Page 28

Rain

“ H ey, Hotshot,” I shout from the bottom of the stairs, like I do every day after work at the diner.

But today, the words catch in my throat. A pang of sadness presses against my chest. This time tomorrow, Xander will be in Raleigh, and I’ll be back to sleeping alone in Minx. The thought makes my eyes sting.

Then he appears at the top of the stairs—unruly jet-black hair, those deep brown eyes shining just for me, and that signature smile. The one with a crooked curve and that sexy dimple that always makes my heart trip.

My smile breaks free, wide and bright, as my chest fills with love.

“Hey, Cherry,” he says, descending the steps two at a time before wrapping his arms around me and kissing me softly.

I melt into him, breathing in the familiar scent of pinewood, leather, and his soap. It’s so him. I want to bottle it, or better yet, steal one of his shirts when he’s packing, just so I can hold onto him just a little longer.

“Are you ready for our date?” he asks, still holding my hand as we step outside.

“Sure, but do I need to change?” I glance down at my Rustic Spoon black tee, jeans, and trusty Docs.

“You look perfect,” he murmurs, kissing my hair.

I chuckle.

“What? Don’t believe me?” he says, raising a brow as he opens the door of his SUV.

“Cherry, you could wear a paper bag and I’d still think you look fucking gorgeous.”

I roll my eyes, but the grin on my face gives me away.

“So where are we going?” I ask once we’re on the road.

He pats my thigh. “You’ll see. We’ll be there in no time.”

Xander turns onto a road I’ve never taken before. I remember Miles saying this area was being developed recently, and my heart starts to thump with anticipation.

We drive to the top of a mountain, where a metal gate blocks a dirt path. A sign reads, “Private Property. Do not enter.”

Xander pulls a remote from his pocket and clicks a button. The gate creaks open.

My brows knit. “How do you have access to this place?”

“You’ll see,” he says again, flashing a wink.

We keep driving down the winding, unpaved road, and my pulse hammers so fast I swear it might beat its way out of my chest.

Then we reach a clearing—and I stop breathing.

The view is spectacular. We’re surrounded by mountains in every direction. No houses. No noise. Just us and the wide-open sky.

And then I see it: a brand new RV, gleaming in the sunlight.

“Xander?” I whisper, completely stunned.

My mind spins, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what’s going on.

He parks the SUV beside the RV and jogs around to my side. When he helps me out, my knees buckle. He catches me before I fall.

“Babe, are you okay?” he asks, concern softening his voice.

“What’s happening? Where are we?” I murmur, eyes locked on the RV like it might vanish if I blink.

He chuckles and presses a kiss to my cheek, gently guiding me toward i t

He opens the door, and I step inside—and instantly, I’m speechless.

The interior is gorgeous. Just inside the entry, there’s a small couch across from the door and a dining table to the left that could easily seat six. A full kitchen gleams with polished countertops and shiny fixtures. Down a short hallway, I get a peek of a bathroom and a cozy bedroom beyond that.

Then my eyes drift back to the main living area—and catch on something that steals my breath.

There, hanging above the couch in a beautiful wooden frame, is a picture of us. Our photo. The first one we ever took together, up at the summit on that hike. I remember the wind in my hair, the way he looked at me even then. My heart twists.

“Do you want to see the rest? Or you want to take a seat?” he asks gently.

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog. “Let’s sit.”

He leads us to the sofa and waits until I’m seated before speaking.

“Okay,” he begins, “please hear me out first, alright?”

I nod, still too stunned to fully process what’s happening.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next for us,” he says. “Now that I have to go back to Raleigh and hockey’s about to take over again… I figured it’s going to be hard for me to make it back here often. But I’ll try my best to spend my time off here—with you.”

His words land heavy in my chest. I search for signs that he’s trying to break up with me. But all I see is warmth. Excitement.

Still, I feel impatience creeping in. “But what does this RV have to do with any of that?”

He chuckles. “Well, I knew you’d want to move back into Minx—and that’s fine. But I thought you might be more comfortable here. You can take this baby into town, or leave it parked here and drive Minx around as usual.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You bought this for me?”

He nods, smug and adorable. “I bought it for us. It can be your home base— our home base. Then we can use it during summer for road trips.”

I stand slowly, taking it all in. The spice rack matches the one at the diner. The cookware is the exact brand I use. My throat tightens with emotion. He’s been paying attention. To every single detail of my life.

“Xander, this is incredible, but I can’t accept this,” I say, releasing a breath. “I don’t need a bigger van. Minx has all the space I need for when I’m alone.”

He stands too, walking slowly toward me with a soft smile. “I know this is a lot to take, but hear me out.”

I stand still, wrapping my arms around my middle, feeling overwhelmed by his big gesture.

“The RV is just temporary. The only reason it’s parked here is because this is where our house will be built.”

My heart stutters. “What house? ”

“Our house,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist. “The one we’ll design together. The one we’ll raise our family in.”

I lift an eyebrow, still half-disbelieving.

He chuckles. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m skipping a couple of steps. But ultimately, that’s the plan. I’m going to ask you to marry me. You’ll say yes. I’ll retire in a few years. And we’ll live here—together, full-time. Raise our kids,” he says, cheeks flushing a smidge.

“How are you so sure I’ll say yes?”

His cocky grin appears. “Well, baby girl, I hate to tell you this… but you’re deeply in love with me. Almost as much as I’m in love with you.”

