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Her fingers curl over mine.
“And I might be looking for a job in Nashville when I go out there for the wedding.” Once again, her lips are so close. And yet, her eyes convey something like regret. As if the wheels are already in motion and there’s no stopping her leaving.
The thought of her moving away punches me in the gut. And we dance as I try to figure out a way forward.
ChapterTen
Ursula
Some part of me wishes Noah would try to stop me.
And that’s just plain crazy. We’ve kissed how many times now? Three? Shared two meals. I fixed his trousers. He met my best friend over the phone. We have good banter.
That’s not a relationship. It’s just a good time. A situationship. That’s not a reason to sit on my butt in Fate.
“Then I guess we’ll have to make the most of the time we have left,” he says.
Everything in me exhales. No possession. No claims. Just fun. “We definitely should.”
Noah’s face angles down and captures my mouth in another kiss, this one long, lingering, and heartbreakingly sweet. He tastes like the strawberry shortcake dessert we just shared. Kissing him is fun, dammit. And I deserve some fun.
“Come on,” he rasps, pulling away from the kiss and grabbing my hand.
On our way out, Rex stops us at the top of the stairs. “Hold on there, buddy. You gotta pay for the silent auction item you bid on.”
“Oh! Noah, what did you bid on? I assume that means I got outbid on the Nashville thing,” I say with a laugh.
Rex looks at me like I’m stoned. “You mean that Nashville luxury weekend? Your boy won it.”
“Wait, what?”
“Sure thing, Rex,” Noah replies.
Before I understand what’s happening, I’m watching Noah Venmo $550 to the hospice comfort animal fund.
“Noah, what did you do?”
“Thanks very much. You kids have a good night,” Rex says with a wink before walking over to the tired Juniper and wrapping her up in a hug.
“Noah?” I stand at the top of the grand staircase, utterly confused.
“I bid and I won, I guess,” he says sheepishly.
“But that was my thing,” I say, feeling an old forgotten hurt rear its ugly head.
“I know,” he says, still gripping my hand as he stands one step below me.
“I was going to take Jasmine for a mini vacation before the wedding. It was going to be a girls’ weekend.”
“I remember you saying that, yeah,” Noah says. He is genuinely confused about why I’m getting upset.
“Then why did you bid on it? Did you think I was going to go to Nashville with you? This is just a first date, Noah.”
He looks confused. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. I came out here when you were in the restroom and I saw someone outbid you, so I put in a bid so you could have it.”
“You could have just written my name on it,” I say. “Why did you putyourname on it?”
“I don’t know! I’m not that bright!”
