Maybe the fridge and a new addition to my—our—cabin was lame. I scrubbed a layer of skin off before I calmed down enough to get out of the shower. I stared into my closet. Dress up so she knew something was up?
It seemed like an asshole thing to wear the track pants I normally did when we were hanging out at night. “Fuck it.” I grabbed a white Henley and her favorite vest with dark washed jeans and my dress boots. She might look at me funny, but she’d know I wanted to take the time.
For her.
Always for her.
Latte started barking his fool head off and my stomach tightened.
“Fortress?”
I smoothed my hand down my shirt and made sure it was tucked all the way around. “Hey, you’re home.” I came down the hall with a smile.
“Hey.” Her crown of braids she wore for work looked a little more lopsided than usual after a shift. Latte was wiggling to get down and she let him free. “At least you’ll want some of my kisses.” Her smile was tired, but still bright and beautiful as always.
“Always.” I crossed to her and drew her up on her toes for a kiss. Cinnamon and vanilla and Veronica. The best parts of my life would forever linked with those scents. And I was so very okay with that.
Her eyes were a little fuzzy and soft by the time I set her back down on her heels. “Well hello there. Were we supposed to be going out?” She toyed with the buttons of my shirt. “You look amazing, but I really wanted to just stay in tonight.”
“We’re not going anywhere.”
“Oh, good.” She tilted her head and gave me a dreamy smile. The one that meant I would have a handful of cuddly female tonight. Some days she came at me like I was the last bit of water in a desert, other times she was like this. Just soft and sweet and so very mine.
“What were you up to today?”
“You’ll see.”
“Oh, will I?” A sparkle dented the tired in her bottle green eyes. “Does it have something to do with your very yummy smell?”
“Side benefit.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I spell like burnt cookies and baby drool.”
I buried my nose in the little bits of hair that escaped her braids. “You smell amazing.”
“That’s only because you love me.”
“I do.” I straightened. “So very much Miss Veronica Dixon.”
“Oh, what did I ever do to deserve you?” She gripped my arms and smiled up at me. “I’d love to just have soup and toasted cheese and watch something blow up in a movie I’ve seen a million times.”
“Sounds pretty perfect. And I’m the lucky one. Believe me.”
“Let me go take a shower and then we’ll turn off the world.”
I grabbed her hand before she could escape. “Wait just a second.”
“I’m filthy.”
“It’ll just take a second. I want your opinion on a little something.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
I drew her over to the back door. “Do I need my coat?”
“Here.” I snagged her shawl off the back of the couch. “We’re going to the garage.” Latte scrambled down from his perpetual perch on his stack of pillows and shot between our legs to get outside.
I settled the worn, soft wool over her shoulders and gathered her into me.