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“Everything okay, man?”
Tanner couldn’t really answer without going into it. “Sure.”
Leah entered the room then. “Who stole your thunder?”
“I guess you heard that Carly’s going to New Orleans for a job interview tomorrow.” Tanner wasn’t sure why he’d said that.
Leah nodded. “I get the feeling you’re not thrilled about that.”
Tanner pressed his lips together hard and shook his head.
“I guess she’ll be hard to replace, huh?” Jake said the obvious.
“Have you told her how you feel?” Leah asked, her face softening with understanding.
Again, Tanner shook his head. It was all he could do not to tear up, and that wasn’t manly. But he didn’t feel strong or manly right now.
Jake caught on. “Ooh. I thought y’all were getting a little cozy, but I had no idea how you felt about her.”
Tanner managed to speak then. “I can’t tell her not to go if it’s what she wants. This is big-dream stuff.”
Leah sat down at the kitchen table and motioned for him to do the same. He did. “I know my sister, Tanner. And she’s had a mad crush on you since middle school. I’ve got a feeling if you told her you wanted her to stay and why, she might change her mind about going.”
“She had a crush on me inmiddle school? I had no idea.” Tanner was perking up a little.
“I didn’t either until I saw her diary with all the entwined hearts with your name on them.” Leah laughed at the memory. “The fact that I didn’t know just goes to show you how private Carly is and how tightly she guards her emotions.”
“Like somebody else in this room.” Jake motioned toward Tanner. “Man, sometimes you’ve got to take a chance on love.”
“Wouldn’t that be selfish of me? To stand in her way?”
“It depends if she’s sitting at home wishing you would ask her not to go.”
In that moment, his decision was made. He couldn’t let her go without telling her how he felt.
He abruptly stood and pushed his chair back. “Wish me luck.”
*
As he drovetoward Nana’s house, he was a hot mess of fear and excitement. They’d shared some moments, to be sure. But had the feelings been more serious on his part than hers?
As he rang the doorbell, his heart was beating out of his chest. “Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” She was there. Right in front of him and had been for these past couple of months.
“Carly, I—” But words failed him. Instead, he gently put his hands on either side of her face. “I don’t want you to go. I love you.”
Her eyes welled up. “I was only going because you said I should.”
“Really?”
She nodded and smiled then. “Couldn’t you tell I wanted you to protest?”
“No. I didn’t want to stop you from following your dreams.” Was he crying too?
“Tanner Carmichael, I’ve been in some form of love with you since I was twelve. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. And somewhere out there is a diary with lots of hearts and your name in it that proves it.”
*
Carly
