Page 32 of Gage

“I hope the girls don’t get too close to the river,” she said, worry evident in her voice.

“You don’t have to worry. Oliver won’t let them near the water. He’s careful like that.”

“Tell me more about him—the man watching Sammy and the girls.”

I smiled. “Oliver’s solid. He’s had a rough go of it—lost his brother and parents just months apart—but he’s one of the best guys I know. He’s a great listener, and when it comes to the people he protects, he doesn’t mess around. Sammy and the girls couldn’t be in better hands.”

“He sounds like the perfect person for the job. What would I have done if you hadn’t come into my life?” Her voice softened. “I’d probably be dead right now. But you saved me. I’m so glad I decided to follow you around,” she added with a lighthearted giggle.

I raised a brow, intrigued. “Follow me? Now that’s a story I want to hear. Did you actually follow me?”

“Yes, I did,” she admitted, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. “I thought for sure you’d catch me.”

“I knew someone was tailing me!” I said, laughing. “The guys thought I was losing it. I was always looking over my shoulder, trying to catch whoever it was. Turns out, it was you all along.”

“Yeah,” she said, chuckling. “I should’ve just come up and asked you my questions instead of sneaking around.”

“Well, at least we’re together now. And we’ll be together for the rest of our lives. I’ve loved you for eight years, Lori.”

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. “I’ve loved you just as long. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw you sitting in that restaurant. I didn’t even think you’d remember me. That’s when I decided to write a story about former military men—just to have an excuse to be around you.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, surprised. “I wanted to ask you out back then, but there were always guys hanging around you.”

She laughed. “If guys were around, it was probably because I was fixing their equipment. That’s why I always wore a hoodie. I didn’t want to draw attention.”

I shook my head, grinning. “It took us eight years to get here, but damn, it was worth the wait. If we keep talking about this,though, I might have to stop and get a room before we make it to the house.”

Her lips twitched in amusement. “How far is the house?”

“Couple of hours.”

“We can wait that long. Should we stop and pick up groceries first?”

“Good idea. There’s a small grocery store in the next town,” I said, placing my hand on her leg as I spoke.

She glanced down at my hand, then up at me with a playful smirk. “You’d better move that hand, or we’ll be pulling over before we even get to the store,” she teased, leaning over to kiss me.

I turned my head and kissed her back, her lips soft and warm against mine. “Damn,” I muttered, pulling back reluctantly. “You’re right.”

19

Lori

I never thoughtI’d fall in love with the desert, but here I was, utterly enchanted. The air was alive with an earthy sweetness I couldn’t quite name, as if every grain of sand carried a story of its own. The crisp evening breeze wrapped itself around me, filling the stillness with a strange sense of peace.

Gage had insisted on cooking dinner—“I owe you a meal,” he’d said—and he hadn’t disappointed. The steak was perfectly seared, paired with roasted vegetables and a warm slice of crusty bread. We ate on the porch of this small desert hideaway, the glow of the lantern casting soft shadows across the rugged landscape.

Afterward, we settled into a pair of weathered chairs, gazing up at a sky so dense with stars it seemed to pulse with light. I could feel the tension I’d been carrying for weeks melting away, replaced by the quiet hum of desert serenity.

“How do you like the desert?” Gage asked, his voice low and steady as he leaned back, the faint glow of the lantern catching the edge of his profile.

I smiled, taking a deep breath. “I’m surprised by how much I love it. The smells, the quiet, the stars—everything feels so alive out here. It’s not what I expected at all.”

He nodded, his gaze fixed upward. “I think so, too. There’s something about the stillness. It gives you room to breathe.”

I glanced at him, my heart squeezing a little. In this moment, Gage felt like the calm in the middle of a storm I wasn’t sure would ever pass.

“I talked to Oliver earlier,” he said, turning toward me. “He’s in Texas, keeping an eye on your sister and the kids. River’s watching over your dad at my place, so you don’t have to worry about them.”

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