But now?
Now, I couldn’t peg it. Something restless had awoken inside me. Like a slow gnaw from the inside out.
My brain wandered back to Lizbeth’s declaration. A thousand romance books. Who had the time for that?
Or the space?
“Bro!” Mark barked up the ladder. “I stopped by the bank. I think we could make this spa idea happen.”
A deep sigh rippled through me. That didn’t feel any more exciting, of course. Another business. Another tangled mess. Another volley of ideas. Even that was better than staring at the ceiling, trying not to catalogue all the ways Lizbeth was wrong about romance. Why did I have to prove it to her, anyway?
Why couldn’t I just let her believe it?
“Coming!” I stood up. Because it was time to forget Lizbeth and let her live her life. Maybe she would find her romance and live happily ever after.
I wished her luck.
9 Lizbeth
The Frolicking Moose had never looked more like home.
The moment Mark pulled into the parking lot, I wanted to throw myself into the arms of a latte, a new romance novel, and fresh pastries. Once inside, I closed my eyes and inhaled the aroma of vanilla and coffee beans.
“Devin, if you squirt that Cool Whip in your mouth straight from the container, and I have to go buy another one again, I will have your head,” Ellie threatened.
Ah, home.
While the winter wonderland with JJ had been idyllic, returning to the shop and my sisters filled me with a happy buzz. Also, a new phone awaited very soon in my future. Couldn’t deny myself that joy.
The door closed at my back, and Ellie’s emerald eyes shot to me in relief. No customers in the shop, only Ellie and Devin behind the counter. The gleam in Devin’s eyes faded when he saw me.
“Hey, Lizbeth!” He rushed around the counter and crushed me in a hug with his thick football arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Ellie ran up behind him, and they wrapped me in their not-so-casual love. I melted into them. Devin had thickened up and grown taller in the last couple of years. Right into the beloved star of the town as high school quarterback.
“Dev,” Ellie finally gasped. “Lay off.”
He released us enough to allow a quick gasp for breath, gave one last vise-grip squeeze, then stepped back.
Ellie grabbed my arm. “Mav told us everything. That scared me,” she whispered. “Please never do that again. You’re okay, right?”
“Yes, I’m okay. And it scared me too.”
“You’re good?” Devin asked.
“Good.”
Ellie didn’t look convinced. She leaned back against a table, the essence of casualness in her leggings and knockoff Uggs. An oversized sweatshirt of Maverick’s, rolled to her elbows, completed the relaxed ensemble. Like usual, she’d thrown her black hair into a loose knot at the top of her head.
“The fate of the car is . . .” she drawled.
“An icy grave?” Nonchalance came more easily now that I wasn’t dangling precariously over the edge. “I have no idea. Maverick texted me that we’d deal with it later. JJ isn’t sure they can tow it from that far down.”
“May it rest in peace,” Devin said through a half bite of what appeared to be an egg sandwich.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Stop eating! That’s your fourth one this shift.”
He said something unintelligible through his last bite, pushing a hand toward her face. She deftly dodged. The buttery, warm smell of croissants caught me by surprise.
“Croissants?” I asked.
Ellie gestured toward the display. “Le Grand Boulangerie sent them with the order this weekend. Said they had some extras. They’ve been selling like crazy so far.”
My absence for even a few days left me feeling disoriented. The Frolicking Moose had been under my sole care for so many months it felt like mine. Would I feel like this when I left for the Pinnable job? If I got it, of course.
My stomach growled, so I dismissed those thoughts. JJ’s breakfast seemed ages ago. I stepped behind the counter, already reaching for a coffee mug.
“Talked to Bethie a bit ago,” Ellie said. “Mav said they’ll come home tonight. The canyon was mostly plowed, so it should be safe. Dev and I cleaned the house yesterday. It’s all ready to go.”
“Thank you.”
Unlike Ellie, I’d never been able to bluff my way through things. She trained her piercing glare on me.
“Are you really okay, Lizbeth?”
I nodded, but I was so far from it. Being home made it all seem so much scarier. Almost died. Saved by the man I’ve adored for months. Saw a new side of him. Fell even harder. Don’t have a chance.
As sweet as JJ had been, I felt like a tightly wound braid ready to loosen. Coffee warmed my cup with radiant heat. I grabbed creamer and syrup. Coffee was just a vehicle for all the other delicious stuff.
“Oh, Dev and I are touring State University next weekend,” Ellie said. “Can we swap shifts?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks. I’ll put it on the calendar.”
“You excited?” I asked.
Ellie nodded emphatically. Devin’s expression dimmed for half a second but then recovered. Had I imagined it?
Probably.
“Oh, and some mail came for you.” Ellie motioned upstairs with a flick of her wrist. “I tossed it on your bed.”
The blood in my body froze all at once. “Anything interesting?” I asked.
She sent me a look that suggested I’d failed at seeming casual. “Not a big white envelope from Pinnable, if that’s what you mean.”
“Dang.”
The bell on the door rang, admitting a group of brawny high schoolers. A scowl leapt to Ellie’s face, and a grin to Devin’s. She was a year younger in school and decidedly less extroverted, particularly with his football friends.
Or with anyone but Devin, in fact.
Fortunately, his rampant extroversion had no fear of her extreme dislike of people and crowds. Somehow, those two oddballs made their strange friendship work.
I cast a knowing smirk at Ellie. “Have fun,” I mouthed, slipping past Devin with my coffee. By the time I disappeared around the counter, she’d
