“Knew what?”
“That we were supposed to be together. That I’d fall for you. I’d already started.”
Ava’s fork stopped halfway to her lips, and she stared at Regan for a moment before taking the bite. “Yeah. Same.”
Regan’s surprise was obvious, she knew. “Really?”
“Mm-hmm. Except I knew the first time.” She looked very pleased with herself, and Regan realized they’d veered slightly from super serious to a little bit playful.
“Oh, I see. So you were ahead of me.”
“Mm-hmm. Better get used to it.”
Their gazes held, Ava smiling at her as she chewed, and Regan had the sudden understanding, like a bolt of lightning coming out of nowhere and striking her with an electric shock, that this was it.
This. Was. It.
Like a neon sign in her head telling her to stop and look and listen, to fucking pay attention. She was going to love this woman. In fact, shealready did, she just wasn’t ready to voice that yet. But she knew it. Deep down, she knew it.
“You being a step ahead?” she asked, adding a teasing tone to her voice.
“Yup.”
“No problem.”
“Really?” Ava looked surprised. “No problem? You’re not gonna argue with me?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I just realized something.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
Regan leaned forward and waited until Ava’s dark eyes were locked on hers. “I’d follow you anywhere.”
Epilogue
Eighteen months later
It had been a year and a half since Regan had told Ava she’d follow her anywhere, and she’d kept her word. Ava sat now, reminiscing, thinking of all the wonderful things that had transpired over the past eighteen months, and she couldn’t imagine having done a single day of them without Regan. The fiasco of the retreat had been forgiven, if not forgotten—simply because it was too crazy to forget, and also, it had been where they’dreallymet, despite their shared history—and they’d been there for each other during some big life changes. Six months ago, Regan’s boss had retired, and she’d used her retreat money to buy the bakery. She was over the moon with happiness as the sole owner of Sweet Temptations Bakery.
And now?
And now it was Ava’s turn. She’d made a big life change, too, and today was the day.Theday.
She smiled, despite all the emotions churning in the center of her body. And then she could feel it as the smile morphed into a grimace, because had she ever been this nervous?
No. She didn’t think so. But it was a weird mix of good and bad, excited and stressed, worried and chill.
A glance at her watch told her she had about an hour until she opened the doors to her new dessert and wine bar, called simply Ava, and let in her very first customers, which might include a critic or two. The thought of that ratcheted up everything going on in her body rightthen, multiplied it all, and she pressed a hand to her stomach, hoping she wouldn’t be sick. Again.
“You okay?” Regan was close, suddenly, her voice soft near Ava’s ear.
Ava swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. All good.”
“Nervous?”
