Page 74 of Beauty and the Beard

“What?”

“Have you talked to Sasha?”

“Just once. It's mostly been text. That’s why I’m running for a charger. I’m so stupid. It never occurred to me I’d need to plug the damn thing in. I don’t know how long it’s been dead, but he might have tried to call me.”

I feel the hysteria building in my voice, and I have to force myself to take a calming breath.

“It happens, Leaf. Don’t sweat it. He knows you’re new to the technology of the modern world.”

“You make me sound like a dinosaur.” I grumble and he laughs with glee.

“But seriously, have you thought about him? Like, actually going after him or anything?”

“I can’t just go after him. He has things in his life to deal with and he asked for space. I’m doing what he asked me to.”

The silence in the cab makes me sweat. Perry isn’t a love expert, but he’s got far more love experience than I do, even if they never turned into long-term relationships. But he loves hard on all the people in his life and I’ve trusted him before.

He did, after all, convince me Connor was worth it. Then moved here so we could stay close.

I hope I don’t regret this.

“Okay, Perry. What is it I should do exactly?”

“Didn’t you read any of those romance books he likes? You must have got some ideas?”

The day Sasha left, housekeeping brought me the two novels I’d seen him reading. He left them behind with a note saying to pass on to anyone who loves to read romance. They brought them to me and while I’m not a huge reader, I skimmed them. I also paid attention to the pages Sasha dog-eared.

But as romantic as the stories were, that’s all they were to me.

“They’re just stories, Perry.”

He clucks his tongue.

“God, you’re thick. Sasha loves them. He loves romance, and you even said the books he reads are very romantic.”

“There’s romance and then there’s being real, Perry. I don’t have a yacht for romantic dinners in the Mediterranean. There’s no lush Florida landscape here with tropical flowers and paradise. It’s just acres of maple trees and wilderness. A lake and a shitload of mosquitoes. I’m not sure how that can be romantic.”

Arriving at the store I bought the phone from, I’m relieved to see the open sign still flashing.

“You forgot one thing.”

“Yeah, a charger.”

“Would you shut up for a minute? He didn’t leave those books behind for anyone. And he took the time to make you that photo book thing.”

“Okay?”

Perry heaves a dramatic sigh. “For god’s sake, Leaf, be fucking romantic. Woo the man. He deserves it.”

“Can we talk about this after I get my charger? Because there won’t be any of this wooing you speak of if I can’t get in touch with him.”

Perry sighs and gets out, following me into the mobile store where I barely contain my anger at the salesperson’s attitude.

“My brother still lights a candle to go to the outhouse. Cut him slack. And give him what he needs to have a charger in his truck, too. He’ll need a lighter attachment because he also hasn’t updated his vehicle in ninety years.”

The clerk examines my phone, and I shoot daggers at my brother. He only grins back.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?”

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