Page 8 of A Very Grumpy Ranger (Wolf Valley: Grumps #9)

EIGHT

Luca

The second I see Blake’s face, I know something’s wrong.

She opens the door slowly, her green eyes rimmed with red.

And that easy smile she always gives me?

Nowhere in sight. She’s wearing one of her oversized sweatshirts, sleeves pulled down over her hands, and it hits me how small she looks tonight.

Not physically—Blake’s never been small, not with all that fire and sass—but like something has knocked the wind out of her.

“Hey,” I say softly, holding up the brown paper bag of takeout like it might cheer her up. “I brought dinner. That tofu bao place finally called me back.”

She steps aside silently, and I walk in, closing the door behind me. The second it clicks shut, she turns and practically folds into my chest. No warning. No words.

Just grief.

I drop the bag on the table and wrap my arms around her.

She doesn’t sob, not at first. It’s more like she’s trying not to break. Her body shakes, and her breath hitches as she presses her face into my hoodie. My hand moves instinctively to the back of her head, cradling her gently.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper. “Whatever it is, I’m here.”

Her fingers curl into the fabric of my sweatshirt, gripping hard.

When she finally pulls back, her eyes are glassy, and her lips tremble. “I got laid off.”

Fuck.

My chest tightens. “What happened?”

She swallows. “My company’s downsizing. Corporate restructuring or whatever they want to call it. I got an email this morning. Effective immediately. No notice. No severance. Just… gone.”

Rage flickers through me, hot and fast.

She’s not just some name on a spreadsheet. She’s brilliant, creative, and loyal as hell. How could they treat her like that? Like she doesn’t matter?

“Jesus, Blake,” I mutter, reaching for her again. “I’m so sorry.”

She lets me hold her for another beat before pulling away and moving toward the couch. She sinks into the cushions like they’re the only things keeping her upright.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she says, her voice hollow. “Rent… bills… groceries. I barely have any savings.”

I sit beside her, not touching her yet, just letting her talk.

“I was already struggling to stay motivated at work, but at least it was steady. I never thought they’d cut me loose like that.”

“You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”

“But I do,” she whispers. “I have no one to fall back on. I’ve always taken care of myself, Luca. I’ve had to.”

My hand finds hers, warm and trembling. “You don’t have to do it alone anymore. Move in with me.”

She looks up, startled. “What?”

“Come live with me. The house has plenty of space. You don’t need to stress about rent or bills. Just… be with me.”

She blinks. “That’s huge. We haven’t even been together that long. Isn’t this moving too fast?”

“No,” I say without hesitation. “It feels fast because it is. But it also feels right. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

She studies me for a long second. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious. I love you, Blake.”

Her eyes go wide. “You… what?”

I scoot closer. “I love you. I’m in love with you. I think I fell the second you beat me in that sandwich race. And every day since, it’s only gotten stronger. You’re funny and smart and stubborn and brave. And the thought of you crying alone makes me want to burn down your whole damn company.”

She lets out a shaky laugh, tears shining in her green eyes. “You mean that?”

“Every word. I love you. So damn much.”

She bursts into tears again.

I pull her into my arms again, and she doesn’t fight me. She wraps around me like I’m the only steady thing left in her world.

“I love you, too,” she whispers. “I think I have since our third bet.”

That earns a grin from me. “Took you long enough.”

She laughs wetly, pulling back and swiping at her eyes. “Okay. Say I move in. What do I do for work? I still need something to pay the bills.”

I hesitate. Not because I don’t know what to say but because I don’t know how she’ll take it.

“You open your own art store.”

She blinks. “What?”

“You love art. You love teaching. You light up every time you help kids paint or create. You could build something here. A shop. A studio. A community space.”

“Luca, I don’t have the money for that.”

“I do.”

She sits up straight. “You… what?”

“I have savings. From the military. Investments. Disability. It’s sitting there collecting interest. Let me be your silent partner.”

“You’re insane.”

“Crazy,” I correct with a smile. “Crazy about you.”

She stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. “You want to fund an entire business? For me?”

“Yes. Because I believe in you. And because this town needs something like that. Because you deserve to wake up excited to go to work. Because I want a life with you, and this is how we build it.”

She shakes her head slowly. “You’re really serious.”

“One hundred percent serious.”

I kiss her softly. Tender. Sure. Her fingers curl into my shirt, anchoring her to me.

When I pull back, I whisper, “Say yes.”

Her brows lift. “Yes to what?”

“To everything. To being mine. My business partner. My roommate. My everything.”

She smiles, eyes glistening. “Yes.”

I pull her into a deeper kiss, relief and joy flooding my chest. She tastes like hope and tears and everything I never thought I’d get to have.

“I love you,” she says again, her voice thick with emotion.

I rest my forehead against hers. “I love you more.”

She laughs softly. “Wanna bet?”

And just like that, my world clicks into place.