Crissy woke to Quinn pressing feather light kisses to her shoulder and up the length of her neck.

"Cinnamon rolls," he whispered. "Strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream. Hot, steaming brioche."

She opened one eye to look at him. "I smell none of these things and that means you haven't made them yet. You're a terrible person for teasing me."

He laughed softly against her skin. "That's your department, sweetheart. I'm just planting a few seeds of suggestion to get you moving."

"What if I don't want to get moving?"

"But what about that surprise I promised you?"

She groaned and rolled over to look at him. She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him close with a light kiss.

"Do I get another hint?" she asked.

He brushed his nose against hers and hummed.

"I'll think about it," he said. Then his smile faltered and he drew back, studying her for a moment. "Unless you're really not feeling up to it today."

She sighed and propped herself up on her elbows. "It's fine. Probably a good idea to get out for a little while. I needed an excuse to ignore responding to Andrea's messages for a few more hours anyway."

"You really don't want to just find out what she says?"

"No...okay maybe a little. I'm getting there."

His hand settled on her leg with a gentle smile.

"I know you are, sweetheart," he said, brushing his thumb over her chin. "But you need to hurry up, a tiny, tiny bit because Amy is due back in three days and I really want to show this to you before she sweeps you away from me."

"Then give me a hint and I'll have more incentive to hurry up."

He grinned as he kissed her. "I love you but no."

She bit back a growl of frustration and pushed the covers aside, heading for the bathroom. "I'll be grumpy until you tell me what's going on."

"Fine by me. You're adorable when you're grumpy."

"I'll tell Amy you said that and she'll beat your ass with a rolling pin."

"She will completely agree with me."

Crissy frowned. "You're probably right."

Quinn caught her hand and pulled her to stand in front of him, his hands skimming up her thighs.

"I promise, it's a good thing today," he said. "And I don't want to give you anymore hints because I don't trust myself here. I feel like I'm about to spoil the whole thing at any minute. So I'd rather show you instead."

She smoothed her hand over his hair and nodded.

"All right," she said. "Do I have time to make breakfast?"

He tipped his head to the side, considering. "I might be able to hold out for breakfast. But no longer than that."

"Will you help me?"

His eyes brightened and he opened his mouth but she placed a finger against his lips.

"And not just taste testing. Actually making the food. You did an incredible job when you made dinner for me. It's only fair since you won't give me anymore hints."

He sighed and kissed her fingertip. "I guess I could be persuaded to help if you're going to say it like that."

After Crissy showered and dressed, she set to work alongside Quinn in the kitchen, making beignets. Roughly a week had passed since she had made anything and it felt so good, so comfortable and familiar to settle into the rhythm of cooking. The smell of vanilla and melted butter and sugar floated up, wrapping around her like the hug of a long lost friend and she felt a little lighter, a little happier. Part of her thought she should have been back in the kitchen as soon as she left the wedding but a bigger part of her knew that wouldn't have been possible. She needed that time to crumble, to slowly let herself hurt for a while before she faced the world again.

When the beignets were done, Crissy held a fresh one up to Quinn. He took a bite, spilling powdered sugar down the front of his dark blue t-shirt.

"Oops," she said, trying to brush his shirt clean.

"I don't even care," he said, slipping an arm around her waist. "Those taste incredible and I can't believe I've never had them before."

"I don't make them very often, I don't know why. Maybe because the coffee shop had its regular favorites and I didn't vary too much. Besides, you were stuck on my turnovers for a while."

"With good reason."

She moved to put the dirty dishes in the sink and turned on the water but Quinn reached past her and shut it off, taking her hand and pulling her towards the door.

"Leave them," he said. "I'll get them later."

"But I don't like leaving dirty dishes in the sink after I've been cooking. It feels wrong."

"Then enjoy feeling wrong for a little while. I promise, we can wash them together as soon as we get back. But I can't wait another second, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. I need shoes. You can't drag me into the street barefoot."

"Is that a challenge? You're living with a firefighter. I could just throw you over my shoulder..."

"You wouldn't dare."

He raised an eyebrow and before she could take a step back, he caught her around the waist. She squeaked with surprise as he acted as if he would pick her up but she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close to kiss her instead. He broke away just far enough to rest his forehead against hers, trailing the back of his fingers over her cheek.

"That's better," he said softly. "It's good to see you smiling again, sweetheart."

She stole another kiss before she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on. Quinn tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked south through town. Crissy braced herself as they passed the empty hole where the shop had been. Quinn placed his hand over hers and quickened his pace a little more until they were around the corner. Then he stepped behind her and covered her eyes with his hands.

"What on earth are you doing?" she said.

"It's a surprise, remember?"

"Yeah but...I can't see where I'm going."

"I won't let you trip over anything. Trust me."

She smiled as she curled her fingers over his arm.

"I do trust you," she said. "But if you make me trip, you're sleeping on the couch for a week. And the rest of the beignets are all mine."

