-Cooper-

Oliver had been weird lately. It was subtle, but he sounded almost nervous on our phone calls and there was a text he sent last week that I kept going back to.

"You like me, right? I'm not imagining all of this? "

I didn't know why he asked and I hoped it wasn't because he was having second thoughts about us continuing to talk, but I reassured him the best I could. Maybe I had shown my hand a little too much, but I needed him to know that I was still very much interested in him.

"Of course I like you. A lot. You're amazing and I think about the two weeks we spent together all the time. I wish you were here to hike with me and have picnics in the woods. And I wish you were in my bed. I miss your body on mine and the way we fit together. I miss you. I don't know where this is going, but I want it to work. I want you in my life however you'll have me, even if it's just friends. Even if it's long distance."

"Thanks, Cooper. I feel the same."

I read it over and over. He said he felt the same, and seeing that had made me float around in a happy daze the rest of the day. That should be all that mattered. But I had poured my heart out, and his response was short. I was confused, to say the least.

The last thing I wanted was another guy from a city leading me on and making me think he was interested in making things work with me. I'd been burned by this almost every time in the past. I didn't want this to end with Oliver asking me to move to California or even just move to Seattle. I didn't want him to string me along and have fun with me from a distance until he found someone who lived closer. I didn't think Oliver was like that, or that he would do those things, but I needed answers.

-

On my way home from work, I called Oliver. As much as I wanted answers about his text and the way he felt, I also wanted to hear his voice.

"Hey, Coop!" he answered. "What's up?"

"Driving home. Thinking about you."

I could tell he was smiling when he replied. "I've been thinking about you, too. How was work?"

"It was good. The usual. But um, I wanted to ask about that text you sent."

"I hope that wasn't weird. I was going to explain the next time I talked to you. Which unfortunately can't be now, since I'm still at work and we've got a big deadline with one of our studies. We've got a lot going on the next two days and I'm picking up a few shifts at the hospital too, so I'm barely going to be able to text, let alone call. But how about I make it up to you with a video call? You free on Saturday afternoon?"

"For you, I'll make time."

He laughed. "Sometimes I still can't believe it when you say things like that. It's the complete opposite of my experience with Brad. Anyway, I've got to go, but I'm happy you're in my life. Just know that."

"I'm happy to be in your life. Try not to work too hard, okay? I'll talk to you on Saturday."

I hung up the phone and watched the evergreen trees pass by my truck in a blur as I drove. I did feel a little sad that the call had been so short. I missed Oliver a lot, more than I would ever let on.

And I was still confused. I hadn't gotten any of the answers I wanted, and I was going to have to wait until Saturday for that. Two days had never felt so far away.

-

When Saturday afternoon finally arrived, I was trying to keep my nerves under control. I didn't know if Oliver was about to tell me that he just wanted to stay friends, or if he was going to ask about a long distance relationship. I tried to prepare myself for both possibilities and not let myself hope that we'd end the call as boyfriends.

As I set up my laptop in the living room, there was a knock on my door. I glanced at my watch and cursed. Whatever this was, I needed to handle it quickly since my call with Oliver was in five minutes.

I strode over to the door and opened it, but the person standing there was the last person I ever expected to see.

Oliver was standing in front of me with a soft smile on his face. "Hi, Cooper."

I blinked at him, my mouth hanging open, and I hoped I wasn't hallucinating. "What are you doing here?" Before he could answer, I lunged forward and put my arms around him, giving him a giant bear hug. It was really him. He was really here.

"I missed you," Oliver said, his voice muffled against my chest. "That's why I'm here."

I pulled back and slowly smiled, shaking my head as I looked at him. "This is a hell of a surprise. How did you get here?" I peered over his shoulder and saw an unfamiliar car in my driveway.

Oliver's eyes were bright, but he seemed nervous. "I drove up. I wanted to visit you - I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is." I hugged him again, not able to keep my hands off him. "I've missed you too. I can't believe you're here! This is way better than a video call, and you showing up out of the blue explains everything about the past couple weeks," I laughed, feeling relieved that all of the weirdness was because Oliver was trying to surprise me. "How long can you stay? And why didn't you fly?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about. I haven't found an apartment in San Diego yet, so I packed my stuff into my car and drove up here. I, um, I actually have a job interview at the hospital in Port Angeles. If you're okay with me staying, I can take the job if they offer it to me."

It seemed like everything stopped, and I stared at Oliver for a few seconds before I had to remind myself to breathe. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

Oliver nodded. "I like you a lot. And I like Washington. I thought it through, and there isn't much keeping me in San Diego. The interview is for a temporary job, so it'd give me a few months to see how things are working out between us and decide if I want to move here permanently."

My throat tightened and I fought the tears that sprang to my eyes. Oliver had already looked into this enough to find employment here. He was offering to change everything in his life to be with me - be with me here in Washington, with my family in the place I considered home. No guy had ever even entertained the idea.

