I was home alone. It was my day off from the shelter and Braden was at the fire station. It was the first time in almost a week. I was trying to stay optimistic, but it didn’t seem like he would be keeping that job for much longer. Still, for the time being, we were making do with what we had and that was all I could ask for.

My textbook weighed heavily in my lap. I looked down at the chapter I was supposed to read. It was explaining how to foal a horse. Reading about it paled in comparison to doing it.

I set the book down and headed for the kitchen, boiling a kettle of water. As I waited, I spotted my keys and thought about heading to the store. There was something I was meaning to buy…

Before I could muster up the courage, however, the doorbell rang. I jumped at the sudden noise. I wasn’t expecting anyone.

I looked through the peephole to find the mailman standing there, a yellow envelope in hand. Quickly, I unlocked the door.

“Adele.” He nodded in greeting. I had been ordering quite a few things for the farm, which meant that Bill and I had come to know each other well. “This one’s for Braden, but you can sign for it.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Looks like some legal documents,” he said, holding out a stylus.

I signed the device, pressing ‘okay’ once I was done.

“Have a nice day!” he chimed before walking back to his truck and driving down the street.

I closed the door with a soft thud and stood there for a moment, feeling the envelope between my fingers. It was thick. My curiosity was slowly building up in the back of my head. A part of me wanted to pop the seal and see what was inside. After all, Braden and I were living together. We were practically a couple, even though we hadn’t explicitly defined our relationship yet. But we were more than just friends with benefits. He wouldn’t mind if I took a little peek, right?

With the envelope in hand, I walked back into the kitchen, grabbing a knife. I was just about to slide it under the seal when I stopped myself. No. I couldn’t do this. It would be a breach of privacy and I didn’t want things to get weird between us.

Sighing, I put the knife down, settling for a thorough examination of the outside of the envelope. It was addressed from his grandfather, Eunice Ennis. From what Dahlia had told me, they didn’t get along very well. So, what was inside the envelope?

Taking the high road, I tucked the envelope behind the coffee machine, promising myself that I wouldn’t touch it. I would just ask Braden about it later.

* * *

Braden came home late, looking exhausted.

I greeted him with a kiss, letting my arms lock around his neck. “How was your day?” I ask, tilting my head. “You look tired.”

“They’re cleaning up the station. Had us moving a lot of heavy boxes all over the place. I think they’re going to consolidate with the next town over, but they won’t tell us yet.”

I frowned. “If they do that, will you be able to keep your job?”

“Technically, yes. But I’m not sure whether I want to make the commute. Besides, Eastwick is a pretty big town. I’d probably be working extra hours which leaves me less time to take care of the animals.”

My frown deepened. It seemed he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wished there was a way I could help him, but it wasn’t like my army pension or my salary at the shelter amounted to much.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get through this. I’ll find a way.” He smiled, gently kissing my nose. “I always do.” He hugged me close before looking into my eyes, a look of adoration dancing along his irises. My heart swelled. Deep down, I knew this man truly did love me. “What did you do all day while I was gone?”

“I went down and fed the animals in the morning and then I did a little studying. That reminds me. The mailman dropped off an envelope with some legal documents from your grandfather. I signed off on them. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Where are they?” Braden asked quickly, a sense of urgency in his voice.

“In the kitchen.”

He followed me, snatching the envelope out of my hand the second I presented it to him.

“You didn’t open it?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“No.”

This seemed to calm him down a bit. Carefully, he tore the seal, pulling out a thick stack of papers, his eyes scanning the text.

“What is it?” I asked, my curiosity too great to ignore at this point.

“It’s just some documents concerning my inheritance,” he answered, his words slow and carefully chosen.

I couldn’t help but think that he was trying to hide something from me. Even his body language was tense. Something fishy was going on.

“Oh?”

He wet his lips, flipping through the pages. “He’s just been kind enough to guarantee that when we have a child, it will be well taken care of.”

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “I thought you and your grandfather didn’t get along. Why would he do that?”

Braden shrugged. “Saw the error of his ways, I suppose. I’m not going to complain.”

“What are the tenets of the will?”

“I’m not sure, I haven’t read through everything yet.” He stuffed the documents back in the envelope. “I’m too tired to do it now.” He opened a drawer, placing it inside. “Don’t worry about it.”

I bit the inside of my lip, contemplating my next move. Braden was clearly hiding something. He was trying to finish this conversation way too quickly. My suspicions rose when I saw his fingers twitching by his side. Still, I decided to drop the subject for the time being. Braden had matured significantly since high school. I knew he wouldn’t lie to me. Whatever was happening, he would tell me when the time was right.

“Okay.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Our lips melded together as my fingers tangled in his hair. Somehow, Braden always managed to taste like the sweetest honey. Every time I kissed him, I was left wanting more. It was addictive.

Either that or I was starting to fall in love with him.

No.

I had already fallen in love with him.

And for that reason, I could forgive his desire to keep the will and money private. It was his family and he had every right to deal with the matter in the way he thought best. It wasn’t my place to pry.

Braden looked down at me and smiled. He kissed me once more, his hand cupping my cheek in a gentle manner. I nuzzled into his touch, yearning for it. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, getting high off it.

Once I opened them, he pinned a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“You know, it doesn’t matter to me if you want to keep the will close to the vest. I understand. But I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I’m here for you.”

His smile deepened. “I know you are. I appreciate it.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine. “Somehow, I got lucky enough to have a second chance with you.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m the lucky one.” I placed my hand on top of his, letting our fingers lock together. “I think I’m developing deeper feelings for you,” I whispered, my words sounding stiff and insincere. I cleared my throat, trying anew. “What I mean is, I think I might be falling for you. This isn’t just a friends with benefits situation anymore.”

“It never was, Adele.” Braden took my head in his hands and pulled me closer, our lips practically touching. “You always meant so much more than that to me. I dreamed of exactly this for all the years we were apart.”

“Then, let’s define our relationship. I don’t want to keep leaving it up in the air.”

He chuckled. “Alright. Let’s do that.”

“So…”

“So?” He smirked. “Are you just waiting for me to tell you that you’re officially my girlfriend or do I have to post it on Facebook?” he teased, a bright smile flashing across his face as soon as he said it. “I mean, we’ve only been living together for the past three weeks.”

I laughed. “I guess you’re right. I just wanted to make sure.”

He reconfirmed by closing the distance between us and kissing me hard, leaving me breathless.

I knew, in that moment, that our feelings were real. This wasn’t just a teenage crush anymore. This was love.