Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
I turn slightly in my chair, shifting so I can face her properly. My hands tighten around hers as I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead, letting the warmth of the gesture speak for me before I find the words. “Yeah, Petal,” I murmur against her skin, my voice filled with conviction. “I do.”
She lets out a small, relieved breath, and I can feel the tension leave her body as she relaxes into me again. There’s something about calling her Petal that always softens her, and even though I’ve said it a hundred times by now, the way her face lights up whenever I do never gets old. It’s her nickname, just between us—a reminder of her strength, her softness, her beauty, all wrapped up in one.
We sit in comfortable silence after that, watching the colors in the sky deepen and shift as the sun sinks lower behind the mountains. It feels like we’ve finally crossed some invisible line, like all the weight and fear we carried before has been lifted, leaving only this moment, this quiet peace.
“Thank you,” Perry whispers, her voice breaking through the stillness. I look down at her, brow furrowing slightly.
“For what?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“For this,” she says, gesturing toward the horizon with a slight tilt of her head. “For sticking by me, even when it wasn’t easy. For believing in us.”
There’s a hint of emotion in her voice that makes my chest tighten again, but this time, it’s not fear—it’s something else, something deeper. I shift in my seat, bringing her hand to my lips and pressing a kiss there, my heart feeling too full.
“You don’t have to thank me,” I say, my voice rougher than I intended. “This... it was never a choice for me, Perry. You were always it.”
The words come out unguarded, raw, but I don’t regret them. Maybe a part of me has been holding back, afraid to admit just how deeply I’ve fallen for her, but not anymore. She’s here with me, and that’s all that matters.
Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, we just sit there, letting the weight of everything that’s passed between us settle. It feels good to say it out loud, to own it. There’s no more running, no more hiding. I’ve found my home in her, just like she’s found hers in me.
The porch creaks as Perry shifts, pulling her legs up onto her chair and leaning further into my side. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and we sit like that, watching the last of the sunset bleed into the horizon.
“So,” she says after a while, her tone lighter now, teasing. “What do you think is next for us, mountain man?”
I smirk, loving the way she can shift from serious to playful in an instant. It’s one of the things I love most about her—how she keeps me on my toes, never letting things get too heavy for too long. “Next?” I echo, playing along. “I thought we’d conquered just about everything.”
Perry laughs, a sound that feels like sunshine after a long winter. “Oh, I’m sure there’s more. Like... learning to share a kitchen without me tripping over your giant boots.”
I chuckle, tightening my arm around her. “I’ll work on it. No promises, though.”
She leans up, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw. “I can live with that.”
For a while, we just sit there, watching the sky turn from gold to dark blue, stars beginning to peek through the fading light. The air cools, but neither of us moves to go inside. There’s something about the quiet, about the feeling of the world slowing down around us, that feels too perfect to disturb.
Perry’s hand rests on my chest, right over my heart, and I cover it with mine, feeling the steady beat beneath her fingers. I’ve never felt so certain about anything in my life. This woman beside me, this home we’ve built together—it’s everything I didn’t know I was looking for, and now that I have it, I’m not letting it go.
The future stretches out in front of us, filled with challenges and joys we can’t even begin to imagine yet, but I’m not afraid. Not anymore. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. And as the last of the sunset disappears behind Copper Mountain, I know one thing for sure: we’ve found our forever.
And it feels damn good.
“Your love is the constant in my life, Petal. Even when you aren't physically here, I feel your presence.” He gently caresses my cheeks, lulling me into submission. “Just seeing your smile when I wake up in the morning gives me the motivation I need, even on the toughest days. The way you spread love and happiness in the world keeps me going.”
“Knox…” She breathes.
“No, you don't understand, Petal. You’re my guiding light. Do you know how torturous it is to want someone so badly all the time?” I ask, pulling at her earlobe. I tower over her, trapping her against the wall of the cabin with my large frame. “You drive me crazy. I think about things I shouldn't when it comes to you–weddings, babies. You make me want things I never thought I could have.” My kiss is not gentle but passionate and fierce, fueled by the intense desire in her eyes. I press her body closer to mine as my hands roam under her shirt and unhook her bra.