"Jesus. You cut a man down to size faster than Amy does."

But she could hear the grin in his voice and the barely contained laughter rising in his words. She inched forward, her hands held out in front of her, as Quinn guided her from behind.

"How much further?" she asked.

"We've gone all of five feet."

"It feels much longer than that when I can't see."

"Almost there."

"Another five feet?"

"Nope."

"Ugh. Ten?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

Quinn laughed, soft and deep behind her, and Crissy smiled. He kissed her shoulder and pulled his hands away.

"We're here," he said. "Go ahead, sweetheart, take a look."

Crissy opened her eyes. It felt as if she had stepped into her scrapbook. Her dream bakery sat before her, still a little rough around the edges, but the general idea was there, right down to the pink and cream and robin's egg blue colors she had been dreaming about for years. The sign hadn't been put up yet but she could see inside the windows, see the piles of lumber and paint cans still littering the floor. It was a work in progress but progress nonetheless.

She turned to Quinn, her heart leaping up into her throat.

"What is this?" she whispered.

He took her hand, his thumb rubbing across her knuckles.

"After the coffee shop burned down, a few people in town started tossing around the idea that maybe everyone could pitch in to get you the bakery you've always worked so hard for."

"And by a few people you mean..."

"Amy and I."

"Of course."

"But when we asked around if other people might be interested in helping out..." He shrugged. "No one turned us down. Everyone said yes."

A thousand questions whirled through her mind at once and she finally snagged one.

"How?" she said. "How did you manage to get so far into this when I was living only a few blocks away?"

"Believe me, it was not easy. A lot of the work happened over the past weekend while we were in Denver. I was hoping to convince you to stay another week or so after the wedding but then things went haywire and we ended up back here earlier than I'd expected. And then I knew I couldn't keep it from you anymore. You needed to see what was going on."

He reached into his pocket and held up a key.

"It's all yours, sweetheart," he said. "Check it out."

For a moment, she couldn't move. The key to her dream was right there, right in front of her, real and ready for the taking.

Then Crissy shook herself and held her hand out. Quinn dropped the key into her palm and she felt the smooth cold metal against her skin, sharp with promise. She wasn't dreaming then. This was really happening.

She approached the door and slid the key into the lock. It turned with a click and the door popped open. The smell of paint and plaster washed over her as she stepped inside, fresh and clean with new beginnings.

The bakery was at least twice the size of the old coffee shop with an open floor plan rather than the crowded and cramped set up she had grown accustomed to over the years. The windows lining the street front were huge, letting in oceans of golden sunlight that made the entire place look it was glowing. Tentatively, she reached out and trailed her finger over one of the walls. Still real. Still solid to the touch.

"There's no electricity yet," Quinn said, watching her from the doorway, his hands shoved in his pockets. "But if you want to take a look at the kitchen, I have a feeling you'll like it."

Without a word, she ran to the kitchen and slid to a stop. The kitchen was huge and spacious with gleaming stainless steel counter tops and a gigantic oven, exactly like the one she had clipped out of magazines and pasted a thousand times over in her scrapbook. She never had this much space to work with in her life.

"What do you think?" Quinn asked.

For nearly a full minute, Crissy didn't say anything. Then she sucked in a small, strangled breath.

"It's perfect," she said. "Is this...really real?"

He nodded. "It's real, sweetheart. After all you've been through, you deserve this. I wish I could have had it done in time to show you the finished product but..."

"It doesn't matter," she said, smoothing her hands over the counters. "I still love it. Every bit of it."

"Are you sure?"

She cast a sideways glance at him, confused.

"You haven't looked in the oven yet," he said.

She studied him for a moment then darted to the oven and yanked it open.

Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't pull in another. On the top rack of the oven was a tiny black box. A roaring rush started in her ears and she couldn't hear anything going on around her as she reached inside, pulled the box out and flipped it open.

Crissy's head snapped up to Quinn. He smiled, slow and gentle, and spread his hands.

"I had everything planned out to the tiniest detail," he said. "But you were so wrecked this past week and I just...I wanted to see you smile. I wanted you to know that when I went to work again...I wanted you to know that you weren't alone. Ever. I will always come back to you."

Crissy's throat tightened and she bit her lip, staring down at that tiny ring in that tiny box in the palm of her hand. When she made no reply, Quinn hesitated then took a step towards her.

"Sweetheart, if you don't..."

But she was already running to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes," she said. "I don't have to think about it. I already know my answer."

Quinn cupped her face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers with a chuckle.

"I haven't even asked you yet," he said.

She laughed, breathless with excitement and tears all at once.

"Then ask me," she said, bouncing on her toes impatiently.

Quinn trailed his thumb along her cheekbone and slid his hand around her waist.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered, brushing his nose against hers.

She smiled and curled her fingers around the back of his neck to pull him closer.

"Yes," she whispered against his lips. "A thousand times, yes."

