after that I made a point to only correspond with him through email. When he would pick up or drop o Riley, I would make sure I was out of the house. Any and every plan we made was through text or email. Even when he tried to call me, I just let it go to voicemail. I know that’s childish but I knew that I couldn’t face him. I just couldn’t.

Taking a deep breath, I sit back down at the computer and read the latest email again from my ex.

From: Lee Dawson To: Tara Dawson Sent: August 12, 2019 1:00pm Subject: Please do this for me

Tara, I’ve tried to respect your wishes the last ten years, but I really wish you would talk to me. There are so many regrets that I have, things I wish I did di erently, but I know that I cannot go back and change the past.

When I think back to that day ten years ago, the decision I made, I really didn’t feel like I had a choice. What kind of man – what kind of husband or father – would I have been if I had walked away from my country when it needed me most? And I know that you feel that in turn, I walked away from you.

But that is the furthest thing from the truth.

Will you please just give me a chance to talk to you?

After Riley’s graduation, I would really appreciate you joining me for dinner. A walk. Anything. I just want to see you.

With love, Lee I read it again. I can’t get enough of his words. I want to devour them, breathe them in and hold them in my heart to try and start the healing. My heart is pounding at a rapid pace. All of the old heartache resurfaces. Yes, it’s gotten easier over time, but I still think about that day and how everything could have ended di erently. If I wasn’t so stubborn, if he wasn’t so stubborn. But I also know that in the past ten years, I’ve changed, he’s changed, and there is no telling what the future may hold. Oh, I’m going to email him back, but I’m going to make sure my heart is guarded.

I look into the mirror hanging on the wall of my home o ce and see my reflection. The pain and uncertainty is evident on my face. I stand up and walk toward the mirror, watching as my hips that were once slim, now wider as the years gone by, shake. Turning to the side, my curvy body hidden by a pair of jeans and black tunic, I suck in my gut and then slowly release it. My body has changed so much through the years. I was skinny when I first met Lee. But

now I’m more curvy. I still work out three days a week, but I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be. I can’t help but wonder what Lee will think about my bigger body.

Turning back to the front, I take in the small lines in my face around my eyes and temple. I’m not the same woman I was ten years ago. I’ve aged, but it’s more than that. These last ten years without Lee have been tough. I’ve made a success of our tree nursery. People from all over come to get their plants and trees for all their landscaping needs. I’ve discovered that I have a green thumb and it has served me well. Thank God. I don’t know what I would have done had it not had been for the nursery. It and Riley are what kept me going these last ten years.

I still get sad to think that this was my and Lee’s dream, to own this nursery. He at least made sure I had this after we split up. He didn’t leave me with nothing. And even after all these years, he still sends me money for the house mortgage.

I returned the checks when he sent them to me, but soon after that he just started putting them in my savings account. In the beginning, I might have used some of the money to help me get started with the business, but since then I have paid it back and now I have quite a nest egg.

Maybe I can talk to him about returning the money when I see him.

Running my hands down my hips, I walk back to the computer and sit down to start typing.

To: Lee Dawson From: Tara Dawson Sent: August 12, 2019 3:00pm Subject: re: Please do this for me Lee, I must admit I’m surprised by your email. I would be lying if I told you I haven’t thought about you. Of course I have. But time and, well, life has changed us both.

They say that time heals all wounds. In a way, I believe that.

There are of course things I wish I had done di erently too. But like you said there is no way to change the past. Honestly, I think it might be too painful to dredge it all up again.

I will of course see you at the graduation. And maybe we can take that walk afterward just so we can catch up.

I can’t believe our boy is graduating boot camp.

I will see you there.

Tara Closing my laptop, I grab my purse and try to wipe all thoughts of Lee from my head. I’m going by the nursery to show a new employee how to close everything down for the night. Maybe, hopefully, it will get my mind o of Lee.

2

LEE

A FTER READING T ARA ’ S EMAIL , I CAN ’ T HELP BUT FEEL A LITTLE deflated. Which is not an emotion I often feel. Hell, I can’t recall the last time I’ve felt this unsure about something. Not unsure about Tara, but unsure of the outcome. What’s going to happen? I know what I want, but she’s right, we’ve both changed. We have lived our own lives the last ten years and who knows if we can make it work? I’m determined to try. I can’t help but wonder if I gave up on us too easily. But I know that not a single day has gone by that I don’t think about her.

Thinking back to that day, ten years ago, I get lost in thought and I can’t stop the grimace that comes across my face. Damn, there are so many things I should have done di erently.

Ten Years Ago T ARA STRETCHES UP on her tiptoes to kiss me on the lips. Her arms are around me and she leans back a little to see my

face. “So today’s your last day. How do you think you’re going to do not having anyone to order around?”

“I’ll still have you to order around,” I joke with her.

She laughs and swats me on the shoulder before leaning in for another kiss. “You wish.”

I can tell by the way she’s been acting that she’s nervous for me and all the decisions we’ve made lately. But the elation on her face the day I told her that I was thinking of not reinlisting is still firmly planted in my mind. She was so happy to think that we would finally be together. I wouldn’t have to traipse all over the world; I could be here with her and to help raise Riley.

It was my dream too. I missed her so much when I was gone. It was like a part of me was gone every time I left. I truly thought after we got married, that it would get easier.

But as time went on, it was harder and harder to leave her.

