“Yes, but you’re?—”
“I’ll be thirty on my nextnotbirthday. That’s getting old for a safety. But don’t worry, I have plans for a football-adjacent empire. But first, we have to start building our team.” He winks.
“Can’t wait to hear about it. But I thought we were going to have a ballet company.”
“Maybe a little of both.”
I shake my head. “We can’t have twenty kids.”
He winces. “That might be a tad out of reach.”
We both laugh.
“So what’s your football adjacent business plan?”
“Still working out a few details, but it’ll involve kids, Concordia, and the best game on earth.”
“Do you mean like a summer camp?”
“Yep. There will be football, of course, but also a zip line, lake activities, hiking, biking, and a footrace. It’ll be challenging andcharacter-building, but also fun. Maybe a little muddy, though not as intense as the Enduro.”
“Will there be tutus?”
“If you’re asking whether I thought it would be cool for you to offer a ballet day, then yes.”
“I’ll bring my black and blue tutu,” I say.
“You have one of those?”
I wink.
Connor squeezes me close in a side hug. “For now, I want us to enjoy this.” He gestures to the lanterns.
“It’s beautiful.” I turn in a circle, marveling at the light all around us.
“And so are you, Cateline.” Connor adjusts his position to face me. The backs of his fingers brush my wrist, arm, shoulder, and then he caresses my jaw.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you too.” His voice is low and true.
Pippa’s warm fluffies that Gemma described fill me up.
Connor leans in close enough that I can feel his breath on my cheek before kissing me once on the lips. Then he curls his fingers around mine, gazing intently into my eyes.
His are lit by the glowing light, all copper-brown and sparkling.
He tips my chin up and my throat bobs as I swallow.
The wind sweeps through my hair and my cheeks feel rosy.
“Cateline, would you like to dance with me?”
“There’s no other dance partner I’d rather have.”
As the lanterns envelop us in warm, glowing light, Connor tilts his head back and howls, then kisses me, sealing the moment.
