Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“A gravy boat in a sea of gravy.”
It comes on suddenly, but we both break into laughter. I laugh so hard that I actually snort, and it’s not one of my faults. I have never been known to break into snorty giggles, but I’m all snorty giggles right now.
“You’re beautiful,” Van says, wiping tears away from the corners of his eyes because he laughed so hard. “You don’t just look beautiful. You are beautiful.”
“This is coming from a man who has seen me covered from head to toe in poo, so I’m not sure I set the bar very high.”
All of a sudden, he gets totally serious and somber. “Goddess of rain-soaked nights, the tamer of wild puppies, planter of flower gardens, giver of the most special hugs in the world, would you honor me with a dance?”
“A dance? Out here?”
“Yes. Out here.” He points to a spot on the lawn. “Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”
I do wait right there, my head swimming and spinning and my heart overflowing. If Van wanted this to be the most special night of my life, he’s already made it that way, and it’s not even half over. I hope it’s not half over.
A few minutes later, he’s back, carrying a blue box-looking device. He sets it down on the deck and plugs it into an electrical outlet at the side of the house. When he opens the lid, I realize it’s a portable record player. A super old one. No doubt it’s Nanny’s. She has a collection of the very best things. He slides a record out of its sleeve, and I smile the widest, cheek-numbing smile when the first notes of an opera I don’t recognize because I’m no opera connoisseur start drifting out into the night. I’m not sure the neighbors will really appreciate it, but when they realize the sound is coming from Nanny’s house, they might give us a pass. Nanny is universally liked, and not only because she’s the gravy queen on the block and always has some to spare for everyone.
Van helps me out of my chair and leads me down the deck stairs. It might just be a small square deck with a regular old railing around it and a few steps, but he constructed it, and he did a heck of a job, which makes it special.
He guides me onto the grass, which is still half-dead and half-struggling, but it will come back. One day, it will be lush and green. His hand sweeps to the small of my back, and the other hand grasps mine. I lean into him, our bodies so close. So freaking close. I’m going to wait at least a few minutes before I rest my head on his shoulder and basically do no dance steps at all.
“You helped make this happen,” Van whispers in a smoky tone. “You’re so special, Remi. You’re magic. Everywhere you’ve been—and will ever go—is better after having you in it. I’m better after knowing you. You watched over my family while I was away, and you loved them when I couldn’t be here to do it. I know you weren’t trying to take my place or make up for anything, but thank you. Just thank you. Thank you for the milkshake swap and that first hug. Thank you for opening your window to me in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm. Thank you for trusting me, grabbing me, and hauling me back when I tried to throw myself out your window and down every metaphorical dark pit. You make me believe it’s okay to start to put my heart in your palm.”
He picks up our joined hands, and we stop dancing so he can run his fingers over my palm, over all the life and love lines and whatever other lines there might be. I’m no palm reader, but I know if anyone can read and make sense of them, it’s Van. I know every line there has him in the future.
“I admire your courage so much. Your loyalty to your family is incredible. You have the most huge and generous heart. I love how fiercely you defend Kimmy and how you’ll always stick by her, and not just because our family helped you out financially. I love that you still live with your parents and you’ve worked so hard to support them. I know you used to say that they lost everything, but they didn’t. They lost some money and a house and a lifestyle, but they didn’t lose you, and you’re everything, Remi. You’re absolutely everything.”
My breath has been completely stolen, and my brain has deserted me, but I can offer a smile and a squeeze of our palms together. I can lean in and sway with Van, and finally, finally, I can lay my cheek right over his beating heart in silent response.