That was the real victory. Not that they’d survived the danger. But that they’d survived themselves.
And come out stronger on the other side.
Chapter 25
Moving day arrived on a Saturday morning with clear skies and unseasonably warm weather for late October.
Nora stood in Lila’s spare room, surveying the boxes she’d accumulated over the past month. Not much—she’d left most of her belongings at Carson’s apartment when she’d moved out. But enough to mark the time they’d spent apart. The time they’d needed to heal and grow.
“You sure about this?” Lila asked from the doorway.
“I’m sure.” Nora taped up the last box. “He’s different, Lila. Really different. And I trust him now. Trust that he’s done the work. That he’ll keep doing the work.”
“Then I’m happy for you.” Lila pulled her into a hug. “But if he screws up again, you’re always welcome back here. My couch is your couch.”
“Thank you,” Nora said, giving her a gentle squeeze. “For everything. For giving me space when I needed it. For not judging me for going back to him.”
“You’re not going back to him. You’re moving forward with him. There’s a difference.” Lila pulled back, holding Nora’s shoulders and her gaze. “That’s what makes this okay. You’re not returning to the same broken dynamic. You’re building something new.”
A knock at the door announced Carson’s arrival. Nora opened it to find him standing there with coffee and that small smile that made her heart skip.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready.”
They loaded her boxes into his truck—it didn’t take long—and Nora said goodbye to Lila with promises to have dinner together next week. Then Carson drove them home.
Home. To the apartment they’d share. The life they’d build together.
“I did some things while you were gone,” Carson said as they carried boxes upstairs. “To the apartment. I hope you don’t mind.”
“What kind of things?”
“You’ll see.”
Nora opened the door and stopped in the doorway, her breath catching.
The apartment looked different. Warmer. More lived in. The walls that had been bare now held framed photos—of them at the cabin, of her business launch party she’d had last week, of them with Finn and the others at The Brass Tap. New throw pillows on the couch. Plants on the windowsill. Books on the shelves that weren’t all crime-related.
“You redecorated,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
“I wanted it to feel like our home. Not just my place where you happen to stay.” Carson set down the boxes he was carrying. “If you don’t like it, we can change things—”
“I love it.” She turned to him, eyes shining. “It’s perfect.”
Then she threw herself into his arms and kissed him soundly. Which led to a round of lovemaking in the middle of the living room floor.
After a brief rest and a cup of coffee, they spent the rest of the morning unpacking her belongings, finding places for everything. Her clothes went in the closet next to his. Her toiletries in the bathroom. Her laptop at the desk they now shared.
Each item felt like a statement. A promise. This was real. This was permanent. This was them building a life together.
“I cleared out the spare room,” Carson said, leading her down the hall. “Thought you might want it for your home office. For your business.”
Nora opened the door and found a room transformed. A desk positioned by the window with good natural light. A comfortable chair. Shelves for files and books. Everything she’d need for her consulting work.
“You did this for me?” she whispered.
“You’re building something important. Something that’s yours. I wanted you to have the space for it.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Plus, I figured if you have your own office, I’ll be less tempted to work in our living space. Keeps the boundaries clear.”
