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“It feels like a secret place, just for us.”

He grinned. “It is now.” He caught her gaze. “This used to be the place I’d come to hide away from everyone and everything. Now it feels like a romantic getaway with the woman I love.”

Lyric leaned over and kissed him. “That’s very sweet.”

“Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my badass reputation.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” She loved that he could let his guard down with her.

Mason got out and grabbed their bags from the back seat. She met him at the front of the car, and theywalked up to the small porch and front door together. He set their bags down and pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

When he didn’t open it and walk in but turned to her, she stared at him confused.

He held out the key, dangling from a song-note key chain. “This is yours.”

She’d given him the spare key to her apartment the morning Nick arrived and dropped off his stuff. It had been more a convenience for him to come and go as he pleased when she was working because he didn’t have his apartment anymore.

But this felt like a step toward their future. “I love the key chain.”

“I got it just for you.” He kissed her quickly, then his grin fell. “God knows what my cousins did this time.”

That raised a brow. “What’d they do last time?”

“TPed the whole place and tossed confetti everywhere. It took days to vacuum it all up and handpick pieces out of the carpet and furniture.”

She laughed. “They love you a lot.”

“Uh-huh.” He opened the door and flipped on the light.

Lyric stood and stared at the huge room and caught her breath. “Oh, Mason, it’s beautiful. You didn’t have to—”

“I didn’t. They did.” His voice was filled with wonder and thickened with emotion.

A fire had been laid in the hearth, ready to be set ablaze. The bed looked like a white cloud with the thick coverlet and plump pillows, red rose petals strewn across the top and all over the floor. White spider mums burst out of cobalt blue vases on both sidesof the bed. A large bouquet of red dahlias sat on the kitchen table. Pink roses and white snapdragons filled a crystal vase on the kitchen counter.

The place was clean and smelled like flowers and citrus.

Mason found his words. “I can’t believe they did this for you.”

“He won’t admit it, but Hawk likes me.” She kissed his cheek. “They’re happy you’re happy.”

He still looked stunned. “I owe them.”

“No, you don’t. It’s family.”

He met her gaze. “Hawk said that to me.”

“Then, you understand what you mean to him.”

Mason nodded but said, “I think he definitely likes you more.” He picked up their bags, carried them in, dropped them by the sofa in front of the fireplace, then went to the dining table where a box of chocolates and a basket of bath products sat. He read aloud the note the boys had left behind.

Mason and Lyric sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g

You know the rest and we hope you have it all. The love we see. Can’t wait to be there for your wedding. And no doubt you’ll keep her in bed until there are little Gunns playing cops and robbers in the yard again. You deserve it all.

We’ve missed you.

Spend more time here with us.