“I love you, too.” And then she kissed him.

He’d been right-it was exactly like coming home.

Epilogue

I cannot believe I’m up here. Gabe felt a bit foolish sitting on the back of the convertible and waving to all and sundry. It truly was a testament to how much Arianne could talk him into-not that he minded completely. He especially liked her inventive ways of trying to cajole him into a good mood first.

At the end of the parade, people shook his hand and clapped him on the back, all wishing him a Happy Thanksgiving. Gabe acknowledged them politely, but was trying to find the short love of his life in the crowd. He was so focused on that that it took him a moment to realize that the person in his path was his father.

“Dad.” Gabe froze. “You come to the parade?”

Jeremy Sloan looked away. “Not every year. So you’re Man of the Year, huh?”

“Seems that way,” Gabe said, feeling painfully embarrassed. His father probably thought the whole thing was stupid.

Jeremy grunted. “Your mother would have loved that.”

Gabe was stunned, but not sure how to respond. Thank you?

“Well, have a nice Thanksgiving.”

“You, too.” Watching his dad go, Gabe almost called him back to ask whether he had plans for dinner. But he couldn’t quite voice the question. Not yet, maybe someday soon.

“Just for the record, I want you to take note of my standing here and not offering you any advice whatsoever,” came a voice from behind him. “Even though it’s killing me.”

“Ari.” He spun around with a smile. “I was looking for you.”

“I was stuck in line at the concessions booth. You seemed sort of good-naturedly miserable during the parade and I thought this might cheer you up.” She held up a waffle cone loaded with two scoops of chocolate.

“Ice cream!” He bent to kiss the woman who understood him so well-and loved him anyway. “My hero.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Michaels began telling stories almost as soon as she could talk…and started stealing her mom’s Harlequin romances less than a decade later. In 2003 Tanya was thrilled to have her first book, a romantic comedy, published by Harlequin Books. Since then, Tanya has sold nearly twenty books and is a two-time recipient of a Booksellers’ Best Award as well as a finalist for the Holt Medallion, National Readers’ Choice Award and Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award. Tanya lives in Georgia with her husband, two preschoolers and an unpredictable cat, but you can visit Tanya online at www.tanyamichaels.com.