Teagan pulled up to the terminal at Denver International Airport, scanning for Aaron. She was willing to park and come inside, but Aaron insisted she just pick him up since he’d checked no baggage. She spotted him down the way, standing out among everyone’s heavy coats and piles of luggage. He still took her breath away.

She pulled over and hopped out, coming around to hug him. He dropped his bag and hugged her, lifting her off her feet. When he set her down, he kissed her, sending rivers of warmth through her.

She smiled at him. “Hey.”

He stared at her, as if unable to take his eyes off her. “Hey.”

They got into Teagan’s truck and drove off. “You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“What do you feel like?”

“A burger and a beer. A few beers. It’s been a long week. How about you?”

“Sounds perfect. I know just the place.”

Teagan headed to a tavern in her neighborhood that boasted a hundred beers on tap and, from her experience, great burgers and homemade tater tots. The place was warm inside and bustling with people. Teagan put their name in and they ordered their beers from the bar. She sipped her smooth toasted porter, sneaking a peak at Aaron while he paid for the beers. She could still hardly believe he was there. It was like no time had passed, like they hadn’t been separated for that year.

When the host called Teagan’s name, they sat down at a wooden booth. They ordered burgers—barbecue bacon for Aaron, bacon bleu for her—and a big basket of tater tots.

“So what happened that was so stressful?” she said. “Work?”

Aaron got a dark look on his face. “It wasn’t work.”

Teagan hesitated. “It was your ex, wasn’t it?”

He nodded, but said nothing else.

“Aaron, you can’t drop a bomb like that and then not tell me more.”

“She’s just being difficult. I don’t want to upset you.”

“It upsets me more when you don’t talk. I assume the worst. You should know that about me by now.”

He gave a wry smile. “Great. You assume the worst and I don’t communicate well.” Teagan laughed at that. “Glad you find that funny. I thought you’d be upset.”

“About what? What can be worse than what we’ve already been through?”

“True.”

“And… your ex used the ‘we gave our word’ speech to get you back. Then she broke into your phone to snoop, and then texted me to try and scare me away. I have my issues, but that bitch makes me look good.”

Aaron laughed at that before growing serious again. “It’s true. She can sense how important you are to me, and that’s why she’s doing this shit. Another six weeks and it’s over.”

Teagan raised her beer. “Cheers to that!” Aaron clinked his glass with hers, just as their burgers and tots arrived.

“How are book sales?” Aaron asked, popping a tot into his mouth.

Teagan grinned. “They’re good. So good I can hardly believe it. I’m working my ass off to get the third book out and keep up the momentum. And financially it’s been great, too. I’ve paid off all my debt from the radiator and I’ve socked away a bunch of money for the future, so I can probably cut back on teaching in the fall. At least that’s my goal…”

“Your radiator went out? When was that?”

Teagan hesitated, realizing she’d never told him about her epic journey home from his house. She wouldn’t tell him now, either, and bring down their conversation. “Oh, last year. My truck is getting old. But I’d rather have more time to write than buy a new one, and I think I can get a couple more years out of it.”

After they filled their bellies and ordered a second round of beer, Teagan felt happy and Aaron laughed more than usual. When they finally ventured outside, the cold air refreshed them.

“Should we get a taxi?” Aaron said. “We shouldn’t be driving…”

“We’re not far from my place. We can walk.”

Back at Teagan’s, they brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. Teagan eyed her second bedroom, the place where she’d asked Aaron to sleep. He’d already put his bag in there without a word.

Maybe it was silly to let some arbitrary date determine what she and Aaron did. She trusted Aaron. He and his ex were done. And she was falling for him all over again. Maybe it was that second beer or Aaron’s handsome face or his delicious smell when he hugged her, but she really, really wanted him in her bed, to feel his warm body on hers. But the cautious part of her told her to wait. To wait until he was hers.

The next morning, Teagan made them a big breakfast. Waffles with blueberries, eggs, bacon, and fresh coffee.

“You make the best breakfast,” he said, patting his stomach. “If you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to get a gut.”

She smiled, knowing that, gut or not, Aaron would still be hot as hell. “What would you like to do today?”

He glanced out her window at sun and blue skies. “It would be nice to get outside…”

“How about a hike?”

“Are the trails okay?”

“We’ll hit some ice patches and mud, but they’ll be okay. Maybe we can hit a trail near Boulder, and spend the rest of the day there…”

“Sounds great. Go ahead and shower. I’ll clean up.”

She was about to offer to help, but then remembered Aaron’s quirk about doing it his way. “If you insist.”

The drive to Boulder was beautiful. Long’s Peak rose in the distance, blanketed in white. In the foothills, the red stone Flatirons glowed in the wintertime sunlight. They headed up to Chautauqua Park and searched for a spot to park along with the other weekenders and families.

As they hiked and left most of the crowd behind, the sun warmed them until they veered off onto a narrower trail and entered the forest. Up they went, Teagan glad to be hiking with her favorite outdoor companion once more. They quietly took in their surroundings, not needing to fill the silence with constant chatter. How she loved that about him.

They hiked until they reached a corner where the trail switched back, where a ledge offered a sweeping view of the plains. Denver sat in the distance, the buildings of downtown rising from its center, the big city giving way to grasslands in the east. The sun peeked through the pine trees and warmed their faces.

Aaron stood there, taking in the view through his sunglasses, sipping from his water bottle. He was prepared for the sun’s winter glare, for dehydration, for the terrain. He was always prepared. She loved that about him. She loved him, period.

