He found a pinecone and attacked it with full confidence, lost immediately, and came barreling back like he needed backup.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
Maverick just watched him with that soft, reluctant look I kept catching when he thought no one was paying attention. Then Nugget tried to leap into the riverbank snow, slipped, and landed on his side with a dramatic little huff.
Maverick muttered something under his breath, scooped him up, and held him against his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Nugget rewarded him by licking his jaw like he’d just been rescued from war.
Maverick’s mouth twitched, almost a smile, and his hand found mine, warm and steady inside my glove, like he was anchoring me without saying a word.
And now, sitting beside Maverick in his truck as we drive into town, I feel… steady.
Happy.
Worn out in all the right ways.
We’re on our way to grab burgers, because apparently Lovesbury has the best burgers in Montana, and I can’t stop smiling.
The town looks like a snow globe that got shaken and never settled.
And somehow, I still feel… warm.
“I think I’m gonna open a bank account,” I say, watching the downtown buildings roll into view. “I can’t keep all that cash in my purse forever. And maybe… start looking at what it’d take to open a small business.”
Maverick’s eyes cut to me, warm and steady. “You serious?”
I nod. “I took the loan already. Might as well use it for me now.”
He doesn’t saythat’s riskyorare you sure you’re capable of running a business?
He just says, “Good.”
Like he means it.
I lean over and press a quick kiss to his cheek. “Let me run into the bank. You go order the food?”
“Same as yesterday?” he asks.
“Double everything,” I tease. “I’m starving.”
He chuckles and pulls into a spot just down the street from the Waffle Den. The bank is just across the road.
That sound still surprises me. The chuckle. The way his mouth actually lifts now, like the grump is optional.
Evelyn was right. He really is a softie under the scowl.
Everything in this town is walkable, adorable, and a little too wholesome for someone like me.
I hop out of the truck. “Be right back.”
He gives me a look. One of thosebe carefullooks he doesn’t even try to hide anymore.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, waving him off with a grin.
He nods once and heads toward the burger joint.
I cross the street, boots crunching in the snow, purse slung across my body. The bank comes into view, plain brick and glass.
