“Where are we?”
Travis pointed past the bonfire. “Our house is about one hundred yards in that direction. If the back porch light was turned on, you’d be able to see it from here.”
Veronica chuckled. “You’re pretty sneaky captors.”
Hank kissed her and looked at her with serious eyes. “We’ll warn you first next time, Nika. I’m so sorry I scared you when I grabbed you.”
Veronica took in a shaky breath and chuckled as she let it out. “It was my fault. I might’ve caught on faster but my mind was way deep into other things, ruminating about my family. Fretting about them had me on edge and I just wasn’t thinking.”
Travis shook his head. “No, I agree with Hank. I heard you when you screamed. We want you alarmed and excited, not terrified and scared. That sound hurt my heart. How about next time we give you a one- or two-week warning. That way you know it’s coming.”
Veronica smiled. “Hmm, that idea has merit. That way I can anticipate it more.”
“Yes,” Hank said. “And if there are other types of fantasies you’d like to play out, we’ll always be your willing captors.”
She lifted Hank’s hand. “I bit you.”
Hank shrugged. “Through my gloves. I was more concerned about your teeth than my hand.”
“How could you see in the house? It was pitch black in there.”
Travis snickered and said, “I have these night vision goggles and we’ve just been waiting for the right time to try them out.”
Hank laid a kiss on her breastbone and asked, “Was bringing your capture fantasy to life satisfying?”
“You brought my fantasy to life. I loved role-playing with you.” She laid her palms on both of their cheeks and whispered, “I love you both so much. I feel like I’ve woken up from a long, bad dream and discovered that all is well with my world. I have two wonderful men and a wonderful bonfire to celebrate being bound to them. What’s in the basket?”
“Grace sent cheese, fruit, some fancy bread, chocolate, and the wine is ready to be poured.”
Veronica sighed and stretched. “Maybe I’m just dreaming a different wonderful dream. Is this real?”
Both men smiled at her, and Hank said, “Let’s have a snack and some of the wine, then maybe we’ll work on waking you up from this dream.”
They shared bites of strawberries and chocolate with her and gave her sips from their glasses of wine. Her heart swelled so full with love for them, she wondered how her body could contain it.
Her journey had started with that gathering at the Divine Memorial Rose Garden. Travis had returned to her life after she’d spent years thinking he’d found happiness elsewhere. He’d brought Hank, with his loving gray eyes and his need to protect and care for her, into her life. They’d helped her face the demons of her past and accepted her exactly the way she was.
They’d taught her to trust and awakened her heart to the true meaning of love.
THE END