Page 60

Jo nodded. “Piece by piece. Took me a while to figure out what I was building it for.” She paused. “Turns out, it was for this moment.”

Feeling the hint of tears burn her eyes, Evelyn stepped into Jo’s arms and kissed her. It was slow and sweet, but with the promise of something more. “You are amazing,” she said once they broke apart.

“You are the amazing one,” Jo said, and opened the passenger door with a flourish. “Your chariot awaits.”

Evelyn slid into the seat, running her fingers over the leather interior. “It’s all so perfect,” she said. “The attention to detail is wonderful.”

Settling behind the wheel, Jo smiled. “I have learned to appreciate the little things,” she said. “And before I forget.” She reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small paper sack. “Here’s a little something to say welcome home.”

Already guessing what it was, Evelyn’s throat tightened as she took the bag and opened it. Jo’s wonderful chocolate chip cookies. She reached across the console, took Jo’s hand, and whispered, “I’m home.”

Jo squeezed her fingers. “Yeah,” she said. “You are.” As they pulled out of the garage, the Mustang purring beneath them, Evelyn held the hand of the woman she had fallen in love with. They still had a lot of things to learn about each other, but finally, there was time to do all of that. For now, the future was wide open, and Evelyn could not ask for more.

THE END