Page 46 of Passions & Peonies

Jocelyn sneers at her.

“What aren’t you telling us? You’re freaking us out!” Sophia exclaims.

“It’s nothing bad. No one did anything wrong.”

“Then why not just tell us? We’re your friends and family. You’re the light of this family, Lacey, only you aren’t shining like you used to.”

“For fuck’s sake, would you please tell them about Will! I can’t take it anymore,” Sky demands, surprising us all.

Sophia’s and Jocelyn’s heads whip toward me. “Who the hell is Will?” they say in unison. This is actually kind of funny.

“Fine,” I growl. “Sky, clear your stuff off the couch so they can sit down. I’m going to grab some glasses and another bottle of wine.” And some tissues.

“Of course. Sorry.” She grabs the shirts and jeans that are scattered over the couch and dumps them in a corner.

The kitchen isn’t far away, but they start whispering as if I can’t hear them. They’re pressuring Sky for info.

“Here’s some wine. Help yourself. I only have one bottle left.” I place the glasses and wine on the coffee table, then pull up a chair from the kitchen.

Jocelyn and Sophia perch on the edge of the couch like they’re waiting for the ball to drop. Sky relaxes into the couch like she’s watching a movie. All she needs is popcorn.

“I haven’t actually formally met Chloe, other than we’ve talked a few times when I visited her store in the past. No names were exchanged. But Sky and I have met her twin brothers, Will and Josh, on vacation. Chloe is their adopted sister.”

“Twins? She didn’t tell us their names either,” Sophia remarks. “She really didn’t say much at all.”

I shrug, then, for the next hour, I tell them everything I can remember about Will. Sky chimes in whenever I skip some detail. It’s interesting to hear things from her perspective compared to mine. By the time I’m done, my face is covered in a salt mask from all the tears I’ve shed.

“I keep asking myself how I can feel so strongly for someone I knew for a week. And Istillfeel that way now. It’s fucking crazy.” I pull my hair back with a hair band.

“You’re in love with him, Lace,” Jocelyn says matter-of-factly.

“Whatever.”I am.

“You do know who you’re talking to, right?” Jocelyn says. “Your brother said he was going to marry me on our first date. And you’re the one who set us up.”

“And within weeks, well, days after we met, Drew and I admitted we were in love. And you helped us along the way,” Sophia adds. “Now, four months later, we’re already engaged. Love at first sight is real. It happens every day. Why can’t it happen to you?”

“It’s the only reason I can think of to explain how devastated you are,” Jocelyn adds. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

I rub my thighs. “At this point, I don’t even remember. Maybe I thought it was the only way to forget him. I thought, if I didn’t talk about him, it might be easier.”

“How did that work out for ya?” Sky jabs with a twang of her Boston accent.

“But me dumping this on everyone doesn’t solve anything. He’s there, and I’m up here.”

“So what. Would you ever consider joining him in St. Thomas?” Jocelyn asks carefully.

“And give up my job? And my apartment?”

“Yes,” she responds firmly and crosses her arms.

“Are you crazy?” But I can’t look at them because I’m suddenly excited about the possibility.

“Why couldn’t you? You’re still young. Your brothers and I have always said you’re meant for the tropics, not the metropolis. This is your chance.”

“We didn’t even discuss that. It’s too soon to talk about such a big leap.”

“Let’s say you somehow get together, and it doesn’t work out. You can come back—you willalwayshave a job with my company. You’re safe either way. With his job, he owns those marinas. It’s not as simple for him.”

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