Page 58 of Dauntless

We held hands as we walked up the street, and still managed to bump into one another along the way.

The party was still going on at the museum and would probably die down sometime in the early hours.It was Dauntless.Someone would pull the door shut when they were done.It was the island way.

We sobered up a little on the walk.

Above us, the stars were bright and infinite.I breathed in the salt air, and felt warmth spread through me.Here I was, on my island, under a field of stars, holding the hand of the man I loved.I was happy.

“Holy shit!”Eddie shrieked, tugging wildly on my hand as he stumbled sideways.“Oh, no, wait, it’s just Hiccup.”

Hiccup bounced to my side and pressed her wet nose into my free hand.

I petted her instead of screaming and we continued up the hill.

In front of us, shining in the moonlight, the lighthouse jutted up from the point, the light blinking out to sea.I sighed at the idea of having to do my final rounds before bed.The walk had sobered me up a little, but I wasn’t looking forward to the steep winding steps of the lighthouse.

Hiccup bounded ahead of us, cresting the hill first.

I walked after her, tugging Eddie along with me.

“Hey, Joe?”

I stopped and turned, and Eddie bumped into me.

I put my arms around him.“What, Eddie?”

“Remember what I told you that first time we walked up the hill drunk?”Eddie wrinkled his nose, making his glasses shift.

“What did you tell me?”I asked, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“I said I liked you, Red Joe Nesmith.”Eddie knocked our noses together.

“And what did I say?”

“You said you liked me too.”

“Ah,” I said.I carded a hand through Eddie’s scruffy hair and held it there.“Can I amend that now?”

“Hmm.”Eddie pressed his mouth into a thoughtful line.“How would you like to amend it?”

“How about this?I love you, Eddie Hawthorne, even though you told the whole world that my great-great-great-grandfather was a murderer and a rapist and a criminal, and justawful.”

Eddie considered that for a moment.“That’s an acceptable amendment.And I love you, Red Joe Nesmith, even thoughmygreat-great-great-grandfather wasn’t awful, and yours killed him.”

“Agreed,” I said.

“Agreed,” Eddie echoed, and then laughed and kissed me.“I love you, Joe.”

My heart swelled.“I love you too, Eddie.”

We kissed again under the lighthouse while Hiccup ran in circles around us and the moonlight illuminated the island.