Page 30 of Rescued In The Storm

"Because I was trying to find the right words." He takes a step closer. "I've spent two days thinking about what to say to you, how to explain, and I still got it wrong." Another step. "I'm not good at this, Sarah. At feelings. At saying what matters."

"Then why should I believe you now?" The words come out as a whisper, hope and fear warring inside me.

Connor exhales, his expression opening in a way I've rarely seen. No walls, no careful distance. Just him.

"Because every Tuesday for years, I drove out of my way to come to your bakery, when I could have had coffee at the lodge."

Of all the things I expected him to say, this wasn't on the list. "You what?"

"I told myself it was about routine, or those scones," he explains, taking another step closer. "But it was always about seeing you, Sarah. I just didn't let myself admit it until now."

"But... why?" I ask, genuinely confused.

His eyes never leave mine, blue and clear and utterly sincere. "Because being in your bakery, even for those few minutes every week, was the brightest part of my day. I've spent years walking in and out of your life without realizing you were what I was looking for all along."

The admission steals my breath. Connor Callahan—the man who belongs to these mountains, to this lodge, to a family that loves him fiercely—went out of his way every week just to spend a few minutes in my presence. All this time, I thought I was the only one feeling something, but he was drawn to me too, even if he didn't recognize why.

"I've been an idiot," he continues, close enough now that I can see the different shades of blue in his eyes. "Running when I should have been staying. Thinking when I should have been feeling. And taking for granted the one person who's always seen me—really seen me—when I couldn't even see myself."

Tears well in my eyes, blurring his face. I blink them back, unwilling to miss a moment of this. I've spent years memorizing Connor Callahan's expressions, and this one—open, vulnerable, certain—is entirely new.

"I don't need any more time to think, Sarah," he says, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. "I don't need to analyze or figure it out. I just need you. If you'll still have me."

The last of my resolve crumbles, years of careful restraint falling away in an instant. Before I can second-guess myself, I'm moving—not away this time, but toward him. Running.

Connor catches me as I launch myself into his arms, his hands steady at my waist as he lifts me slightly. I bury my face against his neck, breathing in the pine and soap scent of him, feeling the solidity of his chest against mine.

"I take it that's a yes?" he murmurs against my hair, his voice unsteady for the first time.

I pull back just enough to see his face, my hands framing his cheeks. "Yes," I whisper, then louder, "Yes."

And then I'm kissing him—not soft and tentative like on my porch, but with all the certainty of someone claiming what's been theirs all along. His arms tighten around me, lifting me higher as he returns the kiss with equal fervor.

Somewhere in the background, I'm vaguely aware of cheers and applause from the porch. Someone—Jameson, probably—lets out a wolf whistle. But it all fades to background noise compared to the thundering of my heart and the feeling of finally, finally being exactly where I belong.

When we eventually break apart, both breathing hard, Connor doesn't set me down. He keeps me close, his forehead pressed to mine, a smile spreading across his face that I've never seen before—unguarded, joyful, a little dazed.

"For the record," I say, my own smile so wide it hurts, "I've been yours for years too. You just needed to notice."

"I'm noticing now," he promises, his eyes never leaving mine. "And I'm not looking away again."

Behind us, life at the lodge continues—guests checking in, staff moving about, the Callahan family beaming with various degrees of smugness. But here in the circle of Connor's arms, with the morning sun warming my shoulders and his heart beating against mine, none of that matters.

What matters is that Connor Callahan loves me. And after all these years of waiting, of watching, of loving him from a distance—I finally get to love him up close.

Epilogue

Connor

Elk Ridge, Ten Months Later…

"If you fidget with that tie one more time, I'm going to strangle you with it."

Liam's voice holds just enough brotherly irritation to snap me out of my nervous spiral. I drop my hands to my sides, resisting the urge to tug at the collar that feels tighter than it did five minutes ago.

"I don't know how people wear these things voluntarily," I mutter, catching my reflection in the window of my cabin. The suit is foreign territory—pressed and proper in a way that makes me feel like an imposter. But Sarah deserves this. A real wedding, not just a rushed courthouse ceremony or a casual gathering on the lawn.

"The suffering is temporary," Liam assures me, straightening his own tie with practiced ease. "The photos, unfortunately, are forever."

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