Loved by a Soldier: A Military Romance Collection

by Alison Mello

  It has been over a year since Poppy’s attempt to take her life…and a year since she hid from the world. Since then, she has been the strong warrior I knew was buried within her.

  So much has changed since I returned home from tour. Poppy’s father finally reached out to her after nearly six months of no contact. The two of them met at a quiet cafe and slowly began mending their relationship.

  Poppy told her father that it came with limitations, however. If they were ever to meet outside of holidays and birthdays, then only her father would be allowed. Poppy made it clear she never wanted to see Diane or Stephanie outside of family celebrations.

  Her father has remained true to his word. And Poppy is happy.

  Oh, my sweet bride is so happy. After every outing, she would call me up and recite the whole night back to me. It warms my heart to see their relationship growing.

  I am still skeptical and will always be when it comes to Poppy. I don’t deny I have a protective instinct over her. Letting her see her father for the first time was nearly painful. It went against everything in me to let her go.

  This man failed to protect her, failed to love her, and failed to trust her. He broke her heart more than Gavin, but he is her family and she was willing to give him another chance.

  I’m glad she did.

  Also, during my birthday in February, Rachel announced that she was expecting a baby.

  My little sister is going to be a mother. The thought nearly brought me to tears. I know she’s going to be a great mom and I can’t wait to be an uncle. Poppy can’t seem to talk about anything other than being an aunt.

  This baby girl already has a room full of gifts, bought entirely by Poppy and myself. Poppy then approached Rachel and told her that she would like to paint the baby’s room. Poppy has spent the last month covered in paint, while sketching a beautiful cherry blossom tree.

  Poppy spoke to me one night while we were curled up on her couch. She looked up at me with beautiful, determined eyes.

  “I want to draw again.” Those words brought me back to the first day I saw Poppy.

  She was sitting in the cafeteria with Rachel and was bent over a sketchbook. I remember wondering if she was artistic or if it was just a hobby.

  Poppy is artistic. She proceeded to show me drawing after drawing. Many were of me, Rachel, and Aragorn. A few of scenic sights.

  Poppy never ceases to amaze me. And so, she has been drawing every night with hopes to one day sell her art.

  “Reid. Man, it’s time to go,” Talen says, clapping a hand on my back. I look over at him and nod. I leave him to walk into the worship center of my church. It is beautifully decorated with dark red and pure white flowers. The decorations are simple and modest, not wanting to go overboard.

  I meet my pastor, Nicolas, on the stage, giving his hand a firm shake. I stand at the front, watching as everyone takes their seats. My mom is beside my father, already dabbing away tears. I smirk at her. She is a proud mother for both me and Poppy.

  I know that my mother looked at Poppy as a daughter before I even pursued a relationship. She is just as happy for Poppy as she is for me.

  When the music starts, I almost sway off the stage. My nerves overcome me as I look to the door to see Talen walk Rachel down the aisle.

  Poppy and I remained true to our early suggestions. We only wanted Talen and Rachel to stand with us as we got married. They’re the two people who have been with us since the beginning and have supported us.

  Rachel’s round belly can barely be seen through the dress, and I’m glad she isn’t any further along, or else this wedding might have been a nuisance to her.

  After my best man is at my side, as he always is, the musical cue for my bride begins. Everyone in the church stands and I turn to face my bride directly.

  When I see her step into my view, my breath is nearly taken away from me. I don’t know much about dresses, but the one she is wearing is completely stunning. It has lace on the chest and down to her waist, where there is a small stoned belt. The straps are elegant, thin with floral-looking lace.

  When she approaches me, getting closer, I see the stone belt is actually a delicate ribbon that ties around her waist. When she turns to give her father a kiss on his cheek, I think I actually moan. The dress has a keyhole back, exposing her shoulders and lower back. When she turns to me, I shake my head in awe.

  Her usually unruly hair is pinned perfectly into a braided bun, with a few tendrils of her hair framing her face.

  She is perfection.

  Poppy blushes under my stare but I don’t care. I look into her beautiful hazel eyes and thank God for the woman he has sent me.

  I never would have thought I could love someone as much as I love her.

  “Reid…” I hear my pastor say. I arch an eyebrow and turn my head, my eyes lingering on Poppy a moment longer until I am forced to look away. “You have a very beautiful bride,” he says to me.

  I let out a throaty chuckle and nod my head. “Yes, sir, I know,” I agree. Poppy smiles up at me.

  “Are you ready to marry her?” I nod my head again. “Good. Then please listen as I repeat my questions to you.”

  Did I really space out during the whole ceremony, that I didn’t even hear my pastor recite my vows? I look at Poppy with wide eyes but she just smiles.

  “Again, do you, Reid Holt, take this woman, Poppy Evans, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to protect her and love her, to encourage her and be devoted to her, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

  Oh Lord, I would be a fool not to.

  “I do,” I say confidently. Pastor Nick smiles at me and then turns to Poppy.

  “Do you, Poppy Evans, take this man, Reid Holt, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to protect him and love him, to encourage him and be devoted to him, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

  Tears gather in her eyes as she bites the inside of her cheek. She nods her head. “I do,” she says.

