Page 146 of Homecoming

“I noticed that, too.” Renata crossed her arms in a protective gesture that tugged at Kara’s heart. “He offered me a partnership in the company.”

Kara’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Oh my God, Ren. That’s huge.”

“Believe me, I know.”

“Do you understand why he did it?”

“Of course I do. He wants in my pants.”

“Renata… Come on. He’s offering you a piece of the company his grandfather founded. That’s got nothing to do with what’s in your pants.”

“It’s easier for me to make it about that than to look at the bigger picture.”

“You mean the picture that shows he’s in love with you and wants to be partners with you in every way?”

Renata scowled. “Why you gotta say it like that?”

Kara sputtered with laughter. “Because it’s the truth?”

“He’s not in love with me.”

“Renata… He offered you a piece of his family’s business because he wants you to be his equal, not his employee.” She stepped closer to her cousin. “He’s doing the dishes…without being asked.”

“They all do that stuff at the beginning.”

“Dan washes all the dishes in our house. I cook. He cleans up.”

“I can’t picture him doing dishes.”

“Well, he does. He also does the laundry and cleans the bathroom and anything else that needs to be done.”

“We all know you got a unicorn. Doesn’t mean the rest of us will.”

“Why’re you trying so hard to deny what’s right in front of you?”

Renata’s bullish expression would’ve been funny if Kara didn’t know everything there was to know about her lifelong best friend.

She placed her hands on Renata’s shoulders. “Can I say something?”

“Can I stop you?”

“Haha. Nope. If you turn your back on Myles because of something someone else did years ago, who benefits from that?”

“Sometimes it’s just easier not to bother.”

“Yeah, it is, but what if you’d be missing out on the best thing to ever happen to you? Like I said before, I shouldn’t have waited so long to give Dan a chance. And I’ll tell you something else you can never repeat to anyone… I’m glad Kelly and Matt did what they did.”

“Really?”

“Yep. What they did led me to the best thing ever, and that’s worth all the hell and heartache that came before. He’s worth it all, and I have a feeling your Myles will be, too.”

“He’s not my Myles.”

“Isn’t he?”

“Why you gotta be such a bitch?”

Kara laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes when she came up for air. “You’re ridiculous. Go put that man out of his misery, will you, please?”

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