“Quit worrying, Tara. This is what I want. We’ve already bought the house. We’ve already bought the nursery. This is happening. I can’t wait to start this life with you,” I reassure her and pull her up into my arms. Her legs go tightly around me and I hold on to her ass, pulling her against me. Even after all these years, she still does it for me. Her core is hot, pressed against my rigid length. I would love to take her back to the bedroom right now, but I know I can’t. Today’s a big day. But man, do I have plans for her tomorrow.

We’ve been married for twelve years already, and I know our lives are about to change. I’m being honest with her; I can’t wait to start THIS life with her. I can’t wait to wake up with her next to me every day, and go to sleep with her in my arms. It’s what my dreams are made of.

I give her one last kiss, setting her on her feet with a promise to be home in time for dinner. I drive across town to the army base. Pulling through the gates, my cell phone starts ringing. When I look at it, I see that the lieutenant

colonel is calling me. When I answer it, I have no idea that my life was about to change forever.

“Yes, Lieutenant Colonel. I’m here. Walking in now. Yes, I’ll meet you in debriefing.” I pull into my parking spot and start running from the car.

When I run in, there is chaos everywhere. People on phones, the colonel shouting orders and the intensity of the room has me on high alert, almost like I can feel the blood pumping through my veins.

After being briefed, my world starts to collapse around me. There has been a terrorist attack on US soil and within the hour we are going to war. Going to war on what is supposed to be my last day of my service. I look around the room at the devastation these men, my men, are feeling. The world as we know it does not exist any longer. Our way of life, our safety, has been infiltrated and we as part of the United States Army cannot stand by and do nothing. No, we take it personally.

The day flew by and by late afternoon, I am on a plane to Washington. In all this time, I still haven’t been able to talk to Tara. Even after all the calls I have received from her. I’m sure she’s heard it on the news and I know that I need to reassure her, but I’ve put o the call. Just because I know that this is going to go badly. I’ve had a pain in my heart all day. I know a part of it is the devastation from today, but a part of me also knows that this is going to a ect Tara badly.

Once we land and drive over to Command, I ask for five minutes. I walk away from the group of men, my comrades, traveling with me and get my phone out of my pocket. I dial her number and wait for her to pick up.

“Lee? Lee, oh my God. Are you okay? What is happening?” she hollers into the phone.

I take a deep breath and clinch my eyes shut tightly.

“Tara, I’m fine, but there’s something I have to tell you. I’m

fine. I’m in Washington. I know you’ve seen the news.”

I hear her gasp and she interrupts me, “I saw it. Why are you in Washington?” she asks me quietly.

“Tara, I can’t talk long. I’m meeting with the command center shortly. I don’t know how to say this.” I grip the phone tighter in my hand. “My time was up, but I’m needed here, Tara. I can’t leave. Not like this. I reupped this morning.”

“Reupped?” she whispers into the phone.

“I reenlisted, honey. I had to. I couldn’t stay in limbo. I had to make a decision right then, before they signed my papers.”

The huskiness in her voice deepens and I know she’s holding back tears. “But Lee, what about Riley, the house, the nursery… what about me?”

“Honey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t have a choice. My country needs me…”

One of my men taps me on the shoulder. “Major, they’re ready for you.”

I can see the sympathy in his eyes and I harden my features. I can’t let my men see me as weak. I say into the phone, “Honey, I have to go. But I’ll call you as soon as I can.

I love you.”

3

TARA PRESENT DAY

T ODAY ’ S THE DAY . R ILEY IS GRADUATING BOOT CAMP . I’ M ONLY AN hour away but I’ve been so nervous, I got ready hours too early and have been wasting time until I need to leave.

I grab one of the scrapbooks o the bookshelf and sit down on the couch with it. I mean to reminisce about Riley’s younger years, but instead get lost in the photos thinking about Lee. He was such a good father. He was gone a lot, but when he was home, he made sure to let Riley and me know we were his everything.

I flip through the pictures of Riley’s kindergarten graduation, his first baseball game and his first dance. I stop on the photo of Lee at the party I threw for him when he got promoted to major. He was surprised, and all of our friends were there. We were all so happy that day. I couldn’t be more proud of him than I was then.

I trace a heart with my finger around the picture of Lee at the party. It was taken only a few years before our divorce.

Divorce… that word still sends chills down my body.

I was so mad at Lee. I couldn’t believe that he had made the decision to stay in the army like he did, without even talking to me about it. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

I remember him telling me that his country needed him and then someone came to take him to the meeting. He told me he loved me and hung up the phone.

I fell to the floor. Literally, I fell to the floor, whispering, “But I need you too.”

I didn’t hear from him for four days. I was a mess in those days. I remember being upset and then getting mad. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I remember not knowing if he was dead or alive, and I was scared of what it all meant for Riley.

We had finally decided to settle down. Riley spent most of his young life moving from army base to army base. When Lee decided to retire, we bought a house, bought a business, and Riley made the school baseball team. We were finally about to settle in. Then everything imploded.

On that fourth day, I was so distraught. Looking back at it now, there are so many things I should have done di erently, should have handled di erently. But I didn’t.

When he called and I found out he was okay, I asked him for a divorce. My husband of twelve years, in the middle of a war zone, and I asked him for a divorce. I wince just thinking about it. But I knew that although I was strong, I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t stand by wondering when or even if he was going to come home again. Every time he left, I felt like my life was on hold waiting for him to return. I wasn’t living.

