Page 86 of A Cowboy's Claim

Sydney raised an eyebrow. “A secret tunnel?”

“Yeah,” Jinx said, looking suddenly sheepish. “They were sneaking down it to go fool around in the utility room. I didn’t. I swear.”

Declan coughed—might’ve been smoke, might’ve been laughter. “Well, lucky for us you knew about it.”

One of the firefighters came over, helmet off, face streaked with soot. “The building’s done. We’ll keep the flames from jumping to the adjacent lot, but the hall is a total loss.”

Sydney nodded. Her hands trembled slightly, but her eyes were steady. “Thanks for being here.”

Declan sank down beside her, the weight of it all crashing down now that they were safe. He could still feel the sting of smoke in his lungs—but it didn’t matter. She was here. Alive.

He reached over and took her hand.

For one terrifying moment, he’d thought he would lose her.

“I saw you go in,” he said quietly. “You knew I was coming, yet you went anyway.”

“It was the right thing to do,” she whispered.

She was brave—too damn brave. Yet it was part of why he loved her. Even if it broke him.

He didn’t say another word. Just held her hand tighter, breathing in the clean air and listening to the sound of the fire hoses spraying and steam hissing as the voices of children—all safe—rose in the distance.

There weremoments in life when the universe came right out and said what needed to be done. Sydney wasn’t always happy to be taught her lessons so bluntly, but she was always grateful in the end.

She’d spoken with the fire marshal, and now fresh from a shower, her sprained ankle expertly wrapped by Lexie, Sydney sat on the porch swing at High Water, her foot propped in Declan’s lap.

It was time.

Declan stared into the distance and she stared at him, taking in every line and every shadow. He had a small abrasion on his temple, and his knuckles were cut and bruised, and she didn’t think he’d ever looked more handsome.

She hadn’t ever needed anyone this much, and it was time to stop denying her heart.

“Declan?”

His blue eyes drifted to hers. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

His eyes widened. “Oh hell.”

His grin was slow, wide, stunned.

Which made Sydney laugh out loud. “Right?”

He scooped her into his lap and cupped her face in his hands. “Excuse my language, but I figured it would take me until Christmas to get you to admit it.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun—you know, getting lit on fire, tangling with gangs, losing your funding.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “And I mean those things in a totallyokay, now that I have my head on straight as to what the real issues in my life areway. Telling you how I feel isn’t nearly as scary by comparison.”

“You might have to say it a time or two more for it to sink in,” he warned.

“I love you, Declan Skye,” she offered. “And we’re alive after a fire that we have no idea how it started.”

She kissed him, firm and direct, pulling back before he could take over.

“I love you, Declan Skye,” she repeated, “Sometime in the next week or so, there will be a solution to the issue with Logan and his fucked-up brother’s problems.”

He clued into the routine impressively fast. He kissed her this time, hot and quick enough to leave her breathless.