She smiled against his touch. "Oh, that's right. I already told you."
"Yeah, but that's not how I know."
"Then how?"
He traced the upward tilt of her mouth. "You stayed."
"I sure did. And you don't stand a chance of shaking me lose now." Her arm snaked around his neck, her mouth grazing his with the promise of more to come later. Julia nipped his bottom lip. "I only have one more request."
"Just ask, Jules, and I'll make it happen."
"Will you paint my toenails when I'm old and arthritic?"
His laugh rumbled deep and full between them. "Why wait? I've had a serious hankering to slick some of that Five Alarm Red on your perfect toes."
She scratched a fingernail down every link of his flight suit zipper, trailing lower toward seriously fired-up territory. "Well, Colonel, if you take me home to bed, I think this just may be your lucky night."
Epilogue
Shelby shouldered through the post-recital crush backstage, her hand linked with John's as he followed her. Weaving around tutus and smiling faces painted with glitter, she followed her dad and Julia while they looked for Ivy. A Nutcracker kiddie recital wasn't exactly a rock concert date, but John was hanging tough. He told her it didn't matter as long as he could see her.
Cool.
After the fall-out in the hotel almost a year ago, her father and John had come to an understanding of sorts— family-oriented dates. If John could withstand Dawson picnics, hikes and endless hours of elementary-school children in tutus, then her father would back off.
And he had. Well, as much as any dad ever did.
Three steps ahead of Shelby, Julia tucked Patrick more securely against her shoulder and arched up to her husband. "Can you see her?"
"Not yet." Zach towered over feathery and sequined headpieces. Finally, Ivy's head bobbed above the masses.
Shelby watched as her stepfather swept Ivy up, her mom standing beside them with an armload of roses. Eddie wasn't so bad, in small doses. Even if the guy's tan bordered on tangerine, he made her mom happy, so Shelby put up with him.
At first, she'd been scared spitless Eddie and her mom would start some lame custody battle. Not that Shelby would have gone. Luckily, her mom seemed okay with the weekend parent gig, and the mall trips were kind of fun now that she knew her dad and Julia would always be home waiting.
"Daaad-dy!" Catching sight of her father, Ivy wriggled out of Eddie's grasp and launched forward.
Zach caught her just before she catapulted onto her face.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Did you see me? I never stumbled once. Well, once, but I made it look like it was supposed to be there."
"You were perfect. It was a great show."
And it had been. The mouse had found her confidence. Who'd have thought a year ago that she would take center stage at a ballet recital? "Good job, Mouse."
Ivy grinned. "I know."
Her mom and Orange-Eddie could buy Ivy a hothouse full of flowers and name-brand chocolates, but her dad and Julia had given Ivy something a lot more important.
"Julia!" Ivy squirmed down. "What did you think? Huh? Did you see me?"
"Yes, hon, I sure did. You were fabulous." Julia passed Patrick to Shelby before kneeling to hug Ivy.
Ivy patted her netted hair behind the white furry headpiece. "My hair didn't fall down, not a bit. I felt like a real princess."
"And you look like one too, hon."