Walking on a picturesque boardwalk south of the Santa Monica pier, with the ocean breeze blowing in their faces, Bruce and Melissa walked alongside each other, holding hands. He was right; it was 10:40 when they arrived and the heat of the day had prevented people from visiting it. The usually bustling boardwalk was almost completely empty. For the first time since the early morning, Melissa seemed to be relaxed and in high spirits, as they sauntered towards the bench on the far side.

“It’s so pretty out here.” She commented. “It’s a little hot, but it’s still amazing.”

“It sure is.” He murmured. “I’ve been to Santa Monica like a thousand times. This…” He took a deep breath. “This I’ve never done.”

“What, you’ve never been here?” Melissa’s voice got high-pitched.

“Nope.” Bruce replied, shaking his head sideways. “It’s no place for bikers. Families and couples come here.”

“Whoa, wait a minute.” She said, as they sat on the bench. “Are you telling me that none of you or your crew had girlfriends on those trips?

“Actually, most of us did.” He admitted. “We just never did anything…” He faltered. “Romantic with them.”

“Well, that’s just sad.” Melissa remarked. “I’ll bet those girls didn’t stick around much. Did they?”

“No, they didn’t.” Bruce responded. “There was an unwritten rule in the club. ‘Don’t get too attached to women.’ Vince believed that falling in love makes you softer. Everyone else just liked to party.”

“Including you?” She teased him.

“Yeah, at first.” He confessed. “When you’re nineteen, you think of the world as one huge playground. But nine years in the club can change your mind about a lot of things.”

“Keep talking.” Melissa urged.

“Well…” Bruce said with a sigh. “When I left the MC, I made a promise to myself. To treat women differently. Not all of them, obviously. I mean, let’s face it: Not every woman is worth a man’s attention. The same goes for men. I wanted to open up; I just needed to find someone. And I have.”

“She’s a very lucky lady. I’d like to meet her someday.” She smiled.

“I don’t think so, seeing as I ruined her lawn this morning.” Bruce teased her back.

“Who cares about the lawn?” Melissa laughed. “You came back for me. Here’s a question: How’s Boston this time of year?”

“Nothing like Vegas, that’s for sure.” He laughed. “It’s starting to get cold and it’s very wet. There’s a lot of greenery in the city. Why?”

“Because I want to go there with you.” She confessed, leaning towards him. Bruce’s heart leapt for joy within him. Her sharp reply had stunned him. Her words had given him the world. His heart was beating so fast that he thought that it was going to burst out of his chest. Realizing that she would give up everything, just to be with him, he could not force another word out of his throat. Melissa reached out her right arm and put her hand on the left side of his chest.

“I just love how true you are.” She whispered. “I’ve been waiting for a man like you all my life.”

“I really don’t know what to say.” Bruce’s voice was barely audible.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Melissa assured. “Just take me with you. I love my hometown, but no one’s going to tell me how to live my life anymore.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Bruce circled his right arm around her neck and held her close. Her green eyes were shining under the blazing sun. Melissa’s peaceful face made his heart flutter.

“You’re not going to regret this. Ever.” He whispered, his voice riddled with emotion. She spoke no more. Instead, Melissa angled her lips, sliding her hand up his chest. The world fell away as he kissed her. It felt comforting, much like her words. His hand rested below her cheekbone, as their breaths mingled. She ran her hand up the side of his neck, caressing his skin as he stroked her cheek.

“I won’t.” She whispered in his mouth, as their kiss grew in intensity. Bruce removed her lips from her mouth and trailed kisses along her jawline, before entwining his other arm around her. Overflowing with bliss, he held her close.

“I know I won’t.” Melissa added, getting lost in his tight embrace.

“It’s going to be amazing.” Bruce said, his voice bass-deep. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Let’s go, then.” She suggested, gently pushing him back.

“What, now?” He sounded surprised.

“Yeah.” Melissa nodded. “Can we? Please? I really want to see the place you grew up in. I want to see where you work. I want to see…” She paused. “Everything.”

“Then Boston it is.” He said with a grin.

Bruce was still in shock, long after they had left the pier. Deep down knowing that his life was about to change dramatically, he was eager to ride back home with her. It was the perfect end of a strange vacation. In his bliss, he had forgotten all about her father’s threats. Their meeting in that restaurant had become nothing more than a distant memory.

“I can’t believe I’ll be riding home with you, baby. It’s a long journey, but we’re going to have so much fun that we’d wish it lasted longer…”