“You bet,” Cam said. “Pulling one over on me like that? I’m not going to forget it.”
“I was going to tell you as soon as it was over,” Perry said. “And then it turned out that… it wasn’t really over. Because Rock here worked his way into my heart when I wasn’t even looking.”
Cam’s expression was relaxing now as he turned to me. “As for you, if you ever hurt my brother, I’m out to get you,” he said. “But God, am I glad you’re sticking around.”
He moved in to wrap his arms around me in a tight hug.
We ate lunch, and the conversation turned to Cam and his kids. A few more times, he needled at us for lying to him, and even though he was joking, I still felt awful about it. He’d gone through so much with his divorce. The last thing he needed was to feel he couldn’t trust his family.
But I knew that only time could prove what my feelings for Perry were now. All throughout lunch my mind wandered, wondering what life would be like if I really did move to Amberfield.
There could be more of this. So much more.
Simple, easy moments, spending time with Perry and Cam, having lunch and shooting the shit. Getting to watch Perry laugh when his brother inevitably told a silly joke. Being able to get up and refill his glass of iced tea.
The simple moments like these made my heart yearn even more than the more obvious ones. Clearly, I’d be able to have sex with Perry whenever I wanted, and that got my blood pumping. But the whole point was that all of it was good with him. The talking. The sex. The easy afternoon lunches. Even rescuing him from a damned kitchen fire—something I hoped I never had to do, but I was so glad to be there to help.
So what if I stood to make a little more money in the city, or had access to more things? None of that felt like it would mean anything to me now without Perry around.
And I was starting to feel like I could be around him forever.
I was in bed and cozy already by the time Perry finished brushing his teeth and putting on his grey sweatpants.
“Your ass looks too good in those,” I said as he turned off the light and walked over.
“Your ass looks good in my bed,” he said as he sank in under the covers beside me.
“I’m so glad your brother doesn’t hate us,” I said, snuggling up against the side of his body. He wrapped his arm around me.
“Cam doesn’t hate anybody,” he said. “But he definitely was surprised.”
“I take that as a compliment. I’m glad everybody thought we were the perfect pair at the reunion.”
“It means we did a good job acting,” he said.
“Or it means it was true,” I told him, reaching up to run my fingers across his chest.
“You think we’re a perfect pair, huh?”
I hummed. “Not sure yet, but I’m definitely betting on us.”
“You’re not only down with dating a man, but dating a grey-haired oldie like me.”
I chuckled. “You’re still young. The silver fox look just makes you even hotter, and you know it.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
I pulled in a deep breath, taking in the scent of the clean sheets and his skin. It was scary how quickly I’d gotten accustomed to this—the smell of him, the feeling of this bed, the fact that all of it sort of already felt like home.
“I think we’ve got a shot, right?” I said.
I was surprised by how vulnerable I felt, as soon as I’d asked the question. He paused for a moment, just stroking the side of my body with his thumb, and I felt tension rising inside of me like a pressure cooker.
“I hope so, Rock.”
I shifted in bed, propping myself up on one elbow to look over at him in the dim room.
“Nothing is official yet, obviously, but… I think I’m going to actually do it, Perry,” I said softly.
“Hmm?”
I cleared my throat, drawing a circle with my fingertips on his shoulder. “I’m going to see about actually taking a position at the Amberfield-Bridgeview fire station.”
I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “You don’t have to do this just for me,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
“It’s not just for you,” I said. “God, Perry, it’s for me.”
“Sleep on it.”
“I’m going to,” I assured him, “but I think I already know what my decision is going to be. And I think deep down you do, too.”
He let out a long breath, reaching out and pulling me into his arms. He squeezed me tight, like he never wanted to let go.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m not going to question it anymore. Okay?”