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Dean shrugged. “Worth it.”

She frowned. “The road trip?”

He shook his head. “No. Coming home.” His eyes found hers, and she allowed herself to add words to the end that he didn’t say aloud.

To you.

Her heart squeezed.

“When are you free?” he asked. “We’ve got a game Sunday afternoon, but early next week works for me.”

Vivian opened her calendar. “I’m in meetings all day Monday, but Tuesday⁠—”

“Lunch Tuesday?” Dean interjected, sounding as impatient as she felt.

“My house,” she said. “This date should be at my house. When Pip is at school,” she hastened to add. “I’ll make you lunch, and we can eat it in bed.”

She and Dean hadn’t slept together since that night after the firepit. She wasn’t sure if that was something he was doing on purpose, or if it was as simple as the opportunity hadn’t presented itself.

“Dirty girl,” he said in a low, hungry voice. “Though I agree it should be at your place. It’ll give me a chance to tackle some of those chores…before we eat our lunch in bed. Text me a time and I’ll be there.”

Neither of them made any move to say goodbye or end the call. Dean tried to hide a yawn.

“You look tired,” she observed.

“Long day,” he murmured.

“We should say goodbye.”

He chuckled. “You first.”

Vivian laughed. “What are you? Five?”

“Nope. Just don’t like the idea of saying goodbye to you. I like looking at your pretty face.”

Vivian felt her cheeks heat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed this much. Probably not since college, when she and Phil first started dating. He used to say sweet things like that too. She didn’t consider herself vain or the type to need validation from another to feel good about herself, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love it when he told her that she was beautiful or called her sunshine.

“What if we do it together on three?” he offered playfully.

“Okay.” She reached toward the screen, her finger hovering just over the button to disconnect. Before he could start counting down, she spoke. “Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really glad I ran into you at Logan Airport during that hurricane.”

He’d already been grinning, but it morphed into a gentler smile, one that had her heart swelling. “So am I. One, two—good night, sunshine—three.”

They disconnected, and Vivian sank down deeper into the pillows. The bedroom felt strangely quiet. Not necessarily lonely. Just…different.

She set her phone on the nightstand, turned off the lamp, and slipped beneath the covers.

For years, she’d tried to fill the empty spaces in this house. She’d lost Phil’s laughter, his footsteps, his voice, so she compensated with routines, work, Pip, Victor, and Belle, until she was able to convince herself she’d stuffed every inch.

She hadn’t, but she didn’t realize that until this moment.

Because somehow, Dean had found a huge, unused space.

And he’d filled it for her.