the next, she is on the move, running toward me, and she doesn’t stop until she crashes into my arms.
Thank fuck. Relief fills my chest, and my eyes shine with emotion as I hold her as tight as I can.
When she is in my arms, all is right with the world.
“How did you know I was going to be here?” she whispers, looking up at me with tears sheening her eyes. “How did you know?”
“I received a phone call from a very persistent woman named Birdie.”
Her jaw falls open. “My sister called you?”
“She did.” I nod, a smile on my lips. “She yelled at me for a good five minutes, told me she’d rip my balls off if I ever hurt you again, and then, once she gave me a chance to tell her how I really feel about you, that I’m in love with you, she told me you’d be here.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.” I shake my head, brushing my nose with hers. “Once I got off the phone with her, I booked a flight. And here I am.”
She stares into my eyes for a long moment. “You remembered what I told you about my mother,” she whispers. “How did you remember?”
“When it comes to you, I remember everything.”
“But I don’t understand…” She pauses, and I don’t hesitate to pull her closer into my arms and just hold her.
Fuck, she feels so good.
So…right.
Before Billie, I didn’t think I needed anyone or anything.
I was a man who was content to be isolated from the world.
But then this pint-sized woman came barreling into my life with her cute country twang and her big green eyes and her fucking sassy persistence.
And then…everything changed for me.
She changed me.
“Country roads, take me home,” I whisper into her ear, repeating the words she once told me her dad would say about her mom, and she leans back to look up into my eyes. “Don’t you get it, princess? You’re the game changer for me. You’re the only person who makes me want to be a better man. Billie Jane Harris, you’re it for me.”
Tears flood her eyes.
“I’m not certain about a lot of things, but I’m certain about you. I love you, princess, and wherever you are is where I want to go.”
The emotions slip from her eyelids and down her cheeks.
“I love you too,” she whispers, and her lip trembles. “So much, Luca. So much.”
I lean down and press my lips to hers, taking her mouth in a soft, tender kiss.
She loves me.
Thank fuck.
Billie
For me, life really has always been a song. But now, it finally seems like someone else can hear the music.
Luca surprises me by pulling onto the dirt road that leads to my granny’s house, and I tilt my head to the side in confusion. “Wait…how did you know where to go?”
He grins at me. “Oh, trust me, Birdie gave me all the details.”
“Good God, I swear, I should be pissed at her for calling you, but I’m glad she did,” I say and flash a soft smile at him. “Although I’m pretty sure this gives me free rein in the future. The next time she falls in love, I’ll be making some fucking phone calls.”
He laughs at that and pulls the car to a stop in front of Granny’s old house.
We get out, and he stops in front of the house, staring up at it in awe.
“So, this is where Billie Harris grew up.”
“It sure is.” I smile and reach out to hold his hand. “Would you like the official tour?”
He kisses my forehead. “I thought you’d never ask.”
We step inside the house, and Luca doesn’t hesitate to let go of my hand and start exploring.
The living room. The kitchen. The back porch where we always used to drink Granny’s homemade lemonade in the summer. The big oak tree in the backyard that gives the perfect amount of shade.
“It’s small,” I comment. “Not nearly as big as your cabin or your LA digs.”
“It’s perfect.” He walks over to me and wraps his hands around my waist. “What everyone’s childhood home should look like.”
I grin up at him. “I’m glad you like it.”
“You want to know a secret?” he asks, and I nod.
“Of course.”
“I’m going to marry you someday.”
My heart does a little dance inside my chest. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.” He presses a little kiss to my lips. “What song is in your head right now?”
“‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys.” My answer is immediate. “Although, when I was a little girl,