Page 148 of My Favorite Hero

We smiled at each other, and I saw how tired she looked. I stroked her cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too.” Her lip quivered, and then she cleared her throat. “Anything interesting happen here?”

“Not really. Except…” I paused dramatically, wanting to make her smile. “Chris.”

Her eyes went round. “What?”

“He took another date to pasta night.”

“Oh no.”

“Me, Mark, Linda, and a couple of the other guys were there for supper. The pasta is pretty good,” I added with a wink. “I might take you.”

She laughed and smacked my arm. “And?”

“And another girl was there who he had taken out a few weeks prior. Same old, same old for Chris. She took exception and confronted him and his date for the evening. And this time, he insulted them both with some crap line about lots to share, meaning himself, and he got the spaghetti dumped on his head, followed by a glass of wine. Red.”

“Oh my,” she breathed.

“He’s been banned from Dusty’s.”

“What is he gonna do on Monday nights?” Casey wailed theatrically. “He has nowhere else to go!”

I laughed and stood, pulling her from the sofa. “How about I show you where you need to go?”

“Hopefully to bed.”

I swung her up into my arms. “You know it.”

She sighed and laid her head on my chest. “My hero.”

I pressed a kiss to her head.

She rested her hand on my heart. “My favorite hero.”

I was good with that.

Epilogue

JESSE

ALMOST A YEAR LATER

The house was empty when I walked in, the only sounds the wind chimes on the porch behind me. The scent of lemon hung in the air, and I knew Casey had been cleaning. The wood of our central staircase gleamed in the diffused light. The thick-planked hardwood sparkled.

She’d been busy while I was gone.

Miller and Barney were asleep on one of the oversized sofas in the living room. They liked the one closest to the fireplace we’d installed during the renovations. It was a great addition, especially during cooler fall nights and the cold winters. Casey was already planning where to put the Christmas tree this year.

The house was complete on the main floor, the kitchen with its overload of cupboards and long lengths of counter well used and loved by Casey.

I loved eating the food she prepared there.

Upstairs, our room was done, and we were slowly finishing the rest of the spaces. One room was an office/guest room. The other bedrooms were for our future.

Our family.

I tapped my pocket, ensuring the box I had picked up was still there.