“What are you doing here?” I scrambled to stand.

“Relax, sit down.” He pulled the desk chair next to my bed. “I came to drop off the girls’ birthday presents.”

“Oh, thanks.”

My heart soared at the sight of him and I wondered if that would ever go away. How much time needed to pass before I could be in a room with him and stop worrying that my chest was going to explode?

Leaning forward in the chair, he rested his elbows on his knees as a crooked smile rolled across his face.

“I love you, Kacie.”

My heart sputtered to a complete stop as his soulful eyes searched my face.

“I’ve loved you since that night out on the pier when we looked up at the stars, then I fell in love with you again the next day when you peeked at the sunset from the top of the Ferris wheel, then I fell in love with you again when I saw you in that blue dress, then I fell in love with you again on my kitchen counter, then I fell in love with you again at the cake tasting, then I fell in love with you again at Lauren’s wedding, then I fell in love with you again in that hospital room when you stared at your daughter lying unconscious in that bed…”

I swallowed, unable to speak.

“I fall in love with you every single time I watch you interact with Lucy and Piper. The love you feel for them is so vast and overwhelming, it absolutely amazes me. I sometimes wonder if there’s room in your heart for me too, but then we’re alone … and it’s there. Whatever it is, it hangs in the air between us, so fucking thick I can hardly breathe.”

Tears ran down my cheeks, it was almost physically painful to listen to him. “Brody, please…” I pleaded, not wanting to hear any more.

“You’re not a summer fling.”

My breath caught in my throat as my mouth fell open. How did he know about that?

“I know what Blaire said to you in that bathroom and she couldn’t have been more wrong. You’re not a summer fling, a winter fling, or any other fling,” he continued. “You’re my choice, Kacie. I know where the door is and I know how to walk through it if I want, but I don’t want to. I want to be here with you, with the girls. Every. Single. Day.”

I nervously thumbed the cuff of my sweatshirt under the scrutiny of his intense gaze.

“I also know that Kendall was in that bathroom, and I can’t even imagine how excruciating that must have been for you. I told them both to go to hell and I fired Andy.”

“You did?” I whispered in a shaky voice.

“Kacie, you can’t listen to anything Blaire says. She only cares about how I perform on the ice—that’s why she wants you out of the way. She thinks you’re a distraction.”

My brain was moving so fast; I couldn’t keep up. I lowered my head to my hands, struggling to process the mountain he was laying at my feet.

“I agree with her about that, you are a distraction,” he said quietly.

I snapped my head up and locked eyes with him.

“The best damn distraction I’ve ever had in my life. You and the twinkies.” He scooted over to my bed and cupped either side of my face with his warm hands. “Before you guys, I didn’t know life outside of the rink existed. You’ve made me realize I want more. I want everything, and I want it with you.”

“I’m afraid, Brody.”

“I know you are. It’s a big leap, but I promise it’s worth it.”

Still holding my face, he leaned forward and softly pressed his lips against mine. There was no hidden intent with that kiss; it was just that, a kiss. Neither of us was in a hurry to break it.

I wanted this; I wanted him, and I needed to tell him. He just laid it all out for me. He needed to know how I felt too.

I pulled back but didn’t let go of his hands. “Brody, I’m scarred. Zach did so much damage to my heart, sometimes I feel like he ruined it for anyone else. He mutilated it and even though I put it back together, it’ll always be a little tainted.”

“I know, but that’s the thing about scars, Kacie, over time they fade and get smaller. It’s time for yours to disappear.”

The thought of Brody being mine forever forced a small smile to tug at my lips.

“Talk to me … what are you thinking?” He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumbs.

I took a deep breath. “I’m thinking that I love you, Brody Murphy. I love you a lot.”

A grin slid across his face as he pressed his forehead against mine.

“I’ve loved you since you first called my girls twinkies, then I fell in love with you again when you made me jump in puddles with you, then I fell in love with you again when you went fishing with Fred, then I fell in love with you again when you bought twenty kinds of shampoo, then I fell in love with you again in your bed, then I fell in love with you again when you let the girls paint your nails, then I fell in love with you again with a pair of hospital slippers in my hands.” I sniffed and looked into his eyes.

He opened his mouth to respond, but I put my finger on his lips, stopping him.

“My heart knew I loved you before my brain did.”

That was all he needed to hear. He leapt forward and crashed into me with so much force, he knocked me backwards on my bed. The weight of his body was heavy on top of me, but there was nowhere else on this planet I’d rather be.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. “I love you, Kacie. I love you so damn hard.”

“I love you too, Brody. Completely.”

We lay on my bed, lost in each other and completely oblivious to the world happening outside of my room. We kissed and hugged each other so tight; afraid of what would happen when we let go.

“We should probably go out there and see what’s going on with everyone.” I finally sighed.

“Screw that, we have a couple weeks worth of kissing to make up for.”

The laugh that escaped me almost drowned out the sound of the soft knock on my bedroom door.

Brody and I sat up, “Come in,” I called out, rubbing my tingling lips.

Lucy and Piper came barreling through the door with the biggest smiles I’d ever seen on their faces.

“Mom, come see our cake!” Lucy squealed.

“Oh, it’s here? I didn’t know Gigi went to get it,” I said, as Piper grabbed my arm and pulled me off my bed. Lucy took a hold of Brody’s hand and they led us out to the kitchen.

My eyes almost fell out of my head when I saw the cake sitting perfectly in the middle of the island. It was the princess cake that Brody and I saw in the book at The Great Cakery.

“What the … how did Mom…” I was thoroughly confused.

“I asked your mom to let me handle the cake,” Brody said from behind me.

I spun around to face him. “You did this?”

He grinned and nodded, wiggling his eyebrows at me. “Cool, huh? I just hope my twinkies like Oreo cake because I couldn’t resist.”

I smiled as Lucy and Piper ran over and wrapped their arms around him.

“This is so awesome, Brody. Thank you.” I looked at him with sheer adoration as I walked over to the pantry to make sure we had candles for later, something I’d completely forgot to check before.

I pulled the pantry door open and gasped when I caught my mom and Fred groping each other like a couple of teenagers against the cereal shelf. The girls started to run toward the pantry to see what I was staring at when I slammed the door.