“What?” Hisplanstartles a jagged laugh out of me and I look up at him.
A cocky smile rests on his lips. “You heard me. That’s the plan. Fuck them. They don’t get to stand between this. Me and you are fire, they can’t touch us. So I’ll put in my transfer today.”
“No—” I step away from him.
“Yes. I’m not asking, I’m telling you. I will do whatever it takes for me to end up with you at the end of the day. So let them see us together. If there are consequences, that’s on me, not you.”
How can he be confident? So untouchable? This is his whole life we’re talking about.
“And if they get rid of both of us?”
He closes the distance between us. “Then I’ll knock down the door of every hospital in the state until we get you a new position. I'm not asking you to choose me over your career. I'm asking you to let me stay beside you while you figure this out. I just want to love you."
His words hit me like a tidal wave and steal my breath. We stand there in the fading sunlight, breathing each other in. His hand is warm on my cheek. His heartbeat is steady against my palm where it rests on his chest.
“Love me.” The words feel foreign on my tongue.
“Love you. I love you Serena and I’d risk everything to prove that to you.” He wraps his arms around me and his embrace feels like a warm blanket wrapping around me on a cold day. “You don’t have to say it back. I don’t expect?—”
“I love you Blaze. I love you so damn much.” The words come out easier than I expected. It’s like they've been sitting on my tongue for weeks, just waiting for permission. Tears spill down my cheeks, but my mouth tugs up into a smile that I can’t hold back.
“Sweetheart it’s you and me from now on.”
“From now on.”
“Serena I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure that’s a choice you’ll never forget.”
And then he kisses me.
Blaze's mouth moves over mine slowly and thoroughly. It’s like he's memorizing the shape of me. His hands slide back into my hair and tilt my head back. His tongue parts my lips and a sigh comes from somewhere deep in my chest.
He’s soft and gentle with his touch. His mouth on mine feels like a promise. But I kiss him back with reckless abandon. It'sdesperate and hungry. It’s full of all the fear and relief. His fingers tangle in my hair. I lose myself in him and the rush of all the longing I've been holding back.
For one perfect moment, the whole world disappears around us. Nothing else exists. There are no rumors, no regulations, and no fear. It’s just his lips on mine and his arms around me. It’s the feeling that maybe, I don't have to carry everything alone. It’s the start of the rest of my life with the man of my dreams.
Blaze pulls me toward his truck and opens the door. “Come on sweetheart, we’re heading out to my cabin. I don’t need to hide you, but I want you all to myself.”
EPILOGUE: SERENA
Six Months Later
The cabin doesn't look anything like it did the first time Blaze brought me here. Back then, it was bare bones and rustic with creaky floors. The only heating was a wood-burning stove that gave off more smoke than fire. But now, it's home.
Our home.
It’s amazing the way this man and this cabin have pulled me out of survival mode. We spent the last six months turning this tiny space into something that feels like us. Blaze asked me what I wanted. It was a simple question, but one I’ve never heard before. I took my time thinking through every nook and cranny of this place. Once I figured it out, he handled the heavy lifting.
We’ve got a new deck, expanded kitchen, and a master bathroom with a soaking tub that I'm slightly obsessed with. Blaze thought it’d be big enough for two and we’ve definitely tested the theory more than once. I handled the details like soft lighting, cozy furniture, and enough throw blankets to survive a nuclear winter.
But today, the cabin looks even more stunning than normal. Fairy lights are strung across the deck and white chairs linethe yard facing the mountains. There's an arch covered in wildflowers where we’ll say our vows in less than an hour.
Our ceremony is going to be small and intimate. There are only a handful of people from The Rusty Spur, Vivi’s coming back of course, and some of Blaze’s squad members who are more like family at this point. It’s exactly what I hoped it would be.
I stare at my reflection in the bedroom mirror and barely recognize myself.
My wedding dress is a simple ivory silk that skims my curves and pools at my feet. My hair is down in loose waves. Blaze likes it like this, and I do too. I’ve never felt more beautiful. There's a flutter in my chest that won't quit, but it's not anxiety. It's joy.
My anxiety doesn’t stand a fighting chance with Blaze in my world. He’s like a human security blanket and my nervous system has settled in a way I’ve never experienced. I’m happier than I’ve been and for the first time in my life, I’m getting to know myself. I’m meeting the me I would have been without all the stress and trauma. She’s pretty amazing, but her husband… He’s the magic.
