to dance with joy and when to curl up and wallow.” Another breath caught in her throat, jagged and broken. “She said that you’re too serious for your own good, and that she and I were one and the same. And that she thought I was an early reincarnation of herself.”
My stomach twisted at that sentiment. It was a thought that I had always had. Reagan and my mom mirrored each other as though Reagan was another daughter. I wrapped my arms around her neck and cried into her shoulder.
Harrison stepped forward, handing me his rose with a sad smile. My arms were filled with the fragrant flowers. I shook my head. “Please, Harrison. You don’t need to say anything—I know. I already know. And she knows…”
His face tightened, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “When my dad divorced your mom, I kept apologizing on his behalf, even though it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t anything I did, but I still felt responsible for my dad’s actions. As I did with you as well. But she never let me get away with that. She just told me that family takes care of each other, and how lucky we all were to have each other. Divorce couldn’t separate us. And I don’t think death can, either.” He pulled me into a hug, then whispering, added, “And I think she would have really liked Tate.” He winked and as he pulled away from our hold, he and Tate exchanged a moment of peace before Tate moved in front of me.
“I wish I had known Dee Stevens,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me forward. As we moved closer to the front door, the crowd of friends parted. “But in a way, I feel like I sort of do. Through all these people in your life, I’ve grown to know a woman I’ll never meet. And in talking to everyone, I realized, she and you are leaving behind a huge legacy here in Charleston. And without you in the city anymore, the gap will be felt by the community. I couldn’t figure out what to give you for your graduation gift. It needed to be amazing. Because you’re amazing, Shelby. And from what I gather, you get this quality directly from your mom.”
Instead of handing me a rose, Tate handed me a pair of scissors and pulled the sheet off of the facade of the tutoring center. Where there used to be a broken-down light-up sign, there was now beautiful new lettering. “Shelby, I give you the Dee Stevens Memorial Tutoring Center.” He smiled, and I looked down at the scissors in my hand. “Do the honors, babe.”
Everything was shaking. My legs, my hands, even my belly quivered as I cut the giant red ribbon and entered the completely redone tutoring center. “You did this?” I whispered, looking around. The place had been updated. New computers adorned the work centers, and there were actual offices for the employees versus the crowded, dingy cubicles they had to work in before.
“Oh my God, Tate.” I crashed into him, a crying mess and swiped my wet cheek across his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“That’s not all,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me around the side of the building. Parked there was my mother’s MG Midget. My knees buckled as shock and joy and sadness slammed into me all at once. Tate caught one elbow and Harrison was right there to catch the other before I hit the pavement.
“How—how did you…?”
“I matched your original buyer’s offer months ago. I knew you’d regret selling it as soon as you had a job and enough money to afford the maintenance.”
“But—what about my Prius?”
“I’ll take it,” he said with a shrug.
I rolled my eyes, slapping his shoulder. “You have a car. A car that you love. You’re really going to downsize from an Audi to a Prius?”
He smiled. “I sold my Audi, Shelby. My parents wouldn’t let me access my trust fund to donate the money for this.” He gestured to the new center. “So, I sold it to pay for the new center.” He worked his jaw, moisture clinging to his bright, blue eyes. “My Audi was just a car. Your MG is family. You said so yourself.”
The roses all fell from my arms as I lifted onto my toes and pressed my lips to Tate’s in a lingering kiss, clasping his face with both hands. “I love you, Tate Michaelson,” I said through my tears. “I love you so much.”
He grinned against my mouth. “You might have to wait for that sapphire, Shelbs. I sorta just emptied my bank account.”
“I don’t need a stupid sapphire. My answer’s yes. Forever and always…yes.”
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a little like falling out of a tree. It’s scary, a whirlwind, can be painful, and also a little fun if you close your eyes, hold out your hands, and trust the branches to catch you. And thankfully, there’s been a lot of branches to cushion my fall.
First and foremost, thanks to Jill Marsal, my incredible agent and Candace Havens, my wonderful editor, and everyone at Entangled for their hard work, support, and enthusiasm for this book. It truly takes a village!
To my friends and fellow authors, forgive me if I forget someone! Melissa Rheinlander, my cheerleader, friend, and number one fan. What would I do without you? My critique partners, Krista Amigone, Derek Bishop, Alyssa Cole, and Julia Kelly, your input is invaluable and your talents never ceases to amaze me. Julie Kenner, Hope Tarr, Daisy Prescott, Anissa Garcia, Damon Suede, Martin Biro, Sofia Tate, Lise Horton…and so many more that I’m certain I’m forgetting—thank you. Truly, thank you.
So many thanks go out to my street team and beta readers and to Women Helping Women, Bellevue Hospital, and Beth Israel’s Rape Crisis & Sexual Assault Counseling Programs for their assistance in this book.
There’s no amount of words that can convey my gratitude to my mom and dad for always encouraging me to read and instilling in me a love of all books at such a young age. To my family, Bridget, Bo, Adam, Adelynn and Harrison, thank you for dealing with my erratic schedule and crazy deadlines (that somehow always seem to occur over holidays and visits!). I love you guys! Eliza and Maddie, though not related by blood, you two are family. I love you and thank you for your unconditional love and support.
Sean, thank you for being the best hero a girl could ask for and for always acting as a sounding board for ideas and plots. I love you.
And you, dear readers. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to spend a few hours with Shelby and Tate.