Hold You In My Arms (Stevens book 9)

Chapter 19

Henry held Fiona close as she slept. They had to talk, which meant he had to wake her soon, but he wanted to hold her just a few moments more. Henry had always heard people tell him that love would find you when you least expected it, and that was what had happened. When he had left the ranch in Texas the previous year, Henry knew he loved Fiona, but he also knew that she was choosing a direction for herself for the first time in her life.

He didn't want to be the one that kept her from following her dreams. He also didn't want to give her up, so he had made sure to talk to her daily when it was possible. There was a moment this evening, when he had seen Fiona for the first time after a year, that he realized time and distance were not going to weaken her hold on his heart, and he prayed that it was the same for her.

Henry must have squeezed her a little too tightly as he thought about it because her eyes drifted open.

"Henry?" she asked, confused before a smile of such sweetness crossed her face. "You're still here." She stretched, and he watched her beautiful body as it moved. "I thought you had to leave."

"I do in about an hour, but we still need to talk." Henry tucked some hair behind her ear as she snuggled into him. It was bliss.

"Hmmm, thank you for sneaking in my window. It was so romantic." Fiona sighed.

"It was a fiasco!" Henry laughed. "There is something about you, beautiful Fiona, that makes me want to do foolish things to impress you."

"Really?" Fiona smiled shyly.

"Really."

Henry watched Fiona sit up and hug her knees to her chest as she turned to look at him. "Do you think Finry will ever happen?" She bit her lip.

"I think it is happening, just at our own pace. You have your goals and dreams to see through, and I want that for you. I have to serve three more years, but we can see each other as much as we can until I'm done with my service." Henry pushed himself up against the headboard of the bed.

"Three more years!" Fiona sighed. "What if I followed you and moved to California?" she asked.

Henry felt his chest swell at the words. It meant she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.

"You know what your family has taught me over the years?" Henry reached for her hand and took it in his. "The world can be a very small place. I would love for you to follow me after you've done what you need to do and finish your degree, but not until then." He gave her hand a little shake.

"But they have good schools in California. I can finish my degree there," Fiona insisted as her jaw took on a determined slant.

"This is the school you have chosen. This is the first time you are doing something for yourself, and you need to see it through. Plus, I can tell being here has changed you. It's given you more self-confidence and made you smile more."

"Loving you has done that, Henry," Fiona whispered.

Henry leaned forward and kissed her hard. "Thank you for loving me. I'm sure I do not deserve it."

"You're not that little boy up in the tree anymore. You're a strong kind man, who takes care of the underdog, even if they don't deserve it like that Dixie woman!" Fiona exclaimed as she snuggled back up to him.

"How do you now I haven't been leading her on and having my wicked way with her?" Henry mused as he kissed Fiona's temple.

Her response was to snort at the improbability of his statement.

"Dixie is the sister of a teammate that we lost this past year." Henry paused for a minute to gather control of his feelings. The pain from the loss of his teammate was still sharp. "I met her at the funeral and she just sort of latched on to me. At first, it was just the occasional email and text, but then it changed to her showing up wherever I was to talk." Henry shrugged. He honestly didn't know how it had gotten out of control.