She felt Yardley’s cool hands on either side of her face. They put all of Yardley’s love inside of her. All of her big, everything love.
“Then I’ll have to kiss you.”
KC closed her eyes and fell asleep with Yardley’s kiss gentle on her mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, glad they’d saved the world because Yardley was in it.
EPILOGUE
Herndon, Virginia
1,335 days
KC had taken Yardley to see the cherry blossoms on the Tidal Basin path by the National Mall, and they’d walked hand in hand, the unseasonably warm weather making the pink petals rain along the path like fairy magic.
The day had cooled down fast, though. Yardley was thinking she should go into Atlas and Marla’s guest room and grab her cardigan to put on over her sundress, but she was so comfortable in a padded Adirondack chair, watching KC laugh at something Gramercy said where they stood by the grill, she didn’t want to.
KC was slaying her in that minuscule cropped T-shirt and low-waisted shorts. She looked edible, freckles everywhere, her hair just long enough to curl disobediently.
She caught Yardley staring and gave her a wicked smile that Yardley felt in every bone in her body.
Dating Katherine Corrine Nolan should be illegal. If Yardley had known the first time around that this alternate, take-two version of their romance was an option, she would’ve quit the CIA and pursued a different calling a lot closer to what her mama had in mind for her. The sort of calling that involved a lot of baking and keeping herself pretty for a devastating suitor.
Her only complaint was that she couldn’t have more of it.More ecstatic moments when KC’s voice came through on her apartment’s intercom and Yardley buzzed her in, desperate to kiss her, desperate to convince her they didn’t need to go out.
More long conversations into the wee hours of the morning on KC’s back deck, wrapped in blankets, talking about everything and nothing, showing each other funny videos on their phones, dreaming about the future.
More surprise outings to a display of miniatures and models at the Smithsonian.
More vacations like the one they’d taken to a tiny, pretty resort in Mexico, where they’d barely left the huge bed, the doors that led to the ocean thrown open, late-night birria burning their lips.
Butmorewas hard to lay claim to, because by necessity being a field operative took KC out into the field, and Yardley’s hours at Langley as a handler were long. It wasn’t ideal.
Still, having work they believed in was something they both wanted—one of those things they talked about for hours when they mapped their future and made goals. Yardley had an eye on even higher offices in the agency, and, while KC was enjoying her time in the field, she’d also talked to someone in Research and Development and told Yardley she saw possibilities for herself there.Someday.
“Finally got her down in the Pack ’n Play.” Kris emerged from the patio doors. “But it was a near blessed thing. Thought I’d never get her off my boob. Declan thinks she’s trying to teethe, but it’s too early still. He’s convinced his Corrine is advanced at everything.”
Kris and Declan’s baby was, quite simply, the most gorgeous infant Yardley had ever seen. That baby was giving her ideas. Sofar, those ideas also remained in thesomedaycolumn, but she did have a lot of pictures of Corrine Byrne on her phone.
“Between you and me”—Kris leaned in, lowering her voice—“I think she takes after my sister and isn’t destined for the Nobel Prize, if you know what I mean. But god, I love her.”
“Phew.”
Kris laughed. “I’m starved and going to get another hamburger. Can I get you anything, love?”
“I ate two, and potato salad, and a huge Rice Krispie treat from the pan KC brought, and I just finished a bag of chips. I can’t move.” Yardley stretched for emphasis. “Did I also have a long brunch on Capitol Hill after seeing the cherry blossoms? Yes. I did. There were poached eggs. There was gravy. Things filled with fruit, and fruit filled with cream. But I can’t find my regrets anywhere.”
Kris laughed. Atlas’s solar party lights were just starting to blink on in the twilight. “Do you find the indictments that came in from the Justice Department to be what you anticipated?” Her voice had a hint of hesitation. “I thought they were… fair.”
Yardley reached up and took Kris’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Yes. Fair.” She studied her face. “How are you doing?”
Kris nodded. “Every day better and better.”
“You start your internship in tech tomorrow. How does that feel?”
Kris’s smile grew. “Can’t wait, if I’m being honest. Corrine already loves the daycare we found. She’ll be such a good American, scrabbling with the other babes. Maybe she’ll meet all the Congress folks’ babies and become part of one of your American political dynasties.”
“I honestly hope for more for my goddaughter.”
“We’ll see. Did KC tell you Declan’s work sponsorship came through at Sparkdesk?”
