It was incredible how all the pieces of their lives were falling into place, but Gina needed to be sure. “You were so set on going back to Alaska.”
His expression turned pensive. “You know, when I went back, I realized that while I love the place, my image of my life in Alaska wasn’t real.Living Wildwas a lie, and the life I had in Juneau doesn’t exist anymore. I was fooling myself.”
Knowing the truth about his family, Gina understood what he meant. “But are you going to be happy in New York? In Los Angeles? You’re turning your entire life upside down just to be with me.”
He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes. “You’re worth it, Gina.”
The words, and the little growl in his voice, made her heart do a backflip. “You think so?”
He gave her a light kiss. “It doesn’t matter where we are—New York City, Alaska, or Los Angeles. I’ll be happy anywhere as long as I’m with you.”
She hugged him tight. “I’m so excited to be not-alone with you, Stone.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Kiss me.”
He did.
Epilogue
Gina took a whiff of the pasteles boiling in the pot on the stove. “It finally smells like home in here, instead of paint and new wood.”
Stone, as it turned out, had a taste for Puerto Rican cooking, and Gina had asked her mother and sister to help her make pasteles to store in the house she and Stone had built—with the aid of the Nielsons—in Southeast Alaska. The extra freezer was fully stocked with piles of the platano leaf–wrapped bundles of mashed malanga, calabaza, and green bananas.
“Watched pasteles don’t cook.” Stone took Gina by the hand and led her into their living room. He sat on the sofa and pulled her into his lap, tucking his face into her neck for a long sniff. “Besides, home to me smells like coconut and flowers.”
She snuggled against him. “I wasn’t going to leave my shampoo behind.”
He rubbed his nose in her hair. “I like it. You’re the only tropical flower in Alaska, and you’re all mine.” Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. “It’s a good thing you didn’t pop those in the pot while my family was here. They never would have left.”
“They had to. They’re filming tomorrow.”
Stone’s family had gotten a new show where they taught survival techniques to regular people. Stone wasn’t on it, and neither were Raven and Winter. They’d gone off to college in Seattle.
“Trust me, they would have stuck around for food.”
Gina rested her head on Stone’s chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. “Today was fun.”
“I’m a little worried by how good you are at shooting a gun.”
She snorted. “Don’t worry. Hunting isn’t for me.”
“Thank goodness.” He was quiet for a moment. “Is it terrible that I’m glad you’re skipping the next season ofThe Dance Off?”
“No, it’s not terrible. But why are you glad?”
“Because I know how much time goes into it, and I’m selfish.” He squeezed her. “I want to spend more time with you.”
“A Broadway show takes up tons of time, too.”
“I know, but I’ve met your costars, and they’re all afraid of me. How do I knowThe Dance Offwon’t give you some strapping young man—”
“You mean how they gave meyou?”
“Exactly.”
“They did that because I was single. They know I’m not single now. The whole world knows I’m not single now.”
