Page 123 of Finding New Dreams

I smiled, wanting to reach for her again, but she needed to hear this first. “Funnily enough, they all have the same answer: I’m in love with you, Rose.” She gasped, but I forged on. “I have been probably since I saw you in that club. That moment you painted—the moment I first saw you. I studied and studied it. Then I realized that you captured the exact moment that I found my new dream. It’s you.

“And I know you don’t feel the same. Actually, part of my plan was to move back to Tangled River and date you into falling in love with me too. I mean, it worked once to get you in my arms, so I figured it might work to get into your heart. I even memorized your list—”

She pressed a finger to my lips, her eyes sparkling. “Forget the list, Flynn.”

I froze. “What do you mean? I know I meet at least ninety percent of the criteria, and I’ll work on the rest!”

“No, I mean I threw out the list. Started over with a new one.” She drew a piece of notebook paper from her purse. “Want to hear it?”

All I could do was nod.

“I still want a man who is funny, smart, kind, health-minded, loyal, trustworthy, and supportive of the arts. But I also added…” She cleared her throat, rustling the paper. Her eyes darted up to me. “Loves his family and his friends and will go out of his way to help them. Takes the time to inspire kids with his love for art and life. Teaches me new things and gets me to take risks when I need to. Kisses me like there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing. Makes me feel like the most loved and treasured person in the world.”

Rose sniffed a little and tucked the paper back in her purse.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. All those things…was she talking about me? She hadn’t said me. But…

“Wait, that’s it?” I rasped. “Nothing about living in Tangled River or having a family?”

She shook her head. “I wanted to be open to doing long distance. And as long as there was even the smallest possibility of kids one day, I’d be fine.”

I stumbled backward. “I don’t understand. Are you saying—”

“You’re the man I’ve been looking for, Flynn. It was you all along. So instead of fitting you to my list, I made a much better list that fit you. That fit how much I love you.”

I blanched. Was this real? Or a dream? It’d better be fucking real.

She stepped closer, her lips turned up in a soft smile. “I’m so glad you’re in love with me, because I’m in love with you. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it. To accept what my heart was telling me all this time.”

I grasped her forearms and drew her against me. She wrapped her arms around my waist with a sigh.

“You came for me,” I whispered. “No one’s ever done something like that for me before. And you’re in love with me. That’s a first too.” I pulled back to look her in the eyes. “Are you sure?”

She laughed. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure. I painted it.”

I grasped her chin. “I want to make something else clear too. I want a family with you. Any way I can get it. A pack of children. A menagerie of rescue animals. You name it. I want all the loving chaos.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “That sounds perfect. I’d love that—wait, wait, did you say you were moving to Tangled River? Is that why you have a flight?”

“Yep. After the show, everything’s done. Ozzy’s moving on to greener pastures with a huge chunk of my last commission. My place in L.A. is going up for sale in a few weeks once I have my stuff moved out. Leo said I could rent a room from him until I find something else in Tangled River—”

“You’re staying with me,” she said firmly.

I grinned. “Deal. And I already have a new job lined up. New Dream Part Two, I call it. Also inspired by you.”

Her dark eyebrows shot up. “What is it?”

“Turns out Mrs. Q is retiring. She and her husband are planning on seeing the country from an RV like she’s always wanted.” I left out the part where another large portion of my commission had been set aside to buy one for her. “And Tangled River Academy needed a new art teacher, so—”

“It’s you!” she squealed, jumping up and down in my arms. Then she clasped my neck and kissed me until I forgot everything else I was going to say.

She tried to break away after a few moments, but I chased her lips and pinned her body against the wall again. My hands roamed all over her soft skin and silky hair. Home. She felt like home sweet home.

I knew we’d have more moments together. As many as I could get in this lifetime. But I needed to assure myself that she was here, that she was mine.

My new dream.

EPILOGUE

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