Page 73 of Karma Kitty Christmas
“Yeah,” Isaac whispered, and it wasn’t until a hot tear splashed on the back of his hand that he realized he was crying.
His finger slid right in, a perfect fit, and he wondered if Luca had seen the other ring, plain gold, that he kept back with his cufflinks, because he hadn’t wanted to wear it anymore.
Like a memory in a cupboard, brought out sometimes when it was needed, but collecting dust in the meantime.
Not this ring, Isaac thought, staring at it as it rested on his finger. This ring wasn’t a memory in the cupboard. This ring was a living, breathing person who was now the other half of Isaac’s heart.
“Good tears?” Luca asked, his voice thick.
“Good tears,” Isaac confirmed, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Kiss me now, when everybody can see, and it’ll be official.”
Luca leaned forward, eyes closed, the perfect prince.
And the cat leapt on top of his head, bounded off, and landed in the middle of the giant pile of paper again.
In the midst of shrieks of laughter, Luca finished the kiss, and Isaac fell into it.
This—this—was what happy ever after must feel like.
He couldn’t imagine anything more.
Keep Reading
for an Excerpt from
Bowling for Turkeys
by Amy Lane
A “Get Out of Bed” Surprise
“GET UP.”
“Mariana, no….” Milo knew he shouldn’t have answered the phone—heknewit. Sure, Mariana Roberts was his forever bestie, the keeper of his secrets, and the sister of his heart, but… but… butoh my God,she wassomuch a lot!
“Mariana,yes!” she retorted with her usual terrifying determination. Mariana had been forced to drop out of college in her third year so she could help support her mentally ill sister. She’d taken a job on a hospital phone line and now made way more money than Milo did with his degree in graphic communications, and she often claimed that her major was in fixing people’s lives.
She’d managed to fix her sister’s; Serena now lived in an assisted care facility, where Mariana visited at least twice a week, and she apparently had friends and hobbies and was happy.
Since Mari was often cheerfully single—and Milo wasnotcheerfullyanything—that leftMilo’slife to fix, and sadly, he was giving her alotto work with.
“But Mari, it’sSaturday,” he whined, and knew it for a whine. “It’s my day to lounge around and—”
“And skip out on lunch with your bestie, you bastard,” she snapped.
He winced. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t have bailed on you—”
“Twice. You bailed on metwicesince the breakup, and I get that I had to work overtime in September, but it’sOctobernow, and we haven’t seen each other since your vodka-and-ice-cream pity party and… anddammit,Milo, I’m worried about you!”
Milo glanced around his duplex in a daze, noting the dead plants he’d meant to water, the laundry he’d meant to do, the dirty dishes he’d meant to wash. Hell, he was probably out of coffee, and he wasn’t sure if there was anything in his refrigerator to eat. How was he supposed to “lie in” when there wasn’t enough here to keep him alive? “Two months?” he asked, feeling stupid. Did Stuart break up with him two months ago? “It hasn’t been two months, has it?”
Her sigh was eloquent. “Yes, baby. It’s been two months. Now wake up and get out of bed!”
He did what she told him to because that was the pattern they’d established in high school. Mari made the plans, Milo carried them out. She was good at it, he thought wretchedly, trying to find a bare place on the carpet to place his feet.
“I’m awake,” he told her crossly. “I’m out of bed. Now what?”
“Come answer your door, asshole. I’ve been here for ten minutes.”
