I gape at her for a heartbeat, her words turning into bubbles of excitement and happiness for one of my closest female friends.Adopting.Simone and Lucas are going to be parents. The parents they would have been a decade ago if not for the drunk driver.
Emily presses her finger to her lips. “You can’t mention it to anyone—Simone plans to tell everyone soon—but they’ve fallen in love with the girls and don’t want to see them bounced around the system.”
“Wow, that’s great. And it doesn’t surprise me. Simone and Lucas have so much love to share.”
“They do. It’s a slow process, and they’re not asking the girls yet, given they’ve only recently lost their parents.” She tilts her head to the side. “What about you? Would you like to be part of Garrett and Peony’s family? As more than just a friend?”
I startle at her question, though I shouldn’t be too surprised she asked it. It’s also clear from her expression that she knows the answer. “You love Peony like she’s your own daughter, don’t you?”
“How could I not?”
“You just have to tell Garrett you’re in love with him andpoof.” Em waves her hand like she’s Cinderella’s fairy godmother.
I grab another samosa from the bag and pull a chunk of fried dough from it. Filling falls to my lap. “But he doesn’t feel the same way about me, so why bother?” I doubt even Cinderella’s fairy godmother could help me there.
“You’re wrong. I’ve seen how he looks at you, Zara.” Emily’s words float out on a dreamy, wishful sigh.
The corners of my mouth twitch, and I barely restrain a snorted laugh. “Looks at me? How does he look at me?”
She doesn’t get the chance to answer. A good-looking man in his early forties, pushing a woman in a wheelchair, approaches our bench. “Is it okay if I sit there?” He points to the empty spot next to me.
I shuffle my ass closer to Emily, giving him more space to sit. “Absolutely!”
Okay, I might have said that with a lot more enthusiasm than probably either he or the woman were expecting.Anything to get me out of that conversation with Em.
The woman chuckles. She’s extremely pretty. Her golden hair is tied up in a messy bun and she’s wearing a shell-pink dress. But what is especially breathtaking about her is the long, delicate vine and butterfly tattoo traveling up her arm.
Her husband, if their wedding rings are anything to go by, leans down and kisses her.
And I swear Em releases another long, dreamy sigh.
Or maybe that was me.
“Are you visiting Maple Ridge?” she asks the couple.
“Yes,” the woman replies as her husband sits on the bench. “We’re from Portland. I love the mountains and keep hearing how pretty this town is. So, we thought we’d celebrate our wedding anniversary here.”
“Happy anniversary,” both Em and I exclaim at the same time. “How long have you been married?” I add.
“Fourteen years. Fourteen crazy years with lots of ups and downs.” She grins at her husband. “Not to mention more medical appointments than I care to think about.” She rolls her eyes, her smile waning only a tiny amount. “But Nick has stood by my side when I’m sure there were things he would rather be doing.”
He takes her hand and kisses the back of it, making my insides swoon a little. Okay. A lot.
“You’re my best friend. The woman I love. There is nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
It’s a sign.That’s what Emily’s smug look is trying to say.The universe is sending you a sign. You and Garrett belong together.
What am I supposed to do about that? Tell Garrett the truth about my feelings for him?
Or maybe the Universe could help me out and be the one to tell him.
49
ZARA
Two daysafter Emily and I talked to the married couple in the park, I show up at Garrett’s house, buoyed by words of the husband’s undying love and support for his chronically ill wife.
I don’t know if it’s right or not, if their love is a sign I need to tell Garrett how I genuinely feel about him. But sign or not, it’s time I tell him the truth. I owe myself that much.
