Page 156 of Forbidden Harmony

She shoved her phone into her pocket as Preacherstepped into her apartment. There was a bandage on his right forearm, and shesaid, “What happened to your arm?”

“New tattoo,” he said. “Nix did it for me tonightafter the shop closed.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence and she said, “Mymom called this morning. She told me that you helped Daniel last night. Thankyou.”

“Your parents are really nice,” he said.

“They’re amazing. Are you here to tell mehow nice my parents are?”

“No,” he said. “I screwed up and I’m sorry.I love you, Addison.”

She blinked at him before pulling at the friendshipbracelets around her wrist. “I – what did you just say?”

“I love you. I feel like I’m actually a goodman when I’m with you. You help me to be a good man. I know I’m not perfectbut being with you makes me think maybe I’m not such a fuck up, after all.” Hepeeled back the bandage covering his arm and she stared at the ink, fresh newshock pouring through her.

“Is that… oh my god, did you…” She staredat her name written in a script font on Preacher’s forearm. “Preacher… whatdid you do?”

“I got your name tattooed on my arm becauseeven if you don’t want to be with me anymore, I’ll never stop wanting you. I’llnever stop loving you. You’ll always be mine, Sunshine, and I want everyone inthis fucking town to know it. I love you.”

She stared at her name on his arm beforelifting her gaze to his. The warmth and the love in his dark eyes made tears slidedown her cheeks. “I love you too, Simon.”

She could see the relief sliding over hisbody, feel it in the way he crushed her to him when she threw her arms aroundhim. He kissed her face and mouth repeatedly before resting his forehead againsthers. “I love you, Sunshine. I won’t ever let you go again.”

Epilogue

“Sunshine, I’m home.”

“In the kitchen,” she called. God, wouldshe ever get tired of hearing Preacher say he was home? She suspected not.Sure, he’d only moved in two weeks ago, but holy crap, it’d been the best two weeksof her life.

“How was your day?” Preacher slid his arms aroundher and nuzzled her throat just above the pearls.

“Good. Busy. The kids were super hypertoday. How was your day?” She traced her name on his forearm.

“Not bad. Finished up Rick’s tattoo. Itlooks good.”

“I bet it looks amazing.” She stirred thesauce in the pot.

“That smells really good,” he said.

“Thanks. It should be ready in about ten minutes.Guess what?” She turned in his arms and kissed his broad chest.

“What’s that?”

“You and I are no longer the gossip of thetown.”

“You’re kidding me,” Preacher said. “It’sonly been a couple of weeks. I figured they’d be talking about us for a goodsix months.”

“Something juicier has pushed us right offthe gossip map,” Addison said.

“Oh yeah? You gonna tell me what it is orjust keep looking like the cat who swallowed the canary?”

She giggled. “I’ll tell you, but you can’tjudge me for how mean I’m being about this or how happy it makes me.”

“Sunshine, this is a judgment free zone,you know that.”

“You know how Harrison told me he andCrystal weren’t together anymore?”

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