Page 117 of Grave Misgivings
His dark eyes are full of fire as he passes me the bottle.
“To champagne,” I say as I take my swig.
Geo sets his arm around my waist as I clutch the bottle to my chest.
“To champagne,” he whispers.
EPILOGUE
Six Months Later...
Geo
“Move,so I can get a picture of this fantastic spread, baby,” my mother says, shooing me to the side.
“It’s just food, mom. You can’t eat the picture.”
She waves me off. “It’s a milestone, we need all the pictures.”
“Mom, stop,” I whine.
She takes the picture anyway. “You’ll thank me one day,” she says with a huff as she continues waltzing around my house, taking pictures of everything.
Though to be fair, I guess there is a lot to document since she’s never been here before. My dad follows her, rattling on about my movie-screen size television in the downstairs, insisting I never sell this house. But I know one day, when the time is right, we will. For now, though, while we work on our double album, this house works for both of us.
Katy nudges my shoulder.
“What?” I ask.
She reaches up, running her fingers through my hair. “So not used to seeing your natural color,” she says with a grin. “Been a long time since I sawthisGeo.”
I can’t help the flush that forms on my cheeks from her sweet compliment.
“Happiness looks good on you, though.”
I smile, adjusting my glasses as she removes her hand from my locks. Her phone vibrates on the table, and she grabs it.
“He’s five minutes away,” she says with a grin. “You ready?”
“You didn’t give anything away, did you?” I ask.
She shakes her head as she straightens out the bowls of fruit in front of us. “Who? Me? Never.”
I shake my head, running my hand through my hair.
She’s the only one who knows my big plan, and I can’t help but feel a sense of validation as she grins at me.
“Mhmmm,” I murmur as the door opens, familiar incessant barking starting up.
My mother is pulled from her photographic documentation and instead, toddles over to sweep up the newest addition to our family; Angel, the ten pound terror.
Who I’d adopted after three glasses of champagne and a very, very persuasive Zeb.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love her and her noisy little Yorkie yips, her little tappy-taps as she runs across the tile, or the way she makes both of us laugh with her cute little puppy dog antics.
The house is never quiet anymore.
It’s full of music, incessant barking, and love.
