I hear from people in town that Clive’s home, that he had an accident on the mountain but that he’s okay.

I’m not going to be the one to chase him down. I’m not going to make his special candy and smile all sweet.

No.

If he wants me he knows where to find me. At my nearly-falling-apart candy cart. It rained for three days straight and while I think my DIY skills are decent, the elements have their own thoughts on the matter.

The afternoon after Clive has supposedly returned, Greta and Maggie come out to my cart with Lucy and Milo.

“I brought you some flowers,” Lucy says offering me a bouquet. “Pink roses are your favorite, right?”

I bring them to my nose and inhale. “They are. Where did you get them?”

“Uncle Clive.”

I smile, even though hearing his name hurts a little. “He grows roses?”

Lucy and Milo laugh. “No, silly. He has lots of them though.”

Not understanding, I look at Greta and Maggie for an explanation.

“I think you should just come with the kids,” Maggie says. “It’ll make more sense that way.”

I look at my cart, not wanting to leave it unattended.

“We’ll stay here and look after it.” Greta takes the bouquet from me and smiles eagerly.

Lucy takes my hand, and Milo takes the other. Not wanting to argue with the people who have been so kind to me, I let the kids lead the way.

“Where are we headed?” I ask as they take me down Main Street, passed the bakery and Clive’s office. They stop and point to the building across the street.

“You’re supposed to go there now,” Lucy says.

“Are you coming with me?”

“Nope, we’re not allowed.”

“I’ll hold your hand when we cross the street,” I say, thinking that’s what they mean.

“Nope, Mama told us we couldn’t, no matter what you say.”

I laugh in confusion. “Okay, and what is it that I’m looking for across the street?”

“You’ll know when you see it.” Lucy grins.

“Alright,” I say, letting go of their hands, and I wait, watching them walk back toward their mom.

Satisfied that they are safe, I cross the street, not knowing what I’ll find.

But when I get closer, I see a trail of pink rose petals on the clean city sidewalk. I cover my mouth, not knowing what to expect. But my heart starts beating faster and faster and I step closer to the building and see it’s an empty storefront.

Except it isn’t empty.

There is a sign in the window: OPENING SOON: Sweet Dreams.

Tears flood my face because beyond the sign, inside the shop, the trail of rose petals ends at the feet of the man I gave my heart to after just one night.

Pink roses are everywhere. Vases and vases and vases of them. So many I could never count them all. And the store is bright white and empty and I look around, not knowing what to think or feel—but my heart is bursting at the seams.

“Hazel,” Clive says, a bandage around his head. “Welcome to Sweet Dreams.”

I cover my mouth—not wanting to say something that will break this spell. The one he cast over me the moment we met.

“This is for you. No strings attached. I bought the building outright and put it in your name. It’s yours.”

“Why?” I ask, my hands now pressed to my heart, scared he doesn’t want what I want.

Him. Me. Us.

“Why no strings?” I ask.

His eyes flash a dark blue. “I got scared and ran. And you deserve more than that. I don’t want you to think you owe me anything by accepting this gift.”

“But you came back,” I say. “Does that mean you don’t want to stay away?”

He steps toward me and I step toward him.

“That isn’t what I mean at all. After Luke died, I swore I’d never fall in love. Because I didn’t want anyone to hurt the way my sister hurt. But I almost died up on the mountain, Hazel. And do you know what I realized when I was up there, thinking it was my end?”

I wipe away my tears, unable to imagine losing Clive forever before I ever really had him.

“What did you think?” I ask.

“I realized I was a fool. Life without doggedly pursuing everything we want is barely a life at all. And this is it; this is all we get. Our one wild and precious life.”

He reaches for my hands. “Hazel, this is your life too. But I can’t wait another day to say this, because the truth is, there are no guarantees. And I know it’s fast, and I know it’s soon. But I love you. I know that now. And the truth is, I knew that the moment I laid eyes on your sweet face.”

My hands tremble, my legs wobble, my heart shaking—unable to contain his words, words that promise, words that have power. Words that offer me everything I’ve ever dreamed of finding.

Clive cups my cheek with his hand. “I got all these roses, more than we could count because I don’t know how much time we have. If there are a dozen days, or dozen years, or more. But if I only had one rose to give, I’d give it to you. And if I had a thousand, I’d give you those, too.”

Then Clive drops to one knee and pulls out a black box. He opens it and offers it to me.

“Marry me, Hazel. Be my bride. Let me love you fearlessly. Let me love you forever.”

I nod, shaking, falling into him. His arms catching me and holding me.

Like I am something precious.

Like I am his.

He slips the ring on my finger. A simple gold band with a beautiful diamond in the center. But I can’t focus on the ring. My eyes, they are locked on his.

I moved to this town hoping to start a new chapter of my life but never expected to have my entire love story written in a week.