But her heart was the wall between them.
"I love you, Sea."
She shuddered and he worried that she might break down into tears. He didn't want to hurt her like this. He never wanted to hurt her.
"I need you to know that I'm all in with you, Seaton." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and stepped back. "I'm always going to be beside you. That's not something that will change."
She shook her head and he felt his stomach twist inside of him.
"I..." She cleared her throat, but her voice continued to shake, "I'd rather give you up than see you hurt because of me."
"Sea," he leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaning back so he could see her whole face, "if you gave me up, that would break me beyond repair. I could handle it if you tell me that you don't love me. If you didn't love me, I could handle that. I just want you to be happy. But if you push me away because you love me? That just proves why we shouldn't give up on this. On us..."
He saw her face, her beautiful face, and he could only hope he understood the emotion he saw in her eyes.
"I want..." she pressed her lips into a thin line. "I want this," she swallowed. "I want to be with you, Sam. Because... because I love you. I-"
He didn't let her say another word. He was so afraid that she'd change her mind.
So he kissed her until Hayden came around the corner to find them, but he didn't let Seaton go until the next morning when they woke up wrapped around each other in bed.
Ready to face the challenges of the day... together.
CHAPTER 14
SEATON
Since she'd met Sam, Seaton had started to believe in a good forever.
Before him she could only see a dreary, monotonous forever.
Years and years of... nothing.
Her view on life was different now.
Yes, there were struggles, sifting through the charred remnants of her rented house had proved just how quickly things could be taken from her. But it hadn't stayed that way. Sam and his friends, who were also her friends now, had helped her salvage what could be and replace much of the rest.
Including the quick purchase of a second-hand, but serviceable sewing machine. And for fabric, she'd discovered something amazing. Instead of purchasing everything from stores, Thora had introduced her to the scrap bin at a local secondhand store. Clothes that couldn't be sold because of holes or worn bits. They sold those for a dollar a bag. Her new walker pockets had pockets made of up-cycled fabrics from those bins.
The people who were messaging her about the craft fair were even more excited when they heard that she was using up-cycled fabric. It was all and incredible turn of events.
There was struggle, but there was also a light, a lot of light, at the end of the tunnel.
And the wedding?
That was a rush.
When Sam had told the Station Seven crowd found out that he'd asked her, the group surprised them with a whole plan for the reception.
Crazy?
Absolutely, but the best kind of crazy.
And today? After Chief Blaise gave Sam a ride home, the ladies had piled her into Thora's van and headed back to the house, too.
They didn't let her go inside immediately.
They all had something to say to her on the porch.
