by Hope Ford
He walks to the door and bends down to pick up something on the porch. He turns to me and hands me a box. “These are for you.” He opens the box, pulls out a pen, and writes something on the top of it. He holds it out to me. “Read the letters, Bethy.” And then he points to the words he just wrote on the top of the box. “I’ll be here if you want to talk to me.”
I hold the box in my arms and watch him walk down the steps before shutting the door. I set the box down on the coffee table and stare at it for the longest time. He’s back. Travis is safe.
I argue with myself for all of five minutes before I get the nerve to open the box. In it, there are letters, at least twenty of them.
I open the one in the front and start to read.
Letter #1
Dear Bethy,
I’m a fool. I still can’t believe I was a coward and left you like I did. I don’t know what to say except to be honest with you. The night we made love, the night of our wedding, you opened my eyes, Bethy. I know you may not know this because I was your first. But what happened between us is not normal. That was love in its purest form. I could have died a happy man staying in your arms. But the longer I laid there, and held you and watched you sleep, the more I started to panic. I know I mentioned my wife, but I think you have it all wrong. I loved her, but it was young love, not anything like what I feel for you. And when I lost her, I told myself that I would never put myself in that position again. But fuck, Bethy, the love I have for you is so much more than that. I’m sorry I freaked out. I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry for so many things. But I’m here now and I have to stay until this is resolved. I hope and pray that I can make this right when I get home to you. I hope you meant it until death do us part, because I don’t think that’s going to be long enough.
I love you.
Your husband,
Travis
I’m sobbing by the end of the letter and hope starts to build in my heart. I lay the first letter on the table and take out the next.
Letter #2
Dear Bethy,
I talked to Madge today to check on you. She’s worried about you and so am I. I know I should call you, but a part of me wonders if you’ll even talk to me at this point. And really, when I tell you that I love you the first time, I want you to be in my arms and I want to see your face. We’ve only been married a few weeks and damn I’ve already made so many mistakes. I hope you’re able to forgive me. I have to admit to you, I didn’t have a mission that night. I lied to you. But I swear to you, that will be the first and last time I ever lie to you. I felt so guilty about it, I went and asked for a mission, so now here I am on the other side of the world, way too far from you and half out of my mind. Which is not good. In this line of work, I need to keep focused. But all I can do is think of you. I remember the feel of you in my arms, smiling up at me. If I close my eyes, I swear I can still feel your hand on my chest. I can’t get you off my mind, Baby and I can’t wait to get home to you.
I love you. Please forgive me.
Travis
Oh God, he’s right. I didn’t know. I never dreamed that making love could be like that. When my friends had talked to me about their first times, it was like nothing compared to mine. But I knew I loved him. Even then I loved him. I lay the letter down and grab another one.
Letter #3
Dear Bethy,
Today people died at my hand. They were bad people, but it’s still hard. And do you know what was going through my head? When I left, you asked me to come back to you. God, that went all through me, Bethy. Why wasn’t I strong? Why didn’t I stay?
I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make it happen. I’m going to come back to you. I just hope you’ll take me back.
I love you.
Your husband,
Travis
I clutch the letter to my chest, hating what Travis had to be going through. I wipe the tears from my eyes and pick up another letter.
Letter #4
Dear Bethy,
Remember that day we walked around town and you showed me all the history of the town? I remember the way your eyes lit up when we walked by the white house on the edge of town. It was beautiful with its big wraparound porch and tire swing in the front yard. Ever since I left, I’ve thought about that day and I keep picturing us there, raising our family together. We never talked about kids. Do you want them? I’m thinking you do, you’d be a great mom. But I honestly never thought about becoming a father. Until now. I want that with you, Bethy. I want to be the father of your children and I want to do it in that house. The one that lights you up when you talk about it. Madge is helping me. I’m buying that house for us. For me. For you. And for all our future babies. I told you before when I was convincing you to marry me that I needed a place to come home to. Well to me, the house doesn’t matter. You’re my home. Where you want that to be. But I’m pretty sure that white house is the one you want. I want that life with you, Bethy. I hope you want it too.
I love you.
Your husband,
Travis
I toss the letter on the table and look at the box lid. Sure enough, it’s the address for the white house on the edge of town. I grab my keys and open the door, only to stop suddenly.
Travis is sitting on my porch stoop and when he hears the door, he stands up, raising to his full height. He turns to me with an apology on his face. “I couldn’t leave you, Bethy. Not again.”
