Six months later…
Life with Blaze is like a hot bubble bath after a long day or a good book and a glass of wine. He is my escape. He is my peace when the world feels like chaos, which seems to be all the time lately.
It’s like a glitch in the matrix. The world has gone mad. The only thing that makes any sense is us. We’d barely escaped World War III by the skin of our teeth when a pandemic hit. The population can’t decide if it’s some kind of conspiracy or if it’s the end of the world. All I know is that if the world truly is ending, there’s no one else I want to watch it end with.
The one thing everyone does seem to agree on is that toilet paper will save us all. The government has shut everything down and locked us in our houses to stop the spread of the virus. No school. No socializing. No sporting events, which means no NASCAR for Levi. No bars, which means The Taproom has been empty for weeks now. In their spare time, Levi and Blaze have been volunteering with Corporate Cares, brainstorming ideas to raise money to open more houses. Kai loves the extra help since it takes two counselors at HoH every day now to help with the homeschooling. One person helps the two younger kids with their schoolwork and one person helps the three older kids. We’re a well-oiled machine because we have to be.
Blaze still distributes his beer, but with everything closed, business has slowed down. Thankfully, the government still allows takeout, and Blaze has built a strong, loyal, and loving fan base. When I’m not at HoH, I’m here helping him with to-go orders, filling plastic containers with hot wings and fries while Blaze pours his craft beer into growlers. Hector usually helps, and when Haley isn’t working, she’s right by his side. We put the TV on ESPN and mute it while music plays on the sound system. Once in a while, we’ll move the tables to the side and dance when a good song comes on. It’s not a packed house on a Saturday night, but Blaze still pours his heart and soul into every ounce of it all. He ended up not selling the brewery to Hector but offering him part ownership instead. Honestly, I can’t picture The Taproom without seeing the two of them together, so it works.
I walk in and find him behind the bar where he always is, wiping down the taps and watching TV without listening to it. I will never stop losing my breath at the sight of him, all loose jeans, T-shirt, and beanie. That freaking beanie. God.
This man is all mine.
“Hey,” I say, leaning over the bar.
“Hey.” His whiskey eyes focus on mine as he takes my face in his hands and presses his lips against mine.
I reach up and hook my arms around his neck and he sweeps his tongue over the seam of my lips, parting them and making his way inside. I moan against his mouth.
He pulls away and smiles. “Keep making that noise, and I’ll have you butt naked on this bar.”
I smirk. “Isn’t that against the health code or something?”
He moves my hair off my shoulder and brings his mouth to my neck. “Health codes are for pussies.” Then he bites my flesh and growls. He raises his head and stares at me, into me, the way he does when he’s either about to bend me over and fuck me stupid or tell me something super important.
His thumb moves across my bottom lip. “Have I ever told you how fucking beautiful you are?”
“You made me a T-shirt. Remember?”
He did. He made me a freaking T-shirt that literally says, Fucking Beautiful. It’s pink with black writing, and I wear it to bed until it starts to smell and I have to wash it. This man. God, this man. He doesn’t just tell me I’m beautiful. He makes me feel it. He makes me feel beautiful and loved and treasured.
When I met Blaze, I never thought a love like this was even possible. Happiness was for other people. I wasn’t even sure I knew what love was. Now, I am consumed by him, overwhelmed with happiness, and completely in love.
I cradle his cheek in my hand, letting each of his whiskers pass beneath my fingertips. “Tell me this is real.”
He grips the back of my neck and brings his mouth to mine. His lips brush my lips, making my eyes flutter shut. “This is real, babygirl. This is real as fuck.” He kisses my lips. Then my forehead. “Open your eyes.” I do. God, he’s perfect. Perfect and strong and mine. “I want you to try something.” He lets go of my neck and takes a step back.
He grabs a frosted mug from the cooler then puts it under a tap. “It’s new. Something I’ve been working on for a very long time.” There’s a red string hanging over the side of the mug.
I eye the string. “Starting a new ritual?”
He smiles. “Something like that.” He presses the nozzle down and angles the glass, tipping it when the foam starts to run over the top. He hands me the mug.
I inhale the scent. “It smells like apples.”
“And Hector said I was crazy.” He laughs.
I bring the mug to my lips for the first drink, but he stops me. “You have to pull the string first.”
“Oh, right. The ritual.” I smile and tug on the thin red string. It’s heavy. Like it’s holding something. I hear my heartbeat pulsing in my ears, feel it slamming against my chest. My hand starts to tremble. My breath begins to shake. Then I pull it out—the ring.
He makes his way around to my side of the bar. Standing in front of me, he takes my hand, making me look up from the gorgeous square diamond surround by a halo of smaller diamonds. I soak in the smile on his face, the joy in his eyes, the hopefulness. I can’t look away.
“I love beer on tap and waking up to watch you sleep.” He takes the ring and begins untying it from the string. “I love picnics in the middle of the living room floor. I love lying in bed with you naked in my arms and watching the fucking Golden Girls. I love brown sugar Pop Tarts and the scent of coconut body wash.” He holds the ring in a bucket of clean water for a second then brings it back out. “And I love you, Adrienne. I love you so goddamn much.”
I don’t know if he’s finished talking or where this is all going, but I can’t wait another second. I lean forward and press my lips to his. “Yes,” I say because whatever it is…yes. God yes.
He laughs. “I wasn’t finished.”
I lick my lips and swallow hard, blinking back the tears forming in my eyes. “Sorry.” I bite my lip and fight a smile. “Go ahead.”
“I once told you the world would crumble when we were together and fuck me if we aren’t watching it fall down around us, but that’s the thing about us. The entire world could disappear, and I wouldn’t care because all I need is you. All I want is you. With everything going on, it’s hard not to feel like our days are numbered, but whether it’s one or one-hundred-thousand, one thing I do know is that I want to spend all of them with you. I want to be your husband. I want to make babies with you…” He smirks. “…or die trying. I want forever, and I want it with you.”
The tears I was fighting cascade down my cheeks, and I don’t even care. “Can I say yes now?”
He wipes my tears with his thumb. “Fuck yes. Say it. Scream it. Tattoo it on your fine ass. I don’t care.” He slides the ring onto my finger then latches his arms around my waist. “You are my everything, babygirl. You’ve always been everything.”