“Liked,yes. But your mom says you two are dating?”
“Yes. I know I haven’t told you, but not that long ago, I started to sense that maybe he had feelings for me, the way I do him.” It felt odd saying it aloud, but this was how Betzy wished things would’ve gone. Long before now.
A bit of sadness threatened to creep in. After their almost-kiss at Kellianne’s, Betzy had started to convince herself that perhaps Sawyer’s feelings were there after all. But if that were the case, he’d have pursued her a long time ago.
“Anyway,” she said, forcing a smile on her face. “We’ve been kind of exploring that, long distance.” She didn’t sound too convincing. “Not actual dates, of course, but flirting. Lots of that. And telling each other that…”
“That you like one another?” Grandma finished for her.
“Yes. Exactly.”
Betzy knew Grandma well enough to know what her reactionwouldbe like if she actually believed her. Her eyes would go wide and teary, and she’d snatch a hard hold of Betzy’s shoulders like she did over the dress. Then she’d rave about how exciting it all was and ask for more details.
None of that was happening. Instead, she was getting the woman’s skeptical stare. Chin lifted, a quiet peer down the bridge of her nose.
Quick, Betzy, be more convincing.
“I’ve been in love with Sawyer since I was eight years old.” She could hardly believe the words had poured out of her mouth so freely. “Ask the boys. They’ve probably known it all along. I’ve always had a crush on him. I guess I’ve been waiting for him to come home and say he felt the same way.”
“Which he has?” she challenged.
No, an inner voice blurted.“Mm hmm.” She gulped as a fresh ache tugged at that corner of her heart. The one she’d tried very hard to keep buried. “It’s getting pretty serious, actually. That’s why he’s here.”
In the distance, she heard the roar of an engine—Sawyer must be ready with the snowmobile.
“Where in tarnation did the wine go?” Betzy’s mom hollered as she shuffled onto the covered deck in a pair of thick padded Christmas socks.
Grandma handed over the bottle. “Pour one for me too, will you, dear?”
“Yep.” Mom, surely aware of the topic, scurried back inside. Earlier, while they spoke about the importance of this trip, Mom warned Betzy that if everything went awry, she planned to play ignorant to the ploy.Most women don’t get along so well with their mothers-in-law like I do, she’d said.I don’t want to risk messing that up.
Plus, there was Matthew to consider. He and his family hadn’t been clued in on the plan either. As Betzy predicted, Mom was certain he’d try to talk them out of it and find a ‘higher road.’
“Listen,” Grandma said, reaching out to hold Betzy by the arm. This wasn’t the excited double arm grab. This was the gentle, one-arm hold. The one reserved for lectures.
“I’m not trying to grill you or anything, Hon, but I want to make sure that if you’re with somebody, you’re with them for the right reasons. I’d hate for you to get serious with someone just to prove a point.”
Prove a point?Whoa.
“Provewhatpoint?”she repeated. “Towho?”
But Grandma only smiled. “To yourself, of course. If someone were to write that type of article about me, the first thing I’d set out to prove is that I could, in fact, get married whenever I darn well pleased.”
Betzy grinned. They were a lot alike, in truth. Always had been. Too bad Betzy couldn’t admit that right then. She fought back a shiver and shuffled closer the warmth of the nearby gas flames. “Yeah, well, that’s not what’s happening here.”
“Good.”
But she could see it in her face. See that she didn’t really believe her. And though it wasn’t the smartest thing, and though she’d seen how many times it led to disaster, Betzy began to ramble.
“You remember that time I flew all the way out to New York? I said I was going out there to see a friend of mine but then I came back early?”
“You mean over New Years?” she asked.
“Yes. I wasn’t going to just seeanyfriend. I was going to see him. Because I was in love with him and I thought he loved me too, but then I saw him kissing some chick in the elevator and I freaked out and came home.”
“Who was he kissing?” Grandma asked.
“You’re missing the point,” Betzy said, mainly because she didn’t have a clue who he’d been kissing that night. “All I’m saying is that I’ve loved him forever and now he finally likes me back, and in fact he says he liked me all along and he was just waiting until it was time to move back.”Shut up, Betzy. You’re making it worse.
