"I did," he said."No more 'we'll reevaluate after race season' or 'keep your options open in case something better comes along.'He's talking to the Copper Moon chief and the board.It's mostly paperwork at this point.Signatures and filing fees.They like having a full-timer who already knows which back road ends in which swamp."
Her hand landed flat on his chest, right over his racing heart, her palm warm through the worn cotton of his shirt."You made that decision because of me."
"I made that decision because this place feels right," he said."Because the shop is here, and Hank and Brian are here, and the people I care about are here.Because the water looks different at sunset than anywhere else I've ever lived."He covered her hand with his, pressing it closer."And yeah, because you're here.I won't pretend otherwise.But I wouldn't sign up to live in a town that didn't fit just for a woman, no matter how pretty she is when she's bossing me around about window placement."
Her mouth curved, the smile blooming slowly like dawn breaking over the water."That might be the most flattering thing anyone's ever said to me."
"Low bar," he said."We'll work on raising it."
He covered her hand with his, his thumb tracing slow circles against her knuckles."Point is, I'm not half in anymore.I'm not living like my bags are still at the hotel, like I might need to leave at a moment's notice.I'm here.Officially.I'll wake up every weekday and check in at the station before I swing by the shop.I'll sleep in the same bed every night unless I'm on shift.I'll argue with Jason about porch dimensions and eat breakfast at Lila's counter and watch the seasons change."
"Our bed," she said softly.
"That too," he said, feeling heat creep up his neck despite himself.
She searched his face, her gaze moving over his features like she was memorizing them, cataloging this moment to hold onto later."So we're doing this.All the way."
"All the way," he said."And while we're at it, we should probably admit you live at my place already.The 'temporary' part of that arrangement expired about three weeks ago."
"I live at our place," she corrected, a thread of laughter in her voice."Your couch hasn't seen the back of your knees in weeks, and my planner is permanently welded to your kitchen table.But yes.We should make it official."
"How do you make living together official?"he asked, his mouth twitching."Do we get a certificate?Fill out forms in triplicate?"
"You get a second toothbrush," she said."And a drawer that isn't just a 'temporary landing spot for Sabrina's stuff.'A real drawer with actual intention behind it."
"You already have half my drawers," he pointed out.
"Well, now I'll take them on purpose," she said."I'll change my mailing address.I'll tell the insurance company.I'll tell the bank.And Bree, because she'll find out anyway, and I'd rather she hear it from me."
"And I'll stop telling people you're 'staying with me for now,'" he said."You're living with me.With the expectation of future arguments about tile choices, thermostat settings, and whose turn it is to take out the trash."
"We're not arguing about tile," she said firmly."You lost that battle when you declared yourself neutral and then mocked my first choice behind my back to Jason."
"I stand by that," he said."Those little hexagons looked like they were judging me every time I walked past the sample."
She laughed, bright and unguarded, the sound ringing out across the field like church bells on a clear morning.Something tight in his chest that he hadn't even named finally relaxed, a knot unwinding that had been there so long he'd forgotten it existed.
She looked up at the cabin again, at the bare studs rising toward the sky, the spaces where windows would go, the outline of rooms that would hold guests and laughter and quiet mornings."Okay," she said."Future chosen.Now we put some skin on these bones."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, warmth flooding his voice.
They went back to work.
He held while she nailed, the rhythm of the hammer steady and sure.She measured while he cut, calling out numbers that he repeated back to confirm.Their conversation slipped easily between silly and serious, the way it did now, the way it had started without him noticing exactly when.
"At least now, when you're out with the fire crew, I'll know you're on the same roads I am," she said as she marked the next panel, her pencil moving in quick, confident strokes."Not three states over, wondering if you're coming back."
He steadied the sheet of plywood as she set it in place against the studs."You like knowing where I am?"
"I like knowing where to send dinner if you forget to come home," she said, reaching for her nail gun."Lila's already got your order memorized.She practically started packing it up the other day before you even walked through the door."
"I forgot once," he protested."And it was because your favorite inspector would not stop reading me code sections.Every single one.With commentary."
"She's just very passionate about setbacks," Sabrina said, her mouth twitching.
"So are you," he said."Different kind."
She shot him a look that was half exasperation, half affection, the combination doing complicated things to his pulse.
