I can almost see the steel in his jaw as he looks down at her, those blue eyes of his locking with hers.
Sawyer jumps in. “He’s right. It’s not just about tonight. It’s about what happens after. We’re here. We’re all here. And this isn’t just a passing thing. It’s real.”
I feel that. That’s the part that gets to me. He’s not just speaking for himself, I can tell. He’s speaking for all of us.
“I’m done with all the hesitation,” I say. “This isn’t about tonight for me. I want this, Dakota. I want you. Not just in the heat of the moment, but in whatever comes next. I’m in. All the way. We want to be together. To be a family. For real.”
Dakota’s standing there, her arms crossed, looking between us as if we’re all still a puzzle piece she’s trying to figure out. There’s a vulnerability in her eyes that I don’t think she’s used to showing. Hell, maybe none of us are.
She sighs, her breath catching just a little as her gaze flicks to Clint, then Sawyer, then me.
“I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect you guys to feel this way about me. But damn if I haven’t been feeling it too. I want this. All of it.” Her voice falters for just a second, but she’s quick to catch herself. She’s pulling back from something too big to fully grasp. “But what if it doesn’t work? What if we can’t figure this out? What if…”
Her words hang there between us, unanswered. But Clint steps forward, his hand brushing the side of her face with a tenderness I don’t think I’ve ever seen in him before.
“We’ll make it work,” he says, the words solid, a promise. “Together. No matter what happens, we’re not running from this. We’re not letting go.”
Sawyer steps up, too, his eyes soft but firm. “This isn’t something we just walk away from. We’re in this for you and for us.”
And me? I’ve got no more walls left to hide behind. I can’t keep pretending I’m not standing here, wanting to be a part of this, of her, in every way.
“You don’t have to make any promises tonight,” I tell her. “But know this: we’re all in. Whatever it looks like, I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She looks at us, really looks at us, trying to weigh what we’ve said. Maybe she’s sorting through the pieces, trying to find her place in all this.
And then, with a deep breath, she takes a step toward us, closing the gap. Her fingers find mine, and everything just… stops.
We’ve crossed some line, some invisible boundary, and now we’re here, together.
“I want to try,” she says. “I’m scared, but I want this. I want to stay in this town, to make a life in Colter Creek, to try with you all.”
And I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am right now.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Dakota
“Breakfast pancakes!”Charlie yells the moment we step through the doors to The Old Mill Café. “I want strawberry ones.”
Violet’s laughter rings through the room. “Coming right up, my favorite little customer. And coffee for your mom. I’m sure she needs it.”
I roll my eyes playfully as I wave at Violet from across the room.
“You know me too well,” I call back. “Extra strong today.”
Charlie, full of his usual morning energy, grabs my hand and tugs me toward the window tables.
“Can we sit by the window?” he asks, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the spot that overlooks the main street of Colter Creek.
“Of course, kiddo,” I say, smiling at the joy on his face.
As we walk over to the table, I can feel the familiar warmth of the café wrapping around me. The wood floors creak underfoot, and the sun spills through the windows, painting everything in soft gold.
It’s small-town charm at its finest.
I love that Violet has this. And that she turned her back on a corporate life for her café. She suits it.
I just hope I will as well.
