Clint

Years Later

After all these years, the magic is still here. 

Walking through the threshold to the house Bianca’s family once called home, I’m overwhelmed with feelings of nostalgia. There are a few new things, but for the most part, Eddy kept it the same, probably because he was too lazy to make any real changes. 

Riley, Stella, and Jacob follow me inside, looking around the small living room in wonder. 

“This was Momma’s place?” Riley asks, her brow scrunched. 

Bianca comes out of the bedroom. “It sure was, and before that, my parents lived here.” 

“It’s kind of cool,” Jacob says, picking up a carrot-shaped salt shaker. 

Bianca picks up the lettuce pepper shaker and smirks. “It definitely has old lady appeal.”

“Stella, can you watch your siblings while me and your momma talk?” 

“Sure, Dad—but you’re buying me cotton candy later.” 

“And root beer floats!” Jacob adds. “The festival has the best!”

“You don’t even feel a little bit bad about nickel and diming your old man, huh?” 

Stella shakes her head. “Nope.”

Bianca and I step outside and go to a bench that overlooks the park. 

I take Bianca’s hand in mine, kissing her knuckles. “So, what are your thoughts?”

“If only my parents could see what the town’s become.”

“I’m sure they would have gotten a kick out of it.”

“We definitely need to find a librarian who’ll put on events for the festival.”

“How’s the house looking?”

“It needs a few updates, but it’ll be easy to fix up.” 

“It seems to be in good shape, but you were there longer, and may have seen things I’d missed.” 

“I’d cleaned out a bunch of microwaveable food dishes before you arrived, but it wasn’t terrible.”

Three months ago, Tim McCall suffered a heart attack and decided that it was God’s will that he retire. Overnight, he sold his property and bought a place in Florida, where he, his wife, and Eddy now reside. 

“Is there anything you want to keep?” I ask. 

“Not really.”

“Not even the couch?” I feign offense. 

“It does hold fond memories for us,” she says wistfully. 

“We could make another fond memory later on tonight, if you’d like.” I wink.

She elbows my ribs. “Seriously, Clint—calm down!” 

“When have I ever been able to remain calm around you?” 

“Good point, but let’s refrain from hooking up on my parents’ ancient couch that’s spent the last ten years in questionable company.” 

“If you insist, snob.”

Spying the cotton candy vendor, I get up and extend my hand down to Bianca. “Let’s get the kids a treat.” 

The line swells before we make it over, but luckily, it moves fast, and when the vendor asks which flavor we’d like, I tell him, “Two maple, one blue, and two as pink as her hair.” I point to Bianca’s pixie mane. 

“Coming right up.” 

After paying, we start the short walk back to the library. 

“In all the times you thought of me, before we got together, did you ever imagine having kids?” Bianca asks. 

“Nope, it was ninety percent just lusting after your body.”

She snorts derisively. “Not the answer I was expecting.” 

“But an honest one, nonetheless. Still, that ten percent I thought about your mind was powerful.”

She snorts out an adorable laugh. “A true love story for the ages.”

The kids cheer when we return with cotton candy, and after floats, we take them to see their cousins and friends.

“Why don’t you let us take them for the night?” Fiona offers. “Audrina’s been talking about making pillow forts, and Dex just loves Jacob.”

“That’s kind of you, but are you sure you’re up to it?” Bianca asks. 

She lifts her shoulders in a big shrug. “We already have four kids. What’s three more?”

Bianca looks over at me with a lifted brow. “What do you say?”

I pull her to me, wrap my arm around her waist, and wave goodbye to the kids. “Call me if you need reinforcements.”

We head out and walk up Main Street, delighted at all the new vendors that have set up shop. 

Just a few years ago, there were half as many, and I have a feeling that in a few more years, the number will double again. 

One of Ellie’s horses is being ornery, and we help get it loaded into the trailer before meandering back down the street. 

Bianca stops and twirls to face me. “I have an idea!” 

“What’s that?”

“Let’s go back to the old house.”

“Seriously?”

She twirls again, doing one of her moves she practices every so often for me. Ones she knows I can’t resist.

“Lead the way.”

Like giddy teenagers, we rush back down the street to the library to recreate the memories we had from our first hookup on the couch.

Everything is perfect, from the lighting to Bianca’s seductive gaze, and when we’re done, we fall against each other, panting. 

“Thank you for sharing your life with me, Bianca. For staying in Perish when you could have left for a fancy tech job. For all the things you do so perfectly.”

“You are too good at flattering me.”

We place fresh sheets on the bed and slide under the covers. I roll toward her, cupping her cheek. “Every good thing I say about you is true. You’re a fantastic mother, a thoughtful friend, a true partner, and a genius with your work. You grew your cyber business from nothing to, geez, you’ve nearly grossed a billion dollars—and that’s without any help.”

“Oh, stop. I have employees, and started with a hell of an endorsement.”

“The Prosper name only got you so far—it was you, your talent, and your insanely smart brain.” I lean forward, kissing her forehead. “You’re the whole package, everything I ever dreamed of having, and I need you to know that after all this time, I’d do it all over again, just the same.”

A sleepy grin spreads across her face. “So would I.”

The End

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