Page 278 of One Wild Wish

Undeterred, Ainsley tapped her index finger against her chin, as though contemplative. “I’m not sure I believe you, and I bet the crowd here might wonder why I feel obliged to buy you a…PENIS PUMP.”

She said it loud enough that a few people turned their heads.

I snickered. The fact that Owen had Japanese words tattooed on his ass was funny. The fact that he’d been clueless to their meaning until this year was priceless. The cheeky (pun intended) man now refused to tell Ainsley. Just to torture her.

“Not amusing,” Emmett said, then grumbled something under his breath.

“I’m still waiting.” Ainsley cleared her throat, ready to crow.

Emmett jutted his chin at Owen. “Just tell her already. She’ll only get worse.”

“It’s true,” Rachel said. “She’s like a fashionable pit bull.”

Owen dashed a hand through his sandy hair and shrugged. He leaned down and whispered in Ainsley’s ear. She bit her lip and covered her heart with her hand as she listened. Blue eyes glazed, she looked at Emmett. “You’re forgiven for not telling me.”

“Now I want to know,” I said. Ainsley rarely got choked up.

She ignored me and pressed a kiss to Owen’s chest.

“So no real wishes?” Jimmy asked us.

“Come on,” August said, jumping on Jimmy’s prodding. “Isn’t this wish thing a big deal with you ladies?” The way his smolder slid to me suggested he wanted a say in mine.

Rachel studied Ainsley and me, both of us wrapped up in our men, then she clinked her wineglass against Jimmy’s. “I think we all have what we need. It’s also about that time.”

The start of our twenty-eighth year.

We all shrunk into groups of two, happy to celebrate our new beginnings privately, and I had a slew of new beginnings to contemplate.

August pulled me around to face him. My favorite fresh start. “I love you, Possum. I know the last couple days have been nuts, but being with you is better than I could have dreamed.” My best friend pressed me against the bar and kissed me deeply, unconcerned by the busy room.

I nipped his bottom lip. “Best birthday yet.”

I didn’t need a resolution this year. If anything, I’d need as much status quo as possible, considering the changes I’d be facing: meeting my mother, balancing my job and interests with my man and my friends, sustaining a long-distance relationship.

August’s warm gaze roved over my face. “You sure you’re doing okay?”

Staring up at him, my answer came easily. “Surprisingly, yes. Tomorrow will be a different story, but we have now.”

“Our seconds,” he whispered.

“Every last one,” I agreed.

EPILOGUE

Two Years and Seven Seconds Later

August

My strut offstage wasn’t pretty. I nearly bailed over a set of cables, I accidentally knocked over the water glass I’d had the roadies set out, and I almost dropped my guitar while handing it off. Getting my hands on Gwen trumped a smooth exit.

Fans were great. Performing was a rush. Nothing beat wrapping her in my arms, especially when it had been three long weeks.

She grinned when I stepped backstage, clapping like it was the first time she’d seen me in concert. “You were amazing.”

I lifted her up and pressed my face into her neck. “Missed you so fucking much.”

She giggled when I bit her collarbone. “I couldn’t get here fast enough. Wish I could have caught the start of the show.” She said this while covering my face in kisses. I landed a dirty one on her mouth.