She thinks about this for a second. “But I like your house in Seattle and the one with the pool.”
“Me too.” I shrug. “I’ll probably keep them.”
Her jaw drops. “How much money do you have?”
Nola gives an incredulous blink. “Emma!”
Money was never a taboo topic being raised by Stella. She was of the mindset that if you have it, flaunt it. I think about Emma’s question and say, “Enough to have a few houses.”
“That’s so cool. I don’t think you’ll be able to get your job back, though.” She looks forlorn, as if this will be an obstacle to my return.
I wrinkle my nose and tell her, “Well, I heard a rumor the Boise Falcons need a new GM. Maybe I’ll go talk to them.”
She takes all of that in and then turns to Nola. “What about this summer and Europe?”
“It’s happening, monkey. Madelyn and Violet are going to come take turns with Stella.”Nola and I stayed up until the middle of the night, hashing out everything. Turns out, she’s not wrong in her love of making plans and setting goals and having rules. It works for things like this. I’ll be able to finish out this season, knowing Stella’s got family keeping an eye on her, and Nola will be able to see what opportunities come from Europe. Rumor has it the MoMA is sending a curator to check out a few museum displays and they will overlap with Nola’s time in Austria.
“Reese is going to lose her mind.” Emma is ecstatic and turns to head to the track.
“Em!” Nola calls out and Emma comes right back. “Theonly thing anybody can know about is Europe—not Max’s plans.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve kept a lot of secrets this school year, and it’s going to start costing you . . .”
Nola smiles at her. “Phone bill is still due on the fifth of the month.”
Emma smiles at this and with a tap of her nose, she runs off to her classmates.There’s a whistle and they start their first lap like bulls out of a chute. Jack, the fifth grade class nerd, is heard, yelling at the top of his lungs, “This mile is for you, Molly!” as he makes his way to the front of the pack. Between his surprising speed and brave declaration for his crush, I can’t help but laugh. He’s going to be okay after all.
I grab Nola’s hand, pulling her under a tree, off to the side, where we can watch the run-a-thon alone. I kiss her temple and say, “Best choice I ever made was going to Gin and Bear It to watch the game that night. I almost stayed home—the Armadillos were playing, and even though they’d fired me, I had to watch them in the playoffs. For some reason, it felt less pathetic to watch them if I was surrounded by strangers.”
“Yeah? And what happened next?” she coaxes.
“This crazy bachelorette party came in, dressed like the Founding Fathers, and they were so loud.”
She makes a face. “Mmm, I’ll bet that was annoying.”
I nod. “They were the worst. But the woman dressed as Ben Franklin was hot. I got to talk to her in the hallway for a minute and she was funny. She kissed me on her way out of the bar, did you know that?”
“She sounds saucy.”
I hook her waist with my arm and pull her close. “You have no idea. Turns out, her daughter was in my P.E. class and I failed her for being gone during a quarter-end running test.The woman yelled at me. Somehow we ended up working a carnival booth together and next thing I know, we have the chance to redeem our careers if we get married.”
“That sounds like one of those ridiculous romcoms your sisters used to make you watch.”
“I know, right?”I laugh.
She looks up at me and her face softens. “Let me ask you. Did you get everything you hoped for once you married her?”
“I got so much more.”
EPILOGUE: MAXFORD
Second Week of December, Maui
(one year and two weeks after the first wedding)
“Ew, stop kissing. We get it—you are in love for real.” Over the sounds of whistles and cheers, Nola and I can hear Emma stick her finger down her throat and make a gagging sound.
Without opening my eyes or stopping the kiss, I reach around my bride and playfully shove my stepdaughter. Emma pretends to be offended. Nola and I reluctantly pull apart once it goes past the point of an appropriately-length vow renewal kiss and step out from under the floral arch, raising our clasped hands high. “You Are the Best Thing” guides us back down the petal-strewn path, and it’s even better hearing it at this wedding than at the first one in the park.
