Olivia
What do you need?
Fern
I know Elliott and I are potential mates
But
Olivia
But what?
Fern
Do you think he’s waiting for his true mate?
Don’t tell Ben I asked you
Olivia
Too late
We won’t say anything
Fern scowled at her phone. Fucking Ben and Liv, those two were attached at the hip.
Olivia
You have to ask Fitz yourself
Fern
Great. Awesome. Cool.
Thanks for nothing.
Olivia
Love you so much <3
Fern couldn’t ask Elliott if he was waiting for his true mate. Well, shecould, but the thought of him saying yes and setting her firmly back into friends-only status soured her stomach. She couldn’t do ityet, but she’d have to at some point. It was asking or driving herself crazy wondering, and she was crazy enough as it was.
18
Elliott packs a picnic.
“Adamwon’tmindwe’rein his yard?” Fern checked, hesitating as she climbed down from Elliott’s truck.
“Nope. He won’t be back from the Lodge for ages.Yes, we’re using his driveway, but the pond and waterfall are town property.”
“Mmkay...” She sounded unconvinced as she took his hand and hopped to the dirt.
Waving an arm toward the falls, Elliott announced, “Follow me to our unconventional picnic spot. There’s a cave up here, one of my bear’s favorite places.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Walking side by side, they crossed the yard, their lunch in a cooler in his right hand and his left splayed across the small of her back. Spruce Pond sat on the south side of Able’s property, fed by Elliott’s favorite waterfall in town, Braithwaite Falls. Different from the town’s namesake, Beckett Falls, this one was lower, narrower, and hid the best cave in a ten-mile radius.
