She laughs as we step outside so I can move the engine back into the garage. Later, hand in hand, we breathe in the fresh spring air.
She asks, “So what happens now?”
“What do you want to happen?”
“I want everything. With you.” She counts on her fingers. “Sunday brunches after church at my grandma’s. Watching you play hockey. Walks with Oreo. I want to help with the bakery.”
I’m smiling—that real, unguarded smile that only she seems to pull out of me. “I want all of that too.”
“We’ll take it one step at a time,” she says. “No rush.”
“But I need you to know that I’m in this. Completely.”
“Me too. All in.”
The sun is setting over the mountains, painting the sky in shades of pink and buttercream. I draw her toward the fire engine.
“What are you doing?” she laughs.
“Extending the ladder. Best view in town from up there.”
“Is it dangerous?” She looks dubious.
“I’m a professional.”
We climb up, settle in the bucket, and watch the sun disappear behind the peaks. She leans against me, and I slide my arm around her shoulders.
“Hey, Patton?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad you made that stupid bet.”
I laugh. “Me too. Gave me an excuse to pursue you.”
“And I’m glad I made mine, otherwise, I may have kept butting heads with you.”
She tilts her head up, and I kiss her as the first stars appear overhead. I can’t help but think that this is what love looks like. Not just grand gestures—though dinner and the photo album were pretty grand—but everyday moments and I’m looking forward to a lifetime of them with this woman.
I glance toward my truck parked nearby. The small velvet box is still in the glove compartment where I’ve kept it for the past week. Not yet. But soon.
For now, I just hold Winnie close. I’m not scared of my future anymore.
She catches me staring into the distance, and her smile turns curious. “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” I say, which is true. “Always you.”
She snuggles closer and kisses me on the cheek and whispers, “I love you.”
“I love you,” I say as the stars multiply overhead and Huckleberry Hill settles in for the night.
EPILOGUE
I wake up alone in my bed and for exactly three seconds, I panic. Today is the day I marry Vincenza Sorrentino. The panic quickly transforms into something else entirely when I remember with relief that I’m not on call. Nothing is going to interrupt our wedding. I feel a mixture of anticipation, disbelief, and the kind of certainty that only comes from knowing I’ve found the person who will soon make my minimalist house feel like home.
I sit up, running a hand through my hair, and look around my bedroom. Still sparse. Still practical.
Still mine. But after today, it becomes ours.
