“Holly—”
“I don’t need you to be easy. I need you to be you. The man who walked out in a storm for my grandmother’s recipes. The man who hung Christmas lights because I made cookies in his kitchen. The man who chose me on purpose.”
His throat works. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. Are you?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” He pulls me down for a kiss. Soft. Sweet. Full of promise. “We’ll figure it out. The distance. The differences. All of it.”
I smile. “Good.”
He tightens his arms around me. “I’m never letting you go, Holly. You’re stuck with me.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
My phone buzzes on the nightstand.
We both freeze.
I reach for my phone. It’s a text.
Sophie:Road crew just finished the main route. Should be clear to town by mid-morning.
I show Cole the screen.
His jaw tightens. “Sooner than I thought.”
“Yeah.” My throat is tight. “Time to go back.”
“Yeah.” He pulls me closer. “But Holly?”
“Yeah?”
“Tomorrow we face the daylight.” His voice is low. “I’ll be at your side.”
I nod against his chest, wanting to believe him, but uncertainty coils in my stomach.
I’m still not sure what happens when we face real life. Friends. Questions. His privacy. My job at the business association and all the volunteer commitments that come with that.
“Sleep.” He presses a kiss to my hair. “We’ll figure it out. The distance. The differences. All of it.”
six
. . .
Cole
Holly’s phonebuzzes against the nightstand. I open my eyes. She’s awake beside me, staring at her screen.
“What is it?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer but turns the phone so I can read.
Sophie:Road crew finished the main route. So glad you’re safe!
Another bubble sits below it with a photo thumbnail.
