“How’s Will?”
Marianne hugged herself. “Perfect. I’m so in love with him, I could just burst out of my skin.”
“Well, don’t do that.” Elinor pinched Marianne’s cheek. “Does he know you’re in love with him?”
“Of course.”
On the tip of Elinor’s tongue was the question of whether Will had said it back, but it was none of her business.
Marianne opened the car door to the backseat and lugged the first water jug out. From down the street, headlights approached. “Hey, I think that’s Edward’s car. Cool. I’m not fighting this thing up the porch steps if he’s up.” Marianne lowered the jug to the ground and waved to him as he slowed and hit the button to open his garage door.
Elinor had been so hoping Marianne was wrong about it being Edward. She was in mid-calf length pajama pants, socks, and a faded t-shirt marked by cupcake frosting. Her hair was up on top of her head in a messy bun, and not the cute kind. She moved to pick up the water jug. “We’ll be fine. I’ll do it.”
Marianne dodged in front of it. “Don’t be stubborn. He won’t mind. In fact, I’ll bet you ten bucks he’ll insist on helping us.”
Elinor wasn’t about to take a losing bet. She sighed as Edward parked and immediately jogged over to them, picking up the jug and heading up the porch with it.
“If you’ll get the door for me, I’ll take all these in.”
“You owe me ten bucks,” Marianne said gleefully, running to hold open the front door for him.
Edward looked back at Elinor, taking in her outfit. He didn’t say anything, but the way he smiled said everything.
Elinor ducked into the backseat of the Civic and dragged the next water jug across the seat. She bent her knees before hefting it up into her arms. She got about halfway up the porch steps before Edward relieved her of it.
“I don’t mind. Please let me help,” he insisted.
She sighed and stepped aside. He came back for the final bottle and took it inside to the kitchen as well.
Elinor sank down on the sagging porch steps and sat with her chin on her hands. There were so many stars in the sky winking at her tonight. If Datefield could be known for anything besides Date Night Soda, maybe it would be their nighttime star shows.
After a minute, Edward came and sat next to her.
“Where’s Marianne?” she asked, already knowing what the answer to that might be.
“She said she was tired.”
Marianne was never tired, the little schemer. Elinor didn’t know why her sister still bothered with the matchmaking. Nor did Elinor understand why she herself had lingered on the stoop with an unspoken invitation for him to join her. She could have been the one making excuses and going to bed.
“I like your socks. You know it’s Wednesday, right?”
Elinor wiggled her toes inside her days-of-the-week socks, the ones that said Saturday all over them in bright colors. “Marianne bought me these as a joke. She said no one, not even little-miss-perfect me could keep up with which day to wear them, and it would drive me mad in the attempt. She was half-right.”
“And which part was she right about?”
“Matching my socks to the right day. It’s impossible. But it didn’t drive me crazy. I wear them wrong on purpose now just to show her I can handle a little chaos in my life.”
Edward laughed, causing the laugh lines around his eyes to appear. He rubbed his chin, where a bit of scruff was beginning. She knew he’d be freshly shaved tomorrow for work.
“Tomorrow’s your birthday.”
He ducked his head. “I’d hoped to escape this year with nothing but a mailed birthday card from my car insurance guy. No such luck, I guess.”
“No such luck.” He’d find out how little luck he had with that wish tomorrow. “Lucy will want to celebrate with you, though, won’t she?”
He shook his head, looking troubled. “I don’t think so.”
“You weren’t out with her tonight?”
