Page 39 of Her Surprise Vacation Date

“Thanks, sis.” Shane reaches around my back to give Amelia’s shoulder a pat. “Happy birthday. I guess this takes care of my gift to you this year.”

“Nuh-uh, not so fast. This was Hope’s gift to me. Her being willing to put up with you is all her doing. You still owe me one.”

Shane laughs. “Seriously? What could be better than me and Hope dating?”

“You know what.” Amelia wiggles her brows and shoots him a knowing look. “Diary, cheese—catch my drift? Do your magic, little bro. I’m going to go put these away and unpack my stuff and give you guys some privacy.”

As soon as Ames steps back into the room, I turn to Shane. “What was that about? Why was she talking about cheese?”

“It’s a long story, but first things first.”

He pulls me onto his lap and gives me a proper kiss. NotPride and Prejudiceproper, but fitting for a boyfriend kissing his girlfriend without the risk of making his sister sick. It’s a sweet and tender kiss that leaves me with a goofy smile on my face. I kick my feet, then wrap my arms around Shane’s neck, feeling like a lovesick teenager. “I see you got my message.”

“I did,” he says, gesturing to my socks and theIf you can read this, kiss me nowtext on the soles. “I think a shirt with the same words would work better though. I can’t see your socks all the time.”

“Are you planning on kissing me all the time?”

“All. The. Time,” he repeats with a sparkle in his eyes. “Which means I’ll need to buy you about a dozen more of these.”

I laugh. “I’ll take a shirt instead. I hardly ever wear socks. This trip might be the only time. It’s much too hot in Arizona. So, tell me what you and Ames were talking about.”

“Well, it’s kind of related to Arizona,” Shane begins in a hopeful tone, “or more precisely, California. She wants me to convince you to move back. No pressure, though. Of course, I’d love for you to come back to the Bay Area, but if Arizona’s where your heart is at, I’m ready for a change.”

“I still can’t believe you’re willing to uproot your life for me.”

“I’m not talking about moving to a different planet,” he jokes, “or even a different country.”

“It’s a whole different climate though. We’re talking triple digit weather in the summer and also monsoons, thunderstorms, and haboobs.”

“Huh-who?”

“Haboobs. They’re dust storms. Phoenix has one to three a year.”

“You don’t say.”

“And there are also the bugs to consider.”

“No consideration needed. As you know, I love bugs.”

“Even scorpions?”

“Especially scorpions. Have you seen how cool their tails look?”

I shake my head and smile. “What about your job?”

“I looked into it already. I won’t be able to transfer my EMT cert to Arizona, but there is a 14-day boot camp I can take. The next one starts in July.”

My heart starts pounding as his words sink in. He’s already done his research. I have no doubt of his commitment now. “You’re really serious about this.”

“I’m serious about you. I can find a job anywhere, butthere’s only one you. And if you’re in Arizona, that’s where I want to be, too.”

“Shaney, I can’t let you do this. You have a good job in California, and I’d hate for you to have to start your cert all over again. Plus, Amelia’s there. Who’s going to help her unclog her sink or jump-start her car when she needs help? And with you being so tall, your head’s that much closer to the sun, which in the desert is not a good thing.” I’m spouting off whatever excuses I can come up with and enjoying the confusion growing on Shane’s face. It’s all in good fun before I reveal my plan, one that I know in my heart of hearts is the right thing for me—for us.

“I’m not that tall, Hope. That’s not a good enough reason for me not to move.” He pauses, then chuckles. “Was that a double negative? Are you rubbing off on me?”

“Not quite, but I am going to be rubbing off on you so much, Shaney, you’re not going to know what to do with yourself. But I can’t let you move to Arizona because I’m moving back to California.”

“You’re what?”

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