I find her out in the pasture, surrounded by three horses; Bean and two adorable ponies, one black and the other a red colour. She grins down at them as she feeds them what looks like cut-up pieces of carrot. The black pony nudges her hand while the red pony and Bean wait patiently for their turn to be fed.
I stand by the fence and watch. The way her eyes light up in their presence and the enormous smile on her face are breathtaking. She laughs, the sound soft and filled with joy when the black pony stomps its hoof and nudges her again, harder this time. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her look this happy and free. No nightmares weighing her down, no impending doom from the incoming attack, and no worries over Rhys’s and my injuries.
I want more of this for her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that smile on her face.
“Hey, princess!” I call. “How many more animal sidekicks do you have now?”
Her head snaps up and away from the ponies towards me. There’s a flicker of confusion until she realises it’s me and then a huge smile stretches across her lips. Patting the ponies one last time, she turns and saunters towards me.
“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I’m not a Disney princess. I don’t sing,” she says with a roll of her eyes.
“And like I said before, having—what is it now? Five?—animal sidekicks negates the need for you to sing. Besides, if you want someone to sing, I can do that for you.” I wink at her. “Among other things.”
She huffs out a laugh and shakes her head. “What are you doing out here, Theo? I thought Rhys would have dragged you into another meeting?”
“He tried to, but I refused because I’m here to take you out on a date,” I announce proudly.
She arches an eyebrow. “A date? Since when are you romantic?”
“Why does everyone think I’m not romantic?” I groan.
“Because I’ve known you for nearly two months and not once have you done anything romantic. Not that I care, I’m happy with how our relationship is,” she says hastily, a guilty look on her face.
I wave her off. “I get it, but avoiding getting chomped on by zombies or shot at by gang members isn’t exactly the best place for romance.”
“True, but I don’t have to be wined and dined or romanced.” She reaches over and cups the side of my face. “I’m happy with the way things far.”
“Good to hear. I’m still going to take you out on a date.” I turn my head and press a kiss to her palm. “Let’s go find a quiet place to sit so I can show you all the goodies I picked up from the kitchen.”
She climbs over the fence and motions for me. “Lead the way.”
We walk away from the paddocks and back towards the forested area where our cabin sits. However, before reaching the path that leads home, I turn left and walk deeper into the trees. Dappled light spills across the path in front of us as the newly grown leaves rustle in the canopy above.
Finally, we reach the spot I had in mind.
It’s set far away from the rest of Haven, surrounded by thick, budding bushes and trees. A fallen log cuts through the small clearing, covered in vibrant, spongy moss—a perfect place to sit.
“Oh, this place is amazing,” Ollie breathes as I move to the log and set about making it nicer to sit on.
I take the blanket from my bag and drape it over. “Thought you’d like it,” I say as I take out the food and cutlery and place them on the blanket. “Alright, so we have bread, cheese, some cured venison, sundried tomatoes and some pickled veggies. I even brought a bottle of whiskey since we don’t have any wine.” I glance over my shoulder with a frown when Ollie remains silent.
She’s gaping at me, but there’s a sparkle in her emerald eyes that tells me she’s not upset with what I’ve done. In fact, there’s even a slight flush on her cheeks as she takes in the blanket, the food and the bottle of liquor.
“I was wrong,” she says with a shake of her head. “Maybe you are a romantic asshole.”
A pleased grin stretches across my lips. “Told you.”
She steps closer to the log. “You did all this for me?” There’s a hint of vulnerability in her voice that makes my heart clench.
It’s a reminder of the selfish pricks she dated in the past. Of course, none of them would have gone out of their way to make this amazing woman feel special. Just the thought has my hands clenching into fists as anger stirs in my chest.
Ollie deserves the world.
I turn to face her and cup the sides of her face with my hands. “Ollie, I would do anything for you.Anything. If I could, I’d kill any man from your past who hurt you, who made you feel anything less than the strong, capable and beautiful woman that you are. You are everything I’ve ever dreamed of having in a partner and I intend to make sure that you know that every single day.”
Her eyes widen and her lips part at my declaration. But I’m not done.
“I love you more than life itself, and there is nowhere on this earth I won’t follow you. Hell, I’ll even follow you into the afterlife. I’m yours, for as long as you’ll have me.”
