“I hadn’t gotten that far in my thought process,” Norma Jean admitted, “but you’re right.”
Seth frowned. “I don’t understand what Annaliese’s unconventional attitude has to do with anything since that’s one of the things I adore about her.”
“It has to do with everything if you haven’t told her that you adore that about her.”
His brow furrowed. “That would be an odd thing to blurt out, though, don’t you think? Annaliese might decide I’m odder than everyone even imagines if I suddenly declare I adore her unconventional attitude, especially if we’re in the middle of a conversation that concerns, say, bugs.”
“An excellent point,” Norma Jean returned. “That’s why I’m now going to suggest, to avoid Annaliese concluding you’re a lunatic, that you simply cut to the chase and tell her you’re in love with her and see what happens.”
“I didn’t say I love her.”
“Well, not out loud, but you know you do.”
Seth pushed himself to his feet, dusted the sand from his trousers, then held out his hand and pulled Norma Jean to her feet, who promptly quirked a brow his way.
“You’re not going to admit it out loud to me?” she pressed.
“Are you going to take to nagging me if I don’t admit that?”
“Indeed.”
His lips began to curve. “Well, since I definitely don’t want to suffer through a nagging session, fine. Yes, I am, indeed, in love with Annaliese.”
It was somewhat confusing when Norma Jean, instead of gloating, suddenly gave a less-than-subtle jerk of her head at something behind him.
“She’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?” he forced himself to ask.
“Yep.”
Drawing in a breath, he turned and found Annaliese standing a mere five feet away from him, a rather bemused expression on her face.
“Have a nice chat with your aunt?” was the only thing he could think to say.
“It was very nice, thank you.” She took a single step toward him. “Would you care for me to expound on what my aunt and I chatted about, or was there something else you might want to expound upon with me first?”
“I take it you overheard what I was just telling Norma Jean?”
She inclined her head. “I did, and I apologize for not making my presence known sooner, but I had no idea I’d stumble upon a conversation where you were declaring yourself in love with me.”
“I wasn’t actually intending on holding a conversation about love in the first place, but now that you overheard me, was there any, ah, response you’d like to make?” he asked.
Instead of answering him, Annaliese considered him for a very long moment until Norma Jean stepped directly up next to her and gave her a bit of a poke, which probably went against a whole slew of decorum rules, although it merely earned his sister an arch of a brow from Annaliese.
Norma Jean ignored the brow and gave Annaliese a nudge, which was slightly better than poking her. “This is where you’re supposed to tell Seth that you’re in love with him as well,” his sister whispered, although given that he could hear her, it was a rather loud whisper.
“And this is where I suggest you and Flick make yourselves scarce as there’s much your brother and I need to discuss,” Annaliese said instead of professing her love to him.
Norma Jean drew herself up. “I’m not making myself scarce because if you’re about to declare yourself not in love with mybrother, I’m going to have a few words to say to you, whether that’s a departure from proper civility or not.”
Annaliese’s lips twitched. “And while it’s admirable you feel compelled to defend your brother, there’s no need. I’m not going to say anything of a hurtful nature, but he needs to know, before we speak another word about love, that I’m not a conventional lady, and as such, I’ve decided I don’t want a conventional life.”
“Excellent to hear” was all Norma Jean said to that before she grabbed hold of Flick’s hand and pulled him into motion, leaving Seth all alone with Annaliese a few seconds later.
“Excellent was not something I was expecting your sister to say,” Annaliese admitted as they watched Norma Jean and Flick disappear from sight before she nodded to a spot of sand. “Shall we sit?”
“Shall I assume there really is much to discuss since you want to sit down?”
After Annaliese sent him a nod, Seth shrugged out of his jacket, placed it on the sand, then waited until Annaliese took a seat on it before he sat down beside her.
