Page 81 of The Kiss Countdown

“I’m sorry, exchange a fan for a chandelier? In South Texas?” HisWoman, have you lost your mind?look is back.

“I don’t know.” I lift one shoulder. “I’ve always had this thing for chandeliers. When I moved into my apartment, one of the first things I put up was a painting of one behind my bed. I still have it in storage, so maybe I’ll just get it out.”

Vincent grabs my hand and squeezes. “Or maybe we can keep a portable fan in the closet that can be brought out whenever guests are hot.”

I grin up at him. “Really?”

“I aim to indulge and please.”

“Well, in that case...” I slide my hands up his shoulders. “This house could really, really do with a chandelier above the bathtub.”

He throws his head back and laughs. Once it dies down, his eyes are still twinkling and his dimples are on full display, and I can’t get over how much I love his smiles. Each one. His mischievous smile. The happy one. His satisfied smile. The one he gives his momma. They’re all uniquely beautiful and him.

“I’m not sure how safe having a chandelier hanging above water is, but we’ll circle back to that,” he says. “I’m about to set up the telescope. Want to have a look with me?”

I perk up immediately. Even though it was just the one night when I saw the wonders of the galaxy, I miss looking up at the night sky and being able to see more than a handful of stars. “I’d love to. Give me a minute to put the paint up and I’ll meet you out there.”

When I step outside a few minutes later, Vincent has finished setting up the telescope and is standing over it.

“What are you checking out?” I ask.

“The moon. We’ve got perfect conditions. Ready to take a look?”

I walk forward. The telescope is taller than I am, so Ihave to stand on my toes to peer through it. I frown. “All I see is black. What am I doing wrong?”

“That’s the viewfinder. Back up and look through the eyepiece.”

Heat rushes to my face, but one look at Vincent’s patient smile and my embarrassment disappears. There’s no mocking in his gaze, and I wonder why I ever thought he was so patronizing.

I find the correct part and lean forward. “Will you tell me about it?”

“The moon is the easiest target for us to observe, being so close. Not to mention impressive.”

“It’s bright,” I remark, blinking as I come away from the telescope.

“Like the planets in our solar system, it reflects the sun’s light. On a night like this, the moon makes it too bright to observe the other planets. But that’s okay. There are so many things to see on its surface.”

I put my eye back against the piece and take in the different shades of gray where there are mountains and craters. “It is pretty cool. Would I be able to see you through this telescope if you were there right now?”

“No.” He chuckles. “For that, we’d need a much, much larger telescope. One that wouldn’t fit in this yard.”

“Bummer.”

I back up again and look toward the sky. The moon appears so close and yet so far. It’s amazing how a huge chunk of rock can stay locked around Earth, but there’s nothing there. No trees, no oceans, no civilization.

“And you’re really not afraid to travel there?” I ask. What if his mom is right and his going is a big mistake?

“I’m really not,” he says confidently, and I can’t bring myself to look at him.

Instead, I rub a spot on my chest where I feel heartburn rising up. Or more like a physical manifestation of heartache. I’ve been happy existing in this little bubble, with my days focused on building up my business and nights spent in Vincent’s arms. I don’t want it to pop and drop me into a reality where he’s leaving soon.

While we haven’t talked about it since the first night we made love, his words of wanting forever with me have become a favorite song I play over and over in my mind. I’ve built myself up and then talked myself down from calling my parents and telling them about Vincent, wanting so much to take that leap and hope for a future with him. But I don’t know if my heart can handle having to say goodbye, even if it’s temporary.

“You want to know what I love about the moon?”

No. I want him to decide he no longer wants to travel there and will instead stay home indefinitely and become a tax accountant.

“Sure.”

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