"You first," Lucy said.
"I'm sorry for making it seem like I don't support you. I do support you. I'm just—I'm scared. Scared that franchising will pull you away. That we'll end up in the same place we were before, with competing priorities pulling us apart."
"I'm sorry for accusing you of holding me back. You're not. You're just being honest about your fears. Which is what partners are supposed to do."
They sat down together, and Lucy took a breath.
"I've been thinking about the franchising offer. About what it would really require. And Jake—you're right. It would pull me away. I'd be traveling constantly, putting out fires in multiple locations, dividing my attention. And that's not fair to us. Not when we just bought a house together. Not when we're trying to build a life."
"So you're turning it down?"
"I'm going to tell them I'm not ready yet. Maybe in a few years, when Margaret's here is more established, when we're more settled. But right now—right now I want to focus on this restaurant, this town, this relationship. On us."
Jake pulled her close. "Are you sure? I don't want you to resent me for this."
"I won't resent you. This is my choice. Jake, I almost lost you once by choosing ambition over us. I'm not making that mistake again."
"But your dreams—"
"My dreams include you. And sometimes that means saying no to opportunities that don't fit with the life we're building. That's okay. There will be other opportunities."
They held each other on the couch, and Lucy felt certain in a way she hadn't before.
She was choosing Jake. Choosing their relationship. Choosing the life they were building together.
And it felt right. Not like she was sacrificing her dreams, but like she was choosing which dreams mattered most.
"Jake?" Lucy said.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For being honest. For telling me when my ambition is getting out of control. I need that."
"Thank you for listening. For choosing us."
"Always. From now on, always."
They went to bed, and Lucy felt lighter. She'd made her choice. And it was the right one.
The franchising could wait. Her career could wait.
Love—real, committed, lasting love—that couldn't wait.
And she wasn't going to let it.
Not again.
Not ever again.
Chapter 26
December arrived with the first real snow of the season.
The house renovations were finally complete. Three months of construction, dust, and contractor meetings had transformed Uncle Walter's family home into Jake and Lucy's home.
The kitchen was updated—new appliances, refinished cabinets, a huge island where Lucy could prep on her days off. The master bedroom had new floors and paint. The fourth bedroom had become Jake's home office, filled with coaching books and hockey memorabilia.
"It's perfect," Lucy said, standing in the living room on moving day. "It actually feels like ours."
