A Beat in Time (16 page)

Vince

I watched Serena as she navigated my kitchen. She was wearing loose sweats and my firehouse T-shirt and she’d never looked so sexy. I hadn’t told her everything, I didn’t know if I ever would. I’ve known who she was for quite some time. I wasn’t lying about the guys I worked with in New York being gay, a few of them read her books and I stumbled upon one at some point. I couldn’t get over the picture of the author on the back. I was smitten with her from the first picture. I knew she lived in New York, but I never did anything about it. I always figured she was too good for a working guy like me.

When I chose to make the move from New York to Tucson, Arizona, I had no idea Serena had moved as well. When I ran into her brother-in-law at the store, he chatted me up, and when he found out I was single, he invited me over to meet his sister-in-law. When he told me her name, I chickened out and said I had to work. It seemed fate decided to put Serena in my path the night of the fire. I wasn’t even supposed to be working that night. At the last minute, a co-worker had called in and I’d taken his place. Imagine my surprise at finding Serena Devane covered in soot and soaking wet after having rescued a poodle from a burning house.

Her initial reaction to me hadn’t gone over too well, but it wasn’t until later on in the hospital that she agreed to go out with me. I didn’t want to be someone I wasn’t, I’d already dealt with cheating and divorce and if Serena wanted me, she’d have to want the real
me
. It took everything I had to play it cool, to back off when I wanted her with me more than anything, but I was convinced if we were meant to be together, we would be.

“That smells really good.” I inhaled deeply.

Serena was cooking a French meal tonight and I couldn’t wait to taste it. We had been exchanging recipes since we got together. Her mother and I talked all the time via phone and I’d gotten some of Serena’s favorites to cook.

“It’s Coq Au Vin, I haven’t made it in a long time, though.”

“I’m sure it will be fantastic, just like everything else you do.”

I leaned forward, clasping my hands together as I watched her work. She looked so adorable with flour on her cheek. When I asked her to marry me, I didn’t think she’d say yes. I mean, we’d only been dating for four months, but she said she’d always known she would marry me the second I asked. Some people don’t believe in love at first sight, or insta-love as they called it, but I knew I wanted Serena from the second I’d laid eyes on her. Getting to know her was just the icing on the cake. Even though our hours were different, we always found time for each other. I left her alone when she was in writing mode, and she lets me sleep my first day off. I’d never had someone look at me the way she did, like I’d hung the moon. I didn’t know if I’d ever get used to it, but I had years to try.

“Hey.”

I glanced up to see Serena standing with a spoon in her hand.

“Yes?”

“You okay? You look far away.” Serena came over to me and sat in my lap, kissing my temple.

“I’m perfect.” I assured her.

I didn’t care how we got here, just that we did.