And I just couldn’t do it anymore.

The alarm goes o on my phone and looking at the time, I realize that I need to get on the road. I take one last look at the picture of my husband—my ex husband—in his dress blues. He still makes my heart beat double-time, making me wonder if he still looks the same.

Lee

I SPENT most of the day at the base getting ready for tonight’s graduation. Luckily, I have been able to keep an eye on Riley while he’s been at boot camp and I couldn’t be more proud.

He has excelled in the whole program. I was asked to speak tonight and even though my thoughts were on Tara, I still thought I should speak considering it is my son’s boot camp graduation.

Standing up on the stage, I look out to the crowd. Almost instantly, my gaze lands on Tara. I suck in my breath, the view of her walking toward the chairs about brings me to my knees. These ten years have been good to her. She’s curvier, more womanly than the last time I saw her. Her dress is a black top, wrapped tightly around her large breasts. The bottom is flowery and flares out past her knees. She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Her red hair, which was once short, is now long and cascades in curls down her back. Her face is still the same. Her large green eyes are wide, taking in her surroundings, as if she’s looking for someone. I wonder if she’s looking for me, but then shrug my shoulders, knowing that she is probably looking for our son.

I try to take my eyes o her, but I can’t. She’s breathtaking and I feel the sudden urge to jump o the stage and run to her, lifting her in my arms like I used to do. She must feel my gaze on her, because when she finally looks my way, I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. We just stand there, probably fifty feet between us, but it might as well have been two. Our breathing is in sync and I see her eyes widen as my nostrils flare. That same possession I always felt when I looked her is still there. I start to walk o the stage and then the announcer starts announcing the beginning of the ceremony.

Straightening my shoulders, I smile at Tara and don’t look away from her until she smiles back at me. It’s that

smile that gives me hope that everything is going to work out.

4

TARA

“I’ M SO PROUD OF YOU , SON .” R ILEY HAS HIS ARM LACED WITH MINE , walking me to the reception hall. The ceremony was lovely, as always. Chills covered my body when I heard Lee give his speech. He has always had a way with words. The way he speaks of America—well, you can hear the love in his voice.

And then watching my son walk across that stage. I couldn’t be more proud than I was in that moment.

“I know, Mom. I’m so glad you’re here.” He wraps his arm around me and gives me a brief hug.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” I tell him and then excuse myself to the ladies’ room to freshen up. I take a few deep breaths looking at myself in the mirror. All those old feelings have resurfaced and I realize now why I’ve avoided seeing Lee for so long. Because I knew that if I had seen him, I would never have been able to stay away from him. Living with the memory of him is hard enough. To actually have him here will make it hard to walk away … again.

When I come back from the ladies’ room, I see Riley across the room talking to a woman with an apron. I find a vacant table and sit down, anxiously waiting for Lee to walk in. At the end of the ceremony he was surrounded by people and Riley told him we would wait for him at the reception.

I feel him behind me, way before I ever hear him. I’m breathless the longer I sit there waiting for him to approach me. It seems like forever and he still hasn’t approached me. I turn around to see if in fact it is him, and he is standing directly behind me. A man is talking, standing next to him, but Lee is not even listening. His eyes are on me. With my gaze still on him, he walks away from the man and comes toward me.

He stops right in front of me. I look at him and admire his short brown hair threaded with gray streaks. He’s bigger than he used to be—I have to hold my head back to look up at him—but his shoulders and arms are wider than I remember. He’s still lean and in shape, making me wonder if he’s noticed the extra pounds I’m carrying now. I fiddle with the cloth of my dress, running it along my fingers.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remember. Can I hug you, Tara?” he huskily whispers to me. My gaze widens, not only because I didn’t expect those to be his first words to me, but also I know that when a soldier is in uniform, public displays of a ection are usually frowned upon. However, I can’t tell him no.

I nod my head at him, huskily answering, “Yes.” He smiles widely before bending down and wrapping his arms around me. All the old memories come shooting back to the surface and I grip on to his back when he pulls me in tighter. I breathe in his scent, the manly, natural smell of him. He lifts me up until my feet are barely touching the floor, but I don’t laugh, I don’t complain. I relish it because being in his arms is everything.

When he puts me back down, he doesn’t let go, only lengthens his arms, leaning back to look at me. “I’ve missed you, Tara,” he says, and I see the sincerity in his eyes.

Blinking, I don’t have any choice but to be honest with him. “I’ve missed you too, Lee.”

His eyes sparkle and his nostrils flare when I say his name. He starts to say something, but then Riley walks up and all attention is turned to him. We sit at our table listening to Riley talking about boot camp and his plans for the training that he leaves for tomorrow.

After we eat, which I can barely touch my food, Riley announces that he has a date. He has that same sparkle in his eye that his dad is known for. He tells us about going out with the cupcake caterer and once I get a big hug from him, he leaves to go pick up his date.

Lee puts his hand on my lower back. “Do you want to get out of here? Somewhere we can talk?”

I start to answer, but instead I end up clearing my throat, unable to speak coherently. I nod and he laces his fingers through mine, pulling me toward the exit. He leads me down a pathway and stops once we reach a big pond. I sit down on the bench, expecting him to sit on the other end, but instead he sits next to me, the heat from his body radiating against me.

