She realized he meant it, and little starbursts of happiness exploded inside her—each one punctuated by the noise of the alarm. Right then she understood that she was facing the fundamental question of her life, a question that had its roots in the heart of a little girl who’d been emotionally abandoned when she was much too young. Kevin Tucker was strong enough to slay dragons for her and strong enough to win the Super Bowl for her, but was he strong enough to love her even when she wasn’t lovable? She needed an answer that would quiet the fire alarm forever.

“It’s only July, loser,” she sneered. “By Super Bowl Sunday I’ll have forgotten your name.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“Whatever.” She scratched a mosquito bite, looked bored, and spoke the ugliest words she’d ever said. “My mistake. I really don’t think I love you after all.”

Horrified, she began to snatch it back, then stopped because he didn’t look upset, only calculating.

“Liar. Have you ever heard of the Saxeten River Gorge?”

“Can’t say as I have.” Had the fire alarm lost a few decibels? “It sounds boring. Did you hear me say I didn’t love you?”

“Yeah. Anyway, it’s in Switzerland, and it’s as treacherous as they come. But I’m prepared to rappel to the bottom, and once I get there, I’ll carve your initials in the rock.”

Yes, definitely not as loud. She tapped her foot in the grass. “Touching, but Switzerland’s almost as far away as the Super Bowl. Besides, when it comes right down to it, all you’re talking about is a little graffiti, right?”

“There’s a sport called parapenting. You parachute off a mountain peak—”

“Unless you’re going to write my name in the sky on your way down, don’t bother.”

His eyes lit up.

“On second thought,” she said hastily, “you’d probably misspell it. And the closest mountains are on the other side of the state, so what about the here and now? Okay, maybe I do love you, but truth is, champ, all this Iron Man stuff might impress the guys in the locker room, but it won’t get you babies and home-cooked meals.”

Babies and home-cooked meals! A family that was all hers. And a man who satisfied her to the very depths of her soul.

Just like that, the fire alarm went still forever.

“So we’re going to play hardball,” he said.

Kevin understood her better than anyone on earth. He understood her so well that he still hadn’t thrown up his hands and stomped away. She listened to the glorious silence inside her and wanted to weep with the joy of knowing that this man’s love didn’t have to be earned with perpetual good behavior.