I bark out a laugh. I love his confidence.

“What?” he asks, amused once my laughter dies down.

“Nothing. I just love how much you love me,” I say, grinning at him.

He kisses me deeply. Fuck , I’ll never get enough of this man’s kisses.

In an instant, I’m lifted onto the kitchen counter, and the kiss turns hungry. If I’m not careful, my clothes will be on the floor before I can blink. But there’s still so much to figure out.

I break the kiss slowly, and Xander groans in protest.

Chuckling, I slide off the counter.

“I love where that kiss was going,” I say, smoothing my shirt, “but we’ve got some stuff to talk through first. ”

He leans against the counter, still watching me like I’m the only person who exists. “Okay. Hit me.”

“So, I’ve been thinking too.” I take a breath. “As much as I’d love waking up next to you every day, that’s not realistic right now. You’re going to have away games. And I still need to run the diner.”

His posture deflates, but he keeps his gaze trained on me.

“I was thinking… I could come to Raleigh for your home games. Then, whenever you’re on the road, I’d come back here.”

Xander lunges forward and scoops me into his arms like I told him he won the lottery.

“Fuck, Cherry. I was hoping you’d say something like that, but I didn’t want to push. I never want you to feel like you’re giving up your life for me.”

I smile into his chest, feeling so completely seen. So deeply cherished.

“Thank you, Hotshot. For always knowing what I need, and giving me the space to get there on my own.”

He tilts my chin up and kisses me, sweet and steady. And in that moment, I feel invincible with him.

“Okay,” he says, drawing back just enough to look me in the eyes. “So what do you need to do to step away from the diner?”

“I think I want to promote Blair to head chef,” I say, already ticking through the mental checklist. “Then I’d have to hire a new sous-chef and take over as the manager. ”

He arches a brow. “And you would be okay with that? Just managing? I know how much you love being in the kitchen.”

I smile. “Yeah, I think so. I can always hop back in and help when I’m around. And I’ve thought about continuing to teach at Serene Lookout when Ruin has clients.”

He nods slowly, absorbing it all.

“I feel like shit that you’re the one making the biggest sacrifices in this relationship,” he says quietly, his voice laced with guilt.

I reach for his hand. “That might be true. But your job is the least flexible of the two. And it isn’t a thirty-year career.

When you retire and we’re living here full time, things will shift again.

These… sacrifices are only temporary. And if I ever decide to go back to the diner full-time, I can. ”

His eyes shine with emotion. “How on Earth did I get so lucky?”

I shrug with mock nonchalance. “Not sure, dude. I’m quite the catch.”

He bursts out laughing, and I join him, the sound echoing warmly through the RV. I feel light, elated—like we’ve finally figured out our path forward.

“Are you hungry?” he asks.

I nod. “Starving.”

“Good, because I made us dinner.”

He looks so proud of himself that I don’t even make a sassy comment. Not yet.

“What did you cook?” I ask, rising from the couch, only to freeze when he pins me down with a stare.

I lift my hands in surrender and sit back down, laughing.

He pulls a casserole dish from the oven, and a rich, buttery seafood aroma fills the air. My stomach growls.

“Mmm, that smells delicious. What is it?” I ask as Xander plates two generous servings of the golden, bubbly dish.

“It's a lobster casserole—my family’s recipe,” he says, then grabs a bottle of wine and pours us each a glass.

Once the table’s set, he comes over to help me up from the couch.

“Thank you, kind sir,” I say with a curtsy

He grins. “M’lady.”

We sit across from each other. I take a cautious first bite, and nearly melt into my chair. Buttery, flaky lobster, perfectly cooked pasta, and a rich, decadent sauce that’s almost sinful. A soft moan escapes me.

“Damn. That good?” he teases.

I keep my eyes closed and nod, savoring the bite..

“I guess I’ll have to make it more often,” he says.

I open my eyes and take a sip of wine. “Where did you get lobster around here?”

“I didn’t.” He grins. “I had Dad ship it to me.”

My eyes widen. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I told him I wanted to treat my girlfriend to a special dinner, and he didn’t hesitate. It was caught this morning in the Cape.”

“Today? You said your parents live in western Massachusetts.”

“They do. But during the summer, Dad runs a small eatery out on the Cape. They spend the season there.”

I smile, trying to picture it—Xander’s dad in an apron, cooking for vacationers. “That sounds like fun.”

He grins. “It is. You’ll see one day.” He shifts his weight, gaze flicking toward the horizon. “So… over the next few days, I’ll be in Raleigh getting ready for preseason. Team meetings, workouts, drills—you name it.”

I nod, listening.

“You could come with me, check out my apartment. We could go out at night, get a feel for the area.”

I immediately shake my head, and he just smiles, like he knew I would.

“I thought so,” he says softly.

“Yeah, I need that time to figure things out at the diner.”

He nods, no frustration in sight.

“But I was hoping you’d come visit my family over the weekend? I haven’t seen them in a while, and I’d like to spend some time with them before the season starts.”

My heart skips. “Do you really want me to meet your family?”

“Of course I do. I already met your family. It’s only logical you meet mine.” He’s practically beaming.

“Okay,” I say, a huge smile spreading across my face.

He raises his glass toward mine.

“To us,” he says.

“To us,” I echo, the words tasting sweeter than wine.

I can’t wait to start the next chapter of our lives.

“Together,” I whisper to myself, holding onto the one thing I know for sure—

I’ve found my forever.