He still has my hand in his. I know I should pull it away, but I don’t.

I try to concentrate on what he’s saying, but his thumb stroking my wrist is distracting. “I know this is supposed to be about catching up, but honestly, there’s some things I want to talk about.”

I merely nod at him and he continues.

“I know that I made mistakes. Big ones. And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret the way I handled everything. If I could change it, I would. I….”

I interrupt him and start in on my planned-out speech. I had hoped to get this out, hell I needed to say this to him.

“Lee, I don’t want to bring up the past. We both did things that we regret. I didn’t handle it well either. I’m sorry for a lot of things. Especially asking you for a divorce while you

were in the middle of a war. That’s probably my biggest regret. But even though these last ten years were hard, I have to tell you that it was probably for the best. Riley needed the stability. He needed to be able to stay somewhere long enough to make friends. It’s okay, Lee. If you’re feeling guilty, don’t. We are both at fault here. Let’s just let it go.”

When I finish, a weight lifts o my shoulders and I feel lighter than I have in a long time. I finally was able to tell him I’m sorry. There’s so much more I could explain or try to defend, but after ten years, all I needed to say was that I was sorry.

“Tara, you don’t owe me an apology. But I feel like I need to explain to you… that day, fuck, that day when I found out what had happened I was so mad. I knew I couldn’t leave the army then.”

“I know, I understand, our country needed you. I know that now,” I tell him, trying to reassure him.

He grabs both of my hands between his. “But you needed me too, Tara. I realize that now. And although I didn’t feel like I had a choice at the time, I know I had one.”

“And you made the right choice, Lee. I realize that now. I don’t hold it against you. It’s okay,” I assure him.

He looks at me questioningly, trying to see if I’m sincere or not. When I don’t even blink at him, he still looks unsure but nods his head.

He leans back and looks at me for a minute. Our faces are so close that I would only have to lean in a little to touch my lips to his. As if me thinking about it made him think about it, he’s now staring at my lips. He shakes his head and asks me, “So how have you been? How’s the nursery?”

The smile on my face is instant. I do love the nursery. I knew when we bought it that Lee was doing it more for me, just because of how much I loved it. Plus, I am proud of the

business and the fact that I’ve made it into something. “It’s wonderful. We keep growing every year.”

He smiles back at me, and I see a hint of pride in his face.

“I would love to come and see it.”

I laugh, thinking there’s no way he will ever probably have time to see it, even though it’s only an hour from the base here. But still I would love to show him. “I would love that. Anytime you want to see it, you’re welcome.”

Almost instantly he replies. “How about tomorrow?”

I hesitate, surprised. “Sure. Yeah, that’s fine.”

He nods and then leans back on the bench, looking up to the setting sun. I sit back beside him but can’t take my eyes o his face. When he looks at me, I look away.

“Do you think I could take you to dinner afterwards?” he asks me.

I look over at him, trying to read his intentions. But even if he’s only wanting to catch up, I can’t say no to him, so I just nod.

He smiles widely and squeezes my hand. I can’t help but wonder what I’m getting myself into.

5

LEE

W ALKING INTO THE NURSERY , I CAN ’ T HIDE MY SURPRISE . T ARA wasn’t kidding. The place looks great. Everything we ever talked about, she has made happen. She has grown this business to something amazing and I’m so proud of her.

When I first got here, she was talking to a man about trees. I walked the perimeter taking everything in, but still keeping my eyes on her. There’s a familiarity between her and the man and I feel a pressure on my chest at the thought of them together.

Finally, I walk up to them and when she sees me, she smiles. “Hey, you made it.”

I lean down and kiss her on the cheek, ignoring her gasp of surprise. “I told you I would be here.”

Either me showing up or the kiss has her o -kilter, the nervousness apparent in her face.

I turn to the man she’s talking to with my hand held out.

“Hi. I’m Lee Dawson, Tara’s husband.”

The man takes my hand and I don’t hold back, giving him a tight grip. There’s surprise on his face, but he just mutters something. Honestly, I quit paying attention, but I do watch him walk away.

Tara picks up a plant at her feet and when she stands back up she tells me, “He knows we’re not married, Lee. He’s

asked me out before.”

I watch her walk o . Her hips are encased in tight blue jeans and I want to enjoy the view, but her words hit me in the gut.

I stride quickly to walk beside her. “Did you go out with him?”

She stops and looks up at me with a shrug. “It’s not really your business, Lee. We’ve been divorced for ten years.” After a few seconds of silence, she finally asks, “Does it really matter?”

I want to tell her yes, of course it matters. She’s mine and no one else can have her. I want her to know that I haven’t even looked at another woman in the last ten years, just because I knew that none would compare to her. But I know that’s not fair to her. In her mind, she’s been single for the past ten years and could do what she wants. But still, I have to know the answer.

“It matters to me. I know I don’t have a right to ask, but I need to know, honey. Did you go out with him?”

She turns from me and starts to walk away, but then stops and turns around. “No. I didn’t go out with him.”

I nod at her and try to hide the smile on my face until she’s turned back around. My chest bows out automatically, a primal urge to kiss her overcoming me, but I tamp it down.

It’s too soon and too quick. Especially considering the doozy I have to drop on her tonight.

