Page 86 of Love and Memories

“I did. I’ve been waiting for a sign from you.”

“Was that clear enough for you?” she asked, still giddy and reeling from the kiss and his strong hold on her.

His finger and thumb lifted her chin, and he smiled down at her. “I know we have a lot to talk about, but am I supposed to take that as a go-ahead?”

Bella nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

His nostrils flared slightly as his intense stare bore into her. “More than anything.”

He kissed her again, and the baby kicked a rhythmic beat inside her. She pulled away and guided Travis’s hand to the spot where he could feel the movement.

“The baby is excited too.”

Travis closed his eyes and felt the tiny movements against her belly. “That’s amazing. I’ll never get tired of it,” he whispered.

Despite the elation running rampant in her heart, there were still so many worries threatening to choke the life out of her joy. “Travis, are you sure about this? I mean, I have a group of criminals who might come looking for me. And I’m going to have a baby. I can’t ask you to accept all of this. It’s not the normal way relationships start out.”

“You think I haven’t thought about all of that? Let me skip to the end where I tell you that I want to be with you anyway. I want to be the one who stands beside you. No matter what happens, I’m the one you can always count on. I’m not going anywhere.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would you willingly take on this mess?” She stepped back, tossing her hands in the air. “This is going to be tough. I don’t understand why you’d do this.”

Travis reached for her, pulling her back in with a gentle tug on her wrist. “Because I love you.”

Bella stilled, struck by the weight of his words. “You what?”

“I love you,” he repeated slowly. “That means I want to be with you. I’ll do anything for you. I’ll stand by you through everything. Bella, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

Tears pricked her eyes, and she rested her cheek against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. After he’d been disregarded by his family and betrayed by his brother and ex, Travis’s vows held a promise of loyalty she couldn’t fathom.

His hand brushed over her hair, soothing her shaky breaths. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” he whispered.

She sniffed. “But I do. I love you so much it hurts.”

He tightened his hold on her. “I don’t want it to hurt.”

“But don’t you see. We’re both going to get hurt. You’ll sacrifice things for me, and I’ll be heartbroken if–”

If he decided he couldn’t handle the baggage–the parts of her life that were too heavy to ask someone else to carry.

“Being with you isn’t a sacrifice. It’s an honor. And no one's heart is getting broken. I just made it my mission to protect your heart at all costs.”

She burrowed her face against his chest and whispered, “I’m scared.”

Travis chuckled. “I wish I could say I’m not afraid of anything, but that’s not true.”

“We should all be scared. The Iron Fist MC is evil.”

Travis’s hands cradled the sides of her face and lifted her eyes to his. “That’s not what I mean. Put me against any man who tries to hurt you, and you can bet it all on me. It’s the things I can’t protect you from that terrify me–things in God’s plan that I have no control over. Your pregnancy, the baby’s health, your happiness.”

Bella closed her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t given him enough credit. He was worrying too, and his concerns were just as real.

“But,” he began, “I’m willing to hand those things over to the Lord. I’ll take care of the things I can control and pray about the things I can’t.”

Bella nodded. “I’ll do the same.”

He smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good. Then let’s talk about this move. When do you want to do it?”

“I need to talk to Anna and pack up my stuff. There isn’t a lot, so that won’t be a big deal.”

---