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Sloane’s mother wasn’t the warmest person, but somehow she and her mom hit it o the moment they met.
Ari could handle the woman in small doses, but her mom’s tolerance defied comprehension.
Even Harper, Sloane’s sister, commented on how Ari’s mother soothed the woman for days after spending time with her. Ari didn’t question it. She was just grateful that everything didn’t fall on Sloane anymore. Harper had been true to her word and moved back to Miami. The stately home she’d purchased was just a few miles from her mother’s place. It was the game changer that allowed them to move out on their own.
“There she is,” Sloane said when they drove in front of the building on their way to the overpriced parking lot.
Ari followed Sloane’s gaze and smiled. Yelena was back, a newly minted lawyer after having passed the bar the second time. She was walking into the building with confidence as she joined a small class of new prosecutors. Ari sent her a text wishing her luck and reminding her about their lunch plans.
Instead of heading for the large training room, Ari, Sloane, and a couple dozen others filed into a small conference room on the second floor.
“Do you think MLS is going to make an appearance?”
Sloane asked while they waited for the training to begin.
Ari was about to joke that there was no photo opportunity for her when she noticed Sloane’s crossed legs under the table. With her black skirt hiked up, she realized her smooth, tanned skin was bare. Ari moistened her lips.
“I guess you’re lucky I keep a pair for you in my bag,” she whispered with a lopsided smile.
Sloane’s eyes darkened as she scanned her face. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“Hey,” Javon said as he plopped down in the empty seat next to Sloane and set his messenger bag on the conference table. “Y’all excited to get out of DV?”
Sloane furrowed her brow for just long enough to make Javon shift in his seat.
“Are you going to the Crowned Swan later? The assistant chief for juvie always hosts a little happy hour as a welcome thing,” Javon explained after a beat.
“I don’t think—” Sloane started.
Ari interrupted her. “Yeah, definitely.” She smiled. “We’ll be there.”
Sloane’s head spun toward her like it might roll o her neck. Her narrowed eyes spoke volumes.
“What?” Ari whispered innocently. “It’s where we fell in love. We should visit if only for nostalgia’s sake.”
Sloane rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say no.
When the chief of the juvenile division strolled in with a few boxes of donuts, the chattering stopped and the work started. Ari wanted to pay attention, but all she could do was go over plans in her mind.
Tonight, when they got home, the apartment would be full of white Gardenias. The fragrant blooms floating in water bowls along with little tea lights were meant to remind Sloane of the summers she spent in her grandmother’s garden. The magenta Dahlias and pale pink peonies arranged in glass vases around their bedroom spoke to the passion and love they shared.
She owed her parents a nice dinner for being her accomplices and setting up the apartment with everything she left at their house. Happy hour would give them plenty of time to carry out the plan.
Ari’s pulse jumped when she walked through it in her mind. The diamond solitaire ring she stashed under her pillow was the symbol of her commitment and hope for an endless future together. As Ari practiced how she would ask Sloane to spend the rest of her life with her, she tried to keep from smiling.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sloane asked when they broke for lunch. “You keep grinning like a sociopath.”
Ari laughed. “I guess I’m just so in love with you I can’t help it.”
Sloane eyed her suspiciously. “Okay, weirdo. Let’s go. We don’t want to keep Yoyo waiting. I’m sure she’ll be anxiously wondering whether you’ll cut up her food for her.”
As they walked out of the conference room, Ari’s heart soared. She was going to marry the hell out of Sloane Medina.
