"Yes, Isabel," Sophia said, her eyes filling with genuine care as she stepped closer to the sorting table. "Maggie and my uncle now have each other, my granddad has someone, and even Uncle George will probably go back to Aunt Anna eventually."
"How on earth do you know that?" Isabel asked, a shock rippling through her thoughts at the child's raw perception of the family's ancient history.
"Isabel, we're not blind, and we're no longer kids," Lily pointed out, a bright twinkle sparkling in her eyes as her grin widened. "We see..." She paused, emphasizing the final word with a deliberate nod."Everything."
A sudden wave of horrified panic flared straight into Isabel's throat, making her cheeks heat instantly as the blood rushed to her face.Oh no.A cold sweat broke out along the back of herneck. Did they actually see the kiss? Did they witness the exact moment her barriers crumbled in Owen's arms earlier?
"So I bounced around like a ping-pong ball, I think you called it," Isabel admitted, her voice tightening as she tried to hedge against the trap they were laying for her. "But it doesn't mean there is anything romantic between Owen and me." She let out a deep, defeated sigh when she saw three sets of eyebrows rise simultaneously in absolute disbelief. "And while I highly respect Martin and think he's a good man, there is absolutely nothing between us. I only like him as a friend."
"So you're into Owen then?" Emma pushed, leaning her elbows against the wooden rim of the tray, completely relentless.
Isabel stared at the three girls standing in front of her, the absolute certainty on their young faces confirming her worst fears. They knew. They had witnessed the raw, unguarded truth of her feelings, and there was no hiding from it anymore.
"I'm simply living my life," Isabel hedged, her heart thudding wildly against her ribs as she looked between them. "Whoever happens to cross paths with me along the way doesn't automatically mean I possess a romantic interest in them."
“You know, Gran,” Emma said, “if you are really not into Owen...”
“Although it really didn’t look that way earlier,” Sophia said with a sly grin.
Isabel’s cheeks caught fire, and for the third time that day, she wished for a sinkhole right beneath her feet.
“Don’t worry, we looked away,” Lily said respectfully. “We're not even allowed to watch that sort of display on television, let alone in real life,” she teased gently.
“Okay...” Isabel said, seeing she was defeated and feeling like she’d been leaning over a hot fire with her face. “Owen fell and I... uh... I was steadying him.”
“So... Owen fell and his lips just happened to fall onto yours?” Emma asked sweetly.
“That’s quite a feat,” Lily said angelically.
“Maybe we should try it with the guys we like,” Sophia suggested. “It worked for Owen.”
“Yes, especially since he seems to have managed to convince my Gran that it was an accident,” Emma said, air-quoting the word accident. “Oh...” Emma snapped her fingers. “What did he say just before he ran out of the basin like his legs were on fire?” She looked from one friend to the other.
“Wait for me,” Lily continued.
“Why did Owen want you to wait for him, Gran?” Emma asked.
“Maybe he’s worried that his fall bruised your grandmother’s lips and he needs to check them,” Sophia pursed her lips. “After all, Isabel, I think he’d be very worried if you decided to sue for grievous harm to your lips.”
“Enough!” Isabel gaped at the three shrewd little devils in front of her. “Fine, we had a kiss. Are you happy now?”
“Gran!” Emma squealed in delight, doing a little dance alongside the other two.
The three girls came in to give her a group hug.
“We’re so happy for you, Isabel,” Sophia said.
“I knew it,” Lily told them as they stepped out of their group hug. Then she wiggled her fingers. “Pay up, ladies. I won the bet.”
“Wait... what?” Isabel spluttered. “What bet?”
“That there was something between you and Owen,” Emma told her.
“And that you’d crack and admit it to us if coerced enough,” Sophia sighed, rolling her eyes, then glaring at her cousin. “Lily, you are terrifyingly good at manipulation.”
“Yes, Lil, I worry about you,” Emma said and her grin widened. “And at the same time I’m in so much awe of this superpower you have.”
“Aw, come on, it was a group effort,” Lily told them. “But the two of you are getting so good at it too.”
