Page 96 of Puck and Prejudice

“And tell Jane not to overdo it. She was looking far too pale last time I saw her.”

Lizzy’s smile faded. “I will.”

Suddenly, Tuck pulled up short. “Hold up,” he said. Ahead, beneath the last streetlight, a pair of teens approached. He recognized the shock of blond hair—it was the kid from the farmhouse down the road, grown up a bit, leaning in to give the girl a hug.

Tuck’s mind wandered to that fateful night when his quickdecision-making had allowed the boy to remain here, alive, and able to experience his first love. And now Tuck stood beside the most remarkable woman to ever exist, also deeply in love.

“What’s rattling around inside that pretty head?” Lizzy teased, her voice pulling him back.

He drew her close, silencing her with a kiss, then glanced up at the stars. “Just thinking about fate.”

“Now you must tell me more,” she urged.

“Fate may bring people into our lives, but we’re the ones who choose who we refuse to part with.”

“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, then,” Lizzy said, a playful smile on her lips.

“All in,” he murmured, his commitment unwavering. The intensity of his love sent a wave of vertigo through him, and he found grounding in the connection with her lips. “Forever.” And another kiss. With them, there would always be another kiss. “I have all the time in the world for you.”