“Hi,” he says, leaning back to look at me.
I grin. “Hi. I missed you.”
“That’s my fault.”
I drop my head. “Not totally. I didn’t handle leaving well. I got tunnel vision on Noli and didn’t communicate with you how I should have. My sisters say I was self-sabotaging, focusing only on them instead of on myself to prevent anyone else from ever getting close enough to hurt me again like my dad hurt me when he left.” I grimace. “Sorry, that’s a lot. Probably more than you bargained for. You can tell me to shut up.”
Mack shakes his head. “Absolutely not. Listening to you talk is one of my very favorite things.”
I wrap my hands fully around his torso and rest my head against his heart. “Thank you.”
I feel his cheek come down on the top of my head. “How long can you stay?”
I lean back so I can look at him when I deliver my punchline. “That depends.”
A crease appears between his eyes. “On what?”
“On how long you’ll have me.”
He cocks his head. “Boo…”
“Big…” I parrot.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m here for good—if that’s okay. I mean, I want to move to Cashmere Cove. Mostly to be close to you, but also because I love the job I have here, and Rose loves it here, and Noli is going to move up here for a fresh start, so I hope you’ll have me because, otherwise, this is going to be embarrassing, and awkward, and—”
Mack’s lips are on mine, effectively giving me the answer I hoped for. And what a relief it is. His kiss is sure and steady, and I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on. He takes his time, and the edges of my reality blur. All thoughts flee excepthimandusandthis.
When we break for air, he gazes into my eyes, reaching up with both hands and using the pads of his finger to trace the lines of my face—around my forehead, down over my cheekbones and chin—like he’s taking note of the blueprint of me. His hands are calloused and rough against my skin, but his touch is gentle.
I catch his hands with mine and cradle them to my cheeks, closing my eyes. I could stand here, under the stars and twinkle lights, with him holding me for the rest of my days.
“Boo, I have to tell you something.”
I blink to look at him. “What is it?”
“I love you.”
Tears spring into my eyes because I know he means those words. I know it down to the core of my being. I trust him enough to believe it.
I open my mouth, about to echo his sentiment, but I see that he’s not quite finished.
“In one of your first emails to Holland, you mentioned looking up at the sky, right?”
I nod.
“Then, you told me later that whenever you’ve felt lost, or drifting, or like you weren’t sure what to do or where to turn, you’d look up at the sky and feel grounded.”
I cock my head and wait. Where is he going with this?
“You are my sky. When I look at you, I’m grounded. I know exactly where I’m supposed to be. It’s with you.”
A tear leaks out of the corner of my eye, and he catches it with the pad of his thumb, brushing it softly off my cheek. I never want to forget how absolutely cherished I feel. I don’t think I’ll have the chance to because I’m certain Mack is going to make me feel this way forever.
I blink my eyes open. “I love you, Mack Bradley. I love you right back.”
32
