The Arrangement

It wasn’t full-blown acceptance of course, but it was definitely a start. Slow going but solid. And it made us all feel good just to be talking again. To see something of a light at the end of a very long, very strange tunnel.

Nathan’s father came on board a lot quicker, especially after having to eat crow regarding the whole incident with Jay. We learned pretty fast that Jay Summers no longer worked at his office, or as a publisher anywhere, as far as we knew. He never did get his laptop back, and we never opened it. As long as we never heard from him again, Chase intended for it to stay that way.

Chase and Burke made their own adjustments, although their ties weren’t as tight. Their families were more surprised than upset. Too shocked at the whole idea of what was happening — the success of the books included — to get all righteous about the way we lived our lives.

And then, just like that, things died down. It turns out fame is fleeing, especially in today’s internet age of short attention spans and 6-second vines. We were still a thing, still very popular, just not the shiny new toy we once were. By then though, the trilogy was already a smash best-seller. The guys had built a huge following, gained a healthy fan base. They’d hired an agent. Signed with a publisher.

And we were all very, very well off.

Fifty-Five

KAYLEEN

It was another late night. Really late. I was exhausted as always, but this time I was more excited than usual.

And that’s because Chase was cooking dinner for us.

It was almost ironic, how starving I was. Surrounded by food all day — food that I was cooking, even — and not stopping to eat anything at all. Still, I didn’t want to spoil my appetite. Chase had gotten pretty good at the basics, and I was looking forward to whatever he’d whipped up.

I pulled into the driveway with no less than three bandages wrapped around me. Two were from knife cuts, one from a burn I took on a risotto pan. All three injuries were the result of doing too many things at once. But the intensity was good for me. I needed the experience.

You certainly didn’t open your own restaurant without knowing how to multitask.

“Mmmm…” I called from the foyer. “Smells good!”

I was still a little far off from that dream, but closer than ever before. I needed a location, a theme, a menu. Suppliers… staff… a whole overall business plan. Burke had been helping me put one together, but he and Nathan were wrapping up their latest publicity tour. I did have Chase though. He’d hung back on this one, to begin writing their next series of books.

And I was definitely looking forward to our time together.

I entered the kitchen and found nobody there. There was something resting in the oven though. I could smell it.

I opened it slowly, and saw a delicious chicken pot-pie. It was tremendous! Much bigger than the two of us could ever finish.

“What did I say about wasting food?” I chided loudly into the empty air. “It looks fantastic though!”

It did, actually. Thick and rich-smelling, with a perfectly-golden, flaky crust.

Beast strutted in and immediately began wagging his tail. Three seconds later I was practically tripping over him, while he hopped excitedly around my calves.

“Where’s Chase?”

The little corgi’s ears perked up at my lover’s name.

“He’s in the can, isn’t he?”

Beast’s tail swung even faster. I laughed.

“Let’s go surprise him.”

My body was physically exhausted, my feet practically dragging across the tiles. The rest of me was alive and well, though. Happy to be home. Eager to fill my belly with—

I stopped halfway down the hallway. Off to the side, I could hear music floating in from the living room.

And laughter too.

“Hey,” Chase said, as I shuffled in. He slid a glass of red wine right into my hand. “Welcome to the party.”

My breath caught in my throat. Nathan and Burke were standing behind him, grinning warmly. They rushed in, two pairs of arms going around me in a big group hug.