Tucker overcoming his stuff didn’t miraculously mean she could overcome hers. He’d told her he’d hang the sun in the room for her if she needed, but really, how practical was that? It might be fine for a night or two. A short fling—sure. But forever? That was a lot of nights in the land of the midnight sun.

She’d come up with this Della 2.0 plan with no permanent commitment in mind. With the fervent belief that she would always be just a little bit too damaged to take that step into commitment with someone, and she’d been fine with that. She wasn’t looking for gold. Silver was enough. Hell, bronze would be fine. She was better off alone, and she understood that asking a guy to sacrifice anything for her was too much to ask.

And then Tucker had offered her the sun. And she’d fallen in love with him. As he had—apparently—with her.

God knew she wanted that. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and just let go for once. But this wasn’t a wild gamble on an outside horse or an all-in bet in Vegas. This was forever.

Could she get past her hang-ups? She wanted to. God…she wanted to.

She picked up her phone, feeling the bravest she’d ever felt in her life, which included talking to strangers she didn’t know about the assaults she’d suffered. Maybe this wouldn’t work out. Maybe she and Tuck were a pipe dream that would never actually work in reality.

A better in her fantasies than reality type of thing.

But she had to try. She had to find out. She’d never be able to move on with the rest of her life if she didn’t show some courage here. She’d been brave before in much more dire circumstances.

She could do it again.

He picked up on the second ring. “Della?”

God, he sounded so good. “Tucker.”

“Are you okay?”

The concern in his voice was palpable. “I’m fine. I’ve just seen your Tinder profile.”

A few seconds’ pause on his end felt like a minute. “Already? I figured it might take a few days.”

The thought that she might never have seen it if it wasn’t for Ruth hit her. “And what was your plan if I didn’t see it at all?”

“We were just strategizing that. Drew likes the idea of putting it on the billboard coming into town.”

Della laughed, surprising herself. Definitely not his dirty little secret, then. Which made her ridiculously happy, considering there was so much they had to talk about. “I think we should talk. Are you at work?”

“Bryce started early. He can take over. I’ll come to you. Be there in five.”