He laughs. “Yes. I bought a house, and I quit my job, and I’m not going to D.C., because I couldn’t. I didn’t want to anymore. I found roots in this incredibly frustrating town, and I don’t want to leave. I love it here. And I love you. And it sounds like a great new adventure to stay put somewhere—at least until we pick where to travel together first. Because I’m absolutely taking you all over the world.”
“You’re not a bodyguard anymore?”
“Executive protection agent.”
“Will!”
He smiles one huge smile, with those perfect brackets around his mouth. “No, I’m not an EPA anymore. But I am officially registered for the fall semester at Rome’s finest community college,” he says like it’s no big deal. Like this isn’t life changing. “I haven’t been able to get what you said out of my head that night when we talked on your couch. And I realized going back to school and earning my degree did sound pretty great—with the plans of…becoming a teacher when I graduate.”
Okay, but it’s adorable how embarrassed he looks all of a sudden. If there was a little rock in front of him, he’d kick it.
I touch my hand softly to his face with the wateriest smile I’ve ever had. “It makes sense. You’re a good teacher.”
He laughs. “But I think I’ll stick to teaching math or science from now on.”
“Probably smart.”
“Annie?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
I breathe in the smell of flowers and Will Griffin. My two favorite scents in the entire world. “I love you, too, Will.”
“So if you won’t marry me—will you be my girlfriend?” he says, dropping a kiss to the crook of my neck. “Before you answer, you should know that John is interested in you. At Hank’s the night we kissed he asked if we were serious, and I told him no and I’ve regretted it every single day since.”
Fireworks explode from my head. Hearts flood my eyes. My skin sparks from head to toe. “John who?”
“Good answer.” Will swoops me up in his arms and carries me to the pallet, where he sets me down and lies beside me. He trails his finger languidly over my collarbones in no rush—because…we’ve got time. Forever.
“Did I ever tell you why I never talked to you before that day in the alley?”
“No,” I say, feeling like I’m in a dream as I gaze up at Will bathed in the warm lights and smiling down at me like the secret to his happiness lives inside my bones.
“Because I knew once I did—it would be over for me. Some part of me has always known I would love you.”
“Stop,” I say, dragging out the word like I’m in pain and clutching my heart. “I can’t handle any more emotional declarations, or I will die of bliss.”
He smiles, dips his head to replace his finger with his lips, and murmurs against my skin. “There are worse ways to go. But I’d prefer you stick around. And I have several ideas of how we can fill our time.”
Will’s hand reaches under the pillow at my head and pulls something out. I laugh when I look down. He sets the book he stole from my room this morning onto my stomach and grins deviously at me. “I highlighted the portions you might be interested in reenacting. They will, of course, require you taking off your pretty dress. Here, let me help.”
I laugh until his mouth covers mine.
And no kiss has ever tasted this sweet.
EPILOGUE
The Rome Gazette
Last night, Rome citizens were treated to quite the adventure as Sheriff Tony was dispatched in the dead of night to investigate a breakin at Will Griffin and Annie Walker’s residence. The two have reportedly been absent from Rome, Kentucky, for two weeks while in Paris on vacation, and were not expected home until the following day.
Around two A.M., Bud Appleton （neighbor） noticed two persons, one male and one female, attempting to break into the Griffin-Walker house through a side window. Sheriff Tony, upon arriving at the scene, charged the six-foot-one tattooed male and wrestled him to the ground. Having been alerted to the arrival of Sheriff Tony because of the obnoxiously loud sirens and bright lights from his police vehicle, onlookers flocked to the scene in order to get a better look.
Bud Appleton commented, “Was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before! Such commotion. Sheriff charged the man and took him down swift enough, but poor ole Tony was immediately flipped on his stomach and his hands were restrained behind his back.”