The front door creaked open, and before I could finish stirring, Beans sprang to life from where he had been napping in the other room—ears up, tail in full-body wag, toenails clicking madly across the floor.
Beans was the miniature dachshund I’d adopted last Christmas, but he’d made his allegiance clear months ago. I was the one who rescued him, but his heart? Very much spoken for.
What could I say, the little wiener had great taste!
Noah, wearing a navy tie, a white coat folded over his arm, and a stethoscope draped casually around his neck, dropped to his haunches to give Beans a little love. When he glanced over at me and winked, I nearly dropped the spoon in my sauce.
We’d been together for ten months now, and this guy still gave me serious butterflies.
But I couldn’t give into them now. Definitely not while streaming.
I’d decided that my viewers didn’t need to know everything about my life.
I was up to two hundred thousand subscribers now, and Noah and I were careful to keep personal things personal—mostly.
They could know I lived on the beach, but not the name of the town. They could know I was engaged, but they didn’t have to watch it happen. And they could see Noah’s hand, sometimes a little of his arm, and on a few occasions, the back of his head, but they never saw his face.
And honestly, my viewers seemed to eat it up—the mystery of it all.
"You’re just in time for a taste test," I said, with my on-camera smile so he knew I was recording.
Noah grinned and, with Beans hot on his heels, stepped closer. I leaned out of the shot and welcomed him home with a quick kiss—the kind with definite promise, though.
“Okay, full disclosure? This is one of those dishes that accidentally impresses people. Just don’t tell them how easy it was.”
"And what is this accidentally impressive dish?”
"Pasta with sun-dried tomato cream sauce and seared scallops," I said, plating a small serving and sliding it across the counter. Then, watching the likes spike and the comments come rolling in, I flashed the ring on my finger to the camera. “Nothing but the best for my handsome fiancé.”
Noah tried a bite off camera, groaned, and gave a dramatic chef's kiss. “I hope you know, I’m keeping this. This is my dinner now.” He scooched the plate closer to him with a playfully protective scowl, and I laughed.
“Well, you heard him. I guess it’s time for dinner. Until next time!”
It took all my focus to finish the video with a flourish and end the live broadcast. As I was saving the file, I felt Noah coming up behind me.
"You keep feeding me like this, and I’ll never leave," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I grinned. "Now you’re catching on.”
Technically, Noah had an apartment a few blocks away, but unless he was on call or my nephews were visiting, he spent his nights at the cottage. He’d joined a local medical practice back in December—a group of three doctors who split their time between clinic hours and house calls. Every other Thursday, he volunteered at The Ocean Light Community Center, offering care to underserved patients.
"I thought I’d miss the adrenaline," he’d told me once. "But it turns out, I really like actually knowing my patients."
We’d both found a rhythm. Surfing together on sunny mornings, skiing on snowy weekends. And somehow, always checking in with the other before planning anything major. Because that was what love looked like now.
It wasn’t sacrifice. It was showing up.
“Our moms had lunch again this week,” I said, curling into his side. “They’re practically besties now.”
Noah chuckled, brushing his lips against my hair. “I knew she’d come around.”
“Lucky for us,” I said, smiling. “I think once she stopped trying to manage your happiness, she was able to finally see it. And now I think she just wants to be part of it.”
He nodded, quiet for a moment, his hand trailing gently along my arm.
“Honestly,” I added, “I get it. We both love the same person. Kind of hard not to end up on the same team.”
And then I looked up and let myself just…gaze into his eyes. “How was your day?”
