Chapter 25

Cassie walked down the street, a wide smile on her face. Three months had passed since she told Del she loved him, and she still couldn't seem to wipe the stupid-in-love grin from her lips. Probably because she was stupid in love. So awesomely, freaking happily in love. Some days, she had to pinch herself. Then others, Del did something to annoy her and she remembered it was all too real.

Good and bad, during their small spats or the mind-blowing make-up sessions afterward, she and Del had something special. She was so glad she'd taken a chance on them. Even when the man annoyed the ever-living daylights out of her, she loved him.

And she knew she always would.

She touched the beautiful heart shaped necklace Del had given her a few days after they made up. She couldn't believe he'd bought it so long ago and kept it. Just for her. Looked like Gran hadn't been the only one who had a suspicion she and Del would end up happily ever after.

Making her way through the door of Jack's Grill, she covered her ears at the sharp piercing sound coming from inside. The Jackson family had leased the building next to the distillery, and the restaurant preparations were in full swing. Right now, they had the kitchen fully finished with new, top-of-the-line equipment. The dining area was coming together, booths along the back wall, tables and chairs out on the floor. Everything looked almost ready to go.

So, what was making such a racket?

Her gaze crossed the room until it fell on the culprit of the high-pitched eardrum shatter. Del stood on a ladder with an ancient-looking screw gun, a pair of downhill skis screwed onto the wall in front of him. As she glanced around, Cassie noticed a lot of things had been added to the walls. Snowshoes, old miners' pans, a framed copy of the lyrics to America the Beautiful.

"This stuff is tacky, Del." Ace stood at the bottom of the ladder, glaring up at his brother, arms crossed over his chest. "Take it all down."

"No," Del argued. "It's fun, and everything here is a bit of Colorado history. Tourists love this tchotchke type stuff."

"I don't know man." BJ stood by his twin's side, running a hand through his long, unbound hair. "Ace has a point. It kind of makes us look like one of those kitschy restaurants. What's next? You going to ask our waitstaff to wear pieces of flair?"

Del pointed the screw gun at his brothers. "First of all, don't insult Office Space , it's a classic. And second, I know what I'm doing. I'm not just throwing up random junk. This all has meaning to our state, our town, us. Trust me."

Her heart swelled when the twins shared a glance then gave Del a nod. In the past few months, he'd come into his own. He'd dropped the have-no-cares persona and started honestly talking to his siblings. And to her. Together, they'd helped each other open up to life, truth, and love. She had no idea how she'd gotten so lucky, but she wished everyone could be this happy.

"Trust me. It'll be a big hit. Plus, it will give people something to talk about while they wait for their food. Ya know, dinner conversation for the awkward first date."

Cassie laughed because it wasn't too long ago that she'd had a string of very awkward—and bad—first dates. Thankfully, that was all over now.

At the sound of her laughter, Del's gaze swung over, a huge smile parting his lips. "Hey. When did you get here?"

"Just now. I like the decorations."

"See! She likes it."

BJ chuckled. "She has to say that, she's sleeping with you. Though for the life of me, I still can't figure out why."

Del jumped down off the ladder, tossing the screw gun to Ace and a middle finger to BJ. He hurried over to her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him to greet her with a very yummy kiss.

"Gross, get a room!"

She pulled back at the sound of her best friend's voice. When had Charlie arrived?

"Where have you been?" Ace demanded.

"We had a staff meeting scheduled," BJ added.

Del scowled at his sister. "I tried your cell like three times."

Charlie ignored them all, heading to the tasting room door connected to the new restaurant. As she passed, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Cassie, would you please tell my brothers to stop pestering me?"

Cassie held up her hands. "I'm Switzerland."

At times it got tricky dating her best friend's brother, but thankfully the Jacksons were a loving family and the arguments never lasted long. Still, she liked to stay out of the sibling squabbles.

"If I didn't love you so much, I'd hate you." Charlie leaned in to brush her cheek against Cassie's in a small hug before moving to the connecting door.

"Where are you going?" Ace demanded once again.

"To get a drink, Jackasson!" Charlie yelled over her shoulder.

Cassie laughed because she knew how much her friend loved her brothers. Cassie loved them too, one in particular.

"Come on," Del whispered in her ear. "I have something to show you."

Willing to follow this man anywhere, she matched his steps as he led them down the small hallway out the back. When he pushed opened the door, she sucked in a gasp of surprise. The once dingy-looking, pothole-ridden, parking lot had been transformed into a beautiful garden patio. Dark brown flagstone, shot through with streaks of red and gold, covered the ground. Small pine shrubs lined the sides, and a melodic water feature tinkled away in the back. The rippling water cascaded down a set of stones into a small pond.

"Oh, Del. It's amazing."

"Yeah? I thought it would be nice to offer outdoor seating in the warmer months. We didn't need all the parking back here since there's a public lot across the street and you have a great view of the Front Range from here."

He was right. The Rocky Mountains were in full view from where she stood, towering high above them in all their majestic glory. She breathed in deeply, the scent of fresh air, pine, and Del filling her so full of happiness she feared she might burst.

"It's perfect."

"I thought so, too. And not just for eating. I figured it'd be the perfect spot for an intimate wedding."

She turned to him, cheeks hurting from the huge smile gracing her face. "I couldn't agree more."

They'd talked about marriage and their future a lot over the past few months, but never set anything official. She still wore the ring he gave her for their fake proposal. He said it symbolized the start of their relationship, and someday it would become real. He was right. And this time she didn't need the perfect proposal. All she needed was Del.

"It can't be too small," she reminded him. "Half the town will want to be invited."

He grasped her hips, tugging her in close until their bodies were touching from chest to groin. "Fine, we'll have a small ceremony here with just family and friends and then a big party in Town Square to celebrate."

Lifting her arms, she draped them around his shoulders. "Mmm, I like the sound of that."

"I thought you might. Now…" he brushed his lips against hers in a barely there kiss. "How should we celebrate?"

Arching her hips, she rubbed against him. "Oh, I can think of a few ways. All naked." She gave him a wink.

"I like the sound of that ."

She laughed as Del scooped her up in his arms.

"Ready to go home, Sassy?"

Yes. She was ready to go home, a home she shared with Del. A place they lived, but that didn't define them. Who knew how many apartments or houses they might live in during their life together? It didn't matter. All that mattered was the man who held her in his arms. As long as she always had Del, she knew she would always have love.

And that was the only thing she'd ever wanted.

The End