Page 47 of In Every Chapter

“Take it from the guy who had to learn this the hard way. Talk to her. And don’t put it off too long. Women are smart—Lord knows smarter than us—and they’re always thinking with past, present, and future in mind. She’s an adult, she’s capable. Communicate with her.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I hear you. And when did you learn this valuable lesson?”

“Several times. The first time, I was eighteen and dumb when I went off to boot camp without actually telling Ivy I’d enlisted. Learn from my mistakes.”

“Amazing she married you.”

“Trust me,” Gabe grunted, “I thank God for covering for my foolish mistakes daily.”

I chuckled. “Pursue her and talk to her. Solid plan. Thanks.”

“I’m a call away if you need me. Got it?”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Our conversation drifted to Gabe’s last remaining months with the Marines. Once his contract expired this winter, he’d be out after over twenty years of service. The current plan was for them to move to Colorado to live with his nana—Charmain Russo Addams. Stephanie had insisted they pick Denver over Spokane since Nana was more reluctant to leave her friends, but I had a feeling the minute Stephanie and Nash decided to start having kids, Nana would be leading the charge to move to Spokane. You didn’t say no to Charmain Russo Addams.

Halfway through a conversation about the Chargers’ Calder Cup win, a blaring screech from the house dropped lead in my gut. The fire alarm.

Terror crashed over me.

“Gabe, I gotta go.” I hung up without waiting for an answer—he’d understand—and bolted across the yard to the back door.

Paisley stood in the middle of the kitchen, wielding the contents of a baking soda box into the oven, while Rosie Cotton howled in terror. She was terrified of the fire alarm noise. But Paisley was my priority.

I scanned her and the scene in one fell swoop. She was in one piece, and the fire was dying out. A tray of cookies maybe? But with the charring and smoke it was hard to tell. Reaching up, I disconnected the smoke detector.

Paisley shrieked and pressed a hand to her chest.

“What were you doing?” I demanded. Panic licked my chest, and blood pounded in my veins. Rapid-fire images of her falling, bleeding on the sidewalk flicked through my brain.

A muffled sob cut through my haze of intensity, and her shoulders hunched protectively. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Breathe, Greyson. Control yourself. I sucked in a deep breath. This wasn’t life-threatening. She was fine. It was just cookies.

Flour streaked her cheeks, and her messy bun flopped in limp dejection. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I forgot—”

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said soothingly, quickly moving around the kitchen and living room area to open the windows to air out the house.

“It’s not okay!” Paisley huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fool of a Took,” she added under her breath.

I smiled to myself as I opened the windows to air out the house. The way she pinched her nose when frustrated was adorable, and something she’d picked up from me early in our relationship. If she wasn’t fiddling with her glasses, that is.

After I nudged Rosie outside to decompress, I returned to the kitchen and removed the smoldering pan of baked goods from the oven. Then I turned to Paisley, who still stood dejected, staring at the mounds of blackened cookies.

Cupping her shoulder with my hand, I nudged her chin up, but the tears had already overflowed. “Aw, Pais.” I tugged her into my arms, and she sobbed against my chest. “I’m not mad. You just scared me.”

“I just wanted to surprise you,” she hiccupped. “It’s your birthday, and—”

“You remembered?” I asked, hope flickering in my chest.

“No,” she whispered into my T-shirt, hands fisting the fabric at my back. “But the reminder popped up on my phone. And with the barbecue tonight, I wanted to do something special since you’ve done so much for me. I don’t even remember if I bought you a present. And I hate being a burden. I—”

“You’re not a burden,” I said roughly. “And you don’t have to pay me back for anything.”

“I just feel so useless.” Paisley sniffed. “You smell good.”

Oh, how I loved this woman’s mind. The way she flitted from one thing to another, even while it all made sense. And I loved the spirit of thoughtfulness behind her intentions.

“Thank you for the thought,” I said, stroking her hair. “Are you okay, though?”