Tara L EE WORKED with me half the day at the nursery. It really was bittersweet having him there. We worked together and I blossomed under his praise of the business. I drove home

afterwards to take a quick shower, because he’s picking me up to go to dinner.

When the doorbell rings, I open the door and stand there with my mouth hanging open. He has on short sleeves and each of his arms are covered in tattoos. I didn’t even think about it then, but at the graduation and earlier today, he had on long sleeves. My gaze lingers on his tight body, the muscles of his chest and arms on display under the tight white T-shirt. His khaki pants are skin-tight against his thick thighs. When I look up, I can’t see his eyes, they’re covered with a pair of aviator glasses, but I do see the smirk on his face.

I start to stutter. “Uh, what…”

He folds his arms across his chest and I watch as all the corded muscles strain in his forearms . “I know you always liked tattoos, but if it bothers you, I have a jacket in the car for dinner.”

“Uh, no… you know, wait, actually. For twelve years I asked you if you wanted to get a tattoo and then you get them when we divorce?” Even I can hear the anger in my voice. I thought I could do this. I thought I could be okay with things, but obviously I can’t. “Look, Lee, what are we even doing here? It’s over. We’ve been over. Our son is a man now. There’s nothing tying us together now. Why are we doing this?”

His hands shoot out to my shoulders to calm me down.

“Honey, Tara, just have dinner with me. I need to explain things to you. There’s a few things I need to come clean about.”

I don’t like where this is heading. I back into the house and gesture for him to walk in. “I’m not going to dinner with you until we talk this out and you explain yourself.”

He starts to argue, but when he sees the expression on my face, he just nods and walks into the house.

He looks around and then turns back to me. “You’ve made this house a home, Tara. It looks great.”

I take in his words and I can hear the sadness in his voice.

I don’t answer him; I walk into the living room and expect him to follow me. Instead of sitting down, he walks over to the mantle on the fireplace. There are pictures of Riley growing up, but there is also a picture of the three of us at a party together. He picks it up and looks at it for a long time before finally setting it down and walking toward me.

He sits and turns to me until our knees are against each other, the feel of his pants rough on my bare knees.

“Tara, I don’t know how to say this and I know once I do say it, you are probably going to kick me out of the house.” I tense under his words and am already on the defensive.

However, my curiosity is piqued. I have no idea what he is going to say to me.

“So, before I tell you, I have to explain.” He stops and looks at me and once I nod at him reluctantly, he starts to speak.

He grabs my hand, and I don’t even think of pulling it back. I couldn’t if I tried. The hold he has on me is strong and I relax my hand under his, letting him know I’m open to what he has to say. “I know we’ve been through this, but the way I handled things was wrong. I understand why you sent me the divorce papers. But let me tell you when I got them, I felt like my life was over. You and Riley were everything to me, but I knew I couldn’t quit the army. Not then. The world was falling apart. In a way, that was my way of protecting the two of you. But well, when I got those papers, and we fought and you explained that you couldn’t do it anymore, that it killed you every time I left and you felt you were dying inside… It gutted me. I couldn’t keep doing that to you. I couldn’t quit the army, but I couldn’t divorce you either. I

physically could not sign those papers. I know I told you I filed them, but I didn’t. We’re still married.”

I pull back from him, stunned. Of all the things I thought he was going to say to me, I never dreamed it would be that.

I close my mouth that has been hanging open. “We’re still married?”

He nods and slides a little closer to me. “Yes.” I shake my head at him, confused. “But why.. why are you telling me now?” And then it finally dawns on me. “So you need me to sign them again?”

“What? Fuck no,” he says vehemently. “I’m telling you this because I need you to know. It took me ten years. Ten years of missing you, missing our lives that we planned out together, ten years of loving you, ten years of knowing I fucked up that day the way I handled it. Tara, I never stopped loving you and I want you back. I want us back.”

I jump up from my seat and walk backwards. “Nothing’s changed, though, Lee. I’m happy now. Content with my life. I can’t go back to worrying every day if you are going to come back to me or not. I won’t do it…”

He strides across the room until I’m backed against the wall. His hard body is pressed against mine and my nipples harden under his chest. I stop the moan, barely, from escaping my lips.

His nostrils flare and in that moment I know that he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. This is why I haven’t been able to see him these last ten years. Because of this. My brain turns to mush and he has a power over me like no other.

“I’m retiring. For real this time. As soon as Riley finishes his training, my time will be up,” he whispers against my ear. The small bite on the lobe of my ear makes my lower belly tighten with need.

I want to push him away. I want to yell and thrash my arms, because he’s told me this before. He’s promised me that he was retiring and then he didn’t. Well, I know better this time. I know that it’s probably not going to happen. But I can’t push him away. Not right now.

My hands slide up his chest and wrap around the back of his neck. I pull my head back to look into his eyes. They are a darker brown than usual, and I see the lust consuming him.

“Lee, I know most likely you are not going to retire.

Something will happen or you’ll change your mind. I truly believe that. But right now, I don’t care. I want to remember what it’s like to be in your arms again.”

His eyes widen before he clenches them together. “I’m going to prove you wrong, honey.”

His head lowers and his full lips press into mine. I open my mouth to him, letting him know exactly what I want, what I need.

