“Farewell, Cora, travel safely.” He turned abruptly, nodded at Eli, and disappeared through a doorway with the dogs, leaving them alone in the foyer.
Cora looked at Eli and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess that’s it.”
The two walked to the car in silence, each contemplating what had just happened. Eli opened the door for Cora and bowed deeply. “I am your chauffeur, after all,” he said.
“I’m sorry about that—it sounded awful. I was just nervous talking to him. You’re so much more than my chauffeur.” Cora put her hand on Eli’s arm and was again reminded how it felt to dance with him. He shrugged.
“Iamso much more. I’m also your Beth Ann wrangler, key fetcher, dog rescuer, foster home, blog reader, dance instructor... I’m like your personal manservant.” His voice didn’t sound like he was kidding.
“Wait, you really feel like that?” They stood beside the car, facing each other, the fairy lights from the trees illuminating them.
“Sort of. You consider me your helper dude, like when you need something, oh—call Eli! He can do it! You treat me like I’m your brother. I have enough sisters to know the feeling.” He shrugged again.
Cora’s palms went clammy. “Can we talk about this on the way home? I feel weird standing here, like he might have surveillance on us or something.”
“Yup.”
They drove in silence for a few miles. Cora contemplated what Eli had said, and how upset he seemed with her.
“I’m sorry I make you feel used,” she said quietly. “I understand why it seems like that, and I feel terrible now.”
He shrugged.
“I’m serious.”
“I’m over it, Cora. Don’t worry about it.” His jaw was clenched and his eyes were glued to the road ahead of him.
“Eli, I really like spending time with you. I look forward to it. It’s kind of effortless, you know? I was actually hoping that we could spend more time together, like maybe—”
“Cora, stop. Just stop.”
“What?”
“Stop playing with me. You’ve known I had feelings for you. Fran told me she told you, but she said you weren’t into me. But I was stupid, I kept hoping that maybe you might... I don’t know, learn to love me or something, which is why I stuck around and did your bidding. But I finally realized, tonight, that I’ll never be anything more than your errand boy. I’m done, Cora.”
She was shocked.
“But ... I do...” Cora struggled to put words to the feelings that had been bubbling inside of her for longer than she realized.
“You do what? Love me?” He laughed at her. “Yeah, right.” He pointed back and forth between them. “This? This affection is fraternal, not romantic. I get that now.”
Cora couldn’t process what was happening. She needed him to know he was wrong.
“The night you brought Nell home!” she shouted at him. “I wanted to stay and hang with you guys, but you made it obvious you wanted me to go!” The intensity of her response caught her off guard.
“I thought you were only staying out of obligation!” he yelled back. “Like you didn’t trust me alone with Nell!”
“What about Café Fuego? Iknowyou felt something happening between us. You blew me off! I wanted to dance with you for the rest of the night, but then that girl showed up and you never stopped dancing withher.”
“Oh, now you’re trying to blame me? Amazing.” He shook his head. “Yeah, well, Paige and I used to just dance together, but we’ve gotten much closer and things might start to develop. So don’t feel too bad for Mr. Lonely Heart, okay?”
Cora leaned her head against the window and squeezed her eyes shut to blot out what was happening between them. She’d never seen Eli angry—she didn’t think it was possible for Eli to sound stern—yet here she was on the receiving end.
Before she could admit her feelings to Eli, she needed to admit them to herself, and she’d waited until it was too late. He didn’t want to hear anything she had to say, so there was no point trying to convince him that Fran had predicted it.
Little by little, the quirky good egg had won her over.
THIRTY-NINE
