Slim had left the revelry of Adam’s wedding to find a quiet corner at midnight. It hadn’t even been twelve hours since he’d last seen her, and he was already dying for her. If he’d needed proof of how bad he had it for her, today had been an excellent wake-up call.

“Happy New Year,” she said when she answered.

The sound of her voice quieted the agitation he’d been carrying around since he left her. “Happy New Year, beautiful.”

“How was the wedding?”

“Amazing. They’re so perfect for each other, which is kind of funny when you consider the fact that she dated his brother for ten years.”

“Abby dated one of Adam’s brothers? Which one?”

“Grant. They lived together in LA for the last five years they were together, but that’s been over for a long time.”

“I had no idea! I can’t imagine Grant with anyone but Stephanie or Abby with anyone but Adam.”

“I keep forgetting you’re new to these parts. I have to do a better job of keeping you up to speed on island gossip.”

“Yes, you do.”

“How’s your dad?”

“He had a good day. They’re talking about trying to get him up tomorrow. Lots of tests of his functionality, but they seem very optimistic he’ll make a full recovery. It just won’t happen overnight.”

“Optimistic is good news.”

“Yes, we’re very thankful.”

“I wish you were here.”

“I was just thinking that very same thing.”

“Were you now?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I also wish I didn’t have to go back to Florida tomorrow. This has been the nicest vacation I’ve had in years.”

“Me, too. Eleven days never went by so fast.”

“I know you’ve got a lot going on there with your dad, but the invite to Evan’s wedding and Florida after still stands.”

“Thank you. We’ll see how the next few weeks go.”

“You’re making me feel cautiously optimistic about more than just your dad’s recovery.”

The sound of her laughter made him happier than he’d been since he left her. “You’re always a charmer. I’ll give you that.”

“I don’t want to charm anyone but you, Erin. I hope you know that.”

“You’re doing a pretty good job so far.”

“Only pretty good? Now I know what my New Year’s resolution will be.”

“Just call me once in a while, and I’ll be happy.”

“That I can do.” That—and so much more. Eleven days with her had been nowhere near enough. He wanted every day with her, and was determined to make sure she knew that. “Did you do anything special for New Year’s Eve?”

“My mom and I went out to dinner and came home to watch the goings-on in New York City, which is a mob scene, as usual.”