Page 147 of Homecoming

“I’ll think about it.”

“You do that. I promise you, Ren, if he’s the real deal… you’ll never regret taking the leap.”

“I never thought I’d ever see you this happy after what went down here. Dan’s really great, and you deserve that.”

“So do you. And thank you. I agree. He’s the best. I want you to have that. I want you to have it all.”

Renata hugged her. “Thank you. I love having you home. Come back more often, will you?”

“I will. I promise. One other thing… About that partnership he offered you… Please tell me you know that you’ve earned that a thousand times over.”

“I do know it. I’m the one who keeps that place running smoothly.”

“And theyknow it. They know it, Ren. You deserve it. You’ve earned it, and if nothing else, I hope you’ll take a minute to wallow in that accomplishment.”

“Thank you for saying that. It means a lot.”

“How do we feel about Jessie and Doug?”

“She told me they had a long, long talk before he proposed, and he made her realize that everything they had before is still there in the aftermath of his addiction, only they appreciate it more than they ever did in the past because they know how close they came to losing it.”

“That’s an incredible point.”

“She thought so, too. When he proposed, he promised her that no one would ever love her more than he does.”

“What else is there?” Kara asked, thrilled for her friends.

“Indeed.”

“Go get that for yourself,” Kara said.

Renata smiled. “Love you.”

“Love you more.”

“No way.”

“Want to bet?”

“I can finish those,”Renata said to Myles after Dan and Kara had left. Why was she suddenly nervous to be alone with him after this day in which everything had changed?

“I don’t mind doing it.” He glanced at her, standing next to him, glass of wine in hand. “This was fun. I love your friends—and your cousin. Her husband isn’t what I expected.”

“He’s very normal despite his massive success.”

“Yes, exactly. Thanks for including me.”

“It was fun.”

“No one seemed surprised to find a new guy in their midst.” He wiped his hands on a dishtowel as he turned to her. “Does that mean you’ve told them about me?”

“I might’ve mentioned your name once. Maybe twice.”

“Maybe twice,” he said with a laugh. “I see how it is.”

“Do you?”

“I think so.” He stepped toward her, making her heart do a funny twisting thing that she feared might be unhealthy, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I see a beautiful, funny, smart, sarcastic, cautious woman who’s so afraid of getting hurt that she’d rather stay on the sidelines than dive into everything life has to offer.”

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