Page 72 of My Favorite Mistake

It looked like she’d followed through with Brennan’s advice on her first day after all.

“Give this place a chance to make you fall in love.”

She’d fallen in love with the city, the soul-moving music, the vibrant culture, the humble record label itself, and all the wonderful people who’d become her friends.

Glancing back at Connor again, Liza smiled at his exuberant expression, and realized,just maybe, she belonged in New Orleans after all.

Maybe it had never been about coming here to be Connor’s wife. Maybe it hadalwaysbeen about New Orleans, and its ability to infuse her soul with magic and bring her to life.

Her mind whispered the wordikusasa,and her memory catapulted her back in time to the odd fortune teller she’d encountered in the Quarter on her first day here.

“Ikusasa is destiny,”the woman had said. “Forgiveness can save a man’s life.”

In her flu stupor, Liza had opted to forgive Connor. Now that she was lucid again, she realized it was genuine. The aching corner of her heart that had been hanging onto all the anger and dismay seemed to have found relief. Maybe that forgiveness had saved Liza’s life and allowed her to settle into her destiny. Because in this moment, a destiny of wild live jazz, and brightly colored lights, and people dancing all around her seemed like the best destiny she could have hoped for.

The crowd hollered and applauded as Oscar drew the song to a close, and Connor hugged Liza’s waist tightly, giving her a friendly shake.

“He’s fucking amazing!” Connor hollered, eyes still fixed on the stage.

Liza smiled to herself.

“How you doin’, New Orleans!” Oscar hollered, looking as natural on the stage as if he’d been born there. “My name is Oscar Quinn Washington, and I’m a native son of our beautiful city. And lemme tell y’all, I’ve never played to a crowd this big before, but I’m really feeling the love right now.” The crowd whistled and cheered, and Oscar briefly stepped away from the microphone to flash a bright, white smile from under his dapper hat. “Yeah, I’m feeling the love! Are y’all feeling the love right now? It is thickup in here!”

The people cheered and shouted, and Liza grinned, and Connor squeezed another hug around her waist.

“How ‘bout a love song, y’all? I’m gonna play y’all my favorite love song that my mama used to sing to me.” He paused to drop his head and trill his horn up a quick scale, and a few people in the crowd whistled.

Liza clutched her aching chest, and Connor held her even closer to him as he rested his chin on top of her head.

“Y’all might know this one.” Oscar turned and counted off the percussion section before they broke into the timeless bassline ofStand by Me, and Liza’s breath caught in her throat. That had been she and Connor’s song; the first one they slow danced to. After a few beats, Oscar turned back toward the crowd, pointed his horn at the sky, and played the velvety chords of the melody.

I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear,Liza sang along in her mind, knowing Oscar was singing it in his head, too.Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

The glisten on Oscar’s cheeks could have been tears or sweat, but Liza knew on her face it was the former. With her eyes closed, she had no way of knowing whether or not Connor could see her sudden emotional state over the sentimental song.

He gave her a nudge to turn toward him, bracing the small of her back with his palm and holding her hand against his chest; the way he’d always slow danced with her. He pressed his cheek to hers, and they gently swayed, and her heart ached for so many different reasons.

“Y’all sing with me now!” Oscar bellowed into the mic before his trumpet wailed back into the chorus.

“Darlin’, darlin’ stand!”the crowd hollered.“By me! Whooah stand! By me!”

“Darlin’, darlin’,” Connor quietly sang in her ear as he turned a slow circle, still holding her flush against him, “stand by me. Whenever you’re in trouble, won’t you stand by me?”

There had been a time in her life when Liza had been in trouble, and all she wanted was Connor there, standing by her, but he’d chosen to stand by someone else. It suddenly made her sad instead of angry.

Liza wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, soaking in the embrace she had longed for all those years ago, and let her tears dampen his shirt. There was no way for Connor to miss that she was crying, no way for her to hide it, and he held her that much closer.

“Oh, baby girl,” he murmured, hand gently clasping the nape of her neck. His tone sounded like enamored longing. “You are the sweetest thing I’ve ever known.”

The whispered words spilled from her trembling lips before Liza had a chance to think better of them. “I’ve missed you so much, Connor.”

His wistful gaze met hers, and his thumb stroked up and down the side of her neck. “I missed you, too.”

There was a perceptible shift, as if he’d absorbed her inner-most thoughts and feelings; regret and longing for what they used to be spliced with the overwhelming emotion of bearing witness to Oscar’s bittersweet moment of glory.

Their gazes held for another moment, and then Connor lowered his face and pressed his lips to hers. All these years later, it still boggled her mind that such a granite-hard man could have such soft, pliable lips. The single, sweet kiss deepened, and Liza parted her lips, granting his tongue entrance as it sought hers. He held her tighter, and she raked her fingers through his hair, tugging gently at the short strands, as the roller coaster of her emotions descended and climbed and whipped around corners.

The heat intensified as Connor’s body pressed to hers and came alive. With her hips firmly against his, she felt his hot, hard, substantial arousal, and she’d missedthat,too.

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