Free In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) by Kori David

not, she was his life. Everything he’d done was for her, to make a life for them both. He knew that now. He’d been on autopilot since leaving the Marines, but his world had always been her. Every step taken with the intent of having her share a life with him, he just hadn’t realized it until she’d come to him for help.
    Now he just had to convince her that they belonged together for more than just a moment of time.

Chapter 9

    Saturday morning dawned bright and clear.
    Zach had hiked over to Jesse’s place for some tools, so Elizabeth decided to walk the mile out to the road to check the mail. She needed to clear away the cobwebs in her head, because book two in her series wasn’t going to write itself.
    She showed up just as the postman pulled up to the box.
    “Good morning to you, miss,” he said in a chipper voice. He was a nice-looking older man in a perfectly pressed blue uniform. Steel gray hair glinted in the bright morning sun. “You must be the Miss Russell that I have a package for.”
    “That would be me,” she answered with a smile.
    “I’m Henry, by the way. Pleased to meet you.”
    “I’m pleased to meet you too, Henry. Is everyone here this friendly?” she smiled. “This is my first visit to the area.”  
    He laughed. “Actually no, that young man who lives here is a bit gruff and keeps to himself.”
    “Zach?”
    “That’d be him. He usually glares at me when I bring his mail. Unless it’s a card from…now, let me see,” he scratched his head. “What was that girl’s name?”
    “A girl?” She tried to sound uninterested, but knew she’d failed when he grinned.
    “Oh yes, now I remember. It was a birthday card from you.”
    He chuckled, even took a moment to slap himself on the knee.
    She huffed and put her hands on her hips. “I think you might have a mean streak.”  
    “I saw that mad look come into your eyes, you can’t fool old Henry. And, I say it’s about time too, ‘cause the only time that boy smiles is when I’m giving him a card from you.”
    He reminded her of Bea, always meddling. Usually with good intentions. And Henry was clearly interested in the love lives of others. She wondered if he read the mail too.
    “I almost forgot your package,” he said, ambling back to his mail truck.
    He handed her the package and the rest of Zach’s mail and stuck his hand out to shake.
    “It was lovely to meet you. I hope to see you again.”
    “It was nice to meet you too. See you around.” She smiled and waved as he drove away.
    Elizabeth walked back in a haze. Henry’s little joke and her instant jealousy made her realize something important. She’d had strong, but confused feelings for Zach since she was in high school and terrified that her father would find out somehow. But this was different. This was more—overwhelming.
    Jesus, she was in love with him.
    This was the grown up stuff. The kind of love that was messy, all-consuming, and irrational. The kind of love that made a person insane enough to consider something that terrified her.
    It made her want to please him, and that was beyond scary. Because, what if she lost herself? Lost her hard-won independence? Became a ghost of the person she was now, because of love?  
    Just like her mother.

    ***

      “Never mind, she just walked in,” Zach said, as Elizabeth walked through the front door. “Yeah, thanks.”
    She couldn’t believe the anger on his face as he came striding towards her.
    “Where have you been?”
    The soft tone was more menacing than any shouting he could have done and it jerked her out of the haze she’d been in walking back. Then he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, roughly pulling her into his chest for a bear hug.
    Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his middle, shaking her head at his worry. The mail slipped from her fingers as she returned his hug. He tugged at her hair, forcing her head back to meet his eyes.
    “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
    “I