Page 120 of Resisting the Fall

“So amazingly well!” It was true. Because of that audition, I’d never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Not that Ben knew that yet. I sometimes hated that I was the kind of person who would tease him at a moment like this.

He must have practiced his supportive reaction throughout his six-hour drive, because he didn’t so much as flinch. “I’m not surprised.” He closed the space between us and handed me the flowers. “When do you hear about whether you got the position?”

“Oh, I already know.”

His eyes widened, but surprisingly, he smiled—a real, genuine smile. Had he practiced that too? “Congratulations! I’m so proud of you.” His smile dimmed ever so slightly. “I guess we’d better start looking for places here in New York.”

I shook my head, my smile somehow growing wider at the realization that he would have moved to New York for me. Again.

His brow lowered. “No?”

“I walked out mid-audition.”

Ben’s jaw slackened. “You did what?”

“When I was up there, I realized that our life is the one I’m meant to live. You and me together. In Autumn Ridge. Where we have a house you built us. And our families. And our friends. And a life we love.”

“But what about your life here? In New York City? Your music?”

“There are going to be days when I miss it. I can’t say there won’t be. There will be days I’ll miss being on a stage. And playing with world-class musicians. Attending concerts.” I gave a little smirk. “Strolling through Central Park. Eating at incredible restaurants. Attending international music festivals. Traveling to⁠—”

Ben’s pointed look stole the words from me, the corners of his mouth twitching. “I think you’ve painted a pretty thorough picture of how much you’ll miss it.”

I laughed, then slid my arms around his waist. “All teasing aside, I hope that someday I’ll be able to figure out how I can incorporate some of those parts into our life. But that will never mean I’d rather be here. Because, Ben, you’re my everything. Since I was eight years old, even before I knew what the New York Philharmonic was, a life with you has always been the real dream. I love you⁠—”

Ben’s lips were on mine before I’d even finished my declaration of love for him. Then his arms wrapped around me, picking me up and spinning me, the both of us smiling like crazy lunatics. Because in some ways, we were. Love made people crazy. And I was just glad I no longer had to resist the fall.

Maven

November 21st

The community barn was hardly recognizable. Three chandeliers hung from the center beam to light the room, with string lights adding to the ambiance. The dance floor was surrounded by circular tables draped with white cloths, each one showcasing a two-inch thick wood slice Ben had cut, which I had covered in an arrangement of green foliage and white flowers with touches of pink and burnt orange. One side of the barn held a photo booth with a glowing sign in the background that read Mr. and Mrs. Walker. Then, near a flowered arch on the other side of the closed barn doors, a massive collection of pictures of Ben and me together covered the wall and invited guests to add their own memories of us into a book.

All of Autumn Ridge had come to celebrate with us, along with some of my friends from New York. Cassandra was rightly being treated like an honorary family member as my mom took her around, introducing her to everyone. Ben’s old boss, Wally, chatted with the Ednas and their husbands. Boone attempted to wrangle his three kids away from the dessert table, which was still being set up, while his pregnant wife spoke to Whitney and her husband. The Walker clan stood at the photo wall—Liv and Tate quietly talking as they perused the pictures while Jaxon and Luke told an animated story that made Landrie, Ben’s parents, and Mayor Monroe smile in amusement.

Emma and her sister Rosie greeted me and Ben before joining Dean, Dom, Reese, Ari, and Wade at their table. I watched Penny run up and give Emma a hug, and Carson didn’t hesitate to follow, making me smile. Even Judge Rost and her husband had surprisingly accepted our invitation, and I couldn’t help but be grateful for the part she played in all of this. She seemed sincerely thrilled that Ben and I had reconciled. I was equally shocked that Mr. Rost had wanted to talk about all things music and my career until his wife had guided him away so we could converse with other waiting guests.

My gaze slid to Ben in his brown linen suit that perfectly accentuated his brown hair, brown eyes, and excessively nice physique. He looked adequately warm despite the cold air drifting in from the open doors, whereas, I’d opted to wear a knee-length champagne-colored dress with lace sleeves and a lace back in the middle of November. But with the way Ben kept looking at me, I didn’t regret it.

Ben’s hand settled on the small of my back. “Did I tell you how absolutely incredible you look?” he whispered. His breath was warm on my ears, sending a rush of chills through me.

“More or less, but I won’t complain if you tell me again.”

He brushed his thumb across my cheek, lingering his lips just above mine. “I’ll just say you should definitely bring that dress on our trip.”

I quirked my head slightly. “What trip?”

“I was thinking we should go to Prague since you weren’t able to make it there this fall. I was doing some research, and it turns out they have the last remaining theater where Mozart performed, which you definitely already know. It sounds pretty epic, and apparently late spring is a great time to travel there.” He grinned. “Which would give us time to get our passports in order.”

My jaw slackened. “You’d want to go to Prague?”

“You’re not the only lover of classical music in this family of ours, and I hear they have quite the concert scene.”

I was full-on gawking at him.

He lifted his hands. “Unless you don’t want to go⁠—”

“No, I do!” I barely refrained from squealing in my delight. “If you’re sure.”