“Half agony, half hope.” She blinked. “You . . . read Persuasion?” “I’ve read them all,” he said, his tone faintly amused. “I like North and South best, but either way I’ve learned many fancy words for properly courting a lost love.” She moved closer to him, until the tips of their boots touched and she could breathe him in. “How,” she whispered, “how would you say it in your own words?” His eyes bore into hers. “I miss you,” he said. “Come home.”
