“Come inside,” I said, towing him to the door. “Come in and…oh.”
On the stoop were a suitcase and a medium-sized box, brightly wrapped in bluepaper.
“I’m a little late,” he said. “But I did tell you I had another present foryou.”
I bit my lip and pushed open the door, my stomach churning with happiness and nervous anticipation. Was it possible for a stomach to churn with onlygoodthings? I led him upstairs and busied myself making coffee while he greeted Honoria and She-Ra, hoping the mundane task would help my hands stopshaking.
Didn’t work, though. I handed him the coffee with tremblingfingers.
He immediately set it on the coffee table and drew me down to his lap. “Why are you shaky?” he demanded, grinning up at me. “Cold?”
I shook my head. “I just can’t believe you’rehere.”
He pushed my hair back with his fingers and his eyes were green-gold even in the low light from the lamp. “I missed you, JulianRoss.”
“Me too.” My face heated. “If you didn’t get that from my rambling a minute ago. And I really am sorry that I clammed up when I should have beenopen.”
Daniel shrugged. “How many calm weeks have we had together? Two? It’s gonna take time to change our… what’s the wordagain?”
“Internaldialogue?”
“Exactly.” He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “But we’ll get there. I know it.” He hesitated. “And speaking of things we should discuss. Grab yourpresent.”
I raised one eyebrow, but leaned over from where I was straddling him to grab the box he’d left next to thecouch.
“What is it?” Idemanded.
“Don’t tell me you’re one ofthosepeople—the kind who want you to tell them what’s in the box before they openit.”
I grinned and shrugged. “Maybe?”
“Open it,baby.”
I pulled off the ribbon and tore at the wrapping, opened the heavy white box andfound…
“Papers?”
“A manuscript,” hecorrected.
“Oh my God. Your book! Or… no… A new JD Pritchard book?” I stared at him in stunned disbelief. “You managed to get me a copy of the new Pritchard when I didn’t even know therewasa new Pritchard? Jesus. I could get used to having connections, youknow.”
Daniel pursed his lips. “Readit.”
“Uh. Okay?Love Song, by JD Pritchard.” I looked up at him. “Thank you so much, really. Thisis—”
“Keepreading.”
I dutifully removed the first page and read the second. “Copyright…”
“Nextpage.”
“To the love of my life… Julian?” I looked up at him and down at the book, then up at him, and downagain.
Long story short, it took an embarrassingly long time for the penny to drop, while Daniel sat there staring at me with a patient, wary sort of smile on his face, like he wasn’t sure if I was going to kill him or kisshim.
I wasn’t sureeither.
“You are JD…Youare…? But how could you not tell me? Howcould…”
