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“Good girl,” he says.
To be honest, at first, I was skeptical. Not because of my mom, but because I wasn’t convinced that leaving two kids—one a toddler—behind while we jetted off for a holiday was wise. It was only after Lane pointed out that I was being the sort of helicopter parent I advised other parents not to be that I felt embarrassed and said yes to his surprise destination anniversary trip. He’d planned it all out himself in secret, even arranging childcare with my mother.
He said all I needed to do was relax and enjoy myself—a feat I thought might be Herculean but has been so incredibly easy. And that’s because Lane, as he always does, took care of everything. He hasn’t stopped taking care of me since the day we met out by the gazebo when he protected me from that creep.
I’ve never felt so loved and cared for as I do with Lane. Just thinking about it fills me with an unexpected sense of warmth and love that makes my heart feel like it’s ten sizes too big for my chest. Lane Landers is everything I ever wanted in a man—and a hell of a lot of things I never knew I wanted.
Lane has been supportive. In fact, he’s been my biggest cheerleader since day one. He helped me look for office space to open my practice, but when I hesitated and felt guilty about being away from our kids all day, he built an office onto our house. I hung out my shingle and have started a thriving practice treating children. All without having to leave my own behind to grow up in the care of a nanny.
Like he does with almost everything else, Lane has given me the best of both worlds and more than I ever hoped to have.
I never knew that life could be as good and sweet as it’s turning out to be. I never thought I could have the sort of love Lane is giving me. Even worse, once upon a time, I never thought I was worthy of the love he is giving me. It’s a bad thought to have, especially for a trained psychiatrist who is supposed to excel at recognizing bad thoughts and replacing them with healthier ones. But I never realized just how damaged I was until Lane showed me how good life could be. He made me see that I was indeed worthy of the love he gives me each and every day.
I lean back against the chaise and stare out at the crystal-clear ocean waters that surround the stilted cottage we’re staying in. The water is breathtakingly blue and pure. A few fluffy white clouds drift by in the azure sky overhead and it’s warm without being oppressively hot. And as I take it all in, I can’t keep the smile off my face.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Lane says.
“I was just thinking about how absolutely perfect everything is.”
He nods. "Everything is perfect out here."
I turn to him. “Not just out here,” I say. “Right here too.”
He smiles at me and reaches out to take my hand. “We are pretty damn good together, aren’t we?”
“We are. And I’m grateful.”
He shakes his head. “I’m the one who’s grateful to whatever force brought you into my life in the first place.”
"I'm pretty sure it was some drunken, drugged-out idiot who brought us together."
“You know what, the details don’t matter,” he says, drawing a laugh from me.
We fall silent for a moment and I just look at Lane, my heart beating a little bit harder as I do. He’s just so perfect in every way.
“You’re right. The details don’t matter,” I say softly. “All that matters is that you’re mine and I will never, ever let you go.”
His smile melts my heart. “I love you, Lanie.”
“And I love you, Lane. With everything inside of me and then some.”
The End.
