“Which I politely declined.”

“As is your wont.”

I shake a finger at him. “I’m the one who comes out with words like ‘wont,’ Geordie, me lad. Don’t you go stealing my vocabulary.”

“What’s yours is mine,” he says with a grin.

“Except we’re not married.”

“But we could be.”

I stop and look at him, not quite sure what I’m hearing.

“Did you just propose to me?” I ask.

“I was kind of trying it on,” he says, “to see how it would take.”

“I don’t know. It wouldn’t be very boho of us. Don’t all the good scruffs like you and me just live in sin?”

“We don’t have to. I think it’d be nice. It would feel . . . complete.”

“Plus it would let us avoid the whole girlfriend/boyfriend and significant other conundrum.”

“And I love you.”

I can’t get enough of hearing those words.

“Say that again,” I ask.

“Hove you.”

“You said it twice,” I tell him, “but I still love you more.”

Okay, so we’re a couple of saps, but who cares? I’ve been in an endless freefall of happiness for days now and after the last couple of years I put in, I’m reveling in it. I give him another kiss and we start off down the street, holding hands like a couple of school kids.

“Do we have plans?” I ask.

“Not until tonight.”

“Right. Dinner at Christy and Saskia’s.”

Geordie nods. “Christiana’s supposed to be coming, too.”

“That’ll be fun. But I was thinking a little more long term.”

“Such as?”

“Well, maybe we really could spend some time in the otherworld. I’ve only ever been there under duress. I’d like to just be able to explore it for once without having to think that my life’s in danger.”

“What about what Joe’s always saying—you know, about how that shine of yours is going to attract trouble on the other side.”

“We can go with Sophie and Wendy at first—or with Christiana. They can show us the ropes and keep us safe. Especially Christiana.”

“No kidding. I think she’s the definition of capable.”

“And then there’s always Joe.”

He nods. “Except I can’t go right away.”

“Because you’re still doing those gigs with the Knotted Cord.”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

I have to smile. The Riddell boys are like cousins and fairy in that way. When they give their word, you can take it to the bank and count on collecting the interest.

“Of course, you did,” I say.

“It’s only until Siobhan gets the full use of her arm back again.”

I nod, but I could have kicked myself that morning in Sweetwater when we came downstairs and I saw her with her arm in a sling.

“We were so stupid to not ask the crow girls to help her, as well.”