My Favorite Souvenir(92)

Her words squeezed at my chest. “I know. What I did was selfish. But I need you to know that I always planned to tell you. If you’d chosen to be with Brady, I wouldn’t have let you make that decision without divulging what I knew. But I just…” I paused to gather my thoughts. “I needed to know that you chose me because you loved me and not because you felt betrayed by him.”

Her eyes softened. “I would always have chosen you. The choice was made the moment I laid eyes on you again at that bar in New York, when I saw the hurt on your face and realized that I meant as much to you as you’d meant to me. And I’ve fallen more deeply in love with you each moment we’ve been together since. I love you so much, Matteo Duncan. I really do.”

Holding her close, I spoke into the nape of her neck. “I’m never letting you go again.”

“Good. Because I have no plans to go back to Connecticut.”

I moved back to look at her. “What?”

She bit her lip. “If you’ll have me, I want to come to Seattle with you.”

“What about your job?”

Hazel shrugged. “My love was never school photography. I want to follow my love—and that’s you. I’ll find freelance work. Ever since our road trip, I’ve been trying to figure out how to build the life I truly want, and being tied down to that business was a deterrent. I’d been thinking about selling it for a while. Felicity and her husband are happy to take it over. She was excited.”

Wow. This felt like a dream

“What about Abbott the Rabbit?” I asked.

Hazel looked down and her lips started to quiver. “Abbott…died.”

Oh no.

My stomach sank. “What?”

“They think she had a heart attack. They say sometimes a loud noise can startle a rabbit to death. I came home one day and...found her lying there. I still don’t know what happened.” She began to cry.

My heart broke for her. “When was this?”

Wiping her eyes, she said, “A few weeks ago.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, that I wasn’t there for you when it happened.”

She sniffled. “Thank you. It made these past several weeks apart from you even harder. But Abbott’s dying was really the thing that solidified my decision to give up my life in Connecticut. Life is too short to waste it with people you’re not passionate about or doing something you’re not passionate about. And right now…I’m passionate about doing you.”

“Fucking hell, woman. I’m already hard again. Who am I to keep you from your passion?” I placed a long, hard kiss on her mouth before releasing her.

Her lips were swollen when she asked, “Do you think there’ll be room for me and Nola?”

“Nola?” I looked over at the small, gray kitty. “Is that the cat’s name?”

“Yeah. I figured if we made it here alive, I was going to name her Nola.” She smiled. “One of the reasons I brought her with me was I figured a new cat might distract Bach a little. You know, since I’ll be taking away his only companion—or at least much of your attention. He hates me as it is. Maybe she’ll be a distraction?”

Holy shit.

Zara’s other warning now made perfect sense.

Your pussy doesn’t want a new friend.

“I’m not so sure Bach is going to be happy.”

“Why do you say that?”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her about Zara’s prediction.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll work it out. Everything’s going to be fine.” I smiled.





Epilogue




* * *



Hazel



Ten months later



Matteo and I were planning an early Christmas celebration in Seattle before we traveled to Vail to spend the holidays with his parents.

For two people who loved adventure, we’d lived a pretty settled life over the past several months. Though we kept a jar full of folded-up pieces of paper with different trips we wanted to take written on each, vowing never to lose the adventurous spirit that had launched our union. Sometimes we’d pick a paper randomly out of the jar and take off for the weekend when finances would allow. But honestly we loved our downtime just as much—hanging out at local coffeehouses or playing with our cats. When you’re with the person you’re supposed to be with, every day is like an adventure. We didn’t need to always travel the country to feel fulfilled. Just being together—hanging at the local coffeehouses or playing with our cats—made us happy.

We were blessed to have found each other. Despite the rough start to my relationship with Matteo, I knew in my heart that my time with Brady had existed so I could meet his friend. Maybe that’s fucked up, but it’s the truth.

We’d opted to stay in Seattle because of Matteo’s teaching job. As much as I’d always said school photography wasn’t my passion, I ended up getting a photo contract with a local school district here. Only now I wasn’t just doing school photos; I’d branched out, shooting more weddings, family portraits, and headshots—and even some local musical acts. Diversifying my offerings gave me more flexibility. I could make my own schedule, and if that meant taking two weeks off to go to Vail with my boyfriend, it was my choice.