Naina shook her head, but her shoulders were shaking with laughter. She helped him up and kissed him full on the lips, to many hoots.

“Hey! It’s my wedding,” Esha said. “Let’s focus.”

“So it is.” Vansh gave Esha a hug and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “By the way, have you considered that this wedding wouldn’t be taking place if not for my matchmaking skills?”

“Of course it wouldn’t, Baby Prince,” Naina said, and they all laughed. “Ready, Esha?”

Esha nodded. She had never been readier.

Acknowledgments

Finishing The Emma Project feels like coming to the end of a vacation I had dreamed of my entire life, one that turned out to be exactly as much fun as I’d expected it to be. Nonetheless, leaving it behind is hard. Saying goodbye to the Rajes is hard, but also wonderful because they’re out in the world now and always there for me to revisit. First and foremost, thank you to each and every one of you who accompanied me on this journey. I hope you had fun.

I would be lying if I said this book was hard to write, but I’d also be lying if I said that I could have written it without the support and encouragement of my Deadline Sisterhood. Jamie Beck, Priscilla Oliveras, Virginia Kantra, Barbara O’Neal, Liz Talley, Sally Kipatrick, Tracy Brogan, and Falguni Kothari, I have no idea how I survived this writing gig before I met you, but I’m deeply grateful that I get to do it with you in my corner now. Thanks also to Melonie Johnson, CJ Warrant, Clara Kensie, Robin Skylar, and Heather Lowry for helping me brainstorm this story from nothing more than the seed of an idea. And for bringing snacks and wine. And to Kristan Higgins, Christina Lauren, Nalini Singh, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips for your grace and generosity, always.

So much of my love for the Rajes comes from my California family. Thank you for the stories and for your passion for your home, Kalpana Thatte, Deep Sathe, Nishaad Navkal, and Emily Redington Modak. And for the insightful beta reads. Thanks also to my brilliant niece Devieka for her courage, candor, and insight into navigating dyslexia. I hope I honored your trust.

My thanks also to my publishing team: my editor, Tessa Woodward, for loving the Rajes and for always knowing exactly how to direct my messy drafts into stories I’m proud of; my agent, Alexandra Machinist, for her precious support; the entire marketing and publicity team at HarperCollins, especially Anwesha Basu and Danielle Finnegan; and the lovely and tireless Kristin Dwyer for finding the spots of sunshine for my books. And to every librarian, blogger, and bookseller who has shared my work, you are the columns, the spine; without you my dream would never stand, and I thank you with my whole heart.