“Maybe I’m embarrassed by my family. I have a sister-in-law in a mental institution when she should be in prison for murder; I have an uncle who cheated on his wife and then married his lover and cheated on her. Though I haven’t told anyone yet. And then his son who can’t keep it in his pants and oh, there’s also—”

“Shhh.”

She looked at him.

“There’s also me. I was raised like this. I’m judgmental, and I’m usually right. I’m not going to change.”

“And I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t want you to change. And I’m going to prove it.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t think sex in the rose garden would be acceptable … though maybe tonight when everyone is asleep.”

“You’re on,” he said, and kissed her. Every time he kissed her, she melted. She felt like … she didn’t quite know. Like she wanted to sit in a car and make out with him. Like she wanted to spend more time with him. “And while I will have sex with you whenever and wherever you want, that’s not how I’m going to prove I love you.”

“You don’t have to prove it. I know you do. I love you. I don’t know how it happened, but I love you. And that sounds so crazy to me, because I’m selfish and self-absorbed.”

“That’s the first time you’ve told me you love me without saying, ‘I love you, too.’”

He kissed her again, and she didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to go to her uncle’s house, she didn’t want to leave at all. She wanted Ryan, Eve, and Eleanor tonight, the four of them, talking about her grandfather and remembering his stories. Talking about the good things growing up here, about the past, about long before Max was born. She wanted peace, quiet, and the man she loved.

Her family, small and wonderful.

He took her hand and kissed it.

“You’re getting sappy on me, Maguire.”

He kissed her hand again, and again. Her heart beat rapidly and flutters she rarely felt went up and down her spine.

“I love it when I freak you out,” he said, “because you’re very hard to freak.”

“I don’t freak.”

He put his fingers on her pulse. “Really.” He kissed her neck, behind her ear, her jawline, her lips.

She melted into him. She hadn’t felt this comfortable, this loved, this wanted, in … ever.

He leaned back and looked at her. His eyes were sparkling, and for a second she thought they were tears. And maybe they were.