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Was it possible he was getting used to all these close calls? Because only a couple of minutes earlier, Andy had felt cold and numb all the way through, and now there was a startlinglyspringtime warmth blooming in his chest. His heart felt as light and happy as a balloon sailing skyward.

He said skeptically, “Are you saying you can cook?”

Quinn looked guilty. “Er, no. I mean, breakfast, sure. But I thought we’d go to Francesca’s. You know, have a real date. No car chases. No jewel smugglers. No dead bodies in closets. Just turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then maybe go back to my place for…”

“Wassailing?”

Quinn gave a weird laugh. “Whatever you want. Whatever you need.”

Andy snorted. “That sounds like the start of a Beatles song.”

“It’s the start of something I’ve waited half my life for.”

Andy started to say, well, he wasn’t even sure how to respond to that, but Quinn cut in, suddenly unsmiling, even a little pale. “No, I know that sounds… I feel like…” He drew in a sharp breath. “The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured or cornered or bullied.”

“I don’t feel any of those things.”

Quinn said, almost pleadingly, “I can’t help—can’t change—who I was as a kid. But I’mnotthe same person.”

“Iknowthat.” Andy reached for Quinn’s hands and found them ice cold. Quinn gripped him back hard.

“I don’t blame you for not trusting me—”

“I do trust you,” Andy interrupted. “How could I not trust you after everything you’ve done to help me get through this week. Itisn’tthat I don’t trust you.”

Which was kind of a revelation for Andy as well, but yes. It was the truth. He did trust Quinn.

Quinn was forging on. “I don’t think, in fact, IknowI didn’t say this right when we got to my house. I was so afraid of what you were going to say that I didn’t really hear you. Notthen. But when I thought back,ofcourseyou deserve to be loved, and Idolove you, and I can be that for you. Iwantto be that for you. Ididn’tjust forget you. But sometimes when you let something go too long, it seems too late to go back and fix it. As far as I knew, you had everything you wanted, everything the way you wanted it. I wasn’t even sure you’d still remember me.”

“Quinn, come on. You really thought I could have forgotten you?”

“Yes.Of course. I never got why you thought so much of me in the first place. I thought you’d have outgrown that years ago.”

Andy laughed because otherwise he’d have cried. There were tears in Quinn’s eyes too.

“Andy, Andrew, please. Can we start over? As adults, on equal footing. Could we give this a real shot? Because I really do love you, and I think you still really love me. I believe I can make you happy. And making you happy will make me happy.” Quinn stopped as though he’d run out of breath.

“Is that it?” Andy asked.

“Yes.” Quinn looked serious. Almost somber. “That’s it. That’s everything.”

Andy nodded, leaned in to cover Quinn’s surprised mouth with his own, and said softly, “That’s more than enough.”

Epilogue

“Happy New Year!” Miriam’s shout was followed by thepopof a champagne cork.

“Incoming,” Quinn murmured, drawing Andy aside as the cork flew across the room, hit the wall, and bounced into the clam dip.

Laughter and clapping followed the flight of the champagne cork from all those gathered in Uncle C.’s newly refurbished living quarters. Uncle C., comfortably ensconced on the new sofa—a gift from Quinn, who planned on sleeping on that much larger and more comfortable piece of furniture while Andy stayed with Uncle C.—called, “Happy New Year! May it be our best year ever!”

Though Uncle C. was clearly fatigued, there was healthy color in his face and the light of happiness in his eyes. He was surrounded by friends and family. In fact, he had been receiving well wishes since he’d arrived home a little after noon.

Fleur and Clark had stopped by for a few hours, and tomorrow they would come for New Year’s dinner. (Which was fine with Andy, because so would Quinn.)

“I’m thinking of bringing Clark into the business,” Uncle C. had told Andy after Clark and Fleur departed. “I could use the help. He’s older and wiser now. And he’s truly unhappy in his job, so maybe he’ll enjoy working in the shop a bit more.”

“Sure. Whatever you want,” Andy said stoically.