“There’s a unit behind mine that isn’t for rent but is actually for sale. Long story: I reached out to my landlord, and she confessed that she’d been trying to sell the whole building but hadn’t had any luck. She’s decided to sell the individual units instead. Long story short: she told me she’d sell me the unit next to mine, if I was interested and I can buy my unit, too.” Macon paused. “We can buy both units, break down the wall, have two bedrooms, and put in a washer and dryer.”

  “Oh,” Joanna replied.

  “Just listen to me for a sec, okay? With the tour money and the orchestra, I can afford it on my own. I’d be doing it without you, but I’d rather do it with you and make it our first home. It’ll take a while before you could officially move in. I’d actually probably like to live at your place once the loud renovations start. Then, we could move in there together. It could be our starter home. We could both use the extra bedroom as an office or music room for me. One day, we’ll take the time to find a house we both love and can afford, and we’ll move in there and maybe add some bedrooms.”

  “Add some bedrooms? You need a private recording studio or something?” Joanna smiled.

  “I’d like one of those one day, but no,” she answered and leaned forward to press their foreheads together. “Extra bedrooms, Jo.”

  “Oh!” Joanna finally understood Macon’s meaning and pulled back a bit. “Extra bedrooms? Is that a requirement?”

  “No, not a requirement.” Macon laughed. “I know where we both stand on it today. If we have a recording studio or a photography studio instead of a nursery and a swing set out back, I am more than fine with that option. I just wanted us to have the option in case we change our minds later.”

  “After we propose to each other?” Joanna laughed.

  “You knew what I meant.”

  “I did. I think this whole buying your apartment thing and us making it our own is a good idea, but I want to explore the fine print before we go signing anything.”

  “Skeptical?”

  “Not about you, but if we’re going to own a place together, I want to make sure it works. For example, it might be nice to see this other unit.”

  Macon laughed and pulled her back into her body, pressing her hips into Joanna’s.

  “You want to see my other unit, huh?”

  “I was not making a strap-on joke. Yes, I know you packed it. And no, we are not doing that here, with our best friends in the room next door.” She kissed Macon chastely on the lips and pulled away. “Carry the food, Macon.”

  Macon’s laughter followed her outside to where Joanna met their friends and set down their dinner before Macon placed her tray next to Joanna’s.

  “Where’s my girlfriend?” Keira asked after noticing Emma wasn’t among the group.

  “She ran off with Hailey,” Macon stated and then realized how that sounded, remembering that Hailey and Emma were once very much in love. “That came out wrong.”

  “It’s okay. I know she loves me.” Keira winked at Macon.

  “I do,” Emma stated.

  Joanna turned to see that Emma and Hailey were close behind them. Emma had that look on her face that said she was about to do something she’d been planning for a long time, but not quite in the way she’d planned it. Joanna took Macon’s hand and moved them both off to the side as Hailey met Joanna’s eye and moved to join them.

  “Where’d you two go?” Keira asked her and stood up, freeing herself from the confines of the picnic table bench seat.

  “What’s happening?” Macon whispered to Hailey.

  “I have no idea. We talked, but we didn’t talk about this.”

  “She’s doing it now?” Macon asked her.

  “Apparently.” Hailey smiled at her best friend and former girlfriend as Emma got down on one knee in front of her girlfriend.

  “Key, when we met, I wasn’t exactly your number one fan,” Emma began.

  “Oh, my God!” Keira’s hands both went to cover her mouth in shock.

  “I’d begun to wonder if I’d ever find someone to love and share my life with after so many failed attempts. I definitely hadn’t expected to find someone right after I moved from Chicago. I hadn’t planned for you at all.” She smiled a huge smile, paused, and removed a small black box from the inside pocket of her jacket. “But I’ve been carrying this around for a while now. I had this plan of proposing to you on our last night here. I’ve rented a boat, and I was going to take you out on the lake and ask you to marry me under the stars. But when I got back from my walk with Hailey, where she tried to convince me not to be so nervous, I saw you sitting there, surrounded by our friends, and realized that my plans never seem to work where you are concerned. Maybe that’s a good thing, because our friends wouldn’t see this if we were on the lake.” She opened the box and revealed the ring, which Joanna couldn’t see much of due to the distance and the low light of the sunset. “I love you. I want to share the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” Keira shouted and knelt down in front of Emma because, apparently, she couldn’t wait for Emma to stand.

  She wrapped her arms around Emma’s neck; not allowing the other woman to even put the ring on her finger while the rest of the group applauded and cheered their friends’ happiness.

  “You want to try it on?” Emma managed through Keira’s haphazard kisses.

  “Yes.” Keira finally pulled back and held out her hand for Emma.

  Joanna felt Macon’s arms wrap around her stomach from behind. She knew they’d be doing this someday. She smiled as she placed her hands on top of Macon’s and leaned back against her.

  “I love you,” Macon whispered into her ear.

  “I love you,” Joanna replied.

