The words blurred for a second before I blinked them clear. My heart gave one hard, uneven thud.
Chapter 26
Paige
The tavern had never looked like this before. It was close to perfect. Exactly like I’d always envisioned it. Twinkle lights glowed from the rafters, softening every corner. The new light fixtures gleamed overhead, casting warm pools over the polished bar and the tables Piper had insisted on covering in purple runners and little vases of fresh flowers. The jukebox—brand new and loaded with updated music—hummed with a mix of old favorites and songs that made people laugh in delight when the first notes hit.
Lark and Briar were in the middle of the room, giggling and dancing with my grandma, their hair curled and shiny under the lights. Noah had made it home just in time. He was standing near the pool table with Grandpa, the two of them watching the chaos like it was better than TV.
And me? I was in the purple dress my mom had insisted on buying, sequins catching the light every time I moved. The heels were higher than I usually dared to wear, but somehow, they worked. Piper had teased me mercilessly while she zipped me into it, saying if this didn’t make me look like a woman who was forty and fabulous and finally ready to live again, nothing would.
The place was full—friends, neighbors, my regular customers, the people who’d seen me at my lowest and still showed up anyway. Laughter, chatter, and the clinking of glasses filled the air. For the first time in months, it didn’t sound like pressure. It sounded like joy.
And then the door opened.
The hum of conversation didn’t exactly stop, but it shifted. Heads turned. A ripple of attention moved through the crowd as he walked in—broad shoulders, dark jacket, his hair a little messy like he’d run a hand through it one too many times.
I felt it too—the way the whole place seemed to tilt toward him. People loved him here. Admired him. Trusted him. But to me, it was more than that. It was the way my heart lurched like it had just recognized home. I didn’t think. I couldn’t. I just ran to him. Ranhome.
Past the tables, past the bar where Piper was grinning like she already knew what I was about to do. Past the cluster of women near the jukebox who had started whispering behind their hands, eyes fixed on him.
He hadn’t spotted me yet—he was scanning the room, taking it all in. But when his gaze landed on me, it softened, like the weight of the whole night had just eased off his shoulders.
That was all it took.
I ran straight up to him, heels clicking on the worn wood floor, the dress shimmering with every step. And before anyone could start speculating—or maybe because I knew they already were—I slid my hand up his chest, rose on my toes, and kissed him.
Not a quick, shy brush of lips. A real kiss. One that left no room for doubt. Hunter Cassidy was mine, and it was time to claim him like he deserved.
The tavern erupted in cheers, laughter, and a couple of whistles. But all I felt was the warmth of him, steady and sure, kissing me back like we’d never paused, never doubted, never stopped wanting this.
When I finally pulled back, breathless and flushed, I didn’t care who had seen. For once, I didn’t care about the whispers, the gossip, the risks. All I cared about was him.
He looked at me then, and in his eyes I saw everything—love so deep it felt like an anchor, threaded through with longing as if he’d been waiting for this moment for ages. Relief flickered across his face, softening the tension in his jaw, settling in the curve of his lips as if just seeing me had put every piece back in place. It was all there, plain as day, and the world seemed to narrow down to the connection humming quietly between us, undeniable and whole.
And then he kissed me.
His lips were warm, familiar in a way that still managed to steal my breath. When I broke the kiss, I stayed close, my hand lingering on his chest, the rise and fall of it beneath my palm reminding me he was just as rattled as I was.
The room blurred around us—clinking glasses, laughter, someone starting up another round of “Happy Birthday” in the corner—but it all faded under the pulse in my ears.
I’d done it. I’d kissed him in front of everyone. My best friend. The man who had shown up for me again and again, who had fixed my bar and my freezer and maybe even pieces of my heart without asking for anything in return. And now everyone knew.
I should’ve been panicked. Terrified of what Eli could do, of what gossip would spin out of this. But as I looked up into Hunter’s eyes—those warm, beautiful, blue eyes softening in the glow of the tavern lights—all I felt was relief.
The cheer from the crowd rose again, pulling me back into the moment. Piper was outright beaming from behind the bar, raising her glass in a mock toast before mouthing,finally. My mom and grandma were standing near the cake with the girls, clapping like they’d just witnessed a wedding instead of a kiss. Even Noah, who was usually too cool to react to anything, was grinning at me from across the room.
I swallowed hard, blinking against the sting of tears. Gratitude, joy, fear—they all tangled together, hot and messy in my chest.
But when Hunter’s hand slid over mine, his thumb brushing once against my knuckles, everything quieted inside me. For the first time in a long time, I let myself stand there and simply soak it in.
“I missed you. I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Hunter leaned down, his breath brushing against my ear over the noise. “Come with me.”
It wasn’t a question. But it wasn’t a demand either. Just that quiet, steady tone he always used when he knew I needed space. I nodded before I could think better of it.
The room buzzed with chatter and music as we threaded our way through. People smiled, clapped me on the back, raised their glasses in teasing acknowledgment, but I barely heard them. My hand was in Hunter’s, warm and strong, guiding me past the jukebox and down the short hallway toward the back.