His tongue plunges into my depths and swirls around. I cling to him as he devours me. His big strong body wraps around mine and he holds me o the ground, penetrating all my senses. His touch, his smell, his possession is all consuming. He lifts me easily in his arms and walks down the hallway to my bedroom. When he sets me down on my feet, he glances briefly at the wedding picture of us on the night stand. His hand goes to his chest and he rubs the spot over his heart before he smiles down at me.

He grips the end of my blouse and starts to pull it up over my head. I stop him with my arms. “My body’s di erent, Lee. I’m not the same woman I was ten years ago. And I’m definitely not going to compare to the tag chasers you’ve been with, just so you know.” I feel my face heat under his scrutiny.

He leans down and kisses me briefly before whispering, “No matter what, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve

ever seen. No extra pounds or marks on your skin is going to change that. And the last woman that I was with was you. I haven’t looked at another woman since I first saw you. Plus, I’m a married man, honey. I don’t take that lightly.”

I can’t contain my surprise at his words. But I don’t even think about doubting him. He is an honorable man, and I believe him, even though it’s hard to think of how many women he has turned down.

He tugs on my shirt again, and I don’t try and stop him when he pulls it over my head. I want to look away, but I don’t let myself. I hold steady and look him directly in the eye. He smiles at me before he unlatches my bra and pulls it o , dropping it to the floor. My eyes are still on his face and he can’t take his eyes o my exposed breasts. I can hear his rapid breathing and when his hands slide up my body and he cups my breasts, a guttural groan escapes his lips. I pull his T-shirt up his body and toss it to the floor. I look at the tattoos covering his chest and my hands glide across them. I can feel his muscles flex and strain under my touch. As I stroke over his heart, I stop and lean in because I notice a small tattoo. I lean in to get a closer look and my gaze snaps up to his face.

“That was my first tattoo. I couldn’t have you, but I knew you had my heart, honey,” he says, touching my name, which is plainly written over his heart. Speechless, I go up on my tiptoes and kiss him.

We finish undressing and although he’s aged in the last ten years, he has gotten even more handsome. His body is lean, but I can’t take my eyes o his long, hard length, which is jutting out between his legs. I wrap my hand around his girth and he inhales deeply. I drop to my knees, wanting to taste him. My tongue touches his tip and his hips pull back from me. I reach around to grip his ass and pull him back to me. I open my mouth wide, pulling him inside. I suckle him,

working my tongue up and down his erection. He groans my name and I feel his cock swell even larger. I hold my mouth open wider, not only because I want to please him, but also because I want him. I want to taste him on my tongue. I moan around him and he snaps his hips back away from me and then pulls me up o the floor.

6

LEE

I GENTLY PUSH HER BACK ON THE BED AND LIE DOWN ON TOP OF HER . I could stay here for hours, just feeling her naked body underneath me. I kiss across her breasts, down her soft belly and don’t stop until I have her legs hitched over my shoulders and my face buried between her sweet, thick thighs.

Her hands go down between us. “No. You don’t have to do that. I’m ready, Lee.” I take her hands in mine and kiss each one. “You know I like to do this. I want you on my tongue, baby. I want to taste you.” I nibble on her thighs until her hands slide up her body and she is squeezing her breasts. I push my erection firmly into the mattress, trying to get some relief.

I breathe in her scent, her arousal evident, and when I slide my finger through her sweet honey, she moans my name. I kiss along her seam, and then lick her from her hole to her tight little nub. Memories are resurfacing, images flashing before my mind of our past together and I seal them o , wanting to live in and appreciate the now.

I stroke my tongue along her swollen seam, begging for entry. I push her legs wider apart and she opens for me, her private pink nub hard and swollen, on full display. I wrap my tongue around it, circling it until I latch on to it with my lips

and suck her into my mouth. Her arms thrash until she’s gripping the sheet and her hips are gyrating against my face.

But I don’t stop, I don’t give up; I keep working her until she’s screaming my name and I feel her core tighten and her juices coat my chin.

I wipe my mouth o with the back of my hand and climb up her body. “I want to be inside you, honey. Please, let me in,” I plead with her. I’m like a crazed madman. I’ve tasted her and now I have to have her. I want her submitting to me.

As an answer, she lifts her feet o the bed and slides them up to rest on my thighs, opening herself to me even more. I pull her hips and move until my rock solid cock is sitting right at her entrance. I stroke along her crevice, coating my cock with her slick juices. When my tip glides across her pu y clit, a groan leaves her lips and a smile comes over my face.

“Fuck me, Lee. Please,” she begs me, and I don’t hold back. I line myself up at her opening and I plow my cock inside her until I’m deep and I can’t tell where I end and she begins. In this moment, we are one and I’m finally whole again. I lean down and kiss her before pulling out of her and then sinking back in. With each thrust, I think about possessing her, making her mine and never walking away from her. In this moment, she’s mine. And I’m determined to never screw it up again.

I ram into her and she’s begging me not to stop, as if I could. With each stroke, her pussy vibrates around me. I lift her higher up my legs until I’m hitting her at a di erent angle. And once I stroke back into her, I hit her G spot and she’s screaming her release, while her body tautens as the orgasm takes over. Her channel tightens on me, until she’s milking me and I don’t stop driving into her until I’m completely empty and spent. Even then, I still don’t want to leave her. My arms are holding me up barely. We both are

taking deep breaths and our bodies are rocking against each other. My heart is thrashing so hard I can feel the vibrations in my ears.

