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"WE LOVE YOU, HAILEY!" they shout in unison, and I laugh as Dee puts her fingers in her s ainst my cheek, and the smile that splits my face makes me think of how far we’ve come since I first watched hio

For Christmas, he surprised me with plane tickets home to Indiana, and it was the best Christmas I’ve ever had We flew out the day before Luke’s school went on winter break--along with Rowan, Dee, and the rest of Mike’s band--and they played a killer show in Luke’s junior high gy about The day after the show, I brought them all home and introduced them to Teacup, who promptly tried to devour Dee’s sparkly purple pumps

The band flew home a couple days later, but Mike stayed with in rummy with my dad, braided pie crust with ether Christht, Mike and I sat up in the hayloft together, cocooned inside athe sun set over the snowy fields

"I can’t believe you bought Luke a druhter I was sitting between his legs with e ribbons weaving patterns above the snow

"The kid wants to be a drummer," Mike stated proudly, and I smiled out the open hatch

"He wants to be like you," I corrected while he played with the tips ofwith that?"

"Well, for one," I said as he flirted with the butterflies in ly handsohed "Is that right?"

"Yes And you’re ly ro hed and nuzzled his chin into the crook of ive ers slipped under the heher

"Are you sure?"

I turned ers found the delicate lace cups of ot what I needed to forgive him for He made love to me under those blankets, up in that hayloft, and it was so inity in that same barn It was beautiful and romantic and full of fireworks, and when I fell asleep in his arht, I was sure that there was nowhere I’d rather be than on that far me one day at a time that happily-ever-afters really do exist, even for hand-irls like me

We flew home after the holiday, and Mike took , because she i and told me how much she already adored me She had Mike’s war she had raised the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with She told me all sorts of stories about Mike as a kid, and the more his cheeks flushed as she told them, the ined was even possible His e cookie recipe soon--with or without her son--and I promised I’d return the very next weekend, and I did

I’ on Mike’s lap at his dru wildly at the bar, when a voice across the roouy probably only a few years older than e, and his presence alone tells ht: the infa the Line He has jet-black hair, dyed a sparkling silver at the tips, and the cocky smile on his face screa off the stage to pin Van in a hug Shawn climbs down a little more sensibly, followed by Joel and Kit--and Mike, raps his hands around my waist to help lower irls enter behind hi reacquainted, Mike introduces irlfriend, Hailey"

"Oh," Van says sirl in the red dress needs no introduction We’ve seen the video We’re all big fans"

My cheeks burn as red as er around my shoulder Van shoots a smile at him and reaches out to shake my hand

"I’m Van"

"Nice to meet you," I say, and when I shake Van’s hand, he chuckles

"No illies--I like her already!"

Kit snorts and punches hi toward the bar

"Mike’s waited a long ti as he leads the way, and Mike smiles down at ?" he asks in a hushed voice, and when I nod, he steals me away

Outside, in the March chill, I sit on thedown from Mayhem’s side door, and Mike’s hands wrap around thearh to hold a pair of drule" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">