AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sawyer shook his head.
“It is good,” Nicole said, gazing at him with her big eyes, ripping his resolve to shreds. “Best I’ve ever had.”
God, he wanted to believe that love existed, but how could he after so long of believing it wasn’t for him, believing it was overrated? He’d become an island of sorts, pushing people away.
After finishing their meal, Sawyer produced three fortune cookies that Hiro had sent for them. “Shall we see what our future holds?”
Nicole smiled, breaking his heart even more. “My grandfather and I had a tradition back in Chicago to help the magic really work. Our favorite Chinese restaurant always gave us more cookies than we needed, four or five each. Granddad would choose one from the lot to be my true fortune and I would choose his.” The tone in her voice seemed to be the result of a mix of her sweet recollections about her grandfather and deep sadness for losing him.
That’s what love gets you in the end. Heartache.
“Let’s do that now,” Sawyer said.
“What do you mean?” Nicole asked.
“You want me to pick a fortune cookie for you, bro?” he asked Sawyer.
“Yep. I’ll pick one for Nicole and she’ll pick one for you. We could use a little magic today.”
“You don’t h
ave to do that for me, Sawyer.” Nicole turned her gaze to Reed. “Unless you don’t mind.”
What was wrong with him? Wasn’t a chance at real love staring him right in the face? The vow he’d taken after his parents’ death was out of date and obsolete since Nicole’s arrival. He wanted to stop running away from love. Could he? Time to test the waters. “I don’t mind, Chicago. Let’s do this tradition of you and your granddad’s.”
Her lips curled up into the cutest smile he’d ever seen in his life. She took the three cellophane-wrapped cookies from Sawyer and began studying them intently. She took her traditions seriously. Then Nicole selected one and handed it to Reed.
He took it, feeling the resolve to go for it, to give love a real try, to not hold back but to embrace what his emotions were screaming at him to do.
“Now you pick for Sawyer,” she said.
He did, handing it to him.
“Thanks, bro,” Sawyer said. “That leaves this one for you, Nicole.” He gave her the last cookie.
“Now we read our fortunes. You’ll see I was right about the magic.”
“You first, Chicago. This is your tradition.”
“You’re right.” She ripped off the clear wrapper and cracked the fortune cookie in half. In a flash, the cookie was devoured. “God, those are good.”
“Homemade right here in Destiny.” Sawyer nodded. “The fortunes are handwritten by Hiro’s wife, Melissa.”
“That’s very impressive, cowboy.” Nicole read hers first. “No one can walk backward into the future.” That sounded like the fortune he needed, more scolding than prediction he thought. To him it meant he shouldn’t let his past dictate his future.
“Now what?” he asked her.
“Sawyer’s turn.”
“You have a deal, sweetheart.” Sawyer read his fortune. “Today, your mouth might be moving but no one is listening. That sounds about right.”
“What do you mean by that, big brother? I listen.”
“Like a stump,” Sawyer said. “You read yours.”
“We’ve got to feed the horses, or have you forgotten all your ranch duties? Playtime is over.”
“I took care of that before I headed to town.” Sawyer sighed. “Time for you to take center stage and be serious for a change. She needs us to be at our best.”