Looking into her hooded eyes, I can see the satisfaction in them. “Are you okay?” I ask her, wiping the hair away from her face.

She lazily nods her head. I pull out of her and then lay down beside her, pulling her into my arms. I wrap my body around her and she snuggles into me with her face against my neck. I know I should clean us up, but I want her on me. I don’t want to wash her o of me. Not yet.

I’ve waited ten years for this moment and I want to make it last. I don’t want reality right now. I don’t want to her to regret this time together. I want it to go back to the way it was, even though I know it can’t—no matter how much I want it to. All I can do is lie here and hold her, revel in it and hope and pray it will last. I hurt her. But I will never do it again. She’s mine now and I won’t give her up a second time.

7

TARA

I STUMBLE FROM THE BED , AND WITH MY BACK AGAINST THE WALL AND my clothes gripped in my hands, I stare at him. He’s asleep in our – my – bed. The covers are o and his perfect, chiseled body is on full display. I know I should be getting dressed or cleaning myself up, but I can’t take my eyes o of him. I force myself to walk away and slip into the bathroom.

Turning the water on, I step into the shower and stand under the hard spray pelleting my body. It feels good beating down on the muscles I haven’t used in a while. I lean my head against the tile wall as water beats down my back.

Images of the night before flash through my mind and I grimace, remembering how I begged him to fuck me. I hear the bathroom door open and I turn toward the shower door with my eyes wide.

Lee opens the door and steps into the shower beside me.

His eyes drag across my body and I hold my hands out to try and hide myself from him.

He reaches for me and pulls me into his arms. “It’s a little late for that, isn’t it, honey? I touched and tasted every sexy part of your body last night.”

He leans down and kisses me and I get lost in his kiss before I pull away from him reluctantly. “Lee, we need to talk.”

He must hear it in my voice, because he doesn’t question me. He does, however, insist on washing me from head to toe. I think I will lose it when he cleans my hair and his rough hands work the soap in, massaging my head. But no, I hold it together. That is, until he takes great care in cleaning my mound. He cleans me thoroughly until I am riding his hand and screaming my release into his kiss.

When he gets out of the shower, he dries o but is in no hurry to get dressed.

I pull on some yoga pants and a T-shirt before going to the bedroom door. I take one last look at his hard body before telling him to get dressed. “I’ll meet you in the living room.” There’s no way I can have this conversation with him naked.

Halfway down the steps, I realize that I’m starving. We never did eat earlier. I go into the kitchen and get turkey out to make some sandwiches. He finally joins me, grabbing some water out of the fridge and then putting one on the table for me. He starts to drink his and ends up chugging the whole thing, and all I can do is watch his throat muscles work as he swallows. Even that is sexy.

We sit down and eat. Both of us are ravenous and nothing is said the whole time. I catch him looking at me a few times, but he doesn’t say anything, just smiles at me.

“What are you smiling about?” I finally ask him.

“Being here with you… It feels good,” he admits.

I set the rest of my sandwich down and wipe my mouth o with my napkin.

“Lee, I can’t do this. Nothing’s changed between us. We can’t go back to the way things were. I won’t put myself through this again.” I take a deep breath, because just saying the words puts a pain on my heart.

“I thought you were happy with me at one time.” He reaches over the table and covers my hand with his.

I look down at our hands. Mine is so much smaller. “I was… at one time. But I can’t have you in and out of my life.

That’s not the life I want anymore.”

His hand squeezes mine. I can hear the desperation in his voice when he tells me, “I’m retiring, Tara. I promise you.

I’m retiring.”

I look into his eyes and I want to believe him. But after everything, I can’t. I look away from him and then slowly get up from my chair. “I think it’s best if you go, Lee.” He stares at me for a minute and then stands up. He reaches for me, but I pull away. “I understand,” he says huskily. “But I’m coming back. When I retire, and it’s only a few months, I will be back.”

All I can do is stare at him. I don’t even try to hide the pain etched on my face. I don’t reach for him. I don’t try to stop him when he walks out the door. But I do fall to my knees with tears rolling down my face. I clutch my chest, not sure if I can survive this again.

8

LEE

I WAITED A WEEK , WEIGHING MY OPTIONS . I DIDN ’ T WANT TO UPSET her more than I already have, but I also can’t just walk away.

I stationed myself at the same base where Riley is doing his training. I want to be here for him, but also being here with him makes me feel closer to her.

When I can’t take it anymore, I decide to send her an email. Just to check on her.

From: Lee Dawson To: Tara Dawson Subject: I’m sorry Tara, I feel like over half our marriage has been spent with me apologizing to you. I really am sorry… about a lot of things. I’m sorry I lied to you and promised you that I was retiring and then didn’t. I’m sorry that I handled things wrong that day. I’m sorry that you can’t trust me now.

But here is what I’m not sorry for. I’m not sorry that I met you, fell in love and married you. I’m not sorry that we have a great son together. I’m not sorry that I didn’t file the divorce papers and I’m not sorry that we made love last week.

I know you don’t trust me right now. But I’m going to prove to you that you can. I’m going to prove to you that you are my life and I’m going to spend the rest of it making this up to you. I love

you, Tara. I never stopped loving you. I will be on your doorstep begging you to be mine as soon as my time is up.

Please, tell me you are okay. If you can’t write anything else, just tell me how you are doing. I hate this worrying thing. It makes me realize even more everything I put you through.

