I watched Warrick’s shoulders stiffen almost imperceptibly. Anyone else might have missed it, but I’d spent all day learning the small tells of his body language. This was costing him something.
“The lease allows for veterinary services,” he said carefully. “Emergency animal care falls within that scope.”
“Does it? The way I hear it, the original agreement was for a small trailer clinic, not a staging ground for a county-wide rescue effort.” Tessa held up a hand before he could respond. “I’m not here to shut anything down. I pushed too hard for this firehouse to want problems with the property it sits on. But I need to know you’re handling this, Warrick. That the paperwork will be in order if the council comes asking.”
“It will be.”
“And the complaints?”
“I’ll talk to the neighbors personally. Smooth things over.”
Tessa studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “Good. That’s what I needed to hear.” Her gaze drifted past him, landing on me briefly before returning to him. “I’ll check back in a few days. And Warrick? Whatever you’re doing differently today—keep doing it. You seem almost human.”
She said it with a small smile, like they’d known each other long enough for gentle teasing. Then she was walking back to her car, leaving Warrick standing in the middle of the lot with his shoulders tight and his expression carefully blank.
I waited until her car had pulled away before approaching him.
“That looked fun,” I said quietly.
He let out a breath. “Tessa’s not the problem. She’s reasonable—always has been. But the council…” He shook hishead. “I’ve spent years building credibility with them. One wrong move, and they’ll make my life difficult out of spite.”
The weight of what he was saying settled over me. This wasn’t just about a lease violation or some annoyed neighbors. This was about his reputation. His livelihood. Everything he’d worked to build in this town.
And I was part of the problem.
“Is this going to cost you?” I asked, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “What you’ve built here—is being involved with me going to destroy it?”
He went still. “Peyton?—”
“Because I can step back.” The words came out steady, even if my chest ached. “Focus on the rescue. Keep things professional between us. If that’s what you need to protect yourself, I’ll understand.”
The words felt wrong coming out, but I meant them. I’d technically just met this man. I had no right to ask him to risk everything he’d spent years building.
Even if walking away might break something inside me I hadn’t known existed until yesterday.
Warrick was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough.
“I’ve spent my whole life protecting what I have. Building walls, maintaining control, making sure nothing could touch me that I hadn’t planned for.” He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat of him. “I was good at it. Really good. And I was miserable.”
“Warrick—”
“I didn’t realize how miserable until you stood in the middle of my property yesterday with dirt on your face and told me to help instead of threaten.” His hand came up, cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. “You made me remember why I started building in the first place. It wasn’t about the money orthe security or the control. It was about having something that mattered. Something worth protecting.”
My throat tightened. “And now?”
“Now I’ve found something that matters more than all of it.” His eyes held mine, steady and sure. “I want you, Peyton. The rest of it—the council, the lease, the complaints—I’ll figure it out. But I’m not giving you up. Not for politics, not for reputation, not for anything.”
The tears came before I could stop them—not sad tears, but the overwhelming kind that happened when something you hadn’t let yourself hope for suddenly became real.
“I live twenty minutes away,” I said, my voice thick. “I’m still in school. I can only be here on weekends.”
“Then I’ll see you every weekend.”
“The rescue operation won’t last forever. Eventually, there won’t be a reason for me to keep coming back.”
“I’ll give you a reason.” He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. “Move in with me when you’re ready. Or don’t—we’ll figure out the logistics. But I’m not letting distance or schedules or any other practical bullshit convince me to walk away from this.”
I laughed against his chest, watery and overwhelmed. “You’re very sure of yourself.”