[][][]

Crissy never wanted to leave this moment. She sat on the floor of her brand new, massive, half-finished kitchen with Quinn. She draped her legs over his lap and rested her chin on his shoulder, her fingers interlaced with his. Every now and then, he tipped his head towards her to steal a light, sweet kiss and she thought she would never stop smiling.

But the sun was setting and long shadows were stretching across the kitchen floor. At some point, she would have to move and this precious bubble of a moment would be gone. But not yet. Maybe just a few more minutes...

Quinn nuzzled against her ear and pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck.

"There's still one more thing left for you," he said.

She leaned into him and inched impossibly closer.

"I don't need anything else," she said.

He laughed softly. "That's very sweet of you but I think you'll be interested in this part too."

She pulled back to look at him and opened her mouth to ask what he meant when a familiar voice floated into the kitchen from the front door. A slow, sly smile spread across Quinn's lips.

"Sugar!" Amy called. "Get out of that kitchen, I need a hug."

"We both agreed," Quinn said, "that she needed to cut her trip a little short to be here when you found out about this place."

Crissy didn't think it was possible but her smile grew even more and she kissed Quinn, fast and light, before she ran from the kitchen. Amy swept her into a bruising, crushing hug that nearly sent them both toppling to the floor.

Then Amy broke apart and grabbed Crissy's hand.

"Let me see, let me see, let me see," she said, admiring Crissy's ring.

"You knew?" Crissy said.

Amy shot her a withering look. "Of course I knew. I wheedled it out of him."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Quinn said as he came up beside her and placed his hand at the small of her back. "She only mildly threatened me with a rolling pin this time."

"You didn't," Crissy said, eyeing Amy.

"No I didn't. But I might have used other methods of persuasion at my disposal. Besides. I totally saw it coming a mile away so I just pestered him until he gave in."

"Well I didn't see it coming. How did you possibly keep it a secret for so long? Any of this?"

Amy feigned a look of shock. "You doubt my abilities to keep a secret?"

Now it was Crissy's turn to give Amy a withering look. "Two secrets this big? Yes, I doubt your abilities a teeny tiny bit."

"Yeah, okay, fine. I almost spilled the beans once or twice."

"Three times," Quinn put in.

"But I didn't," Amy said, tipping her chin up. "That's the point. And thank god I don't have to anymore. Now take me to the kitchen, sugar. I want to hear what you have in mind when we get real food in here."

Amy swept Crissy off to the kitchen and they traded ideas back and forth, what utensils would go in which cabinets, giddy with the possibilities that lay before them. Crissy couldn't stop running her hands over the counters, touching the stove, rolling open drawers, constantly reassuring herself that this was actually happening. She had finally become used to the idea that she wasn't going to achieve this dream for another ten years, at least, maybe more if there were any other massive setbacks. But now she didn't even need to wait ten minutes because she was finally standing in the kitchen of her dreams.

"Crissy."

She turned at the sound of Quinn's voice and her breath hitched in her throat. He held up his phone then tucked it in his pocket with an apologetic look.

"Fire chief just called," he said quietly.

He held his hand out to her and she crossed the room, clasping his fingers tight against the concern beginning to take root in her chest.

"What is it?" she said. "What's wrong?"

"There's a wild fire in the mountains," he said. "They need extra man power to control the blaze before it spreads and reaches here."

He pulled her a little closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Please, please, please understand," he said, "that I really do not want to go, especially right now."

"I do understand and I don't want you to go either. But you have to. I get that." She slid her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Stay with Amy for a little while, okay?" he said.

"I can manage on my own for a few days. I'm a big girl."

"I know but it would make me feel better. Not sure how big this blaze is but if we can't control it, it would take a load off my mind if I knew you were with Amy."

She nodded and her fingertips tightened against him. She ached to let him go. She wanted to keep him all to herself for a little while longer and plan their future together...but she couldn't keep him, not when others needed his help.

"Go," she said, forcing herself to pull away. "Just...be careful?"

He nodded and placed his hand against her cheek as he kissed her, slow and lingering and soft.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, sweetheart, I promise," he said. "The minute this is over, I'm all yours."

He headed for the door then backtracked to kiss her one last time before he gritted his teeth and pushed out the door.

Amy tiptoed next to Crissy and slipped her arm through Crissy's elbow.

"He'll be fine," she said. "He'll come back and you can get to work on those twelve screaming, chubby kids you're going to have together."

Crissy laughed a little despite the worry clenched in her stomach and she rested her head against Amy's shoulder.

Amy poked her in the side. "Now how about those chocolate covered strawberries?"

"I haven't made them yet. I thought I had a few days left. But I do have some leftover beignets."

"With that chocolate dipping sauce you make?"

Crissy nodded.

"Then what the hell are we doing standing here? There's fried food waiting for me and I'm hungry."

Crissy glanced over her shoulder at her new kitchen and trailed her fingers over the counter top as she let Amy pull her from the room.