“What is that?”

She leaned in and kissed him. “I want the whole enchilada. Dates and a proposal and a ring and a big wedding with all my new friends. The whole relationship experience.”

He grinned. “Done.”

She straightened his tie. “We should go tell them we’re not getting married today.”

“We will. Right after this.” He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.

She kissed him back with a new passion, and for the first time since they’d been together, light spilled through him, sending bright tendrils of happiness to curl around his bones.

She leaned into him, sharing herself with him in a way that he realized now she hadn’t been able to before. For all her father’s talk of destruction, Van understood that Monalisa was a creature of light. There was more for her out there than what Padraig had led her to believe, and Van would happily spend the next six months helping her find her path.

So even if they weren’t getting married today, their future lay before them in a clear vision, and Van could see there was nothing in their way.

They walked into the foyer a few minutes later. Van looked at Nick and Willa, who were talking quietly by a large vase of flowers. “The chapel is all yours.”

Nick took Willa’s hand. “You’re not getting married?”

Van turned to Monalisa and smiled. “Not today.”

Willa let out a soft sigh. “Neither are we.”

The officiant threw up his hands and walked away, causing Pandora to burst out laughing. Harlan shook his head.

“Why?” Monalisa asked. “What happened?”

Willa shrugged. “We got to talking, and we do want to get married, but I want my family to be there and the rest of our friends. So we decided to postpone it until we can plan things out a little more.”

“But we are getting married,” Nick said. “Soon.”

“Then it is settled.” Van put his arm around Monalisa and gazed into her beautiful green eyes. “But we look too good to just go home. How about we give you a real taste of freedom? We are in Vegas. At least for a little while longer.”

She nodded, grinning. “Let’s do it.”

“Good.” He looked at Harlan. “Chapel bill?”

He held up a slip of paper. “Paid.”

“Limo?”

“Outside, boss.”

Van took Monalisa’s hand. “Now I show you how Russians party.”

Freedom was a powerful thing.

One month later and Monalisa couldn’t get over how different her life was, or how happy it was possible to be. Smiling was just her everyday thing now.

And Van…Van was…so good.

But he wasn’t the only reason she smiled a lot. She had a place of her own. Sort of. It was actually Pandora’s house, but Pandora had moved into the big Victorian with Cole and the aura-reading Kaley. (And who could blame Pandora? The house and the man were gorgeous.)

Pandora had told Monalisa not to worry about rent, but Monalisa had insisted. People paid rent. It was what they did. It was what she wanted to do.

Plus, she had a job. Pandora had hired her to work as a receptionist in the real estate office. Monalisa was studying to get her own license so she could sell houses too. It might seem odd to work for your landlord, but she and Pandora (and Willa) had become fast friends.

The rest of that circle, which was mostly Pandora’s sisters, Charisma and Marigold, hung out with them too, sometimes, as did Roxy when she wasn’t on deadline.

But the best part of all was that four nights a week—because one night was girls’ night, one night was book club at the library, and one night was just for herself—she and Van had a date. Dinner out or sometimes in—although in was mostly at his house, because cooking was still a learning process for her—or a movie, or taking Grom to the dog park, or window-shopping on Main Street with a stop for ice cream, or one of a thousand things that there were to do in this town.

She was getting to know Van, getting to know the town, and falling even more in love with both of them.

Tonight was dinner in at Van’s, and he’d said he had a surprise for her. When she’d asked him what to wear for that surprise, he’d just said whatever made her feel pretty.

She knew exactly what that was. The week before, she’d used part of her paycheck to do a little shopping and had splurged on a flowy red halter dress. It was still a little cool for a dress like that, but she could already picture herself wearing it this summer. Until then, she could put a cardigan on with it and she’d be fine.

But now, as she walked up the steps of Van’s porch in that dress and cardigan, she wasn’t sure it was going to be warm enough after all. March in Nocturne Falls had given them a little hint that spring was coming, but with the sun down, that hint of spring had become a reminder of winter.

She shifted in her high heels and wished she’d worn her coat.

Grom started barking inside the house, and she smiled. No need to knock with that dog around.

Van opened the door. “There you are.”

“Here I am. How are you?”

“Good. Better now.” He stepped out of the way to let her enter, catching her in his arms as he bumped the door shut with his hip. “You look beautiful. I like this dress.”

“Are you sure it’s not too much for the surprise?” He was in jeans and a T-shirt, which showed off his body and his ink, so she didn’t mind one bit, but it did make her feel like she might have overdressed.