“It is nice.” I roll over, smushing myself against Sam. “I could easily be a snow bird and spend most of the winter here.”

“Like an old person.”

“Very much like an old person.” I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. “Though the last few year, I’ve missed the change of seasons. Working from home makes it so I don’t have to leave the house and go out in the cold very often either, and writing while sitting by a fire in the living room as snow drifts down does sound heavenly.”

“Mhhh, yeah. And then I come home from work, take your computer way, lay you down in front of the fire and fuck you senseless.”

“This needs to happen. I wonder if we can get my dad and Nancy to go on vacation so we can use their living room.”

“As long as you tell them specifically we want to fuck in the living room, I’m sure they will pack up and leave right away.”

I laugh and run my fingers up and down Sam’s arm. “You’re going to be the one to tell my dad that.”

He nods. “Excuse me, Mr. Fisher, can you please vacate the house for at least twenty-four hours during a snow storm? Your daughter wants me to bend her over, pull her hair, and choke her while I’m fucking her from behind.”

“Sam!” I laugh. “Yes, please say that.”

“If I do, I think the guns will come out of the safe in the basement.”

“Oh, for sure.”

Sam kisses my neck and I close my eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” I ask as it suddenly dawns on me.

“I called off sick,” he admits. “First sick days I’ve used in years, so it’s okay.”

“You rebel. I like dark-Sam. Especially when he shoves me up against a wall and fucks me until I can’t walk.”

“Your dirty talk is getting better.” He kisses me again and then pulls me onto his chest. We lay together in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. “When I thought Stacey was having my baby,” he starts. “It made me realize that I do want kids and a family, but not with her.” He rakes his fingers up and down my bare back. “Anytime my mom or sister brought up how I should get married and settle down, my mind always went to one person.”

“I really hope it’s me.”

He smiles. “Yes, it’s you. All I could think when she said she was pregnant was that I wished it was you, and I know how messed up that is since we’re not even in the same state. Chloe, there will never be anyone for me but you. I don’t want to rush you into anything,” he breathes. “But I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted and I can’t see anyone else but you being the mother to my children.”

I know anything I say is going to pale in compassion to that, so instead I sit up and kiss Sam. He moves on top of me, kissing me passionately.

“Come back to Chicago with me,” he says between kisses. “I want you there with me when I wake up every morning and when I come home from work. I don’t want to be without you, Chloe, and I know we’re going to have time apart, but when we can…I want us together.”

“I want that too. I want you, Sam, and I’ll take you any way I can.”

He’s right. The long distance is difficult, but not being together is worse.

“He’s beautiful.” Sam runs his hand down Spartan’s neck. “And big.”

“He’s a big softie is what he is.” I clip the lead rope to his halter and lead my big gray horse outside. The grass is dry and browning, and Spartan sniffs around, looking for the best grass to eat. Sam has been in LA with me for two days now, and has to leave in a few hours so he can get back to Chicago from work.

And I’m going back with him.

“How’s he doing?” Sam asks.

“Better, but I’m still worried he’s going to pull a muscle again. Retired race horses can run into lots of issues. It’s sad, really how they’re worked so hard when they’re young and it sets them up for a life time of issues after that.”

“That is sad, but he has a good home now.”

“Yeah.” I smile and follow along, letting Spartan take the lead on where to go. “I do think he’d like being in the midwest where it’s a little cooler and the grass isn’t always dry. Plus, almost having to evacuate him a few years ago really traumatized me. I mean, I know something bad can happen anywhere, but the fires…they scare me.”

“That would be scary. He’s making me miss having horses.” Sam pets him again, brushing pieces of hay of his withers. “There’s an old farmhouse in the town Rory lives in that I’ve always liked. It’s in rough shape, but any time we go visit her something about it appeals to me.”

“Do you think it’s haunted?”

“It probably is, which is why it’s been bought and sold so many times.”

“Ohh, now I’m interested.” Spartan leads us to a new patch of grass. “How far from Chicago is she?”

“Only about an hour or so. It’s not a bad drive if you don’t run into traffic.”

“I’d like to go see her sometime,” I say with a smile. “It would be fun.”

“She would love that. She still looks up to you so much. You helped her probably more than you know.”

My smile widens. “If I can make anyone weird, I’ve done my job.” We walk Spartan to the pasture and Sam opens the gate for us and Spartan takes off, nickering to the other horses out there. We walk back to my car hand in hand, needing to rush back to my house so I can pack enough stuff to last me a week at Sam’s place.

It’s nothing official; I can’t really say I’m moving in with him. But it’s a start, and I know our ending is going to be a happy one.

Epilogue

Sam

Four months later…

“Natural twenty!” Chloe pumps her fist in the air and does a little dance in her seat.

“If I wasn’t watching you roll, I’d say you’re cheating.” Mason lets out a sign and leans back in his chair, putting on an over-the-top act to appear bored. And he says Rory is the dramatic one.

“It hits!” Rory says, looking up from the little barricade of folders she has hiding her Dungeon Master notes from us all. She and Chloe have had this game in the works for weeks now, and we finally found a time to all get together at Rory’s house in Eastwood. We’ve rescheduled twice, as it’s hard to find a time when we can all get together. “Archer, it’s your turn.”

“Uh,” he says, looking at the cheat sheet Rory made for him. “I’m going to throw my axe.”

“You’re too far away,” Chloe say and reaches forward, moving a little silver game piece. “Move first and then you can do your action.”

“That,” Archer says with a nod. “And which dice do I use?”

“This one.” Chloe hands him one of her pink and purple die.

“Why is this game so confusing?” Archer asks and we laugh. Unlike Mason, he’s actually trying, which is more than I can say for Quinn and Jacob, who disappeared to some cat rescue Quinn volunteers at after a call came in saying someone found a garbage bag full of five-week old kittens in a ditch. They’ve been gone for nearly two hours now, which is how long we’ve been playing. Though to be fair, there’s been a lot of drinking, talking and laughing going on too.