Page 109 of Nanny for the Bodyguard

Easton holds me close, his eyes welling up with tears, and then pulls me back to his mouth. The kiss is everything we want to say, everything we mean to each other, and I’m utterly lost to it.

This is the start of the future I have always dreamed of from the very first day I met Easton. It may have gotten off to a rocky start, and for a while there, it didn’t look possible, but I’m determined to make this work.

This is what I want.

“Holy crap, I can't believe you kept all of these.”

I giggle as I look over at Easton as he goes through the box of yearbooks I've held onto.

“I know, it's silly. But hey, memories, right?”

“You were in choir and theater? I did not peg you as a music chick.”

All I can do is laugh again, but I take one of the small stuffed animals that I've held on to since high school and throw it at Easton's face.

It hits him, dust flying everywhere, and he starts coughing. “Oh god, sorry! I didn't realize it was going to be so dusty.”

“It's fine. Ugh.” He coughs again, and I make a face.

I feel terrible for hitting him right where it counts with something that's been lingering in my closet for over a decade.

“Really. I’m so sorry.”

“It's fine. It's fine. We're taking a shower after this anyway. Plus, I like hearing about what you were like in high school, baby Hazel and the chaos she got up to.”

“There wasn't much chaos. I bounced around from house to house too much. Mostly, it was me trying to find any type of stability.”

Easton comes over, wrapping his arms around me. “I know that being in foster care was probably really hard. I'm glad you were able to find some normalcy near the end there.”

“Yeah, the last family that took me from high school through college was really nice. They made high school bearable, and they set me up with a really good plan to make sure the university situation worked out for me.”

“Okay, but you have to tell me whose idea it was to make one of your dancesprehistoric-themed?”

I burst out into laughter. “That was meant to be a joke, but too many people voted for it. And then we got stuck with it. God, I remember having to paint a model of a Pachycephalosaurus that we were hanging up on the wall. That tookforever.”

We’re laughing and laughing, and then Jade runs in from the other room, holding a photo album in her arms.

“I found this in the cupboard. What are these?”

With a big smile, I sit down on the bed, waiting for Jade to plop down next to me. “Oh, these are photos from college. You know, there's actually some of your uncle in here.”

“What?” Easton goes white as a sheet.

“Can you show me?” Her eyes are as wide as saucers.

“Oh, Jade, not only will I show you, I will explaineveryembarrassing detail.”

“Ugh, and that’s my cue to go bring these boxes to the car.” I glance over at Easton, and sure, he’s making a face, but behind it, there’s this happiness in his eyes that makes my chest squeeze.

We go through my early college years, and Jade and I both laugh over my questionable fashion choices. Then Easton comes back inside just as I get to the picture of me and him at the bar.

“Oh, there he is.”

“Wow, he looks so young!” Jade calls out, and I chuckle as Easton rolls his eyes.

We’re just staring at each other now, and my cheeks actually ache from smiling so big. Easton sets down the box he’s holding and walks over, sitting next to me.

“I’ve never seen this.” He sounds so nostalgic, so full of memories.