"Maybeyoushould be the storm," I teased, taking a sip from my coffee.
"Me? Oh sure, because I'm just brimming with smooth moves," she replied with a laugh, shaking her head.
I bet if she even gave Wade a signal or two, he’d be all over her, but then she’d actually have to give a signal. She’d have to put herself out there. She’d been out of the game so long I bet she’s just nervous. I needed to build her up.
"Hey, you've got the magic touch when it comes to unicorns, don't sell yourself short on charming mermaid scholars." I winked at her.
"Ha! Well, we'll see about that," Beth said, but the twinkle in her eye told me the idea wasn't as far-fetched as she made it sound.
Unable to help myself, I decided to push a little further. I wanted to see if she’d be truly honest after all of this. If she could be honest with me, I think it’d be easier to be honest with herself.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "You know, you haven't actually said it yet."
Beth fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. "Said what?"
"About Wade," I pressed. "How you feel."
She glanced up at me, then away, a sigh escaping her lips. "It's... complicated."
"Complicated how?" I nudged.
It wasn’t that complicated. Boy met girl. Boy fell for the girl. Girl pretended not to like the boy, but the girl was obsessed with the boy. And now, boy and girl were investigating magical trouble together, totally in love with each other.
It was something straight out of a romance movie.
"Okay, fine." Beth blew out a breath, meeting my eyes. "I like him, alright? More than I thought I would. But I was so scared he'd try something and now..." She shrugged helplessly. "He doesn't even seem to be considering it."
She was totally wrong. I’d seen the way Wade looks at her. Wade was absolutely head-over-heels for her. I’d have to be blind not to see it. Heck, a blind personcouldsee it. But this wasn’t about what was obvious, it was about everything she’d been through.
"Look," I said, leaning forward, "you've been through hell and back. You have raised those girls of yours, ran a business, handled your gift. You can handle Wade."
She chewed on her lower lip, thinking it over. "Maybe."
"Come on," I prodded gently. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Rejection?" The word hung between us, heavy and unwanted.
"Or," I said, "he feels the same and you both stop dancing around each other."
"Emma," she began, but trailed off. Her noncommittal shrug spoke volumes.
"Think about it," I said, standing up. "No rush, no pressure. Just... don't wait forever, okay?"
Beth nodded, her smile returning, though it wavered just a bit. "Okay. I'll think about it."
"Good," I replied. "Now, let's get some more coffee before we turn into a couple of sad sap romance novel characters."
"Too late for that," she joked, and we both laughed, leaving the tension behind us for a moment.
As she was standing up, the screen door creaked and Daniel stepped onto the porch, a large tray balanced in his hands. Sunlight glinted off the silverware, and the smell of bacon wafted towards us.
"Mind if we join you ladies?" Daniel's voice was warm, friendly, but there was hesitation in his gaze. He wanted to make sure it wasreallyokay.
It was. We were done talking about the tough stuff. Now, it was time for fun.
"Of course not," I replied, scooting over to make room at the picnic table.
"Good, 'cause Henry's chomping at the bit to discuss more wedding stuff." Daniel chuckled, setting down plates filled with scrambled eggs and strips of crispy bacon.
