“Everything okay?” he asked with a worried look.
“No. I hit my foot.” I frowned.
“Oh no. Come here.” He collected me into his arms. I let loose a long breath and felt some tension melt away.
He rubbed my back. “Better?”
“Yes.” I straightened, and my eyes widened. “Oh wow, look at the phlox. I’ve never seen it bloom so much.”
Leo rubbed my shoulders. “It’s so hot when you talk gardening to me,” he said, his darkened eyes focused on me.
“I haven’t even mentioned the new compost I want to try.” I narrowed my eyes seductively.
His head tossed back with a groan. I couldn’t help what those neck muscles did to me. I stepped up on tiptoes and kissed his neck.
Our joking melted into a real kiss.
“We are deeply weird,” I said with a laugh when we finally broke apart.
“I wouldn’t change a thing. Speaking of...” He grabbed my hand to twirl me in display. “You look beautiful.”
It was nothing special, just jeans and a nice top. I’d kept my hair down and styled, but I suspected what he saw was all my joy glowing out. I had a home and family, and even though it was small, it grew in increments. Faye and her grown children. Cath and her parents. My students, both old and new. Vander and The Burnouts. I wasn’t alone. Not even a little.
And then there was tonight.
“It’s not too much?” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “I’m more nervous than I should be.”
“No. You’re the right amount of nervous. They are scary,” he said.
I moaned, a wave of nerves making my stomach twist.
“Hey. You know this town. You are a beast who gets what she wants,” he said, trying to pump me up.
I felt my defenses rise but took a breath. It was a compliment. “And that’s a good thing?” I confirmed.
“It’s a great thing. You’re an inspiration. If anybody can make tonight happen, it’s you. Look at all you’ve done for Cath. For this town. For your students.”
Leo and I were flying up to Chicago in a few weeks to see The Burnouts play with Cath. It worked out well because I had another former student who’d moved up there I wanted to visit. He was an incredibly talented singer-songwriter whose career was taking off.
Leo had extended an open invitation to my family to come visit any time since I’d moved in with him. They hadn’t taken us up on the offer yet. It hurt sometimes still, but I was talking to somebody about it. And most nights, I was too busy being surrounded by the people I chose, and who chose me in return, to worry about it.
The rest of the time, there was always the Rage Room.
“Ready?” he asked me, squeezing my hand.
“Nope. Let’s go.”
“That’s my girl.”
As we walked up the road, he cleared his throat. “I was thinking. What if I went back to school to get a teaching degree? I’ve loved tutoring a student here and there, but I’d like to help with the bands at Green Valley High.” His voice shook. “Would that be something I could do?”
My heart swelled with excitement, picturing us teaching side by side. The little ways we could lovingly taunt each other. We would have the Janice Cooper Band Room donated by The Burnouts—a separate rehearsal space thatno sports club could take over. I grinned up at him, tugging an arm around his waist as we walked. “Of course. That would be amazing. So long as you’re doing it for you. I can handle the class loads.”
“I know you can.” He smiled. “I enjoyed helping Cath. I have enough knowledge about music that I could maybe make a difference. At least help with some of the classes or maybe jazz band. Or whatever else.”
“You would be great.”
We came to a stop all too soon and looked up at Faye’s house.
