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“Absolutely. Where did you start?”

“I just opened it to a page in Romans.” I reach behind me to grab the stack of sticky notes I’d used this morning. Sadie told me that she writes down the verses that resonate with her in the moment. So, since I’m just getting started, I figured it would be good to follow her lead.

She takes them from me and reads what I wrote. “‘We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.’ Romans 5:3. That’s a favorite of mine, too.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it all.”

“You’re trying,” she says.

“Because you showed me another way to live.”

Her cheeks turn a soft pink, and she keeps the sticky notes in her hand, clutching them as though they’re precious.

“Oh, I got you something.” I point to a shopping bag at the end of the island.

“Maverick, you didn’t need to get me anything.” She digs into the bag and pulls out a cell phone box. “What is this?”

“You don’t have one. I’m sure you have a plan, and I talked to the guy when I bought it. He said that you can move it over to yours whenever.”

“You got me a cell phone?” She lifts the lid and stares down at it in disbelief. “When?”

“Ryker came and sat in the bar this morning so I could go to the grocery store, and the phone place is right next door, so I popped in there right after they opened, too.”

“You popped into a cell phone store and bought me a phone.”

“I wanted you to have a way to talk to anyone you want to, without needing to take mine.” But the longer she stares at it, the more I feel like an idiot. Was that stepping over the line?

“Maverick.” Setting it aside, she comes around the island.

I barely have enough time to set the whisk down before she’s wrapping her arms around me.

The feel of her pressed against me is so right. Like she was made for me and I was made for her.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah. It’s no big deal.”

Sadie pulls back and reaches up to cup my face. “It is a big deal.” She pulls me down and kisses me deeply. I wrap both arms around her and hold her against me, wishing we could stay just like this forever.

But the skillet beeps, signaling that it’s hot enough to start the pancakes I have absolutely zero appetite for. Not when she’s in my arms.

We pull apart, and Sadie takes her seat on the other side of the island again. “I put mine and Anastasia’s numbers in there. Sawyer and Ryker’s, too, just in case you need them for anything.”

She turns on the phone and laughs. “Did you give Anastasia this number already?”

“Yeah. She caught me coming out of the grocery store after I bought it.”

“I love it. She’s already texted me twice.” Sadie turns the phone around so I can see.

Anastasia: WELL. How did it go?

Anastasia: Text me back when Maverick finally gives this to you! He is taking FOREVER.

“I just bought it, like, half an hour ago,” I reply, staring at the all-caps of her message. Does she think I move at the speed of light?

“She is so great.” Sadie types something, then sets the phone down. “I told her I’d give her details about our date later.”

“Good ones?”