“I’m sorry,” he said. “God, I’m sorry.”
“You’ve apologized. Now, it’s my turn. I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“As long as you come back, you can always take time to think.” He pressed a quick kiss to her mouth that ended up lingering longer.
“Where are we going?” she asked, holding his hand and loving every second.
“Home,” he said. “I bought a Twister board for this exact moment.”
“You saw this coming?”
“Well, not this exact moment. But for an exact moment I hoped would come. Turned out to be now.” He shrugged. She chucked him on the biceps.
“Thought it might be fun to try naked Twister,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
“You’re funny, you know that?” she asked.
“So I’ve been told.” Tanner asked, totally serious because he’d get her out of there if that’s what she wanted, “We’re really in this, right?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking about rings. I want a big fat one that makes all your ex-girlfriends jealous.”
He leaned in to kiss her. “That’s my girl.”
“Is that why you invited Catiana?” he asked.
She shook her head. “She tried to be a bully. Tried to tell me I don’t have worth. I wanted her to see that I do.”
They rode in silence before she finally said, “I love you, Tanx.”
He squeezed her hand. “Same, Sammich. Same.”
Epilogue
SAMANTHA
A year later
There waspeace in the midst of the chaos of celebrity. A peace Sam never expected.
Dimefront was on tour again. And she was at the edge of the stage, every single night, watching them. Reveling in the energy of the masses.
That was after she performed first. Yes, she opened for Dimefront and she sang the damn mozzarella song every. Single. Show.
She waited in the wings tonight. Waited for her cue to get things moving. Tanner had his own pre-performance rituals. But hers was just being there. Closing her eyes and telling the little ten-year-old Sami Jo who wrote a song about cheese that they had made it.
Tanner moved where she stood. A year later, and the stylists still hadn’t caught him.
He draped his arm over her shoulders, and pressed a kiss against her temple.
She looked up at him. At this man who sort of turned her world upside down. But once all the pieces settled, she’d realized there was no other way she’d have it.
“You feel like getting married?” he asked, as though he were seeing if she wanted to grab a milkshake with Courtney and Bax after the show.
This was so Tanner. What seemed like no big deal to him had the power to change their lives.
She grinned. Glanced up at him. “Are you proposing to me?”
His cheeks flushed only a little pink. That was odd. Generally these days his skin didn’t turn red at all unless she leaned in and whispered something dirty she wanted him to do later. Or something she wanted to do.
