After a dinner of T-Bone steaks cooked on the grill by Gage, accompanied by fresh tomato slices and baked stuffed potatoes whipped up by Hope, they climbed with satisfied stomachs upstairs to her bedroom.

“Shower?” she asked as she collapsed back on the bed.

He lay beside her, his fingers finding hers and weaving them into his. “Too tired.”

“Good.” She giggled. “Me too, but I didn’t want you to think I was a dirty girl if I was too lazy to shower.”

He rolled on his side to face her, a sly smile on his lips. “If I didn’t think I’d burst from the dinner we just ate, I’d get you even dirtier.”

She placed her hand over her belly and groaned. “Please, if you lay one inch of yourself on me, I think I’ll explode.”

“What if I light a fire instead? Does that television work?” He waved his free hand toward the flat screen nestled in one of the bookcases across from the bed.

“It does, but I can only play movies on it. We don’t have cable hooked up here.”

“Are you going to make me watch some sappy romance movie?” He chuckled as he lifted himself off the bed and moved over to the fireplace.

“What? Do you think girls only like to watch romance movies?” she asked, trying to feign annoyance.

His brows arched high, his lips forming a small grimace. “Uh, yeah.”

She sat up, moved over to the bookcase, and began thumbing through some of the DVDs on the shelf. When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually, Pride and Prejudice, A Walk in the Clouds, The Notebook, Pretty Woman. Shit. Wait! She found one that might work.

“Ha! How about For Love of The Game?” She pulled the case out of the bookcase and waved it in the air triumphantly.

He shook his head, striking a match and setting fire to the kindling, his shoulders shaking slightly as he laughed. “That is a total love story!”

“No, no, it’s not!” She moved closer to him, bringing the case to his face. “Look, it’s all about baseball.” She tapped her finger on the front. “See, baseball player standing on the mound. There’s not even a girl on the cover.”

Rising to stand in front of her, he reached out and gently extracted the movie from her fingers, bending down at the same time to place a tender kiss on her lips, murmuring, “I don’t give a shit what we watch. I just want to hold you in my arms while we do it.”

Her lips curled into a smile as she stood on tip-toe and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. “I love y—”

Her hand flew to her mouth as she stepped out of his arms, an electric shock pulsing through her in one big burst, the blue of her eyes wide and panicked as she looked at him. His mouth was parted slightly, his arms out at his sides, the movie still clutched tightly in one hand as his eyes narrowed in confusion.

“What?”

Did he not hear what she almost said? Holy shit! Had she fallen in love with him? She’d been with Dylan over a year before she said those words to him, and even then, it was only in response to him saying the words. Those words had never just slipped out of her mouth before so naturally. They’d only known each other for two and half days! This was insane. People don’t fall in love over a weekend. Do they?

“I left the oven on!” she blurted out.

His brow crinkled, his eyes narrowing to slits as he scratched his chin. “Um, okay. Do you want me to go shut it off?”

“Nope, no.” She spun around and skittered toward the doorway. “I’ll do it. Be right back!”

Gage shook his head as he watched her scurry out of the room and wondered what the fuck just happened. Did he just imagine it, or did she almost say I love you? He chuckled. She just had a complete freak out, kind of like what happened to him earlier.

He dropped the movie on the bed and went over to the fireplace, grabbing a couple logs and placing them over the kindling. He watched as they caught fire and flames tickled their way up and over the wood, the heat intensifying quickly. Much like his and Hope’s feelings for one another. He threw another log on, daring the fire to burn even hotter, wanting to prove he could most definitely handle the heat.

“All set!” He turned his head away from the fire and toward the light voice carrying across the room. “It wasn’t on. Guess I’m going crazy.”

He placed the screen over the flames and walked across the room to meet her halfway, cupping her face in his big hands and tilting it up to his. “It’s okay if you’re going a little crazy. I think I might be, too.”

He said the words softly, just above a whisper. He hoped that she would understand their double meaning and take some comfort in the fact that he was just as surprised and confused by all of this as she was. His eyes trailed down to where her teeth had captured her lower lip and was chewing it lightly. Her nervous tell.

Cocking one side of his mouth up in a knowing smile, he leaned down and pulled her lip free with his teeth and kissed her deeply. He slid his hands down, one sliding behind to clutch onto the back of her neck, and the other continuing down to the base of her back, where it laid flat as he pushed her up against him. She moaned softly into him as she slid one hand to press against his heart and the other grasped onto his bicep.

He lost himself in the kiss, savoring her taste as his tongue swept against hers, inhaling each breath she panted out through her nose. When he felt her body finally relax and give in to what she was feeling, instead of pushing in fear against it, he closed his mouth around hers one more time and gently pulled away.

She looked up at him, eyes blazing with desire, little pants coming from her kiss-swollen lips as her chest rose and fell in quick bursts. He nipped her lips one more time and smiled broadly at her.

“So, you’re completely sure it’s just about baseball?”

She rolled her eyes, a smile breaking out across her face as she looked up at him. “Well, mostly.”

He kissed the tip of her nose, the smile never leaving his face, then turned and picked the movie up off the bed. “Let’s put it in then. I love baseball.”