Sobs wrack my body as I run and slam into him. His arms go around me and his hands go up and down my back soothingly. I’m crying almost uncontrollably.
“Shhh, baby. Please don’t cry, no more tears.”
I pull back from him. “I can’t do this again, Travis. You lied to me. You left me…”
He cups my face in his hands and looks right into my eyes. “I’ll never lie to you again. I’m working on getting into a different job. I may have to go on a few more trips, but I will always come back to you. I promise you that, Bethy. I love you more than anything and I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
I rub my fingers over the stubble of his jaw. “I love you too, Travis.”
Epilogue
Bethany
Two Years Later
I finish setting up the table, arranging all the books and the pamphlets. It’s the Fourth of July fair in town and I’m setting up a library tent for people to get their library cards and I also have some free books I’m giving away. Everything looks great. The only thing left to do is put up the sign. I pull out the step stool and climb up, holding the sign in one hand.
The sheriff walks up to my tent. “Here, let me help you.”
Before I can turn him down, my husband walks up behind me, helping me off the stool, and then gives me a pat on my ass. I know what he’s doing, but I can’t be mad for it. He looks over to the sheriff, pulling me back against him. “I can help my wife.”
The sheriff doesn’t even acknowledge him, he just walks off and I turn in my husband’s arms. Our little girl is on his hip and I tweak her chin. “You having fun, sweetie?” She nods her head and I pat Travis on the chest. “Was that really necessary? And I’m talking about the pat on my, uh, bottom. You do know this is a family event, right?”
He lets out a growl, causing his chest to rumble under my palm. “I don’t like how the sheriff is always around you.”
I take Casey from his arms and set her in the playpen I have set up next to my chair. I give her some toys and then turn back to Travis. “He’s not always around me. He’s at events that I am at. There’s a difference.”
He gives me an impatient shrug. “I don’t care. I don’t like you around any other man. Period. Whatever the reason.”
I put my arms around his waist and he holds me to him. Forgiving Travis was the best thing I’ve ever done. He’s gone out of his way to love me and show his love for me since that day. It’s even gotten easier since he’s put himself into a more consulting detail, and even though he still goes o
ut of town on business, he’s not going on missions. I look over my shoulder at Casey and then up to him. “I could say the same for you, soldier. Have you seen the tent for the dance classes? Look over there and tell me what the moms are doing.”
He shifts against me and we both look over there. Every one of the women standing there are looking this way and I know exactly what they’re thinking. My husband is one hot hero. I feel his hand lift off my back, and I pull back from him, still in the circle of his arms. “Don’t wave at them. They’ll think you’re encouraging them.”
He lets out a laugh. “Honey, everyone in this town knows I only have eyes for you.”
And I know that’s true. He’s never given me any reason to doubt his love for me, not since he came back to me.
I look at our daughter, laughing and playing. I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss the scar on Travis’ cheek. “Aunt Madge is on her way to help me with the booth. I forgot something at home; do you think you want to help me go get it?” I run my hands up and down his chest.
He grabs on to my wrist to stop me, and already I can feel his desire poking against my belly. “Don’t tempt me, Bethy.”
I put my arms around his neck, smash my breasts against his hard chest, and tilt my hips against his. “Oh, do I tempt you, soldier?”
He groans, dropping his forehead to mine. “You know you do.”
No sooner does Aunt Madge get to the booth than my husband is pulling me in the direction of our home, making good on his promise that he’s going to spend his life showing me how much he loves me.
THE END
American Heroes
We’re bringing you a little something extra in July to celebrate Independence Day!
This series is all about American Heroes and how each Alpha finds their one and only!
If you’re looking for a little something extra to add sparks and heat to your Summer, look no further. You can find everything you need with this Collaboration!
CLICK HERE for the American Heroes Series.
Tempting The Soldier by Hope Ford
Keeping Liberty by Loni Ree
Sticky Situations by Tory Baker
A Man in Uniform by Leah Holt
Booked & Hooked by Mayra Statham
Wildfire by Honey Palomino
Her Cowboy Hero by Megan Wade
Protective Custody by L. Nicole
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About the Author
Bestselling short romance author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances. She loves tattooed, alpha men, instant love stories, and ALWAYS happily ever afters. She has over 80 books and they are all available on Amazon.
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