By the Book (Meant to Be #2)(95)
“You know,” he said as she turned over the present in her hands, “it’s easier to figure out what it is if you open it.”
She rolled her eyes at him and finally tore at the wrapping paper.
It was his book. His picture was on the cover, one the photographer had taken one day last summer, when she’d come for a long weekend. The photographer had snapped the shot of Beau looking at Izzy on the beach, though only the three of them knew who Beau was looking at.
Izzy loved that picture. But why was Beau giving her his book?
She looked up at him.
“The Post-it,” he said.
She looked down at the book. There was another Read me Post-it note. There must be tickets inside. Her favorite play was coming to LA in a few months; she kept meaning to tell him they should go together. She smiled and flipped to the page.
But there were no tickets. She read the page and then looked up at him, her eyes full of tears.
To Isabelle. I never would have been able to write this book if it wasn’t for you. I love you.
She’d assumed he’d dedicate it to his mom. She’d been sure of that, for months now. She’d never even thought this might happen.
“You didn’t know?” he asked. She couldn’t say anything; she just shook her head. Her heart was so full.
He let out a sigh of relief.
“I wanted to be the one to tell you, but I was so nervous that somehow you’d find out first. Marta said she’d keep it a secret, but everyone over there knows you, so I was worried.”
“I had no idea,” she said. She should say more, but she didn’t even know how to say what she felt right now. Shock, joy, pride, amazement, all at once. But mostly, love.
“I love you so much,” she said.
He handed her a glass of champagne.
“I love you, too,” he said. He sat down next to her and touched his glass to hers. “To you, Isabelle Marlowe, the woman who walked into my house one day and changed my life.”
And then she kissed him.
There are so many people who supported me with their actions, their friendship, and their love as I wrote this book, and I am so very grateful to all of them.
To the entire team at Hyperion Avenue, thank you so much for trusting me with this story, and for everything you’ve done to help this book become a reality. Jocelyn Davies, thank you for your thoughtful edits that made this book so much better, and for loving Izzy and Beau as much as I do. Marci Senders and Stephanie Singleton, thank you for this incredible book cover that I fell in love with immediately. Elanna Heda, Cassidy Leyendecker, Sara Liebling, Guy Cunningham, Jody Corbett, Martin Karlow, Meredith Jones, and Marybeth Tregarthen, thank you for all of your hard work in turning my manuscript into this beautiful book. And thank you so much to Lyssa Hurvitz, Seale Ballenger, Danielle DiMartino, Holly Nagel, Ian Byrne, Marina Shults, Monique Diman, Nicole Elmes, Michael Freeman, Loren Godfrey, Kim Knueppel, Vicki Korlishin, Meredith Lisbin, Vanessa Vazquez, and Samantha Voorhees for ushering this book out into the world and helping it find its readers.
Holly Root, you are a true gem. These past two years have been immeasurably easier because of you; this book is only a book because of your advice, your support, and your many, many pep talks. Thank you, so much. And thank you to everyone else at Root Literary: Alyssa Moore and Melanie Figueroa, thank you so much for all of your hard work on my behalf. Taylor Haggerty, many thanks for all of your excellent Santa Barbara advice! Kristin Dwyer, what a joy it is to work with you. Thank you for being exactly you.
Amy Spalding, thank you for all of your advice about this book, for being such a great research travel companion in Santa Barbara, and for your friendship. Akilah Brown, thank you for your advice, honesty, and friendship. Kayla Cagan, thank you for your brilliance, your humor, and the cheese balls. Thank you to Sara Zarr, who said “If you write, then you’re a writer” to me at a time when I absolutely didn’t think I deserved that title. Many thanks to Josh Gondelman, the king of pep talks. And thank you to the many other writers who gave me advice, companionship, and support throughout these past two years: Jami Attenberg, Melissa Baumgart, Robin Benway, Alexis Coe, Nicole Chung, Mira Jacob, Ruby Lang, Jessica Morgan, Julie Murphy, Samin Nosratt, Helen Rosner, and Emma Straub.
It’s not just that I wouldn’t have been able to write this book without my friends; I wouldn’t have made it through these past two years of a global pandemic without my friends. Nicole Clouse and Simi Patnaik, I love you so much. (Simi, I hope you’re happy now.) Jill Vizas, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Janet Goode, I miss you so much; I can’t wait to see you again. Kimberly Chin, here’s to many more meals together, and many more years of friendship. Sarah Mackey, thank you for helping me name all the things. All my love and gratitude to Joy Alferness and the entire Alferness family, Nanita Cranford, Nicole Cliffe, Jenée Desmond-Harris, Rachel Fershleiser, Alyssa Furukawa, Alicia Harris, Jina Kim, Danny Lavery, Kate Leos, Lisa McIntire, Caille Millner, Runjini Murthy, Maret Orliss, Samantha Powell, Jessica Simmons, Sara Simon, Melissa Sladden, Christina Tucker, Dana White, and Margaret H. Willison. I am endlessly grateful to all of you for making me laugh and cry, for all of the hugs, both in person and virtual, for always being there for me, for all of the phone calls and video calls and many many text messages.
Thank you to Meghan and Harry, for showing me all of the places a real princess would go in Santa Barbara. (Just kidding.) (Or am I???)