For the first time, it really hit her. She loved Aaron. She hoped he loved her too, and that he would soon be free to love her the way she needed.

“What?” Aaron said, catching her staring at him.

She smiled. “Nothing.”

Aaron took her hand, pulling her in for a kiss.

When finished with their hike, they drove to downtown Boulder and strolled the pedestrian mall, teeming with people looking to enjoy the warm winter day. Even the street performers had come out to earn a little money by entertaining the crowds. They ventured into the local indie bookstore, formerly a large house. It was old and filled with multiple cozy rooms on three stories, each room filled with shelves of books and comfy chairs.

Aaron looked around the place, spotting the coffee bar at its far end. “Coffee?”

She shook her head. “You go ahead.”

Teagan wandered off and hunted through the used book section, looking for science fiction classics. After a thorough search, she found a copy of Dune, with its brown deserty cover. She recalled the desert of Tucson, her time with Aaron, and how she’d grown to love its unique beauty. Now, the memories no longer tarnished by pain, she realized she missed Tucson and longed to return and take in a few more amazing sunsets.

She searched for Aaron, not finding him in the military or history sections like she expected. Instead, she found him among the fiction books, sitting in a chair with his coffee and reading a familiar author.

She giggled. “Tom Clancy. What a shock.”

Aaron laughed, pulling her onto his lap. “What did you find?” She showed him and Aaron nodded. “Nice.”

Teagan snuggled against him in the big chair and they remained there for a while, Aaron’s warmth radiating through her. When she looked up at him, Aaron was gazing at her with his steely blue eyes, enough to make her stomach flutter.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she finally said.

“Why?”

“Because it makes me want to tear your clothes off.”

Aaron shook his head, humor in his face. “Nope. Rules are rules. You don’t get the goods until March.”

She smacked him on the chest as they laughed together. Teagan’s stomach rumbled. “You getting hungry yet?”

“I could eat.”

“What do you feel like? Boulder is chock-full of breweries…”

He shook his head. “Let’s go somewhere nice. My treat.”

Teagan considered their options. “Do you like game?”

“I love game.”

“I know a great place near here.”

“We aren’t dressed for a place that serves game.”

She waved a hand at him. “This is Boulder. Land of fleece vests and KEEN shoes. They won’t care, trust me.”

She pulled out her phone and found The Glenwood, making a reservation for 5:15. It was their last reservation, but the timing would work out perfectly for them. They read for a while longer before they paid for their books and left.

When they arrived at The Glenwood just outside town, the place was already busy. The tiny little restaurant still had its holiday lights up. Inside, it had rustic wood-paneled walls and racks of deer, elk, and buffalo mounted on them. The tables had tablecloths and candles, and the light was soft and romantic. It smelled delicious. Best of all, their reservation got them a seat near the roaring fireplace.

After their salads, they ate a selection of game and drank red wine. They talked—about their childhoods, their career hopes, and even their divorces, albeit cautiously and briefly. By the end of the meal, Teagan no longer cared about their pact to wait until March. She longed to go back to her place and let Aaron have his way with her.

Aaron seemed to have the same idea. He kept staring at her, holding her hand, paying special attention to her. He encouraged her to order the game plate despite it being the most expensive dish on the menu, and insisted they order dessert.

Back at her place, they took off their coats and shoes and snuggled near the fire that Aaron built for them. Just as she was about to lead him to her bedroom, he took her hand and looked at her like he had something to say.

“I love you, Teagan.” Teagan was stunned into silence. Before she could reciprocate, he went on. “And as much as I want to carry you into your bedroom and do things to you, and it’s really hard for me not to, I’m totally cool with the separate rooms thing. I fucked it up before, and I want to do things right this time. I want to be with you without anything else in the way, and I’m willing to wait for that.”

Tears came to Teagan’s eyes. “I love you, too.”

She said nothing else. She didn’t have to. Aaron had said it for them, had again done the right thing. It only made her love him more.

Sunday morning, Teagan woke up and put on some coffee. There was a knock at the door. Ben.

Ben walked in with his own cup of coffee. He eyed Aaron, just a hint of remorse in his expression. “Hey, man. Sorry I busted your chops before.”

Aaron shook his head. “Don’t sweat it.”

The two men shook hands and chatted while Teagan checked her email. She got one she hadn’t expected, a good one that made her cry out in excitement. The two men looked over from the kitchen.

“I just got invited to be a special guest at Emerald City Comic Con, in Seattle! Emerald City is one of the biggest conventions in the world!”

“That’s awesome,” Aaron said. “Which weekend?”

She checked the email and told him the dates. “It’s just before spring break, so I won’t have to hurry back and can actually afford a few extra nights in a hotel!”

“I can house-sit,” Ben said. He headed for the door. “Let me know.”

After Ben left, Aaron stood there for a minute. “Do you want company in Seattle?”

Teagan grew excited. “You would come with me?”

“Why not? The timing’s good; I’ll be finishing up training some Air Force cadets. I can take a couple days off and we can explore Seattle. I’ve been a lot of places, but never there.”

“It’s cold in March. And rainy.”

He shrugged. “We’ll have fun.” He paused. “That’s more than a month away, though. I’m pretty busy until then, but I can fly you to Tucson before that—”

“No. I’ll be busy too. I can wait, as long as we can talk and Skype.”

“Done.”