Holly stirred awake, the soft glow of dawn spilling through the curtains. For a moment, she lay still, her head resting against Lee’s chest, his arm draped protectively around her. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her, and she thought, I want this every day.
But the thought carried a shadow. Next month, Lee would leave for deployment. Sixty days, he had said. Just training his replacement. He tried to make it sound simple, safe. But Holly knew better—an active zone was never without danger. And the fear of what those sixty days might mean pressed heavy against her heart.
Lee stirred, his eyes opening slowly. He studied her face, the way her brow furrowed even in the quiet. “Something’s bothering you,” he said softly.
Holly hesitated, then whispered, “I don’t know where this lea
