That finally did it. Bryce sat back, laughing as he picked a grape out of his lap and popped it into his mouth.
“Alright, fine,” he relented with a laugh. “I assume you have a better idea?”
“Yes! Instead of turning the hospital into a soap opera, we don’t make a big deal of it. If people start noticing us showing up at work together…”
“Sneaking kisses,” Bryce interjected.
“…and ask us about it, we’ll just tell them we eloped.” Beth finished, ignoring the interruption.
Bryce conceded with a smirk. “Okay, I can do that. But I like my idea better. You should reconsider.”
“No!”
Bryce grinned and took another bite of chicken. “Any chance you’d want to move in tonight?”
“What? Tonight? No!” Beth’s response came faster and sharper than she intended. Her surprise registered in her tone, and she saw the flicker of disappointment he tried to hide.
“Were you hoping to wait until after the wedding?” he asked, quieter now.
“That would be my first choice,” she admitted, letting out a slow breath as she set her chicken down. “But... Kim and I were just talking last night. Our lease is up at the end of the month, and she’s already planning to move out in the next couple of weeks. So, if I don’t move too, I’d have to sign another six-month lease.”
Bryce raised his eyebrows. “So it’s just a matter of packing things up and moving them over?”
Beth shook her head, her voice tightening. “No. It’s more than that. I mean, Bryce… I’ve lived in that apartment for five years.”
He didn’t say anything—just waited.
She stared down at her plate. “I know it sounds silly. But that place... it’s been mine. My constant. My space. It’s where I felt settled when everything else was shifting. And now, even though I knowthis”—she gestured between them—”is the right next step... it’s like part of me can’t catch up.”
Still no pressure from him. Just patience. Which made it easier to keep talking.
“I’ve never been good with change. And this?” She gave a weak laugh. “This is the biggest change of my life.”
She’d lived in the same house her whole life until college—and even then, she’d been miserably homesick her first year in Durango. Belize had been different. She’d had Kim. Then she’d moved into her apartment with Kim.
She’d only ever shared her space with family or her best friend. Never with a guy. Never with a husband. While it was anormal transition for most couples, for her, it felt monumental.
“I can’t just pack up everything in an afternoon and move it over,” she said, trying to keep her voice level.
Bryce studied her for a long moment, then softened. “Then don’t. Bring what you need for the week, and we’ll take the rest one box at a time. No pressure. No rush. Unless there’s something else holding you back—something you want to talk through with me.”
“Please consider it,” Bryce added when she didn’t respond. “I hate you being all the way across town. Our schedules are crazy, and if we’re under the same roof, it’ll be easier to find time for each other. To actually get to know each other.”
Beth felt the tightness in her chest ease. He wasn’t pushing. He just wanted her—wanted time with her.
“How about I start with a night or two? I could come tomorrow after church?” she finally offered.
“I’ll take it.” Bryce grinned and leaned across the blanket to kiss her.
As they packed up the picnic, he sighed dramatically.
“You’re really not going to let me kiss you senseless at work?”
Beth rolled her eyes, smiling. “Not a chance.”
He slung an arm around her as they walked back toward the car.
“Fine. But I’m still sneaking kisses. Just so you know.”
