Things had shifted a lot in their relationship in that he held her hand in public wherever they went and took delight in as many outings as he could fit in between work and travel. He didn’t care who saw them. He seemed proud to show her off. Proud to have men appreciate her beauty and see his strong arm always around her protectively. Most of the town had now seen them canoodling and holding arms or hands, he couldn’t go anywhere without the urge to grope her in some way or kiss her and those that hadn’t had soon learned of their blossoming romance from the village grapevine.
That was the downside of a tight-knit small community. No one seemed surprised to see them together after a few days, news hitting and filtering through. Not a single backwards glance was cast or raised eyebrow at t