With love always, Lee PS. I’m stationed at the same base as Riley. He is kicking ass in training. I’m so proud of him.

Tara F ROM : Tara Dawson To: Lee Dawson Subject: re: I’m sorry Dear Lee, We are both to blame for so many things. But it doesn’t matter where the fault lies. At this point, all that matters is that you are there and I am here. Until we are together, or at least in the same place, I think it’s better if we don’t try to make any plans for the future. It will be easier that way.

I wanted to write you back to let you know I’m okay. I know what it’s like to worry about someone and I don’t want to cause you any more grief.

The nursery is doing great and I’ve already started implementing some of your ideas on expanding. I’m working long hours, but once all the kinks are worked out, I think it will pay o .

I’m so proud of Riley. And I have to admit that it makes me feel a little better knowing that you are close to him. He’s always looked up to you and if he’s half the man you are, he will be fine.

Stay safe, Lee. Tara

Lee F ROM : Lee Dawson To: Tara Dawson Subject: re: re: I’m sorry Tara, I’m sorry it’s been a while. I have been pretty busy tying up loose ends. I only have a couple of months left. Something or someone has lit a fire under Riley. He is moving through these drills and tests, acing all of them. He came and spoke to me to the other day. He asked me to help him get stationed in Tennessee. If I can pull it o , he will only be an hour from you. I know that will make you happy. Of course, unless he is deployed, but I don’t even want to think about that. And if the time comes, I will be there with you, Tara. You won’t have to go through it alone.

Anyway, he says he’s found the one. Do you remember the woman from the graduation reception? Well, it’s her. He seems happy and that’s all we really want anyway, right?

I’m so proud of everything you have done with the nursery. But I want you to know that you are the reason that Riley is the way he is. Yes, he’s my son. But you raised him strong, determined and with a good work ethic. It’s because of you that he’s the man he is today.

I love you, Tara. And I miss you.

Lee

Tara F ROM : Tara Dawson

To: Lee Dawson Subject: You are not going to believe this Dear Lee, I’ve met Kelly. And she is beautiful, inside and out. I couldn’t have picked out a better woman for our son. Riley sent me a letter asking me to check on her and that’s how I met her.

Well, I have to tell you something. Are you sitting down? She told me that she was telling Riley last week, so I am going to go ahead and tell you.

She is pregnant. Our Riley is going to be a father. We are going to be grandparents. I know that’s crazy to think. I don’t like to think I’m old enough to be a grandmother, but it’s happening, Lee. Anyway, especially now, I hope you are able to get him stationed where she’s at. I’ve talked to her and told her everything about our relationship. I’ve told her all the mistakes I’ve made.

Lee… she is so strong. She doesn’t care. She loves Riley and says she can’t imagine living without him. God, I hope they make it. I want to help them as much as they want or need us to.

I’m so excited.

Anyway, I hope you are doing well. I miss you too.

Tara

9

TARA

I T ’ S BEEN ALMOST THREE WEEKS SINCE I SENT THAT EMAIL TO L EE , and still no response. I am driving back from working at the Sweet Cakes Bakery for Kelly. Riley surprised her by getting out of training early and I volunteered to work the bakery for her. It was so nice to see them together. And when I left, Riley picked me up in a big bear hug. I almost asked him about his dad but decided against it. I didn’t want to put a damper on his return home.

When I pull into the driveway, I get only a few steps from the car and hear the crunch of gravel. Turning around, I see Lee’s truck pull into the driveway. My first inclination is to run and jump into his arms. But through the years, I’ve learned to guard my heart. I start walking to him and meet in the middle. The grin on his face is huge and contagious.

“What are you smiling about, Major?” I ask him.

His arms go to my shoulders. “I’m not a major anymore, honey. Yesterday was my last day.”

Shock hits me and the tears start to pour down my face.

“Are you serious? You’re home for good?”

He pulls me to him and squeezes me tightly. “Nothing will ever take me away from you again. I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

And he does just that.

EPILOGUE TARA

I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW ONTO OUR BACK PORCH . R ILEY IS SITTING ON a chair holding his wife, Kelly, in his lap. They sneak a kiss because they don’t think anyone is watching. Kelly, just as I thought, is perfect for Riley. She not only survived his first deployment, she became a beacon of hope for other wives going through the same thing. Plus she gave me my grandbaby.

Lee has RJ, our grandson, in his arms, throwing him up into the air and catching him again. He squeals and loves every second of it. I stand at the window and watch them.

Even after all this time, I still love looking at him.

I walk outside with a tray of lemonades and set them on the table. RJ runs over and grabs one before taking a big drink. I bend down and kiss his head before I’m pulled backwards and onto Lee’s lap. His arms wrap around me, and I snuggle into him.

He has proven himself over and over. Retirement has been wonderful for him. He has gone full force into the nursery, making huge expansions to the business. I thought it would be hard giving up complete control of it, but Lee made the transition easy. Every decision, no matter how small, he talks to me about first.

I worried there would be resentment between us for everything we went through. But there hasn’t been. I guess when you truly love someone, you can forgive the past. After everything, I know that I don’t ever want to lose Lee. He is my everything.

He whispers into my ear, “I love you, honey. Forever.”

I turn my head and smile at him. “I know you do. I love you too.”

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USA Today Bestselling Author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances.

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