I take the envelope, suspicious of his overly innocent expression. Inside are four plane tickets and hotel reservations for...
"Belgium?" I look up at him in surprise. "You're taking us to Belgium?"
"Chocolate capital of the world," he grins. "For our third anniversary. Two weeks, all of us together. The club's given me the time off."
"But the shop—" I start to protest.
"Already handled," James interrupts, bouncing Sam on his hip. "Spoke to your assistant manager. She's got it covered."
I stare at the tickets, emotion welling up unexpectedly. It's not just the trip. It's what it represents. Five years ago, I couldn't imagine staying in one place long enough to put down roots, let alone trusting someone enough to build a life with them. Now I have a husband who knows me well enough to plan my dream vacation, a brother-in-law who's become true family, and children who anchor me to this place in ways I never thought possible.
"You okay?" Dice asks, suddenly concerned by my silence.
"Perfect," I manage, blinking back tears. "Just perfect."
He wraps an arm around me, pulling me close. "Thought you'd like it. First time I asked you about dream destinations, you said Belgium for the chocolate. Figured it was time to make that happen for all of us."
I remember that conversation. One of many late-night talks during those first chaotic weeks after meeting, when we were just beginning to explore what we might become to each other. We'd stayed up discussing everything and nothing, getting to know each other while the world around us seemed determined to pull us apart.
"Earth to Maddie," Dice waves a hand in front of my face, pulling me from my memories.
"Sorry," I smile. "Just thinking about how far we've come."
"From stealing watches and fighting off kidnappers?" he teases. "Yeah, we've definitely upgraded."
"I don't know," I counter, nodding toward Kayla, who's now attempting to convince her uncle to let her sit on his bike. "That little girl is more dangerous than any criminal I ever faced."
Dice laughs. "Gets that from her mother."
"The stubbornness is all you, Thompson." I poke his chest. "Along with the impulsivity."
"You love it." His voice drops lower, just for me. "Always have."
And he's right. I fell for his recklessness, his willingness to leap without looking. It terrified me at first—that wild, unrestrained approach to life. But I've learned that sometimes the biggest risks yield the greatest rewards.
Like the risk I took staying in Pine Haven instead of running when things got complicated. The risk of opening my tattoo shop with money I'd saved from less legitimate enterprises. The risk of saying yes when Dice proposed in the most Dice way possible, in the middle of a high-speed ride through the mountain roads, pulling over at a scenic overlook and producing a ring from his cut.
"When do we leave?" I ask, looking at the tickets again.
"Next week." He grins. "Think the kids are ready for their first international adventure?"
"With us as parents? They were born ready for adventure," I reply, already imagining Kayla's face when she tastes herfirst Belgian chocolate, or Sam's eyes widening at the medieval architecture of Brussels.
James laughs, handing Sam back to me. "Just make sure you bring them back with all their limbs intact. No impromptu heists or motorcycle chases, you two."
"We're retired," I assure him with mock seriousness.
"Mostly retired," Dice corrects with a wink that makes James shake his head.
"I'm heading out," James says. "Meeting with Reaper about that charity ride next month."
After he leaves, Kayla tugs at Dice's jeans. "Daddy, where's Bel-yum?"
"Belgium," he corrects, scooping her up. "It's far away, across the ocean. We're going to ride in a big airplane to get there."
Her eyes widen. "Like Grandpa Reaper's plane?"
I chuckle. She’s talking about the spoon plane he makes when he’s feeding her.
