It was a plan for a greenhouse.

“You’d mentioned before that if Bitterroot could grow some of its own perennials and annuals, it would add up to some serious savings over the years. Plus Kinship doesn’t have its own nursery, so it would mean more jobs.”

He looked up at her. “Hold up. You’re not giving me this place as a parting gift, are you?”

She looked horrified. “No! I’m asking if you’ll move in with me. Officially. Here. In this house. To stay.”

Maggie Nichols looked like she was about to puke.

“Don’t you want to go?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. “I’ve been waiting my entire life to find home. And I found one. I made one. Here. With you.”

Those teary brown eyes murdered his soul. It took everything he had not to grab her and crush her to him.

“Baby, I’d go with you,” he whispered.

“I know. I know you would if I asked you. But the thing is, I don’t want to go. I want to stay here and go kayaking and hiking, and I want to sleep late on Sundays. I want to wrestle for mattress space with a pit bull and two stupid cats.”

He was gutted.

And thrilled.

And crushed.

And so fucking happy.

“Maggie, what about your show? What about everything you’ve built? What about the East Coast offer?”

“What about us? I can still do my show, if that’s what I want. Apparently, I can also write a book. Or renovate a ski resort or…well, anything I want. But what I want most of all is you and this house. I want to fill this house with the family we choose, the family we make. I want to be here next to the fireplace when you string lights on that Christmas tree in the backyard.”

His heart was beating faster, as if he were in the front car of a roller coaster chugging up that first big hill. It wasn’t fear. It was the thrill of a new adventure.

“You matter to me so much that I have to take the leap. I have to step into the unknown and try. I’ll do things wrong. I’ll get into funks. I’ll argue with you and work too hard. But I will also love you as intensely as I do anything.”

He dropped the sheets of paper to the floor and grabbed her. “Are you sure? Be sure, Maggie.” He couldn’t quite grasp that all his dreams were coming true.