They’d stayed at his place last night, and her scent lingered in the apartment. Summer sins and winter fires. They’d mastered the summer sins, and he was looking forward to winter fires. On the beach and in the bedroom.

After showering, he went into the bedroom and spotted Madigan’s ereader plugged in on her side of the bed. They were staying at her place tonight, and as he reached for it, it struck him that for more than three years, he hadn’t thought about tomorrow, much less a future, but with Madigan he found himself looking forward to things to come.

He woke up every day grateful to have his angel in his arms and went to bed most nights worshipping every inch of her. He wanted more of that, but he wanted more of many other things, too. Like watching Madigan perform and hanging out with her friends and family. Her cousin Gunner and his fiancée, Sid, had told them about an adoption event coming up for their animal rescue, and Madigan’s eyes had lit up. He didn’t know anything about the event, but he looked forward to going to it with Madigan. He wanted more breakfasts with her messy hair and his T-shirt billowing around her, when they forwent food and devoured each other, more dirty texts that left him salivating for her, and evenings spent learning all the little things from her growing-up years that made her who she was, then falling into each other’s arms, insatiable for a deeper connection, which sometimes came in the form of simply holding each other and sharing whispers in the dark.

Just wanting more was a miraculous feeling he never thought he’d have again.

He put on his boots, grabbed his keys and Madigan’s ereader, and looked for his guitar. Remembering he’d left it at her place, he headed out. Twenty minutes later he was making his way through the park, and spotted Madigan’s puppetry booth surrounded by a group of mesmerized children. He’d seen her with her professional cap on, answering emails and talking on the phone, and he’d seen her perform musical storytelling at bars and local cafés, but this was a first. He stood off to the side, listening to the story about friendship she told through the puppets. He’d learned that she had more than a dozen puppets, all of which were incredible, with big eyes and expressive faces.