Lane

I leaned in the doorway and looked at my gorgeous wife and thought she was sleeping, until I saw a tear drop into the pillow her head was resting on.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I walked over and kicked off my shoes before crawling in bed with her. I pulled her close and she curled into me.

"She still loves you." She said, and I squeezed her a little tighter.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." I kissed her head.

"She's so broken." She said.

I let out a deep breath. It seems my return home isn't as great or as easy as I hoped.

"I had years to heal from everything. She thought I was dead, so it wasn't the same for her." I said.

"I'm already hated, and I feel so sorry for her, Lane." She said, and I made her look at me.

"You're not hated. The Megan I know isn't capable of hate, and you are not responsible for anyone's pain. You've had your own to overcome." I said as those wet blue eyes looked at me.

"I heard the things she said. Lane, she loves you so much and she's so hurt." She said.

"I know she is, but she loves her husband and family. At least now she knows I'm not dead and can just move on knowing I'm happy." I said.

"It's going to be hard." She said.

"It's not for you to worry about, she's going to be fine," I said.

"She's a part of your dad's life. She's going to be around a lot, and I'm not sure what to do with that yet." She said.

"I'm not sure either, I wasn't expecting any of that today. I guess we just go with it the best way possible. We just have to continue making plans for our family and move on with our lives. She will warm up to you in time. Although, I can understand if you never want to see her again." I said.

She shrugged. "She's a part of your life. It doesn't matter what is easiest for me. Life has never been easy, and I don't expect this to be easy either. I'll do my best to give her space." She said.

"No, you're my wife, and if she doesn't accept you, then it's her that needs to give you space. You have nothing to do with what happened in my past and you're my wife. If she can't handle it, then she needs to give us space. He's still my father and I've lost too much time with him. I'm not going to let her make me feel like I can't be around my own dad. You're his family too, and I won't have you feeling like you're out of place." I said, and she paused.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"We didn't marry for love at first. If you wouldn't have married me, it sounds like she would have left him for you." She said.

"No, you need to stop with that, Danica. The moment I saw you get off that bike, I was drawn to you. I love you, and a life with you is what I chose. If I never met you, I wouldn't have come back for her. That part of my life has been over for years. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone, and I'm very happy right now." I reached down and put my hand on her belly. "I wouldn't have made this little person with you if I had any doubts that I loved you," I said.

"I love you, too." She said, and I pecked her lips.

"Is she still here?" She asked.

"No, she finished organizing my dad's meds for the week and left," I said.

"Okay." She looked at me and I had to kiss her again.

"We better get downstairs before I lose control," I said, then kissed her again and we got up.

"You can go on down, I'd like to wash my face." She said, and I can see the tear stains on her face.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs with Dad," I said.

The moment I walked into the living room, Dad apologized.

"I tried to call her, but she didn't pick up. I would have warned her not to come today." He said.

He's in his recliner, and I took a seat on the same couch that was here before I left.

"It's okay, Dad. She got to say things she's needed to say for a very long time." I said.

"That girl loves you, and not a day went by that she didn't miss you." He said.

"I know, and she's a good woman now." I sat back, and he looked at me with a grin.

"What?" I asked.

"That wife of yours is quite the woman." He said.

"Yeah, she's beautiful," I said.

"Stunning, and she looks at you the way your mother used to look at me." He said.

"It's crazy to think about where I was three months ago, and now I've got a wife and kid on the way," I said.

"This is a small town, Son. She's going to be the talk of the town, especially among the men folk." He said.

"Over a Navy Seal coming back from the dead?" I asked.

"She's awfully beautiful." He chuckled.

"She's smart, and most of all, she's brave. She was willing to take down the whole damn mafia, even if it meant her life." I said.

"Have you decided what's next?" He asked.

"Not yet, we both want to find a spread of land and settle. I think she likes Montana, but I plan to show her the best of Harris County." I said.

He chuckled. "Grote's bar and the sale barn?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, the people and the small-town feel. Also, you're here, and I really don't want to leave. I've promised a few trips in our future, but I think other than that, she will be just fine as long as she gets a warm welcome." I said.

"I don't know, Son. I think people will expect some drama because of Megan. She made it her life's mission to memorialize you, and they'll expect a reunion." He said.

"They'll be disappointed. I don't love Megan the way I once did. I put all that behind me, and I'm sorry so many people got hurt because of me, but it's just how it's going to be, and Danica is everything to me." I said.