“I think that together we can accomplish just about anything.” He bent to kiss her, looking tenderly into her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, getting lost in the feel of his lips on hers, his big arms surrounding her tightly.

And that kiss…it was right. It was everything a kiss should be. Just like Leo was the right man for her.

“I forgot the most important thing,” he said a minute later.

“What’s that?”

“The space for your new patisserie.” He waved to the pile of dirt. “If you want it. I mean, after you go and become a famous pastry chef.”

“That’s the space for your restaurant expansion. I don’t want to take your—”

“No, Tessa. Listen—my dad was right. I don’t want the restaurant to be huge. I want to keep it friendly, quaint, and…and I’m going to be doing more delivery things, so I really don’t want the hassle of a bigger space. Plus we have the patio for tourist season. So—I like it just as it is.”

He pulled a menu out of his pocket.

“It’s a blank page.”

“Yeah. Well, I thought we could showcase your pastries.”

“In your menu?”

“Why not? Our customers can eat dessert and then go next door to get some more to take home.”

“You’re…” She was going to say ridiculous. Sweet. “Thank you, Leo.”

He looked a little hesitant. “Maybe you don’t see yourself ever coming back to Blossom Glen after your program is done…”

“Leo, I was stuck here, but it wasn’t because I was here. I was stuck in my mind. Stuck doing something that wasn’t my dream and not having any choice. But I love our town. And I love you. There’s nothing I want more than to come back and open my own pastry shop.” She clutched her heart. “Thank you. For—knowing me. For letting me be me. I—love you.”

“I love you too, Countess.”

Then right there in the parking lot, right alongside the backhoe, their lips met.

Leo picked up the giant trophy and raised it high, tossing her one of his magnificent smiles that couldn’t help but make her heart race and her knees go weak. “We’ll both be here waiting.”

Epilogue

Epilogue

December, one year later

It was nearly dark when Leo finally pulled off the expressway with the small rental van he’d used to help move Tessa’s stuff back from Chicago. She must’ve been exhausted from her week of finals, graduation, and the move, because she’d been sleeping most of the way home. He figured she needed it, so he let her snooze while he drove.