The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 1)
Page 30
I want to talk about us. I want to talk about how my hands don’t ever want to stop holding his. I want to talk about our partnership and where we’re going to go from here.
Matteo pulls me to the sofa and scoots closer until our thighs are pressed together. “No work talk?”
My heart races, and I have trouble focusing on his actual words.
“No.” I reach out, wrap my arm around his neck, and pull him to me. I breathe him in, so happy to find that he’s real and warm and willing to forgive me. We sit like that, cozy in the couch corner, for a long moment, and I drink in his presence. I feel like I’m home, something I’ve never felt with anyone else. I take the time to sort through the fact that Matteo isn’t my type. Instead, he balances me out. He doesn’t have to fit into my standards for a boyfriend . . . He cares about me. He may not know enough to ask me to watch a Doctor Who marathon yet, but he’ll watch it with me because he knows it will make me happy. I spent so much time pushing people away because they didn’t fit what I was looking for, and in the end what I needed was someone to bring me out of my prejudices. Open my eyes to the world. To realize that the perfect person will support my fashion design, my wacky hair, my comics, my job, because those things are all a part of me.
Thank God for the Hooded Falcon. Yet again, he knew exactly what I needed in my life. He led me from original and unhappy MG to MG 2.0, who kicked ass at Genius but was a little lonely. Now, through this case, and through Casey Senior’s presence in my life yet again, MG 3.0 is ready to be released into the world.
Here I am with a gorgeous Muggle, and the world still has magic in it. The Princess Bride is on TV, and there is a masked vigilante still out there in the world if things get too crazy. The universe is just about perfect.
I roll my shoulders back. “You know what I’m really in the mood for?” I give him my best bedroom eyes.
“What’s that?” His thumbs are already on my rib cage, his mouth inches from mine.
“Herbal tea.”
“You minx.”
“All right, fine. I don’t want tea. I just want to be Matteo and MG for a bit. No capes, no costumes, no crimes, just . . . us. Can we do that?” I run my hand up his arm, feeling the goose bumps rise on his skin in the wake of my touch.
He leans forward and seals my query with a kiss. “What does the hero say now? Oh yes. ‘As you wish.’”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First off, a huge thanks to Kristi—the “real” MG. Without you and your zany life, this book would never have existed.
This book was a lark, a “fun” project to work on while I was supposed to be revising my “real” book for submission. A huge thank-you to the team of friends who convinced me that this project was the one that deserved my attention. To “the Girls,” for reading the first version chapter by chapter. Thanks to Erin, for listening to me talk about this project ad nauseam and cheerleading the whole journey, and Trisha, for the insane late-night plotting that you’ve done with me. Thanks for being my partner in crime, as you put it! A thank-you to John, for spending hours telling me what it was really like to be a narcotics detective, and to my sensitivity readers. To my husband, for both laughing out loud at the dream that inspired the book and for pushing me to write it because “this is probably going to be the one that sells, because it’s ridiculous and awesome.” He was right! (Don’t tell him I said that.) For my family, who continue to be completely supportive of me and my crazy dreams, even though I’m often overtired and cranky from pursuing them at all hours of the night/day. And thanks to my son, Noah, who is absolutely a real superhero and reminds me daily why the world needs laughter, fun, and “real people” in literature.
This book wouldn’t exist without my amazing professional support system. First and foremost, my agent, Joanna MacKenzie, who felt like an old friend the first time we talked. She’s the (more capable) other half of my awesome nerd team, and I cannot imagine my book ending up in better hands. And, of course, my inimitable mentor, Kelly Siskind. This book took shape because she took a chance on my manuscript in Pitchwars. I never would have been able to accomplish those initial revisions on my own (plus, her writing and dedication to the craft and business of writing are second to none!), and her tireless optimism in the project kept me afloat. To my editor(s) Adrienne, Jason, and Jaym: you guys have made this debut process so enjoyable and easy.
Last but not least, a thanks to Brenda Drake and my Pitchwars community. Specifically to my critique partner and comic guru, Ian, for always being there to vent/celebrate/send corgi gifs/give guidance on pages. To the rest of my writing crew I gained from PW—Christine, Elise, Kelli, Helen, Suzie, Jen, Julie, and the whole “Raptor Pack.” You all are the gift that keeps on giving, my coworkers, my inspiration, my confidants, and my peers. I can’t imagine this journey without you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2018 Julie Patton Photography
Meghan Scott Molin loves all kinds of storytelling. After studying architecture and opera at college, she worked as a barn manager before becoming a professional photographer. The Frame-Up is her first published book. An avid lover of all the nerd things—Star Wars, Star Trek, hobbits, Doctor Who, and more—Meghan also enjoys cooking, dreaming of travel, coveting more corgis, and listening to audiobooks in the barn. She lives in Colorado with her husband (and fellow zookeeper), her sons, two horses, a cat, and a rambunctious corgi. For more information about Meghan, visit her website at www.MeghanScottMolin.com or follow her on Twitter (@megfuzzle).