“After all this, I still have to sleep on the sofa bed,” Aiden grumbled. “Whoop-de-doo.”
“Are the springs on the mattress okay?” Anne’s mouth turned down in sympathy. “Not digging into your back too badly?”
“Oh, he’s fine.” Pete flapped his hand dismissively, and Frederick nodded his agreement. “He’s young. He could sleep like the dead anywhere.”
“That is true.” Aiden shrugged. “Plus, this is the most comfortable sofa bed I’ve ever slept on.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Anne smiled at Aiden, then linked her arm through Katie’s. “As for you, you’ll be our third for the night.”
“I always sleep on the left side.” Tessa took dibs from her perch on the sofa before she smiled at Katie. “But you’re welcome to share our humble abode.”
Frederick stood uncertainly in the middle of the living room when Pete went upstairs with Katie to get her settled in the bridesmaids’ suite. Tessa and Aiden fell into easy conversation about STEM shit that Frederick would only half understand onhis best day, but he was too impatient to talk to Anne to even pretend to pay attention. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the picture window where she’d resumed staring out at the vineyard.
“Hey.” Frederick sounded like a sullen teenager, so he tried again. “Uh, hi. H-how are you doing?”
“I’m doing—” Anne began with a tentative smile.
“Captain,” Joe called out, waving him over. “Bethany wants you.”
“I’ll…” For some reason, Frederick’s gaze shot to Anne. Her smile had disappeared. “I’ll be right there.”
He wanted—no, needed—to know how she was. Did she regret what happened last night? Was she happy to see him this morning? He coaxed her to continue what she’d been about to say, not ready to leave her side. “You’re doing…”
“You should go to Bethany.” She kept her gaze trained outside, her face unreadable.
Frederick wanted to say,To hell with Bethany. But he couldn’t, could he? Bethany got hurt because he’d embarrassed her, making her run off into the dark. He should go see her, but his feet stayed glued to the ground.
“Yeah, I should,” he said to force himself to do exactly that. But he still couldn’t leave Anne’s side. Instead, he stared at her profile, willing her to look at him. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Mm-hmm.” She nodded without turning to him.
He headed for Bethany’s room, feeling as though he were walking across wet cement. He wasn’t sure what he so badly wanted to say to Anne, but he had a feeling he could find out if only he had a chance to talk to her. They could figure it out together. What last night meant. What their future held.
When he walked into the room, Coraline helped her sister sit up against the headboard, propped up by pillows. He hurried to the bedside, waving his hands. “Please don’t sit up on my account.”
“It’s fine.” Bethany smiled. “I’m tired of lying on my back.”
Coraline kissed her sister on the forehead. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Stop fussing, Cora.” Bethany gave her sister a gentle shove toward the door. “Go get some sleep.”
“Frederick, if she feels dizzy, will you help her lie back down?” Coraline asked on her way out.
“I’ll be fine.” Bethany rolled her eyes.
When Coraline finally left, glancing over her shoulder at least three more times, Bethany leaned against the pillows and muttered, “Older sisters.”
“Right?” He pulled up a wooden armchair to the side of the bed and lowered himself on it. “I have an older sister, and she still fusses over me, too.”
“They can be a bit too much sometimes,” Bethany said with an exasperated sigh. “Unlike Anne, who always takes good care of us without ever getting overbearing. She’s just so… perfect.”
“So perfect.” He sighed without thinking. Bethany raised her eyebrows, cocking her head to the side, but before he could backtrack, she yawned into her hand.
“Like Mary Poppins. ‘Practically perfect in every way.’” She considered him with a steady gaze until he fidgeted in his chair. Then she continued in a soft voice, “I’ve always looked up to Anne. I still do.”
“It’s obvious she thinks the world of you, too. And for good reason,” he said sincerely. “You’re an amazing teacher. Your students adore you, and you genuinely love them back. Don’t even get me started on your cooking.”
“That’s so sweet of you to say.” Some color returned to Bethany’s pale cheeks. “But the real reason I asked for you is because I feel terrible about what happened last night.”
