Darwin motioned for her to go ahead of him. Taylor pinched his arm, but then she took his hand and held on to it as they made their way back into the great room. She gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it.

She loved him. She didn’t like him most of the time, but she would always love him.

She went over to Jamar and grabbed hold of the hand he offered.

He pressed a kiss near her ear and whispered, “Everything okay?”

She nodded, but before she could voice a response, her mother began her toast. Taylor felt tears welling in her eyes as she listened to her mother honor her dad’s sixty years on this earth and over forty years of service to his country. Was it any wonder why she had a reputation for flaying her opposing counsel like a fish? The woman was a brilliant orator.

Once done with the private family toast, they filed out of the house and into their respective cars.

“What happened with your brother?” Jamar asked as he eased into the caravan behind her dad’s new car.

“It’s all good,” Taylor said. “For a minute I thought Darwin had turned into a normal human being, but he’s still an asshole. All is right with the world.”

“I guess that’s good to hear,” he said with a chuckle.

“I honestly wouldn’t know how to deal with him if he was pleasant,” she said. She leaned over and pressed a kiss against his neck. She whispered against his skin, “I saw how you were ready to tackle him for me. Normally, I’d find that kind of stuff annoying because I’d rather fight my own battles, but I have to admit that was pretty sexy, Twenty-Three.”

He glanced away from the road long enough to give her a quick kiss on the lips. “You help me slay my dragons, and I’ll help you slay yours.”

“Mutual dragon slayage. That’s definitely going in the playbook.”

He reached over and caught her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “I think we need to revise that playbook when we get back to Austin. Some things have changed since you first came up with it.”

“Such as?” Taylor asked.

“All those end dates have to go.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “I don’t want this to end.”

Her heart lurched in her chest, a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and fearful hope surging through her.

“I don’t want it to end either,” Taylor said in a soft voice.