“It takes the right inspiration. And you’re it for me, Sophia.” He slid his hands down her back to rest on her hips. “You make me happy, too. The way you look at me. The way your hands feel on me. The fact you even want to be with me…it all makes me happy.”
“Good. I’m glad.” She smiled, into his warm gaze.
“I realized something over the past few days,” he said. “The thought of never having any of that with you again scares me much more than opening up and letting you in. I may have acted like an idiot, but I’m not stupid. I love you. I want you in my life. If I have to commute, I’ll commute. I’ll do whatever you want, whatever it takes to make this work.”
She swallowed past her hot throat, feeling so light and happy she could float clear up to the beautiful ceiling he created. It was his thing. He created masterpieces. Created homes for families to enjoy. Businesses for people to thrive. He created a world of feeling and acceptance and strength for her that she never wanted to leave. “I love you, Ryder. So damn much.”
“Can we give them a standing ovation now?”
The sound of Ben’s voice made her jump. Ryder’s hands tightened around her as they both turned to glance at the back of the theater where two Wyne brothers and their wives stood smiling at them.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “Didn’t know the peanut gallery followed me.”
She slid her hands up around his neck and melted against him. “It’s okay. I don’t care who knows how I feel about you. I don’t have anything to hide.”
“Neither do I. In fact…” A slow, sexy smile stole across his face. “I like it best when there’s nothing between us at all.”
Epilogue
October arrived and brought with it changes in the leaves, temperature, sunset, and Sophia’s life. Good changes. Great changes. Amazing changes.
The fall foliage was breathtaking. Cooler temperatures meant snuggling naked under a blanket with her own personal sexy furnace on a deck overlooking a spectacular lake. An early sunset led to naked snuggling under said blanket. Relocating to the Poconos ushered in new experiences, inspirations, a permanent job at Phoebe’s theater, and unlimited naked blanket snuggling with Ryder. And knocking her designs out of the park for that major musical secured her very first Broadway set design job. Her friends were throwing her a celebration. Today.
“Proud of you,” Ryder said, arms banded around her as he kissed her nose.
They stood inside a banquet hall at the resort where a celebration in her honor was underway. The Wynes were there, including Tyler who’d returned from his summer in Texas, and Mason and Jill who’d arrived back in town late last month. The vibe in the room was one of warmth and acceptance—just like being in Ryder’s arms.
“Thank you.” She spread her palms over his chest, kind of wishing they could skip to the part where they celebrated alone.
But she appreciated all the trouble her friends had gone through for her, and the fact her whole family drove in for the weekend. Ethan graciously offered up the vacant private Wynne condos, which her family was enjoying.
It warmed her heart how they welcomed Ryder from the start. She’d introduced them two months ago, and she wasn’t sure what kind of initiation he had to pass with her brothers, but apparently he’d nailed it. And the more her father saw of Ryder’s work, the more impressed he became. Especially with the resort and the theater. He even offered him a job.
“You sure I can’t persuade you to work for Colarusso?” her father asked again, stopping next to them with his arm around her mother. “We pride ourselves on excellent work, and I can see you would be a great fit.”
Turning to face her parents, Ryder slid his arm around her waist and smiled. “Thank you, sir, but no. I appreciate that you believe I’m good enough for your company, but I am happy on my own.”
Ryder confessed to her back in August that he’d researched Colarusso Construction and several of their jobs, and apologized for his misconception of their practices.
“And I am happy to be making the pierogi with your father later today.” Her mother smiled, nodding toward Ryder’s father, who stood across the room next to Lea while holding Melody. “Afterward, I am going to teach him my ravioli.”
Sophia held back her gasp. Her mother never shared her secret recipe.
“Sounds like you’re both in for a treat,” Ryder said.
Her father patted his belly. “I know my stomach is.”
They laughed, and after her parents moved on to talk to Phoebe’s mother, who was sharing a toast with Ben’s father, Sophia settled in closer to Ryder, feeling happy and blessed. Her niece and nephew giggled with Tyler as they jumped around. And she was really intrigued by the scowl on a certain off-duty officer’s face as he watched Elle laughing at something her brother Tony said.
According to Elle, her research was almost done, and thankfully, “because the stubborn alpha was getting her on last nerve.” Sophia could only imagine the tension inside the cruiser. Probably novel-worthy.
Later that afternoon, after the party ended, Sophia was happy to finally celebrate privately with Ryder. Nestled against him in a sleeping bag in the back of the truck, an unopened bottle of wine next to them, she stared out at the vista overlooking the valley. Wine, and scenery, and Ryder. Best way to celebrate. He’d whisked her away to their favorite, special spot, and ever the resourceful and thoughtful man, he backed the truck up so they could watch the sunset from the bed.
“Thank you,” he said, sitting with his back against the cab, arms wrapped around her while he kissed her head.
She turned to look at him. “For what? I should be thanking you for bringing me here. This is perfect.”
“You’re perfect. For me.” His gaze was warm and open, and the way he was staring so deeply made her insides quiver. “When you first came back in June, I fought our connection. I didn’t want to get involved, not because of my bullshit excuse that I wasn’t looking for forever, but because I felt I had nothing to offer you. That I would let you down.”
