Page 64 of Bottle Rocket
Tears starred his eyelashes, and she couldn’t hold in her grin. He tried to blink them away. It didn’t work.
“I love you,” she said again. She moved her hand off his lips.
He laughed. “Shit.”
“You can say it back now.”
“You’ll allow it, huh?”
“Yes.” She smiled and stepped back, primly brushing her hands over her dress.
He pointed at her. “Rosie Posey, I love the fuck out of you.”
She frowned. “Don’t call me that.”
“You like it.”
“I do.” She rolled her eyes.
He reeled her back in. “What now?”
“Memphis. I’ve made a whole list of things to do while we’re there. Summer of Rosie: Part Deux.”
He kissed along her throat. “That doesn’t surprise me. Your lists are the best. They sometimes lead to orgies.”
“Well, this one leads to Graceland.”
“I’ll take it.”
Leo loaded Rosie’s bags into the Airstream, put the jar of pickles in the backseat of his truck, and helped her into the passenger’s seat.
“You don’t mind being the passive passenger today?” he asked her. She laughed, remembering that she’d told him she wasn’t into that on the first day they’d reconnected.
She pulled out her phone. “No. I’ll direct you.” She grinned. “I know you like that.”
“Good God, Rosie.” He pressed his face against her sternum and she brushed her fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”
She put her lips to his temple. “Just you wait.”
They hit the road and followed the summer sun.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
The sun glimmeredon the edges of the horizon. An impatient party a mile away shot off their nighttime fireworks even though it wasn’t yet dark. The sound reached Leo, a distant crackle on the breeze.
“It’s hot today,” Rosie said. She had her hair in two stubby braids to keep it off her face. It made her look innocent.
She was not.
“You can skinny dip in the river to cool off. I’ll keep watch,” Leo said with a bit of a leer.
They had a whole picnic spread out on the bank of the river. They’d had the option to spend the Fourth of July at Robin’s annual barbecue but had opted for their own celebration. It had been three weeks since they’d seen each other, and Leo was greedy for Rosie’s time.
“What would you do if I took you up on that dare? You’d be shocked,” she said starchily.
“I would be. Blow something up for me. It turns me on.”
