Page 148 of Only Ever You

He peppered kisses to her flushed cheeks, so warm compared to the cold of outside that slowly melted away from his skin. Dissociating himself from their surroundings as he let the love in the touch of her lips rain over him.

His future, he held in his hands. It might be slower in coming to him than he’d wanted before, but Bash was overwhelmed with giddy joy at the promise that itwouldcome.

He didn’t need to experience life all at once; pieces would add themselves into his little existence in their own time.

Living together. A dog. A wedding. A baby or two. Hell, he might go rogue and switch around the order a little, what would it matter? Faye wasall in,and it felt so right.

Someday he’d call himself her husband, but for now he was honoured to just call himself hers.

Someone whistled, and Bash had the sense to ease their kiss and put an inch of distance between Faye’s mouth and his before the child on table three needed therapy.

His cheeks ached from the force of his smile.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, right as Faye stroked her fingers at the nape of his neck – Bash couldn’t be held responsible for what he did in public if she touched him like that for another second.

Her eyes glittered brighter than the leftover tinsel on the cabinets, her cheeks the pink of cherry blossom, as if she’d all of a sudden remembered they weren’t alone.

“Yes,” she said, and Bash sighed in relief. But then her smile dropped. “Oh, wait, Chandra?—”

“Go.” Chandra waved them off with Faye’s long sandy coat and handbag outstretched in her other hand. “I’ve suffered the two of you being oblivious for years. Please just go and resolve it all.”

Grinning like an idiot, Bash let Faye slip through his fingers for the last time.

She leant over the counter to retrieve her things, teasing, “You’re my favourite employee, Chandra.”

Chandra laughed. “Go already.”

“Thank you,” Faye said in all seriousness, layering her coat and scarf and setting her handbag on her shoulder like a woman on a mission ready to face the world.

She turned, and Bash held out his hand with a step back.

“Are you ready?” he asked her, more than one question being asked at once.

Faye’s eyes gleamed as she nodded. “I am.”

Her hand slipped into his, their fingers intertwining, and – after he grabbed her note – together they weaved through the crowd of customers who returned gradually to their days.

Bash openedBaked By the Dozen’sdoor with Faye by his side to a burst of fresh air and the blue sky sun upon his face.

The bakery might not have been where their story began, but it was where it was born again.

Faye’s grip pulsed on his hand and he sought her eyes, the glow in her cheeks and radiance in her smile that stretched out wide.

“Your hands are shaking,” she said.

Bash was too happy to care. “I was terrified of doing that. I didn’t expect there to be so many people watching.”

“I’m proud of you for saying those things in front of everyone.” Faye cupped his stubbly cheek and he turned his face to kiss her palm. “Where are we going?”

“Where would you like to go?”

Faye thought about it for a second, answering, “Home.”

Home.

Bash drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead, whispering, “I’m already there.”

Though they couldn’t stand within the doorway forever, so a minute later when the chill in the air caught up to them both, Bash took Faye’s hand again and led her down the street, retracing the journey he’d taken to get here, until they sank down into his sofa with croissants and a cheesecake, danced through the living room to their favourite jazz records, and let the rest of their lives begin.

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