Page 106 of The Last Girl

Bent dried another plate from the dinner they had shared. They’d had Chinese delivered. Who wanted to cook after the day they’d survived?

“She and Jerome are okay. It’ll take time to put this behind them, but at least he knows the truth. And his father will probably get to come home on Monday.”

“Good news.” Bent put the plate away and tossed the towel on the counter. “While you were in the shower, Alicia Wilton called me.”

Vera drew back. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

“Because the food arrived, and I didn’t want it to get cold.” That slow, easy smile that always made her smile right back no matter the situation spread across his lips. “Besides, it was all good news. She’ll be coming home next week as well. She wanted to thank us for all we did to bring her husband’s and friends’ murderer to justice.”

Vera studied the wine in her glass. “I wonder what her plan for the future is?”

“She mentioned that she plans to move forward with the sale so she can relocate to that Southern California town her husband loved so much.” He shrugged. “Their child should be raised there, she said.”

“Wow. That’s a good plan.” Vera sipped her wine. There was so much she wanted to say to him right now. After all she’d heard and seen the past few days. The ugliest side of relationships ... the most hurtful aspect of human nature. The up-close look at unexpected loss like the murder of a husband just when there was so much to look forward to. The death of a mother, who should have been looking forward to herfirst grandchild rather than trying to destroy lives. Not that she hadn’t seen this sort of thing before, but this was fresh ... new. Life was so very short and sometimes uncertain.

Even amid all the tragedy, she had also seen determination and survival. That was the part that reminded her there was still time ...

“Bent.”

He picked up his beer and took a swig. “Yeah?”

“I want us to make a plan.”

He set the beer aside, studied her a moment. “What sort of plan?”

“Our plan.” Her nerves were suddenly jangling, and she figured she had better set her glass down before she dropped it. She placed it on the counter next to his beer. “Our future. I wantthisto beourhome like we talked about. Not just where we’ve chosen to live together but our home. Our special forever place. And not at some point but now. Right now.”

The spark of happiness in his eyes made her heart skip. What in the world had she been waiting for? It was time—past time. She couldn’t wait to see what came next for them.

Bent leaned down, kissed her cheek. “I would love that. I love you, and this is where I want to be—with you, always.”

Vera was beyond ready to get on with the rest of her life, and she wanted to share the news with her sisters. It was about damned time the Boyett sisters—all three of them—had their happily ever afters.

Hers and Bent’s started right here, right now.