  Pastor Nick then asks our family and friends if they will support our union. They all confirm with a resounding, “We do.”

  “Well, then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife…Reid, you may kiss your bride.”

  You don’t need to tell me twice, Pastor Nick.

  I delicately cup Poppy’s face in my hands, holding her as if her life were in my hands. I duck my head slightly and claim Poppy’s lips.

  The kiss is innocent but all-consuming. I am overwhelmed by her, by her beauty and her love. I could remain in her embrace, kissing her with all the passion I could muster.

  But I know Poppy doesn’t enjoy being the center of everyone’s attention. So I pull back and allow myself the pleasure of smiling down at my wife. Her cheeks are rosy with a soft blush, but I can see the happiness in her eyes.

  She also has a megawatt smile plastered on her face as well…

  “I am proud to introduce, for the first time, the happy couple: Mr. and Mrs. Reid and Poppy Holt!”

  Oh, I love the sound of my last name behind her first. It is as if it was made to be there…and I guess, in a way, it was.

  I grab Poppy’s hand and lead her down the steps and out of the church to take pictures with my bride.

  ***

  I hold Poppy’s hand in my own, watching as she leans over the table to connect eyes with Rachel. They laugh lightly about something and I lift our joined hands to place a soft kiss to hers. Poppy gently squeezes my fingers in acknowledgement.

  “We’re lucky men,” Talen says, bumping my shoulder with his own. I glance at our two wives and nod my head in agreement.

  We most definitely are. I have been given a nearly perfect life.

  Rachel suddenly stands and I watch as she is offered a mic from our DJ.

  Poppy turns in her chair so she can wrap her arms around my own right one. I place my hand on her thigh and give it a squeeze. We watch with caution as Rachel clears her throat.<
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  “As you all know, there is no love quite like Reid and Poppy’s. When I first learned that my brother was in love with my best friend, I wasn’t even doubtful. I knew Reid was going to treat Poppy like the princess she is. And I knew that Poppy was going to bring out the best in Reid. They are the perfect duo. And so, Talen and I decided instead of doing toasts, that we were going to make a video that captures their love and the love others hold for them. Take a look.”

  The lights dim and the sound of a projector fills the silent reception hall. Poppy moves closer to me and I turn my attention to the video.

  The video opens with Talen and Rachel standing beside one another. “Hi Reid!” Talen bellows.

  “Hello Poppy!” Rachel cheers. I grin as my two best friends smile at us through the camera.

  “We cannot begin to tell you how much your friendships have meant to us over the years. So, we decided to get some help!” Talen says, shrugging his shoulders.

  The screen goes black for just a moment before it lights up and focuses on my parents. “Hey kiddos! We are so happy and proud of you! You have both grown into caring, loving adults. Poppy, I remember the first time you walked into our home. My two kids were smitten with you, though Reid tried desperately to play it cool. But a mother always knows…and I knew you were going to be the love of my son’s life. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that we gained another daughter that day, for that is what you have always been to us. I love you so much.”

  “Reid, you have grown into the man my father always wanted me to be. You are respectful and kind and just. You never act irrationally and you see the best in people. I am beyond proud you are my son. And I am glad we now have Poppy to love for the rest of our days. Take care of each other,” my dad says. I hear Poppy sniffle beside me. She runs a napkin under her eyes, gently making sure not to smear her makeup.

  “Poppy? Oh man, that girl is the sweetest thing.” I turn my attention back to see Megan, Poppy’s co-worker on the screen. Rachel and Talen are in Starbucks, not seeming to care there is a line of people waiting for drinks.

  “What do you love most about Poppy?” Talen asks Jake, another co-worker. He is making a drink but pauses when he hears the question. He then lifts his head to look at the camera.

  “She listens.” Poppy lets out a choked sob beside me and I gently rub her leg, comforting her.

  The camera switches again and I hear hooting from the speakers. My eyes widen softly as I see a laptop on Rachel’s kitchen table. The screen holds a Skype video of a group of my friends from tour.

  “Holt! Congrats on winning the girl, man! We will never forget the day you nearly scooped our eyes out of our sockets when we saw her on Skype. You really did catch yourself a good one. Poppy, you have no idea how much this man loves you. He would be up at all hours of the day writing you emails, and when he wasn’t, he was telling us stories about you. Take care of our man,” Nick, a fellow soldier says. He was the one who first saw Poppy, and ever since that day, he encouraged our long-distance relationship.

  “We love you, Holt!” the boys cheered.

  “Poppy, honey, your mother would be in awe of the woman you are. I know this for a fact. You have grown to be such a beautiful young lady and I am honored you are my daughter. I cannot wait to watch your love for one another grow, and I am excited to be a part of your future,” Poppy’s dad says.

  “All right…so it seems a lot of people love you! How about we show them just how much you love one another?” Rachel says, shrugging her shoulders just as her husband had earlier.

  The screen then shifts to a montage of photos. There are some of us from early on, when we were in high school. I am not even embarrassed at the fact that you can see my love for Poppy even then. One picture in particular is of us in the bed of a truck at a drive-in. I have Poppy sandwiched in between Rachel and me and I’m looking down at her with a ridiculous smile on my face.

