Page 19 of Her Obsessed Lumberjack

I love her.

I love this perfect woman, and I never want to let her go.

Freya makes me happier than I’ve ever felt before. She’s the only girl I’ll ever want; I can feel it with a certainty that makes my hands tremble, and I swallow hard, tightening my grip on her. She looks at me curiously. “Are you okay?”

“Never been better, sugar. Just thinking about you.”

She beams at me, and something flashes in her eyes: a mixture of nerves and excitement.

“Roman, can we go back to my apartment quickly?” she asks. “I…I need to do something. But I can’t tell you what…it’s a surprise.”

“Sure. I’ll take you there now.”

I’m curious as hell, but I don’t push her to tell me what she needs to do. Instead, I get washed and dressed before following Freya outside into the brisk morning air. The drive to her apartment doesn’t take long. Once we arrive on her tree-lined street, I help her out of the truck. She looks paler than usual, hereyes darting from her apartment back to me, leaving me more intrigued than ever.

“Wait here,” she says, pressing a quick kiss on my lips. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch her leave, then look around at the houses on the street, every one of them decked out for Halloween. All the pumpkins and skeletons make me think of the haunted corn maze, and my throat constricts as I remember the first time I laid eyes on Freya. It’s crazy to think that if Chloe hadn’t invited me, Freya and I never would have met. It was only a couple of days ago, but somehow it feels like forever. So much has changed.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that it takes me a moment to realize Freya is back, her fist clenched around something. Her eyes are wide, legs trembling slightly as she stops in front of me. But her voice is firm as she says, “I want to give you this.”

She holds out her closed hand and unfurls it to reveal a necklace. I recognize it instantly. It’s the other half of Freya’s wooden heart. I remember what she said before about the necklaces belonging to her grandparents—her grandma wore one half and her grandpa wore the other. My pulse starts to race as I gently take the necklace from her, inspecting the wooden half heart.

“I…I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings,” Freya says, biting her lip anxiously. “I know this might seem crazy, but I’ve been waiting all my life to give this necklace to the right person and…and I think you’re that person, Roman. So, it’s yours. If you want it.”

For a moment, I’m too overwhelmed to speak. Emotion clogs my throat, and my hands shake as I unclasp the necklace and tie it around my neck. Freya is watching me. Her purple hair is blowing in the wind, her eyes full of vulnerability as she waits for me to say something. Right now, there’s only one thing I can say.

“I love you, Freya.”

Her worry seems to vanish, and her face splits into a gorgeous grin as she says, “You do?”

“I loved you the second I saw you, and I’ve only fallen more in love with you since then.” The words come out in a rush, and I reach out to take her hands in mine, squeezing them tight. “You’re it for me. You’re all I want, and I love you so fucking much.”

“Oh, Roman…” With a laugh of delight, she jumps up into my arms, clinging tight to my neck. “I love you too! I love you!” She makes a noise of contentment. “It feels so good to say it.”

“It really does.” I breathe in her warm scent, grinning at her. “Thank you for the necklace, sugar. It means the world…I’ll wear it forever.”

Freya’s chocolate eyes well up with joy and I kiss her hard, holding her tight as autumn leaves twirl around us, almost like they’re celebrating too.

My angel. The love of my life.

She’s all I’ll ever need, and I’m determined to be the best man I can be for her. I have a long road ahead of me. All the trauma I’ve been suppressing isn’t going to vanish overnight, but with Freya by my side, I know I can work through it. I’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy of her, and as we walk back to my truck hand-in-hand, each wearing one half of a wooden heart, I feel like the happiest man in the whole damn world.

EPILOGUE

FREYA

Cherry Hollow is bustlingwith kids in Halloween costumes, their plastic jack-o’-lantern containers overflowing with candy as their parents try to keep up. I smile at the scene from the doorway of Mountain Brew, resting a hand on my growing bump. In a few short years, our little one will be old enough to go trick or treating too. There are so many magical things I can’t wait to do with our baby when he comes along. Roman recently bought me a special notebook to write all my ideas in, so that we don’t forget any of them. I’ll have to add trick or treating to the ever-growing list.

After locking the door to Mountain Brew behind me—it’s after closing time—I stop at Buttercup Bakery for a pumpkin pie to bring home. My heart flutters to think of Roman waiting for me in our cozy cabin, and I hurry to my car, driving away from the trick or treaters and into the quiet of the forest. I reach our cabin in no time, grinning at all the over-the-top decorations. Roman said I could go crazy, and I sure didn’t hold back. There are jack-o’-lanterns lining the drive, skeletons dangling from the surrounding trees, and creepy old tombstones that Roman carved for me out of wood.

God, I love Halloween.

I’ve barely stepped out of my car when the front door opens and Roman strides toward me, pulling me into his arms with a sigh.

“I missed you, beautiful.”

He smells like home, and I smile against his chest, burying my face against him.

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