Page 111 of Red Flag, Green Light

“I’m sure, and yet who alone has the right to condemn you for these particular ones?”

I mumble into her hair, “You.”

“And what do I want instead? What do I always want from my dark romance leads?”

What indeed… I sigh, and—in my delirium—pin her to my bed. “For me…to be worse.”

Her eyes shine.

“I’d kiss you if I weren’t congested,” I mumble, through the aforementioned congestion.

Glowing, she responds, “And I’d marry you, if it were Flag Day.”

A tentative smile tugs on my mouth until I can’t stop myself from chuckling. “I love you so dearly, Ceres. I cannot even begin to express it.”

“Not even if I get you to write me a dozen books?”

“Not even if I could write you a million.”

“Do you love me to the brink of madness?”

I sigh, and when I can no longer keep my head lifted, I let my blazing forehead settle against her chest, beside her necklace, against her beating heart, and say, “Well beyond.”

Epilogue

Happy Flag Day!

Ceres

“Mars?” On the outskirts of the starting line for a bikeathon I never signed up for, I blink at the bustling festival we’ve put together and realize two very important things.

First, there are flags, everywhere.

Second, sincerely not a single one is American.

“No, you can’t sit this out.” Mars clips my helmet into place after adjusting his own, because apparently helmets are mandatory for events like bikeathons. Even when they weren’t mandatory for things like my learning to bike. I bet he just wanted an excuse to catch me every time I started to fall. He continues, “If I leave you alone for five minutes, you’ll become a people-pleasing pile of pudding, and half the town will fall in love with you and all the other women will understand what theBrian Effectis, but in gender-reverse, and Bandera just, actually, won’t survive that.”

I drag my attention off the waving crimson—sans a single star and stripe—and fix it on my soon-to-be husband, who might be an actual villain. “I’m getting better about that people-pleasing stuff.”

“Are you? Or am I just getting bolder about stepping in and telling people to flag off?”

“I’m getting better.”

Dry, Mars says, “Mrs. Beverly.”

“I didn’t want her to drive through your carrots again.” So Iput up a little marked path with clear reflectors to designate her shortcut to work after I learned that’s why she incurred Jove’s wrath before.

“Vivian.”

“I…wanted to learn how to be a barista. For book research. Very common career path for female leads.” It was rush hour at Sweet & Salty. She needed help since her manager, Sol, was out sick. Some kind of bug going around, I guess. I don’t know. I never caught it. And also I didn’t actually expect her to take me up on my offer to jump behind the counter with her. But now I have valuable information I can use to help my clients. So, basically, I win.

“Chrissy,” Mars drawls.

I grimace. I do not have an explanation for my behavior where it concerns Mr. Ferris’s granddaughterChrissy. We met at a boutique a few weeks ago while Lyra and I were perusing wedding gowns for tonight. I’m just glad Lyra was there to send that woman packing, because in hindsight, I think she was shoplifting and I nearly helped. Jutting my lip, I mutter, “Lyra tattled on me?”

“Bike buddies don’t have secrets.” Mars tightens my helmet strap. “And you can’t be left unsupervised.”

I fiddle with my heart lock and huff. “I’m sureJupiterwould be more than happy to supervise me while you wear yourself out right before we get married.”

---