Zane couldn’t quell the anticipation riding his veins all day, nor did he want to. He stood outside his apartment, barely daring to believe what sat parked right outside his apartment. Tires screeched in the distance, mingling with shouts, and the occasional car honk. From where he stood, the scents of cheese and grease wafted through the air from the Papadopolis’s pizza joint. Liv’s presence was announced by her heavy footfalls as she stomped her way down the aluminum stairs. The woman had about as much grace as a rhino.

“Holy shit, Z,” she breathed, stepping beside him. “It’s beautiful.” She’d pinned her blue curls back with a red headscarf, wearing one of his t-shirts that hung ten sizes too big on her, and a pair of black leggings. The sight of her still knocked the breath from him, a beauty that grew with every day, every shared smile, and every tease.

He couldn’t agree more. Zane ran a hand through his tangled locks, a stupid grin on his face. The stainless steel frame glinted in the overhead summer sun, nearly sizzling with the fragrant heat. Bardstown traffic zoomed by, and a couple of people stopped and stared along the way, but he didn’t give a damn—he was proud as hell. It had taken time and the money he’d saved all those years, but with Liv’s constant encouragement, he had made the leap.

He bought his food truck.

Even though the thing needed a paint job, even though the truck was bare bones right now, he could see his future restaurant take shape before his eyes, the one he’d dreamed about for so long. The bright oranges and yellows of his mother’s kitchen and the scents of the richly spiced gravy and white rice he’d grown up with were a true comfort amid the dark times. At last, he’d be able to honor the journey he and his family had taken. He could aspire to be something more than his past.

A click-click sounded behind him, a noise he’d begun to hear in his sleep, as Liv snapped away with her camera, nearly hopping up and down with excitement.

“It’s not painted or anything—what’s there to take a picture of?” he asked, leaning over to slip his arm around her shoulder and squeeze her.

She swatted him away, crouching to get a better angle. “The moment, jackass. Stand next to your hopes and dreams and try to put something other than a scowl on your mug,” she teased. “Otherwise you’re going to scare all of your potential customers away.” Already, she walked around the opposite end to take more pictures with a giddy grin on her face that infected him.

He snorted as he approached the truck, running his fingertips along the silver panels, the metal warm against his skin. Standing here beside it, he could smell the phantom scent of cooking beef, of sizzling eggs, and of tangy Kahlua pork all over beds of white rice. Nostalgia swept through him, mixed with longing for a dream soon to become a reality.

“Want to check out the inside with me?” Zane asked, hopping to unlock the back door. He walked inside the hotbox, drops of sweat blossoming on his forehead, even with the sleeveless tee and shorts he’d donned. Nerves swept through him as he made his way to the opposite side of the truck.

“Roomy—think there’s enough space for me to cook?” Liv teased as she slunk in behind him.

“Please don’t,” he mock-pleaded. “I want some customers.” Zane leaned against the counter that in no time would be filled with supplies and utilized to full capacity. A dream that once seemed so distant and surreal now bloomed before his eyes, and he couldn’t help but acknowledge how instrumental Liv had been. Every step of the way she’d encouraged, supported, and helped him make this a reality. He wasn’t used to relying on others, but they worked together so easily, with a teamwork he’d only dreamed of before.

One he wanted for keeps.

Zane sank on one knee in front of her before snagging the extra weight in his pocket beside his one year chip. He flipped open the velvet box, and her brows lifted high when she caught sight.

“Livs, I know you don’t need a ring to shout this commitment to the world—we belonged with each other from the day we met. But I’m a selfish bastard, and I want the honor of calling you my wife,” Zane said, his heart hammering in his chest. He’d planned this for a long while now, but the day he bought the truck, he’d made another purchase as well. Sweat trickled down his temple, nerves and heat combining as he waited for her to respond.

A blinding smile stole her scarlet lips, and those blue eyes glowed like a summer sky. Her hand jumped for her camera, and her finger slid over the shutter. Zane lifted a brow, unable to hide his amusement. Of course.

“You’re going to leave me hanging so you can snap some shots?”

“Maybe it’s fun to see you sweat,” she murmured, the sensual smirk on her sending his mind to dirty places. Her finger poised at the ready to snap a shot. “One picture?” she asked.

“All right,” he said, shaking his head with a grin as he remained kneeling a moment longer, the jewelry box weighing down his palm. Still, he couldn’t deny her, not with the joy that overtook her when she was behind the camera. The second she took the shot, Liv tugged her precious cargo from around her neck and joined him on the ground, crouching in front of him. She plucked the ring from the box and slipped on the silver band, a marquise-cut black diamond in the center, a perfect match against her pale fingers.

“Only if you’ll do me the honor of being my husband,” she said with a grin, the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement. He couldn’t help but remember a similar proposal some time ago on a sunlit day in Cherokee Park. For once, he understood her undying drive to capture every moment on camera, because this one he wanted to remember for the rest of his life.

“I think I can handle that,” he murmured, closing the distance between them. He claimed her lips like he had the first time, savoring the sweetness of her, the citrus threaded through her hair, and the partner he’d found for the journey. She deepened the kiss, her arms twining around his neck. Kneeling in the middle of his food truck with the woman he’d chosen to spend the rest of his life with, Zane’s heart ached to burst.

They already encountered road bumps, and when life’s stressors descended, hardships would emerge again, but for, he felt like he could fight them. With Liv at his side, he’d become more than a lowlife with no hope. Each moment he spent with her taught him more about what he could become and about dreams he could still attain as she led by example, embracing her passion for photography every waking second.

In the past, each day had been a struggle, his lonely existence barely worth fighting for. But this future with Liv? He’d take up arms every day to battle his addictions and his past for the bliss she brought, and together they would both continue to heal, one step at a time.