Chapter 23

[Brock]

I wasn’t kidnapping her. With Cap’s blessing, I was taking Pear to my place. For twelve days, like I said to her. This was her penance. She owed me time, but I didn’t want to feel like I was stealing from her. I wanted more days, and nights, learning about each other. She might need to grovel a little bit, but I’ll be on my knees as well, licking up every drop of her apology. I’m not a perfect man myself, and one little decision on her part does not put her on the bad girl list.

While misguided, her intentions were still good. She’d done it for me.

When we finally reach my house on the northwest side of the city, my anger has dissipated. I wasn’t half as mad as I might have appeared. More stunned. Maybe even a little surprised that she’d want me to stay when I’d come across as a total dick at first.

As for Pear, she was a bundle of nerves when we pulled up before my place. A two-story converted bungalow, typical of Chicago. I’d put a lot of work into the house, and I lived in a quiet neighborhood full of fellow firefighters, law enforcement, and nurses. This was my community. We shared yards, watched out for each other’s kids, and held a block party every summer.

I wanted Pear to like it here.

She pops open her door before I round the truck. Once she stands on the sidewalk, I place my hand on her lower back, sensing her anxiety.

“Your house is so pretty.” She stares at it in awe.

Pride fills my chest and I press a kiss to the side of her head.

“You’re beautiful. And my kids are going to love you.” Like I do .

When we enter the house, I’m pleased to find it clean like Ellie had promised. Both kids worked over the break to earn extra cash for college, and I had their schedules in my calendar. However, I hadn’t checked it before leaving the farm. I was a little surprised to find them both home, but also relieved. I wanted this introduction to be quick and easy .

“Hey, guys.”

“Dad,” Ellie squeals, jumping off the couch and rushing toward me for a hug.

“Hey, Dad,” Nick follows after his sister, leaning into me. The hug is short, more like a brief tap of our chests and a clap on the back. Gone are the days my boy lets me hold onto him.

Both stare at Pear, questions in their eyes. I’ve never brought a woman home before.

“Guys, this is Pear. Paradise Klaus. She’s Cap’s daughter. And she’s staying with us.” She didn’t have a place to live yet, and Cap agreed she could stay with me. Not that we needed his permission, but I appreciate his blessing. Maybe she’ll view the time as a punishment. Twelve days for my twelve, but I’m hoping not.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Pear offers, holding out her hand but Ellie steps up to Pear and hugs her. Pear glances at me over Ellie’s shoulder. My girl is a hugger, but this is also a sign she instantly approves.

“It’s so awesome to meet you,” Ellie replies, pulling back to give Pear space.

“Hey,” Nick waves, before holding out his hand, shaking Pear’s. He slides his hands into his back pockets next, a tell-tale he’s nervous, maybe even crushing a little on Pear. His cheeks are suddenly red. “So you’re staying here?”

“Well, I . . .” Pear turns to me.

I’m quick to explain. “She’s staying.” Explanation done. “Let me go get our stuff from the truck. I’ll be right back.”

I’m smugly proud of myself as I scramble out to the truck to retrieve our bags, but panic hits before I’ve made it back to the front steps.

What if she hates my house, doesn’t like my kids, and suddenly feels trapped?

However, once back in the house, I’m hit with a well of emotions and top of the list is love. Nick has taken Pear’s coat and Ellie is showing Pear around.

Nick is hanging Pear’s winter jacket in the coat closet when he asks, “Where did you find her? ”

“A partridge brought her to me,” I joke.

Nick just stares at me.

“Never mind.” I take our bags right up to my room without further explanation to anyone.

Pear is staying. In my room. With me.

Soon enough, my kids aren’t going to be around for the next few months, returning to their colleges for the next semester. Then it will be summer, and they’ll be home but busy. The time will go by too quickly, and I’ll really be alone when they each graduate from college and move out, carrying on with their lives as they should. So, now is the time to do something for myself.

Pear was it for me.

For the next few hours, the kids get to know Pear a little better and I sense they love her like I do. We eventually order pizza and hang out before Nick asks to go to a friend’s house, and Ellie needs to go to work at an ice-skating rink in the suburbs.

Once they are gone, the house is quiet and Pear stares at me from across my kitchen island, twirling the stem of her wineglass.

“I built this piece. It’s a custom cabinet.” I lean on the sturdy cabinetry, running my hands over the butcher block top.

“It’s beautiful.” Still, her eyes don’t leave me. “Your house is beautiful. And your kids are amazing.” Her cheeks flush before her gaze drops. “But what’s going on here?”

I slowly grin. “I meant what I said. You’re staying.”

“For twelve days?” Her brows lift, questioning me. “Am I a prisoner here?”

I shake my head. “You’re free to leave if you have somewhere you’d rather be. But I want you to know, I want you to stay.”

“Why?” Her eyes widen.

“Because I’ve fallen for you. But maybe fallen isn’t the right word because I feel more like I’m floating when I’m around you. A caged bird set free.” I chuckle at myself and glance down at my beer bottle on the island top. “Corny, I know. ”

Then I gaze up at her again. “But those twelve days might have brought me true love.”

“Fireman,” she whispers as she watches me.

I shrug. “And I want twelve more days. Then twelve months, and all the twelves after that.”

Pear blinks as I round the island before I cup the back of her head. I stare into those beautiful eyes that stole my breath the first time I saw her.

“You said you were lonely. And you were right, I was too. Let’s be unlonely together, baby. One plus one equals one, snowflake. You’re my one.”

“You’re my one, too,” she whispers, the sound thick with emotion. Then she’s wrapping her arms around me, tying me tight within her hold like ribbon on a package. I hike up so her legs ribbon around my waist as well.

Setting her on the counter, I stand between her thighs, placing my hands on her hips. God, I love her hips. “Look at me,” I ask and when she pulls back to peer at me with happy tears filling her eyes, I admit even more.

“I love you.” I sigh. “It might seem fast but—”

Her mouth shuts me up. Her kiss erasing any doubts.

She’s my one and I’m hers.

“I love you, too,” she mutters against my lips, a smile on hers before we’re kissing again. Slow sucks. Lingering laps. Tugs and pulls, but never pushing back. Never turning back. We only have time before us.

Slowly, she leans away and rubs her hand over my shoulder. “Tell me what happened with my dad.”

I sigh, tugging her tighter to me and rubbing my nose against hers. “I told Cap I could lose the fire department, but I couldn’t lose you. I told him I wanted to keep you.”

“Keep me?” she grunts, shoving playfully at my shoulder. I only tighten my hold on her hips before slipping my arms around her lower back .

“I figured it might be a little soon to ask him if I could marry you one day.”

Pear blinks. Maybe I’ve stunned her into silence, but I want to be clear where I want us to go. No deception between us.

With her arms looped around my neck and her fingers playing with the hair on the back of my head, she’s quiet.

“What do you think, Pear?” Am I wrong in my assumption we’re on the same path? Have I jumped to far forward too fast, like I said.

“If you play your cards right . . .” She fiddles with the back of my collar. “You never know.” However, the gleam in her eye tells me she’ll be saying yes when I officially ask.

“Speaking of cards.” I pull two out of my back pocket and lay them on the counter beside her.

Pear turns her head and laughs. “The queen of diamonds and king of clubs.”

“Souvenirs of this time I went to a pear farm for a twelve-day sentence.”

Pear lifts her head and smiles. “Oh, yeah, and what happened?”

“Met a woman I love to kiss and fell in love.”

Her smile turns into a beautiful grin, and she leans toward me.

“Funny, I met a man on a pear farm and fell into love, too. And now, I want him to give me all the kisses.”

I happily oblige.

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