Page 166 of Burning For You

“I hope you like hearing it because I’ll be doing it for a long time.”

EPILOGUE

Two Months Later

“This is so cheesy,” Skye said when she walked into Ash’s apartment on Valentine’s Day and saw the red roses in a vase, the heart-shaped box of chocolates on the table next to it, the candles lit and table set.

“I’m allowed to be cheesy. Do you know how long I fantasized about giving you any of those things on Valentine’s Day? I went to all those stupid dances in school hoping you’d be there for me to ask you on the floor with me and you never showed.”

“Oh, come on,” she said, moving closer to give him a hug, then a light kiss on the lips. “You’re making that up. You loved going to them and getting all that attention.”

He held his fingers up in a tiny pinch. “Maybe a little.”

“That’s what I thought. But this is very sweet and I shouldn’t have said that to you. Now I know why you told me I couldn’t come over until you were ready.”

“I had to get dinner,” he said.

“You mean you didn’t cook?”

“Nope. Got us some barbecue, just like our first date. Even got it at Fire Mission. You know, being sentimental and all too.”

“Am I getting a brisket sandwich?”

“See, you remember what you ate. I’ve got double of what we had that night. This way you can eat some of mine and I’ll have some of yours.”

She laughed. “Like a cheesy couple does. I love it.”

“As much as you love me?”

“As much as I love you,” she said, pulling out a chair and sitting.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed the dinner to start bringing it in. “How is the book coming?”

“Good. Better than I thought. I kind of feared I’d freeze up writing it all over again.”

“Not you,” he said. “If I’ve learned one thing about you, it’s that when you want something, when you’re ready, you go all in. You muscle through anything in your way.”

“I do.” She reached for the container holding her sandwich and fries and took half of that with a few fries, then two ribs from the other one and a scoop of mac and cheese. “I’m not sure I ever knew that about myself.”

“We are never too old to learn. Or start a new career.”

“I’m not sure if it’s a new career or not. Maybe just a side gig for now. I should be done with the draft in a few weeks, then I’ll spend some more time going over it. I appreciate Rory sharing his editor with me. And that she was willing to take my book.”

“You’re paying for it, so I don’t know why she wouldn’t take it.”

“Could be many reasons. Maybe her docket is full or I could suck.”

“But you said she read the first few chapters and didn’t think that and even was really helpful already.”

“I did. She was. Maybe I’m just scared.”

“Not you,” he said around a mouthful. “Not the girl climbing out second story windows and tackling danger head on.”

She laughed. “Not anymore. And I hope never again. Only the danger on paper.”

He was never so thrilled as when her last article was printed. Simple facts. A simple story. They caught the arsonist but not how. Not that he was related to her. Not even why he’d done what he had.

Kyle published the article because the story needed closure, but he was pissed that Skye had downplayed everything that was building, ultimately ending their working relationship.