“I don’t remember you calling me and Logan the soul mates, Mama,” I say. “You thought I was cursed, remember?”
“Oh, let’s not talk about such bad times,” Mama says. “That’s all in the past. What’s in the present is that you, my firstborn, my baby, are the heroine of this town. You’re Elizabeth Bennet! And you married your Mr. Darcy after all!”
“Well, you did teach me to settle for nothing less, Mama. And I have to admit that you were pretty spot on with your research. My scar is gone. Disappeared this morning.”
Mama’s shriek nearly breaks my eardrum. “You and your hero have saved the Queen! God save the Queen!”
“Mama, that’s British,” I say.
“So was Jane,” she says. “What did I always say about my ancestry, huh? I think I have more than a drop of British blood in me, you know. I think it might be a bucketful of Olde English Type O that keeps me going in this world. God knows it’s not my father’s weak Italian lines.”
Another rustling, and then?—
“Baby, it’s your daddy. At first I was sad to lose Jane’s ghost.”
I roll my eyes at Logan. “I’m sure you were, Daddy.”
“But then I realized something—this is a win-win. My baby girl is happy, and I can still do tours of the jail cell.”
“You can?” I glance at Logan.
“You bet I can!” he says enthusiastically. “In fact, this will be even better for business. I’ll show off the open cell, tell tourists about the new town legend of how my daughter and her husband broke the centuries-old spell and freed a legendary author. And you and Logan will show up and sign autographs. Your babies will be so blessed to come from this historical union.”
I did not see this coming. I should have, knowing my parents, but I didn’t.
“Plus, it’s great marketing for your book, Mace!” Mama screams into the phone. “You’ll get so many new fans!”
“Oh, my God. I don’t know how I feel about being a prop. And Logan and I don’t have babies…”
“Not yet,” he whispers in my ear.
I smile at him.
“Maybe he was spying on us last night when we jettisoned the condom,” Logan says in a louder voice.
I shush him as Daddy adds, “That’s just details, darlin’. Now, I’d like to talk to you about your schedule so you can be sure to be at The Cowherd during tour time…”
A call waiting saves me.
“Daddy, I have to go. I have another call.”
It’s my agent. “Ghost Love has interest. No guarantees, but it looks good. We have to wait until after the holiday week to be sure, so stay patient.”
I close my eyes and try to breathe. I can’t speak for several moments. Finally, I tell her I’ve learned life has no guarantees and that I’ve already had the best week of my life, so I’m prepared to be patient.
When I hang up, I jump into Logan’s arms.
He leans back against the pillows and pulls me on top of him.
And I finally break my last rule and have sex with Logan Wild in a bed.
Dare I say it’s the best sex we’ve ever had.
Because he saved me, and he let me go.
And I saved him, and I let him go.
And now we’re both free, together.
***