Gage blinked awake as Hope turned and nuzzled herself deeper into his chest. He moved to pull the blanket up over her shoulder and furrowed his brow as he noticed green waves bouncing off her golden hair. He looked up to see if they had fallen asleep with the television on and gasped when his gaze landed on the scene unfolding outside the full-length windows. “Holy fuck!”

Hope sat straight up, bleary eyes trying to open as she shook herself awake. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

He pointed to the window, his eyes still locked on what he saw, his mouth open in awe. “Look.”

Her dainty hand was rubbing at her eyes as she turned in the direction he pointed. A smile appeared on her face and grew wider as she turned and looked at the awe on his face.

“It’s the Northern Lights. You’ve never seen them before?”

He shook his head back and forth absently, still unable to look away from the spectacle before him. “The Aurora Borealis?” His voice was laced with wonder.

She slid out of bed and stood up, walking over to the front of the windows. “Yes. It’s early for them to be out. We usually don’t see them until later in the winter.”

“You’ve seen them before?”

“Yes, lots of times.” She turned back to him and was overwhelmed with emotion at witnessing the wonder in his face. “Come. Let’s go outside so you can see them.”

Not breaking his gaze from the view outside, he moved out of the bed and walked to stand next to Hope. “It’s amazing. I’ve read about them and seen photos, of course, but this is just…”

She smiled up at him. “I know. It’s something you have to see in person.” She bent and picked his sweats and t-shirt up off the floor. “You may want to put these on.”

He finally tore his gaze away from the window to look at what she was holding. A grin broke across his face. “Sorry. But wow!”

They both laughed as he quickly pulled his clothes on and sprinted out of the bedroom. “I need my camera.”

She pulled on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a sweater over the t-shirt she had on, following in his wake. She found him in the living room, changing a lens. He looked up when she walked into the room.

“Can we go out on the deck? Is that okay?”

“Of course.” She walked closer to him and giggled at his excitement. Kid in a candy store came to mind when she thought of him in this moment. “Do you want to go down to the dock? It might be even better because you won’t have any shadows or lights from the house, and the colors may be clearer.”

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “You totally get me.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “You’re an artist. I get that.”

He walked over to her and grabbed her face. “You are going to have a really hard time getting rid of me.” Then he kissed her hard and quick before turning walking back to his equipment to grab it. “Let’s go.”

They went outside and walked down to the docks. She watched as he set his camera on a tripod and took what seemed like a thousand pictures. She didn’t mind, though. Everything about this night was beautiful—his words, his passion, the lights. When he seemed to be satisfied with the number of photos he had taken, he came over and sat beside her on the dock.

“All done?” She scooted closer and pressed herself against him. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

“I’m sorry. You must be freezing.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arm to try to warm her. “I get caught up sometimes.”

“I’m fine. Really. I can’t complain about anything when this is what we have to look at. It’s so absolutely beautiful.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head as he continued to watch the green, yellow, and blue lights slide across the sky. “I can’t believe I finally got to see them. It only took thirty-two years.”

“They are rare in the states, that’s for sure. Some people never see them.”

“This has been a weekend of firsts for me.” He kissed the top of her head. “One I’ll never forget.”

“Me neither.” She spoke quietly.

“First time I broke down in Vermont.”

“First time I picked up a stranger on the side of the road.”

“Ah, but what a good-looking stranger he was, right?”

She turned her head up to him and smiled, tickling him in the ribs as she did. “Eh, he’s okay.”

“First time I carved my name on a covered bridge.”

She turned out of his arm and moved so she was facing him. “First time I had my name carved on a covered bridge.”

“First time I saw the Northern Lights.”

Her face screwed up a moment while she tried to think of another first. Before she could answer, his lips were on hers in a tender kiss and he was whispering against her. “First time I’m telling you that I love you.”

“What?” Her question came out in a surprised whoosh as her eyes flew up to meet his.

He leaned down and placed another tender kiss against her lips before speaking again. “I think I’m in love with you.”

“Oh my God.” Her hand brushed over her lips softly where his just were as she looked up at him again, wonder in her eyes. “I think I’m in love with you, too.”

Hope groaned in protest at being shaken gently. “Wake up, sleepy head.”

Her cheeks rose lazily as soft lips brushed against hers. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Hair was lifted away from her eyes as they fluttered reluctantly open.

“What time is it?” she mumbled grumpily, meeting his sparkling green gaze.

“It’s almost eleven. You slept late.” The aroma of strong coffee had her inhaling deeply and moving to sit up, hands reaching out for the magic elixir.

He chuckled and placed a steaming cup carefully in her grasp. “It’s hot and has too much sugar and cream, just the way you like it.”

“You really are my Prince Charming.” Smiling gratefully at him, she blew on the hot liquid before taking a slow sip. More groaning. “So good. Thank you.”

“Welcome.” He turned toward the window, nodding his head. “Pouring out. Weather says it’s going to last all day.”

Turning her head to look at the rain splashing against the windows, she sighed. “Guess we aren’t going sailing today.” She looked back at him, a sad smile on her face. “Sorry. I really wanted to take you out.”

He shrugged and grinned, eyebrows rising. “I can think of plenty of other things we can do.” His hand reached out, gently took the mug from her fingers, and placed it on the bedside table.

“Oh, really.” She grinned right back. “Like what?”

Waggling his eyebrows and displaying a feral grin, he pounced on top of her, showing her exactly what he meant as he crushed his lips to hers.