marriage. She wasn’t ready to be in his bed, to sleep by his side, to allow him to slide inside her body. He needed that to quench his desperation for her, but he could and would wait for her.
What he wouldn’t do was sit back and let anyone take her away from him.
Lorrie couldn’t keep the tears back. They were streaming down her face in rivers. Curtis’s words had pierced her heart and broken the dam. It was no wonder she loved him so much. She knew in her heart that she would never find a man who would love her the way that Curtis did. Never find a man who would protect her, keep her safe. She could feel it deep inside, knew that he wasn’t simply telling her these words because they sounded good.
Although he wasn’t her lover yet, he was her best friend, the person she confided in, shared her hopes and dreams with. She couldn’t imagine herself with any other man. Ever.
“I love you, Curtis Walker,” she said between sobs.
“Then marry me. Be my wife. We’ll go tomorrow. To the justice of the peace. I heard that Billy Elks did that. He went to the courthouse, and they married him that same day. He wasn’t even eighteen, either. I don’t wanna wait, Lorrie. I don’t wanna spend another second away from you.”
Lorrie wanted to tell him yes, but she wasn’t sure she could. What would she do about school? Where would they live? She was only in high school. Neither of them were finished yet. They couldn’t just quit going. She didn’t want to quit going.
Curtis’s thumbs brushed away the tears on her cheeks as he continued to cup her face and stare down at her.
“Whatever your worries, we’ll work them out together. We can do this, Lorrie.”
She forced a smile.
“I’ve always believed for every person there was only one love that would last a lifetime. I never understood quite what it meant until I met you, though. You’re it for me, Lorrie. You are my love that lasts a lifetime.”
Lorrie felt her chest tighten, and more tears began to fall.
How she’d ever gotten this lucky, she wasn’t sure. Finding a man like Curtis, one who knew what to say to ease her mind, one who didn’t make promises he didn’t keep… It was a dream come true. She could consider herself blessed beyond measure if she could spend the rest of her life with him.
She wrapped her arms around Curtis and held him tightly as he hugged her back. She was scared, she couldn’t deny that. Just like Curtis said, they didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew that if her daddy tried to keep her away from Curtis, the only thing she’d have would be a broken heart.
At fifteen, she wasn’t naïve. Even though she lived in a small town, didn’t know a whole lot about what was going on outside of Granite Creek, her heart knew what it wanted. She had always dreamed about marrying a good man, a strong man. Settling down, raising children, laughing, loving. Curtis Walker could and would give her that, of that she had no doubt.
“I don’t wanna quit school,” she mumbled against his chest. Her mother had quit school to marry her daddy, and she didn’t want to end up like her.
“You don’t have to quit.”
“Where will we live? We can’t stay with your mother.”
Technically they could, she knew, but she was grateful when he agreed they probably shouldn’t.
“Where then?” she asked.
“We’ll work it all out, darlin’. Me and you.”
Lorrie nodded against his chest. “I’ll marry you.”
Curtis pulled back, cupping her head in his big hands once again. When she looked up into his face, he was grinning from ear to ear. It was that radiant smile that made her laugh, made her tears dry up as she realized what they were about to do.
Married.
Holy cow.
Lorrie was going to spend the rest of her life with him. They would get married, have babies, and spend a lifetime together, loving one another. It was as simple and as complicated as that.
“It’s gonna be perfect, Lorrie. You wait and
What he wouldn’t do was sit back and let anyone take her away from him.
Lorrie couldn’t keep the tears back. They were streaming down her face in rivers. Curtis’s words had pierced her heart and broken the dam. It was no wonder she loved him so much. She knew in her heart that she would never find a man who would love her the way that Curtis did. Never find a man who would protect her, keep her safe. She could feel it deep inside, knew that he wasn’t simply telling her these words because they sounded good.
Although he wasn’t her lover yet, he was her best friend, the person she confided in, shared her hopes and dreams with. She couldn’t imagine herself with any other man. Ever.
“I love you, Curtis Walker,” she said between sobs.
“Then marry me. Be my wife. We’ll go tomorrow. To the justice of the peace. I heard that Billy Elks did that. He went to the courthouse, and they married him that same day. He wasn’t even eighteen, either. I don’t wanna wait, Lorrie. I don’t wanna spend another second away from you.”
Lorrie wanted to tell him yes, but she wasn’t sure she could. What would she do about school? Where would they live? She was only in high school. Neither of them were finished yet. They couldn’t just quit going. She didn’t want to quit going.
Curtis’s thumbs brushed away the tears on her cheeks as he continued to cup her face and stare down at her.
“Whatever your worries, we’ll work them out together. We can do this, Lorrie.”
She forced a smile.
“I’ve always believed for every person there was only one love that would last a lifetime. I never understood quite what it meant until I met you, though. You’re it for me, Lorrie. You are my love that lasts a lifetime.”
Lorrie felt her chest tighten, and more tears began to fall.
How she’d ever gotten this lucky, she wasn’t sure. Finding a man like Curtis, one who knew what to say to ease her mind, one who didn’t make promises he didn’t keep… It was a dream come true. She could consider herself blessed beyond measure if she could spend the rest of her life with him.
She wrapped her arms around Curtis and held him tightly as he hugged her back. She was scared, she couldn’t deny that. Just like Curtis said, they didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew that if her daddy tried to keep her away from Curtis, the only thing she’d have would be a broken heart.
At fifteen, she wasn’t naïve. Even though she lived in a small town, didn’t know a whole lot about what was going on outside of Granite Creek, her heart knew what it wanted. She had always dreamed about marrying a good man, a strong man. Settling down, raising children, laughing, loving. Curtis Walker could and would give her that, of that she had no doubt.
“I don’t wanna quit school,” she mumbled against his chest. Her mother had quit school to marry her daddy, and she didn’t want to end up like her.
“You don’t have to quit.”
“Where will we live? We can’t stay with your mother.”
Technically they could, she knew, but she was grateful when he agreed they probably shouldn’t.
“Where then?” she asked.
“We’ll work it all out, darlin’. Me and you.”
Lorrie nodded against his chest. “I’ll marry you.”
Curtis pulled back, cupping her head in his big hands once again. When she looked up into his face, he was grinning from ear to ear. It was that radiant smile that made her laugh, made her tears dry up as she realized what they were about to do.
Married.
Holy cow.
Lorrie was going to spend the rest of her life with him. They would get married, have babies, and spend a lifetime together, loving one another. It was as simple and as complicated as that.
“It’s gonna be perfect, Lorrie. You wait and
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