Emma leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his. “I love you. I’ve probably never stopped loving you, which is so annoying.”

She felt his smile as he coaxed her mouth into a deeper kiss, one of his hands moving around to the small of her back as the other found the fourth finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. Just like it had back then.

“You know,” he said, between kisses, “maybe we should resize it after all. I’m thinking if it’s too small to get off, you can’t throw it at me every time you get mad.”

She pulled back and gave him a look. “I’ll tell you what. You promise not to try and date my sister and use me to further your career, and I won’t throw the ring at your face. Oh, and—”

Cassidy hooked a hand around the back of her head, jerking her forward and cutting her off with another kiss.

He pulled back again to press his lips against her ears. “I love you. I love you so much.”

She nuzzled his neck. “I love you, too.”

He was silent for a few moments. “Also, my knees—”

“Are killing me,” she finished for him.

They helped each other up, laughing when Emma’s heel knocked over the garbage can, scattering black ash on her floor.

“Okay, I have to ask. Whose idea was the trash can?” she asked.

“Was it really bad?”

“So bad.”

He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. That, my love, was your boy-crush Lincoln Mathis. Jake thought we should bring his legendary ways with women in on the discussion, and this is what he came up with.”

“Huh,” she said, righting the can. “Good thing he’s pretty.”

“Keep it up, and I’ll fire him.”

“Go ahead. Maybe my father will give him a job.”

Cassidy barked out a laugh, and she laughed back.

It felt good. Right. As though she could actually feel the old wounds healing the more they joked about it.

Then he backed her against the kitchen counter, and the joking was replaced by something much more interesting.

“What do you think, darling? Do we attempt a redo of the big church wedding? Or do we piss off parents and friends alike by eloping?”

Emma touched his lip with the tip of her finger. “I’m thinking small and local.”

He kissed her finger. “Whatever you want. My only request is soon.”

Emma gave him a mock frown. “You didn’t like our seven-year hiatus?”

“Are you kidding?” he said, reaching around her to grab the half-burned Stiletto magazine. “It gave you time to add twelve exes to your résumé.”

“Yeah, about that,” she said, reaching for the magazine and opening it to the page with her article. “The cover only has half of my headline.”

She turned the magazine around so he could read it, watching his face as he read it out loud:

“Twelve Days of Exes…and One Forever Love.”

His eyes found hers. “Emma.”

She smiled. “Camille let me do a last-minute change. This was printed days before you came here with your pyrotechnics and secret ring. It’s about you, Cassidy. It’s only you from here on out.”

He smiled back, his eyes looking suspiciously moist. “Wrong. From here on out, it’s only us.”

For Anna and Sarah, who taught me early on how wonderful girlfriends can be. I’m so lucky to have found you.