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Saturday, I dropped the kids off at their mother’s place, then continued into downtown, where I met Percy at The Heist, a restaurant located in a historic bank building. Neither of us had been able to come up with a better date idea than dinner out, followed by an artsy-looking indie movie at the small downtown theater.

“You look nice.” Percy greeted me outside the glass front doors of the The Heist. This might have been the first time he’d seen me in something other than a T-shirt. In deference to this being an actual date, I’d donned a seldom-worn light-teal button-down shirt and khaki pants.

“So do you.” I gestured at his white shirt and crisp jeans. Geez. We were reduced to making small talk about our clothing choices. “We could skip all this awkwardness and go back to your place instead.”

“We’ll get there.” Percy sounded unruffled as he opened the door. “Do us both good to wait long enough to get dinner.”

Inside The Heist, we were greeted by the owner, Magnus, who moved in some of the same circles as us.

“Percy. Your usual IPA?” Magnus asked, affable as ever. Like Percy, the guy was naturally charming. I wondered if Percy would flirt with him if he were there alone. “And, Stu?”

“I’ll have what he’s having,” I said as we found a table on the other side of the large, polished wooden bar.

“Are you jealous?” Percy asked as soon as we were alone.

“Of Magnus?” I played dumb.

“I’m pretty sure he’s hung up on his new landlord and my coworker.” Percy kept a conversational tone. “And I’m a friendly guy. I know I have a bit of a reputation as a flirt, but when I date someone, I date them. Despite how everything ended with Hector, I’m still a one-person sort of guy.”

“Good to know.” I managed a small smile. “So you’re saying this thing could be exclusive?”

“Better be,” Percy growled, the first time I’d seen his possessiveness outside of the bedroom. “I haven’t seen anyone else since you brought me that hot dish.”

“Me either.” And it wasn’t simply from a lack of opportunity either. “Haven’t wanted to.”

“Same.” He took my hands across the table. “You’re all I can think about, Stu.”

“Good.” I squeezed his hand back. “No one else I’d rather send memes to at two a.m. So we’re going to do this thing? All in?”

“We are.” Percy nodded sharply. “And, amazingly, I’m optimistic. I think you’re rubbing off on me.”

“Am I now?” I leered at him.

“You are, and I couldn’t be happier.” Percy dropped my hand as our beers arrived.

“Me too.” The last two months since that hot dish played out in my brain. I was happier than I’d been since landing in Mount Hope. I liked Percy, liked what he brought to my life, liked the potential of this thing between us. He was strong and steady and exactly bossy enough. He did make me happy, and I hoped I could do the same for him. “I think I’m going to like dating you.”

“Here’s to us.” He raised his beer at me, and I did the same.

Us.I liked the sound of that a lot.

ChapterEight

Perry

Eighteen months later

“To the left. No, right.” Stu directed my movements in an awkward dance. A giant canvas served as my dance partner, and only for Stu would I put up with this level of indecisive perfectionism. “Back again. Okay. Perfect.”

“You sure?” I teased as I settled the painting in place. “Don’t need me to move it again?”

“It’s good.” Stu gave me a sheepish smile. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

“It already is.” I gestured at the living room and its collection of boxes and furniture. My recliner jockeyed for space with his couch and colorful end tables. We had a ways to go on unpacking, yet we’d already come so far. “I don’t have to cross the street to say good morning anymore.”

“True.” Stu joined me in admiring the painting, a large piece commemorating the trip to the coast we’d taken in July for our one-year anniversary. Strolling on the rocky Oregon beach near the Rainbow Cove resort that weekend, we’d first daydreamed about living together. Our places were on the small side, and Stu had already been thinking about buying rather than renting. We’d settled on a plan of him buying and me paying him rent instead of my existing landlord. Practical. But also so much fun, spending the fall house hunting with him, settling on a fixer-upper just off the historic Prospect Place row of older homes in Mount Hope. “I can’t wait to see what we do with the place.”

“Me too.” I pulled him in for a fast kiss, only to be interrupted by footsteps on the stairs.