I put my hands to my face, so relieved, then stepped in to hug him. He bent down and hugged me close, and we laughed. Our laughter sailed right around that white ferry boat, up into the blue sky, around the green islands, and back to us. He gave me a long kiss, sweet and passionate, and smokin’ hot.

“You’ll say yes, won’t you?” he asked.

“I’ll say yes, handsome. Indeed I will.”

* * *

I insisted he go on his Alaskan fishing trip with his brothers.

“Go,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

And I did.

* * *

I told my mother and aunts that Marco and I were dating each other because we could. They had known about the boat-drowning premonition, but now there would be no disaster on the sailboat and I could not live without the guy.

We each picked out a special, crazy hat from the hat wall, then danced around their kitchen in Rose Bloom Cottage, under the chandelier their mother bought because she believed in fairies, next to the crystals that were hung for spiritual blessings and continued happy sex lives.

“You have outlasted the premonition and now you can dance toward your future, my dear daughter,” my mother said.

“Your stars have aligned,” Aunt Camellia said. “Your hemispheres have come together as one, the galaxy blessing you.”

“I’ll bet he’s a tiger in bed,” Aunt Iris said. “He’ll make you roar.”

I called Jules, and she squealed and said, “I’ll make you your own custom motorcycle. It will say Evie and Marco, Love Muffins.”

“Uh, no. No dangerous motorcycle.”

She was disappointed. “I’ll paint you a picture of one!”

“I’ll take that.”

I told Johnny, Betsy, Kayla, and Tilly, and they were thrilled for me.

“Two hearts into one for our Evie,” Johnny said. “This is one of the greatest days of my life.”

* * *

Chief Ass Burn parked outside my bookstore after work on Saturday afternoon.

“Hello, Evie.”

“Hello.” I did not stop to talk to him. I kept walking to Esmerelda. The woman with the red cowgirl hat had been right. She was a woman’s truck, and I did feel like a ball-busting woman driving it.

He followed me. “I’d like to ask you something about your mother and aunts.”

I felt cold, freezing cold, as if ice had entered my body. I turned to face him. “What about them?”

“Do you know what they do in their greenhouse?”

That ice was coming up my throat, filling it with more fear. I tried to hide it. “Yes. They grow plants and flowers.”

He chuckled. “Is that it?”

“Yes. What’s the problem?”

“Now I can’t tell you what that is, little lady. I’m the chief and we keep all investigations under cover. Plus, sometimes we need search warrants.”

I felt myself go cold. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”