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Within a second, Mina skidded into the doorway, followed by Sharon.

“Oh wow,” Mina said.

Sharon gasped. “Phoebe, what beautiful flowers. Come in, dear, come in.” She wrapped a hand around Phoebe’s wrist and pulled her into the foyer.

“Uh—” Phoebe felt distinctly uncomfortable now. “Jonathan is home, isn’t he?” What if he hadn’t come home after their coffee-shop fiasco? Phoebe had assumed that he’d taken an Uber back to his car and driven home, but maybe he was just walking around town, stewing in anger.

“Of course he is!” Sharon scampered down the hall. Phoebe—and Alice, Mina, and Charlotte—could hear the muffled sounds of arguing voices. Finally, Jonathan emerged, his mother’s arm wrapped tightly around his back.

“Hi.” Phoebe remained where she was, feet planted just inside the front door. Jonathan did the same, frozen between the foyer and the hallway.

Out of the corner of her eye, Phoebe saw Alice nudge Mina with her elbow, both of them trying to stifle silent giggles.

“Jonathan.” Phoebe cleared her throat. “Could we talk?”

He didn’t look intrigued or happy to see her. He looked drained. “Whatever you want to say, you can say in front of my family. I’ve told them everything. Back then and… now.”

What? What is “everything”? What did you tell them about how you feel? Phoebe stopped herself from asking these questions, because the point now was telling him, as clearly as possible, how she felt.

She took a deep breath and stepped closer to him. Sharon stood right beside him, gazing eagerly at Phoebe, but Phoebe kept her eyes on Jonathan’s face. She was grateful for the bouquet now, since it gave her something to do with her arms.

“Jonathan Lee. I don’t know how to explain why it’s taken me so long to realize this. But I couldn’t leave without telling you.”

His eyes finally met hers, searching and uncertain.

“I think of you”—she paused, trying to swallow down a flood of emotion as she repeated his old words back to him—“I think of you as more than a friend. The connection we have is like nothing I’ve ever known, before or since. I turned you away once.” She searched his eyes, trying to communicate how very sorry she was about her youthful mistake. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let this chance pass me by. I thought I wanted you as a business partner—but there’s something more important. And I’m—I’m just going to say it.”

In the long pause that followed as Phoebe gathered her courage, the onlookers shifted impatiently. Alice and Mina exchanged looks. Charlotte whispered loudly, “What is she going to say?” Sharon beamed, balling her hands near her mouth in barely contained excitement. Jonathan’s mouth twitched as though he were fighting back a smile. This gave Phoebe the strength she needed to finally form the words.

“I love you, Jonathan.” She kept going despite the outburst of squeals from Charlotte and Sharon. “I think I always have, and it took me this long to realize it. I love you as more than a friend. And I—I just had to tell you before I go back to Seattle.”

Her arms were tired from holding the bouquet now, but she didn’t want to hand it to him. This wasn’t about the flowers. This was about the declaration—and she didn’t want to distract him from whatever his response was going to be.

But he reached for the flowers anyway. He took them from her, then handed them to his mom.

“What—” Phoebe began.

And then he closed the distance between them, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her.

His family erupted in cheers.

After a long, wonderful moment, Jonathan’s dad careened into the room, holding his old-fashioned camcorder.

“I missed it! Can you do it again? Start from the beginning!”

Chapter 38

Arden

Sam, what on earth are you doing here?”

Sam slipped underneath the rope to join Arden in the TSA line.

“Hey!” the man behind Arden complained.

“Don’t worry, sir; I’m not here to catch a flight.”

“Then what do you think you’re—”