Page 51 of Protecting What's Mine
My phone buzzes on the table, and I glance at the screen to see a text from Ranger.
Can’t wait to see you tonight. Burgers on the grill?
I laugh softly, my heart doing that little flutter it always does when I think of him.
Perfect
I reply, setting the phone down and leaning back in my chair.
Life isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty damn close. I have my dad, my jewelry, and the love of my life. And for the first time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Happy. Fulfilled. Loved.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
The warm breeze carries the smell of grilling burgers, mingling with the salty scent of the ocean. I sit on the porch of Ranger’s beach house, a glass of iced tea in my hand, watching as he mans the grill with that calm, steady confidence that somehow still makes my stomach flutter.
This is our life now—simple, peaceful, and full of love. No more chaos, no more danger. Just us.
“Smells good,” I call out, leaning back with a contented sigh.
Ranger glances over his shoulder, flashing me one of those rare, crooked smiles that always makes my heart skip. “Better taste good too,” he says, flipping a burger with practiced ease.
“It will,” I reply, grinning. “You’re practically a pro at this now.”
“Only because you keep coming over,” he teases, his voice warm.
I take a sip of my tea, watching the way the sun catches the edges of his dark hair. He invited me over tonight, like he does most nights now, and it feels more like home here than anywhere else ever has.
The days of constantly worrying about my father’s work or being dragged from one corner of the globe to another feel like a lifetime ago.
This is where I belong. With Ranger.
He walks over, and I stand up.
I wrap my arms around his neck, leaning into him as the swing sways gently behind us. “You’re lucky everything worked out,” I say, my voice soft but teasing.
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” he murmurs, his hands settling on my waist. “I’m really good at what I do.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “You really are.” I think about how close we came to never seeing each other ever again. How the Earth’s Bounty Group almost got away with kidnapping my father and me.
We stand there for a moment, the world around us fading into the background. His arms are my safe place, his steady heartbeat the rhythm that keeps me grounded.
“Ranger,” I say softly, tilting my head to look up at him.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
His smile is small but full of meaning, and he presses his forehead against mine. “I love you too, Tory Ann. Always.”
The grill sizzles in the background, the ocean waves providing a soothing soundtrack to our quiet moment. I never imagined my life would lead me here—to this man, to this love—but now I can’t imagine it any other way.
It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
I couldn’t be happier if I tried.
The smell of sizzling burgers and grilled veggies fills the air as Dean and his wife, Sophia, step onto the porch, carrying a bottle of wine and a plate of homemade brownies. After Ranger introduces us, Sophia hands me the plate of brownies.