Page 112 of Holding Out for a Gyro

“Mrs. Abbott-Stavros,” Evan said. “Mrs. Spurlock. Are you both packed and ready to go?”

Bas wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and instinctively I turned my face in to him and inhaled. He smelled of cardamom and ginger. “What were you making?” I asked. “You smell like a cookie.”

He pointed over by the car, parked in the hotel driveway, where a stack of take-home boxes waited. “Macarons for the road.”

“What time do we need to go?” I glanced at Elizabeth.

She opened her leather satchel. “Do you have the itinerary?”

I shot her a horrified glance. “I trusted you with all the planning.”

She dug out her phone and scrolled through her notes. “The ferry leaves at midnight, and we arrive in Brindisi around nine tomorrow morning.”

“Then the adventure begins.” I grinned. We had only a week for our combined honeymoon trip. And I didn’t want to waste it on a tour of Greece when Bas and I could do that any ordinary weekend. So I’d gotten everyone to agree on a leisurely trip across southern Italy up to Rome. By car. I desperately wanted to visit the south of Italy and sample the wines. Elizabeth was excited about seeing the Amalfi Coast. Evan hoped to visit Pompeii. And Bas, he just wanted to be wherever I was.

Oh, and he was hoping to find out if the pizza in Italy was worth the hype.

“We should get going, then.” Bas popped the trunk on our Passat. The suitcases went in with some strategic manipulation.

Once we’d all loaded into the car, Bas reached over and tookmy hand, then he pulled me close for a kiss. He never let an opportunity pass.

When the cat whistles started, he twisted back to face our two friends. “Are you all ready to take on the next leg of our journey together?”

And I knew he wasn’t talking about the drive to the ferry. I squeezed his hand. “I can’t wait to see where the road leads.”

Evan said, “Can you believe our entire story together began with a dare?”

Bas smiled at me. “With too much honesty.”

Elizabeth chimed in. “And deception.”

I arched an eyebrow, looking superior. “I always knew everything would turn out great.”

Elizabeth tossed a pen at me. “Liar!”

Bas chortled. “I believe her. She always tells her own truth.”

He started the car, and we rolled out, our conversation deteriorating into a tangle of reminiscences, plans for the trip, and dick jokes.

And I couldn’t help but laugh as the Greek coastline flew by, and we headed into the unknown. Wherever we were going, I was exactly where I always wanted to be.

The love doesn’t end here…