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I swallowed. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. I’ll keep it somewhere safe,” she promised. “And whenever you’re ready, you just let me know.”

“Alright.”

“Come here, Sweet Hart.”

I didn’t hesitate and fell apart for the first time that night as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I buried my face against her neck and breathed in the familiar scent of her perfume.

For a while, neither of us said anything. She just held me and gently rubbed my back.

I needed this more than I ever knew.

I pulled away enough to look at her.

“I love you, Sugar.”

A soft gasp escaped her as her expression softened. Her bottom lip trembled until the words tumbled out.

“I love you, too, Sweet Hart.”

I cupped her cheek and kissed her, taking my time because I didn’t need to be anywhere else. She brushed her thumb along my jaw when we finally separated.

“You okay?”

“Getting there.”

She smiled. “Good. I have a suggestion.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Let’s make Rice Krispie treats.”

My lips slowly slid into a smile. I couldn’t change what happened when I was a kid. I couldn’t change the kind of father I’d been given or bring my mother back. But sitting there with Vera, I knew one thing for certain. Whatever kind of life I built from here on out, I wanted her in it.

“Alright, Chef Sugar, lead the way.”

***

It was well past midnight when I finally picked up my phone again. Vera was asleep beside me, her cheek resting against my chest and one leg woven between mine. I ran my fingers along her back, listening to her breathe, trying not to think about everything that happened earlier.

I pulled up the video I’d recorded earlier of us laughing in the kitchen while demonstrating marshmallow pulls that ended up in warm, gooey messes. She was laughing so hard she could barely hold herself upright while I stood there cussing out a marshmallow.

I watched it on repeat, and on the fifth viewing, I found myself paying less attention to the treats and more attention to the way Vera looked at me. She looked at me like I was the funniest man alive and there was nowhere she’d rather be. She looked at me like she fucking loved me. And fuck if I wasn’t the luckiest man alive.

I glanced down at her again and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

For years, I’d kept my intimate business off social media. My followers knew plenty about my hockey career, my vehicles, and my restaurant, but I’d never posted about a woman… ever.

Vera was different. She wasn’t just some hookup or a discreet arrangement. She was the woman I’d hope to spend the rest of my life with, and I wanted the world to know.

I opened social media and selected the video.

For a moment, I watched the preview and smiled when Vera’s laughter filled the screen.

Then I typed a caption.

She knows how to make a bad day brighter. ❤️