Chapter 9
chapter nine
Sadie
I sit on the porch steps with a cup of coffee warming my hands.
The morning air still carries a faint trace of smoke from last night's fire, but the sun is shining and the birds are singing like nothing terrible happened here.
Brock is inside making breakfast. I can hear him moving around the kitchen, humming off-key under his breath.
It's the kind of ordinary moment that means everything to me lately.
The screen door creaks open behind me. Brock steps out carrying two plates. He sits down beside me on the steps and hands me one. Scrambled eggs with cheese, just how I like them, and toast with exactly the right amount of butter. "Figured you might be hungry after last night."
I take the plate and lean my shoulder against his. "Thank you. You didn't have to bring it out here."
"I wanted to." He takes a bite of his own food and glances at me. "How are you feeling this morning?"
I consider the question for a moment. The fear from the fire has faded into something quieter now. "Better. Safer. Because of you."
We eat in comfortable silence for a while, the mountain air fresh and cool against my skin. When we finish, he sets both plates aside and reaches for my hand.
"The sheriff called while you were in the shower," he says. "Ryan's been officially charged. Arson, vandalism, harassment. He won't be getting out anytime soon. His lawyer's already talking plea deals, but we've got strong evidence."
I let out a long breath I didn't realize I was holding. "It's really over."
"It's really over." He squeezes my hand. "He can't hurt you anymore."
The relief is physical, like a weight I've been carrying for months has finally lifted. I turn toward him and rest my other hand on his thigh. "I've been thinking about something."
He looks at me with those steady hazel eyes. "What's that?"
"The cabin. My lease is up in two months." I take a breath. "I don't want to renew it. I want to stay here. With you. Not as a temporary thing or because I have nowhere else to go. I want to build a life here. In Silver Lake. In this house. With you."
His face softens. He cups my cheek with his free hand. "Are you sure? You don't have to decide right now. There's no pressure."
"I'm sure." I lean into his touch. "I'm choosing this, Brock.
I'm choosing you. I'm choosing us. Not because I need somewhere safe to hide, because I want to wake up next to you every morning.
I want to argue with you about what to make for dinner and make love with you at night and build a real life together. I want all of it."
He pulls me onto his lap right there on the porch steps, his arms wrapping around me tight. "Then stay. Make this your home. Our home."
I kiss him then. Slow and deep. The kind of kiss that says everything my words can't quite capture. His hands settle on my waist, holding me close.
When we pull apart, I rest my forehead against his. "I want to open that shop I've been talking about. The home décor place downtown. I want to put down roots here."
"Then we'll make it happen." He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "Whatever you need. I'm with you."
"I want to be part of this town. Part of your life here. Not just the woman you're dating, I want to be your partner. In everything."
His eyes search mine. "You already are, Sadie. You've been my partner since the day I carried you out of that fire. Maybe even before that."
We sit together on the porch steps, wrapped up in each other, talking about the future.
He tells me about the extra closet space he can clear out for my clothes.
I tell him about the shop location I've been eyeing on Main Street.
We talk about painting the guest room, about getting a dog, about all the ordinary things that make up a life together.
"I never thought I'd have this," I say quietly. "A man who loves me exactly as I am. Who lets me be strong and stubborn and independent while still making me feel safe."
He kisses the top of my head. "And I never thought I'd find someone who'd crack open the walls I spent twenty years building. But here you are."
"Here I am," I whisper. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Later that afternoon, we drive into town to give notice on the cabin. The landlord is understanding, says he'll keep my deposit since I'm leaving early but the place is in good condition. Brock stands beside me while I sign the paperwork, his hand resting on the small of my back.
On the drive home, I watch the mountain roads pass by and feel something settle deep in my chest. This is home now, not because I have nowhere else to go, but because I want to be here with him.
That evening, we end up in bed. He makes love to me slow and thorough, his hands reverent on my skin. I hold him close and let myself feel everything, the certainty, the gratitude, the peace of knowing I made the right choice.
Afterward, we lie tangled together, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. I rest my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat, steady and strong.
"What do you want?" he asks quietly. "Five years from now. Ten years from now. What does our life look like?"
I think about it for a moment. "I want the shop to be thriving. I want to be part of this community, really part of it. Book clubs and barbecues and knowing everyone's names." I pause. "And I want a family. With you. Kids running around this house. A life we built together."
His arms tighten around me. "I want that too. All of it."
"You're sure?" I lift my head to look at him. "You've been on your own for so long."
"I'm sure." He cups my face with both hands. "I want to build that future with you, Sadie. I want everything."
I kiss him again, pouring everything I feel into it. When we pull apart, I settle back against his chest.
"Then let's do it," I whisper. "Let's build it together."
He pulls me closer. "Starting right now."
I fall asleep in his arms feeling more certain about my future than I've ever been. The cabin lease will end. Ryan is gone. And I'm exactly where I'm meant to be, choosing this life, this man, this future. Not because I have to, but because I want to.
Because this is home.