  Charlie moved over to her wife and took her hand while Kellan had her arm around Reese. Joanna watched a little sadly as Hillary took in all four couples and smiled, but there was also sadness in those eyes, because while they were all coupled off, Hillary was still on her own.

  “She’s next,” Macon whispered and kissed Joanna’s neck. “We’ve got to find her someone.”

  “I think Hillary is capable of finding the right person for herself, babe,” Joanna replied.

  “You guys know I’m an ordained minister, right?” Hillary spoke up after Emma and Keira had stood; Keira still couldn’t take her eyes off her new ring.

  “You are?” Kellan asked.

  “I got ordained a few years ago to marry Anthony and Andrew, remember?” She stood up from the table.

  “Who are–”

  “Two professors in her department,” Macon told Joanna.

  “I’m just saying… I could marry you two next September,” she offered.

  “Wait.” Keira turned back to face Emma. “Is that why you were so concerned about everyone being free in September?”

  “Maybe,” Emma admitted.

  “Did you already plan the wedding I only just agreed to?”

  “I didn’t plan it. I’ll leave that to you. But, like I said earlier, September is kind of perfect because your work would have just died down. We can pick a date later, but that was my idea, since you won’t be a winter bride and I don’t want to wait forever to marry you.”

  “You’re cute. I think I’ll keep you,” Keira replied and leaned in to kiss Emma.

  “Why not do it now?” Reese questioned. “Sorry, that’s probably a terrible idea.”

  Kellan kissed her girlfriend and pulled her in closer on the bench.

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Hailey added.

  “My parents would kill me,” Keira shared. “And I’d want Kevin to be here.” She spoke of her best friend and former roommate.

  “Plus, we don’t have a marriage license,” Emma reminded.

  “But none of that matters.” Hailey moved away from Charlie and toward Emma and Keira.

  “It kind of does there, babe,” Charlie pressed.

  “Well, it does, yes,” Hailey agreed. “But not for us.” She reached out and took one of Emma’s hands and one of Keira’s. “You can make it officially official next September, or sooner. And I don’t want to put the two of you on the spot – you should absolutely say no if you’re not into this – but, look around you.” She did just that. “You’re in front of a beautiful, clear lake, with a mountain and sunset backdrop. Most of the people you love are here with you; and there’s an ordained minister offering her services for free. You are free, right?” she asked Hillary.

  “I’ll work for food,” Hillary replied.

  “Key?” Emma glanced at Keira, who was taking in the outdoor space.

  “I’m in if you are.”

  “I’m in.” Emma’s smile widened.

  “My wife, the PR maven,” Charlie said in Joanna’s direction.

  “Wait. What about rings?” Joanna asked. “Keira can use her engagement one, but-”

  “Oh, right.” Macon pulled away from Joanna. “One sec.” She practically ran back into the house.

  “I’m coming.” Keira moved to follow, but apparently forgot something, turned back, and kissed Emma quickly. “I’ll be right back.” Then, she ran off to join Macon.

  “Are we really doing this?” Emma asked herself probably more than the rest of the group.

  “What can I do?” Joanna asked stupidly. “Oh! Obviously!” She moved to pick up her camera bag.

  “Here,” Macon yelled.

  Joanna turned to see her jogging down the small hill, with Keira in tow. They approached Emma, and Keira held something out in her hand.

  “This belongs to you.” Keira smiled at Emma.

  “She had a ring already?” Joanna asked Macon when Macon made her way back over to her.

  “She gave it to me like an hour ago to hold onto. She was thinking of asking Emma this weekend, I guess. I hadn’t even had a chance to tell you we’d be holding onto it for her.”

  “That’s so sweet.” Joanna kissed her girlfriend. “You’re so sweet.”

  “Oh, damn it,” Macon replied and pulled back. “I forgot something. Hold on.” She ran back inside the house.

  “What’s with your girlfriend?” Kellan asked as she moved over near Joanna.

  “I don’t know.” She laughed. “It’s almost as if she’s never been to an impromptu wedding at Lake Tahoe with a bunch of her friends while hamburgers and hot dogs on the picnic table are being ravaged by flies.”

  “Really? This is her first one?” Kellan winked and offered a smile.

  “We’ll need our official wedding photographer to tell us where the best shot spots are. And we’re losing light, people; let’s get this show on the road,” Hailey insisted.

  “It’s almost like she’s the event planner,” Keira joked.

  “Over here.” Joanna grabbed at her camera, sliding the strap around her neck.

  She organized Hillary in just the right spot to have the sun at her back, and placed Hailey and Charlie on Emma’s side. Kellan and Reese stood at Keira’s. Just as the two women held hands in front of Hillary, Macon emerged from the cabin with her violin and stood next to Joanna.

  “I brought the music,” she announced.

  “Perfect.” Hillary smiled at Macon and then returned her glance over to the focal point of this unofficial, but somehow perfectly official celebration of love. “You two ready?”

  “I am.”

  “Me too.”

