She smiled and lifted his hand to her lips, biting his knuckle softly. “Yes, you are. One of those agents is going to sign you and you’re going to be busy traveling all over the country. And one day, you’ll have your own special on Netflix. I believe in you, and I want to be there when it happens.”
It was his turn to be overwhelmed. “Is it hot in here?” He stood and opened the kitchen window, letting in a gust of wind.
His chest constricted and the back of his throat hurt like he might cry. He couldn’t cry. Not in front of her. But damn, she…
His heart filled with so much emotion he could hardly breathe. It actually hurt. Then, because God was set on making an ass out of him, their song came on. The familiar strings and flutes filled the kitchen just as they had played that night at the bar.
Her hand pressed to his back and he tensed, blinking hard against the onset of tears.
She pressed her cheek to his back and whispered, “Honey, they’re playing our song.”
He turned and blinked like a total sap. “I think I liked it better when you were mean.”
She laughed and hugged him. “I’m still mean.”
“I know. But, Er, I fucking love you when you’re nice.” His arms wrapped around her, lifting her off her feet and hugging her body to his. “I’m never letting you go.”
She laughed. “Promise?”
His lips pressed to her throat and he nodded, sniffing back his tears. “Promise.”
“Good. Because I’ve decided that if I’m gonna love someone, I’m gonna love them all the way.”
He looked into her eyes. “That’s how I love you, Erin. All the way.”
She kissed him, nuzzling her nose along his. “Like the stars love the sky?”
“More. Because I never want to spend a day without you.”
His mouth pressed to her and her arms wreathed his neck as he carried her to bed. They didn’t think about the lights being on and she didn’t flinch when he looked into her eyes. She let him hold her and touch her and kiss her, never pulling a single bit of herself away.
Her openness left him exposed. As they filled the hollows of each other’s soul, he didn’t know what the future had in store for them, but he finally felt like he had a place to call home—in her arms, in her heart. That was where he wanted to stay.
EPILOGUE
“Please put your hands together for Giovanni Mosconi!”
The old theater roared with applause as he took the stage. Erin smiled from the private box tucked above the mezzanine balcony.
“Hello, Chicago!” Giovanni greeted, earning more applause. “My wife and I got here late last night, and I’ve already got thirty-five parking tickets.”
Laughter rolled.
A waiter approached. “I have your rum and coke, Mrs. Mosconi.”
“Thank you.” Her wedding ring flashed as she accepted the glass.
It had been some time since she submitted all those applications for Giovanni. At first, they were hopeful, but then, when no news came, they sort of forgot about it and made the best of things, enjoying the warmer spring weather and all the wonderful things that came with falling in love.
Giovanni continued working in the lumberyard because the pay was good. He never came to love it, but he did learn to tolerate it.
The day after he proposed, he got a call from the Seymore & Park Agency in New York. They took a week off to travel to the city. Had a meeting with the agent, signed on the spot, then flew into Vegas because the agency already booked a gig for him.
The next night they were married by an Elvis impersonator with a Dolly Parton drag queen as their witness. It was perfect.
From there, life got busy. Money was good, so she told the realtor to hold off on the sale of the house but to let her know if an interested buyer came along.
She and Giovanni mostly slept in hotels and on airplanes. It didn’t matter, so long as they never slept apart. Together, they made a home—a happy one in each other’s heart.
Jasper Falls would always contain their memories, some happy, some sad, but neither of them was ready to settle down yet. The world was too big and there was too much to see.
Finn kept in touch, and Mallory texted her on occasion. Skylar was pregnant again and sent Erin a friend request on social media. She loved seeing how happy Rhett looked with his wife and three daughters.
Erin wasn’t ready to think about kids, but neither was Giovanni. They liked their freedom, and they liked spontaneity too much.
Harrison eventually came back to deal with the hardware store, but that was his story to tell, not hers.
Now that she understood how cathartic distance could be, she was able to forgive her brother for leaving. He hadn’t meant to abandon her, he’d only been trying to survive. But sometimes, even survival came at a cost.