My eyes welled up as a huge smile broke across my face. I pulled Oliver into another hug, squeezing him tight. "You have no idea how much this means to me," I choked out, my voice breaking. "I always thought I'd have to choose between love and the place I call home."

Oliver squeezed me back. "I didn't want you to have to do that. You deserve to have everything you want."

"So do you." I put my hands on his shoulders and held him away from me, no longer caring about the tears running down my face and settling into my beard. "Is Washington what you want? Do you think you can be happy here?"

"You're what I want," Oliver said. He punctuated that statement by leaning forward and kissing the tip of my nose. "Washington is a bonus. I really liked it here. I'll have you, all of the beautiful scenery around us, and a family to spend time with. It sounds perfect to me."

"It does. You're perfect," I whispered.

Oliver wrapped his arms around the back of my neck, pressing his chest, hips, and thighs against mine. I met his lips and kissed him hungrily, not capable of taking it slow. He hummed and tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. Just hearing the sounds he made set my blood on fire, and I put my hands under his ass and lifted him by the back of his thighs. Without breaking the kiss, he wrapped his legs around my waist.

I walked us to my bedroom, trying to keep kissing him while also trying not to run into any of the walls or doorways. I mostly succeeded. Oliver was laughing as I dropped him onto my bed, and I immediately pulled his shirt over his head so I could see more of him. His hands tugged at the waistband of my pants, and in no time at all we were both naked and laying skin to skin on my bed.

"I've missed this," Oliver murmured, his thumb stroking my cheek.

"Me too. Every night, I wished you were in my bed."

He smiled. "And now I am. What are you okay with doing right now?"

"Anything."

His hands went to my ass, kneading both cheeks. "I've been dreaming about your ass ever since I left."

I groaned and pulled him on top of me. Our bodies began to move together as we got lost in each other. It was paradise being with him again - better than any view from a mountain top or a sunset over the ocean. My hands roamed over his body so I could feel every inch of his skin and make up for the time we were apart. I wanted to memorize every line and curve of his body.

"You're so hot," Oliver breathed, staring down at me with half-lidded eyes. "Everything about your body does it for me."

I was never going to get used to him saying things like that to me. I was big and bulky and rough around the edges, and while I wasn't unattractive, I didn't think a guy like Oliver would find me desirable. But he made me feel incredible every time we were together.

When he pushed into me, we both moaned. "You feel amazing," I said, already panting.

"You're amazing," he murmured as he leaned down to kiss me.

Time stretched on, one moment of bliss after another. Oliver's thrusts were slow, and we were more focused on gentle kisses and fingers trailing across skin than we were on getting off quickly. Now that he was going to live here, rather than just visit, it felt like we had all the time in the world.

"I want to keep going," Oliver said, his voice strained, "but I don't know how much longer I can last."

I squeezed his hips with my thighs, trying to draw him even closer. "We have all night for round two. And round three and four and -"

That was enough of a distraction, and Oliver laughed. "Let's not get carried away. That sounds awesome but maybe too ambitious."

"Too ambitious? Is that a challenge?"

Oliver snorted. I loved seeing him laugh, and I was going to make it my goal to make him laugh every day. If he was going to move here to be with me, I was going to be the best boyfriend he'd ever had. I wanted him to feel loved and desired and to know that I would always put him first. His happiness would be my biggest priority.

My next words were risky, but Oliver deserved to hear them. He deserved to feel secure in this relationship. I cradled his cheek in my hand and looked right into his eyes, and I allowed my expression to settle into something more serious. "I know this is probably too soon, but you should know how I feel. I love you," I said, my voice low and soft.

Oliver leaned down and kissed me gently, his lips barely brushing mine. "Maybe it is too soon, but I love you too. I'm so happy to be here with you. I feel like I'm home."

I was going to get choked up again, so I kissed him back rather than try to speak. I kissed down to his jaw and kept going, down his neck and all the way to his collarbone, where I left a kiss bruise on his skin. It brought his attention back to our bodies, and in a matter of seconds he was thrusting back into me, this time with a purpose.

There was no way either of us could last at this pace, so it wasn't long before I was shouting Oliver's name and gripping the sheets in my fists. I saw his eyelids flutter closed as he moaned, his thrusts losing their rhythm. I squeezed around him, trying to draw as much pleasure out of him as I could.

He collapsed on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around him as we both let our breathing even out. I kissed his temple and nuzzled my nose into his hair. "Can we do this every day? You're amazing."

Oliver grabbed the blanket and pulled it over us, not bothering to lift his head from my chest. "If we're not working or hiking, I want to be in bed with you," he murmured. "You're the best, Cooper."

I didn't think I could ever be happier than I was right now. I had my dream guy in my arms, in my bed, in my house. Everything I needed was here in Washington, and I couldn't wait for all of the days ahead with Oliver.