  There are pictures of Poppy with a group of friends at football games, cheering me on. There are pictures of us at small diners at the late hours, with my arm draped around the back of her chair.

  How is it that a love, that at the time I didn’t even know existed, could be captured by a camera?

  We move forward a few years to Poppy and me at Great America. Rachel and Talen must have taken the photos…I have my arm around her, as always. One picture is of us walking ahead of our friends, my head dipped to whisper something in her ear.

  I smirk, remembering… “If you look to our right you will see a man eating a hotdog as if it were corn on the cob.” The laugh Poppy gave was captured in the next picture.

  A small clip of me spinning Poppy around after she proclaimed her love for me is also displayed.

  There are many of us at Rachel and Talen’s wedding, dancing with one another.

  A picture of my proposal is viewed.

  There are some of us at the dog park, holding hands as Aragorn walks beside us.

  My favorite is a montage of a time we went to an ice cream parlor late at night. It was the four of us and Poppy and I got into an ice cream fight. It started off with a dollop on each of our noses and progressed until there was hardly any skin showing.

  I then finished with placing a cherry on top of Poppy’s head.

  Poppy laughs beside me, remembering.

  My heart clenches at the next photo, of Poppy hugging me tightly in the airport. My nose is buried in her hair as I cling to her. I didn’t know Rachel had taken photos…

  Then, fast forward a few months, there is a photo of me lying with Poppy in a hospital bed. I am holding her as if she were a delicate flower as we both sleep.

  Poppy gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “This isn’t real…” I hear Poppy’s voice over the screen. I turn my attention to see Poppy standing behind the bar. You can see me standing in front of her, dressed in my uniform. Poppy places a hand on my cheek.

  “I’m real,” I reply to her.

  Poppy then runs around the counter and jumps into my arms. I smile, watching the scene unfold in front of me. That was a great day, being back with the love of my life.

  “Awwww!” Talen’s voice interrupts the sweet scene. “They’re so cute, Rachel.”

  “They really are, Talen. Just imagine what their babies will look like!”

  Poppy lets out a marvelous laugh as the screen jumps to a picture of a baby with both mine and Poppy’s faces merged together. I chuckle beside her.

  “Really though, we love you guys. And we hope you have a wonderful marriage. God bless!” Rachel sends us a kiss before the screen goes dark and the lights come back on.

  Our guests cheer and I look down at my wife, seeing her already staring up at me.

  I lean my head down to rest my forehead against hers, twirling a tendril of her hair around my finger. Poppy gently brushes her fingers along my cheeks.

  “Reid…”

  “Hmm?” I whisper, smiling as complete bliss overcomes me.

  “I see you too.”

  Epilogue

  Reid

  June 28, 2026

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “When did you know you were in love?”

  I chuckle, gazing down at Poppy as she places her chin in the palm of her hand and flicks her eyes over to look at me. I stand behind her as she sits at the kitchen table, my left hand on her right shoulder.

  “It was love at first sight,” I answer.

  “Oh, that is not true!” Poppy scoffs, playfully hitting my stomach. “You could barely stand to be in the same room as Rachel and me. It had to have been when you got back from college.”

  I arch an eyebrow at her, a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. Does she still doubt, after all these years, that I was in love with her from the moment I met her?

  “Sweetheart, you are so wrong. I loved you from the moment you looked up at me with those innocent hazel eyes. Now you, on the other hand, didn’t fall in love wi
th me until Fall of 2016… about five years after we met,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. Poppy squints at me, shaking her head. I chuckle, leaning down to place a kiss on the top of her forehead.

  “Sooooo….” My attention is brought back to the questioner. I smile.

  “Love at first sight for me…your mommy was just a little behind,” I answer. Our beautiful seven-year-old daughter stares at us with admiration. Her hazel eyes glimmer with happiness as she folds her hands together and places them against her chest, as if she is in awe.

  “I want a love like you and Mommy have!” Amy says, leaning back in her chair. Her nearly white hair is pulled back into a bun, and I have to keep myself from laughing as it begins to slip out of the tie.

  Like mother, like daughter.

  “You will, sweetie. You just have to wait for the right man,” Poppy says, leaning forward to softly hold her daughter’s hand.

  Amy scrunches her face, her nose wrinkling. “How will I know?” she asks.

  “God will tell you,” I whisper.

  Amy is a blessing…a miracle.

  It wasn’t luck that Poppy didn’t wind up pregnant after Gavin’s assault. The doctors had spoken to us and said that Poppy’s body wasn’t producing as many eggs as the average woman. He said that the likelihood of Poppy getting pregnant was very slim.

  But that didn’t deter us. We had dreamt of a little girl and wouldn’t be told that we couldn’t have her. And by the grace of God, Poppy wound up pregnant.

  While we have tried for another, we are coming to grips with the fact that our Amy will grow up to be a single child…a single child who is loved and spoiled by her parents.

  When she was born and I held her in my arms, I knew I would do anything for her. It was a crazy feeling to love something so small so much. And when she looked at me with eyes identical to her mother’s, I knew she had my heart in the palm of her hand.

  Just as her mother does.