Protecting Freedom

He pulls up to a gate and hits something on his phone. The gate swings open and before long we’re meandering up the long driveway. The yellow house comes into view. My eyes start to water. This is it. Our dream.

“It’s perfect,” I whisper. It’s a two-story home with a wraparound porch on each level. Rocking chairs sit on the front porch. It isn’t huge, but it’s not small either. It sits on enough land for us to be left alone, but not too far from my dad. Actually, our land touches his at the back.

When the SUV stops I go to jump out, but Washington squeezes my thigh. “Wait for me to come around.”

“I can’t wait that long,” I plead, looking at him like he’s lost his mind. He only laughs. He throws open his door and pulls me out with him on his side, his hand resting on my stomach.

“Sweet pea. Calm down. You’ll make yourself sick.” I want to roll my eyes at him, but I know he’s right. Our little one is starting to show and does have a habit of making me throw up.

Washington swings me up into his arms. “Besides, I have to carry you over the threshold.” I wrap my arms around his neck.

“We aren’t married yet,” I remind him. He gives me a hard look. I press my lips together to fight a laugh. This is a sore spot for him. He’s been wanting to get married for months, but I wanted to get married here. In secret. Something small, really.

“You have a month,” he tells me as he walks towards our home.

“You’re giving me a whole month to plan it?” I’m a little surprised.

“I love you, so I’ll give you a little time. I know you and July will want to do it right,” he sighs. He’s right. July and I would want the time but we’ve already used it. We ascend the steps to the porch.

“Well, I can’t wait a month.” He opens the front door and I lean up to kiss him. “It’s already been planned. We get married in five days.”

Washington’s face lights up, and he gives me one of the smiles that he always has lately. No more stone-cold looks. It’s all warmth for me.

“Then I guess we better celebrate.” He walks into the house and kicks the door closed behind him. He goes straight up the stairs, taking them two at a time. My eyes stay focused on him. I forget about our new home and fall into him. He lays me down on our bed.

“Welcome home, sweet pea,” he says sweetly against my mouth before he rips my clothes from my body.

Home couldn’t be more perfect.

Epilogue

Washington

Five years later…

“How are you not used to this by now?” I take my eyes off the two agents to glance over at Henry. It still feels odd to call him that sometimes after calling him Mr. President for so long.

“They look at her,” I growl. One thing I sure don’t miss about the White House is having people watch you all the fucking time, but whenever Henry is around, so are his agents. For the most part. Today he was only picking Emma up, not staying so he hadn’t made plans that would leave his agents a little bit away so now I was making sure they weren’t checking out my woman. No, my jealousy hasn’t lessened over the years.

“That’s their job. To watch.” I hear the laughter in his voice but ignore it. I glance back out at the field where my wife and little girl are picking flowers. Our house is always filled with the flowers they pick. “I put you on her detail that day for a reason.”

I look back over to Henry, not sure what he’s talking about. “I’d always planned to, just not so soon. But that day, something came up and, well, I figured we could get on with the show.”

It takes me a minute and then it hits me. “Honor shows everything on her face. That first day she saw you I knew she was done for. I knew I was no longer the main man in her life.” He lets out a long sigh.

Then he smiles. “I always wanted to make her happy, so I dug, made sure we spent more time with each other, and it didn’t take me long to get on board with the idea of her and you.”

I bark out a small laugh.

“Who better to give her that all-American dream than a real hero, one I know would keep her and whatever grandbabies she gave me safe.” He leans forward in his chair. I’ve had a lot of moments of pride in my life after missions, but right now, this one is the best one I’ve ever had.