Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

I do?"
    Alan made a choking noise.
    "No, ma'am," I said.
    "I'm five eleven and I have anger issues. I lift weights for fun and kickbox for stress relief. Right now I'm a professional wrestler because it pays better than teaching and I have a baby brother to put through school. You should know that I have protected Alan like the treasure he is from the day he was born. If he gets hurt, I will be very unhappy with you. Do you understand me?"
    "Bea, it's not his fault," Alan blurted. "I misunderstood. Like—"
    I brushed his cheek, put my thumb on his lips, and he stopped talking. "May I call you Bea?" I asked.
    "For now."
    "Bea, I do understand you. We'll be in Connecticut in three hours; we're going to a city called Danbury. Albany is two hours from Danbury. Is there any way you can make it?"
    "Text me the address; I'll be there."
    "Great!" I said though Alan winced. "Will you do me one favor?"
    "Maybe."
    "Can you do a three-way call on your phone?"
    "Yes."
    "Lukas," Alan said, "what—"
    I grinned at him. "Call your parents for me, please, Bea."
    "Oh my god…" Alan breathed. Bea laughed.
    "Let's see what you've got," she said. "Hold on."
    "Quick, Alan," I said as the phone clicked, "where do they live?"
    "Scranton, Pennsylvania, armpit of the universe."
    "Scranton. That's right on the way. Perfect."
    "Lukas—"
    "Mom," Bea said, "I have someone who wants to talk to you. Lukas, go ahead."
    "Hi, Debbie Sue? My name is Lukas. I wanted you to know that you don't have to worry about Alan any more. I'll be taking care of him."
    "What does that mean?" a woman asked in a lighter, flatter version of Bea's voice.
    "He has medical care without your 'help,'" I said. "He'll be finishing college without you, too. And right this minute we're on our way to Connecticut to get married. So— Mom— we'll be driving through Scranton in about an hour. Can we stop—"
    Bea's laugh came from the phone. "She hung up. Click, buzz! I'll see you two in Danbury. Send me the address, Alan. Love you, sweets."
    Alan grabbed my hand and kissed it. "You're so fucking hot when you stop being nice," he said. "Now I wanna pull over and fuck."
    That sounded like an excellent idea. But I shook my head. "We're on a tight schedule. Save it for your husband."
    "God, that just makes me hornier!" He grabbed my leg. I moved his hand away.
    "I'm driving, Alan. Doing about sixty at the moment." The limit was sixty-five, but I'd slowed from seventy as the rain got heavier. I'd planned the schedule on an average speed of fifty-five, so we weren't behind. Yet.
    "So pull over," Alan demanded. "It's called a truck bed for a reason, Lukas."
    "It's bare metal back there!" I said, laughing. "And late November in the rain!" I didn't tell him I had a sleeping bag in the toolbox. "Also I'm not getting arrested for indecency in mid-hick Pennsylvania. Get a hold of your horny, future husband."
    Alan grabbed his crotch. "Yeah, no," he said. "Not helping."
    "There's ice in my drink. Try an avalanche?"
    "Asshole. I'm gonna try assault of a sexual nature here in a minute." He tugged at himself again. "Before there's arson in my pants."
    God. We could pull over. Not on the side of the road, but get a motel room for an hour or so. We'd still have time to reach the registry office before it closed— but no. I'd built all the leeway into the schedule I could, but obstacles could still come up. I wanted it done. I wanted Alan mine and no going back, and I wanted it as soon as possible.
    I wasn't being manipulative, I reasoned. Alan had agreed to marry me, and he wore my ring. It wasn't wrong to hurry to get it done before he changed his mind. Especially since it was only terror of his life actually going right that might make him do so.
    "Lukas…" he breathed, blowing hot air on my ear.
    Damn. I'd fed him a donut, so no distracting him with sweets. I didn't want to stop, but, oh, I really DID, too. Maybe—
    November made my pull over decision for me, while eliminating the chance of a motel. With a SWOOSH the entire world disappeared in driving rain. Alan jerked back to his side of the cab as the roof turned into a drumhead. I turned my lights off and slowed, pulling onto the rumble strips until I could pull carefully off the pavement. Better to get bogged down on the shoulder than get hit by some idiot who thought he'd just follow me until he could see the road.
    "Well," Alan said as I turned the truck off. "So much for that."
    "It's just a micro-burst or something," I said.