Page 113 of Four Weekends and a Funeral

“Is it serious?” I ask playfully.

“I think so,” he answers mockingly.

“I’m going to kill you, dismember you, and sell you both for parts,” Mara says simply. It successfully puts an end to our nausea-inducing love fest.

For the first time ever, Marquizka Hargitay breaks into the top three teams. For a tiebreaker, we send our fearless leader to the stage for a sudden death against Glasses from Risky Quizness and a man from Night Cheese. Chelsea, Patrick, and I groan when Darren names the category. “What’s wrong with animal land speed records?” Adam whispers.

Patrick exhales in defeat. “Chels would have killed this category.”

Chelsea—our resident science teacher and animal lover—covers her eyes, unable to watch the massacre. Mara’s face pales when Stu reads the question. I rub my arm anxiously, uncomfortable watching Mara lose at something. It’s like seeing a costumed grizzly performing in a circus act, heartbreaking and unnatural.

Mara’s guess is completely off, and we end the tournament in third place behind Night Cheese and Risky Quizness.

“Third’s good, right?” Adam asks.

Mara pats his cheek. “Oh, Adam, you sweet, gorgeous dummy. There’s only winning and losing.” She drains her pint from our free round of loser beers. “Next year, we’re taking this seriously.”

Chelsea whines, “This year wasn’t taking it seriously?”

Adam brings my hand to his lips, and we can’t get out of there fast enough. The cool air whooshes in my ears as we spin out of the revolving door into the bitter January air.

Immediately, he pushes me up against a column and captures my mouth in a wild, starving kiss. This kiss isn’t sweet. It’s heavy and hot. He pushes his hand into my hair and grabs hold, grasping at more of me, anchoring himself.

“God, I love you so much,” he says when he breaks the kiss to search my eyes. “Please tell me if this is too much, too soon.”

“This is the exact right amount of ‘much.’ ” I punctuate each word with a kiss on his nose, cheek, chin, and wherever else I can get a bit of him.

“Oh, wait.” He stops short. Worry flashes across his face, and my mind rushes to fill in the gaps. “I forgot your shelving in my workshop.”

“You built the shelf? I just gave away my camping stuff.”

“Not the one you asked for. I built you a display case for your trains.”

“I love you so much it hurts,” I blurt before I can overthink it. Even when I wanted to be someone else, he only ever saw me. And he loved me for it. “It’s the most thoughtful, incredible gift I’ve ever received. I can’t wait to see it.”

“Should I drive back and get it?”

I lean my head on his arm. “Let’s just go home, Adam.”

He rewraps my scarf around my neck to block out the chill with the same precision as before. Then he takes my hand and leads me down the stone steps in the direction of the river.

“I’m dying to know what other Billy Crystal movies you watched while preparing to sweep me off my feet.”

“I started with The Princess Bride.”

I nod. “Wise choice.”

“Veered off course with City Slickers—but that was mostly for me.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “Then I found my way to the right one.”

“So if I’d said no after all that, were you still going to move into a house fifteen minutes from me?”

We break apart on the sidewalk so Adam can hold open an apartment-building door for a mom juggling a grocery bag and an infant car seat. “I was going to very respectfully woo you. Slowly. Over time,” he tells me, letting the door swing shut behind them.

I hold back my snort. “Now I’m sorry I didn’t go that route.”

He sighs like I’m the most infuriating woman he can’t live without—it’s the loveliest sound. “I’m not.”

He pulls me into him again as we walk past the store owners packing away their twinkle lights and presses a kiss into my hair.

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