  Macon began playing a song Joanna recognized as Naked as We Came, and she knew from conversations with Keira that it was one of her favorites. It was soft in the background as Hillary began. She spoke of love in general and how wondrous it was, until she narrowed her focus on the two women in front of her. She talked about their love and how they’d been through a lot in their short time together and that they were strong enough to get through anything that came at them. Macon’s music remained present but not overpowering as their two friends exchanged their brief vows and Hillary pronounced them wives. Macon’s music lifted higher then. She started playing the wedding march, as was appropriate. Joanna had been snapping photos throughout and moved back and forth, and then around and behind Hillary. Before the women kissed, she’d switched to video and caught the perfect moment with the sunset nearly complete behind them. She took more pictures as everyone in the group hugged and exchanged congratulations.

  “Now, we need a first dance,” Charlie yelled over the celebration. “That makes it official.”

  “I’m pretty sure a marriage license makes it official,” Keira joked. “But it’s official to us.” She kissed Emma’s lips again. “Want to dance?”

  “Of course,” Emma answered.

  “Do you take requests?” Reese asked Macon.

  “She does. I have one, actually.” Joanna lowered her camera.

  Macon was right next to Joanna and understood her meaning. She lowered the violin and bit her lower lip.

  “That’s your song, Jo,” she reminded.

  “You have a song?” Charlie asked.

  “Macon wrote it for me.”

  “You’re writing songs now?” Hillary asked.

  “No, I wrote one song. It’s for her. I haven’t played it to anyone but Jo.”

  Joanna closed the last few feet of distance between them and took Macon’s hips.

  “Play it for them, please.”

  “You know I don’t just-”

  “You literally just-”

  “For the wedding, yeah. But this is a song I wrote, and it’s for you, and-”

  “And they love you, Make. Let them love that part of you, too, okay? Let them see that part.”

  ◆◆◆

  Greene reluctantly nodded and lifted her violin to her shoulder before glancing over at Emma and Keira.

  “You two going to dance or what?” she asked.

  “Romantic, Make,” Keira admonished. “How about you play; we listen. Then, Em and I can dance?”

  “I don’t–”

  Greene turned to Joanna. She had never played in front of this group. A wedding was easy, but now they’d all be staring at her, and without the bright lights of the stage and the orchestra behind her. She wasn’t even sure she could do this with a normal song. And this wasn’t a normal song. This was a piece she’d written to describe her love for the woman who was currently staring back at her with equal love in her eyes, silently asking her to give this gift to their friends. She wanted them to see this part of Greene. And even though it scared Greene to do it, she couldn’t refuse the woman in front of her. Joanna hadn’t yet made up with her mother, who was still giving her the silent treatment and might always be giving her the silent treatment. Joanna had chosen Greene. She’d chosen their relationship. She’d chosen their love over everything else. Because of Joanna, she’d gone on a successful tour, begun teaching college students, really enjoyed it, and had begun composing. She was also about to play her most private composition to a group of people she knew she wanted the approval of. She put the violin to her shoulder, gave Joanna a reluctant nod, and turned to face the rest of the group.

  Joanna moved to sit at the second picnic table, which was to the left of the first, while Hillary joined her. Keira and Emma moved to the first table and sat there while Kellan and Reese sat on the other side. Hailey and Charlie were standing off to the side, holding onto one another. As Greene turned to look at Joanna to play this song, Joanna took a quick photo and dropped the camera in her lap to focus her attention on Greene.

  “What’s the song called?” Hillary asked.

  “Something-something Requiem in A minor, right, Jo?” Greene smiled at her. Joanna laughed. Then, Greene knew the title. It came to her in an instant of pure clarity. “Macon’s Heart.” She lifted her bow, took in Joanna with that beautiful smile, and began to play the truest thing she’d ever played.

  COMING NEXT

  This Above All

  (San Francisco Series Book #3)

  Hillary Robins had watched all of her friends couple off. Everyone in her group had their person now, while she’d turned into something like the eighth wheel. After Caroline had broken her heart, Hilary had always known that she’d be the last of her friends to find someone. Caroline had done a number on her. And, in many ways, she was still recovering.

  Amara Simmons both loved and hated being a preacher’s daughter. She loved her father dearly. He was all she had left after her mother’s tragic death. But what her father and his protégé, Mark, taught in church was in direct opposition to what she felt about herself. She’d never had the courage to admit it out loud. She even dated Mark because it was what was right for her father and for their shared faith. Unfortunately for Amara, her secret – along with some family secrets – collide when she finally decides to come out of her shell.

  Hillary had been staring at a beautiful, auburn-haired woman every week in her local cafe for over a year before circumstances finally give her the courage to take a chance and strike up a conversation. Amara had always thought Hillary was beautiful. She’d always wanted to talk to her, but she couldn’t. If she did, that would mean that thing she’d been hiding about herself might reveal itself. If it did, it would change everything.

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  NOVELS BY THE AUTHOR

  Stand-alone Books:

  All the Love Songs

  The Fire

  The Moments

  The Disappeared

  Chicago Series:

  Introduction – Fresh Start

  Book #1 – The Best Lines