Page 83 of Choosing You

“Don’t be mad…”

“I knew it!” Will muttered. “It’s bad news, isn’t it?”

“Unfortunately…yes,” she said sadly. “I guess that stomach bug wasn’t only a Sweetbriar Ridge thing. It hit here and—more specifically—me. It’s awful.”

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I know it is. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“It’s got to run its course like it did with you. Mom’s over it, and she’s taking care of me, but I think it would be best if I didn’t commit to fourteen hours of driving. I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “Damn. I was just really looking forward to you finally being here and going to the festival with me. Now I’m going to look silly dressed up in a costume all by myself.”

“You’re not exactly by yourself. The entire town is going to be dressed up,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, well…it’s still not the same. Maybe I’ll just skip it…”

“Don’t you dare!” she cried.

“Why not? It’s going to suck without you there.”

“Will,” she began patiently. “You’ve gone to the festivals without me for your entire life.”

“That’s not completely true,” he argued. “You’ve been with me for the last three years, but I was looking forward to us going together to this one and having it be your first official festival as a resident of the town. I know you’re sick and you can’t help it, but…I’m disappointed.” He paused. “I’m sorry. I’m being a big baby, aren’t I?”

“No,” she assured him. “I’m disappointed too. I was looking forward to seeing you dressed up as a cowboy.”

“I’m a really sexy cowboy, too,” he teased.

“I know you are,” she cooed. “And when I finally get there, I promise we’ll let you dress up like that again.”

He chuckled. “Now you’re just being ridiculous. But I love you for it.”

“And I love you too.”

“And now I’ll have to wait another year to see you walk around town as a sexy nurse.”

She rolled her eyes. “That was never going to happen!” But she couldn’t help but laugh as she said it.

“In my mind, it was.”

“I was going to be a cowgirl, and we would have been adorable.”

“Ugh…I really hate that word. It sounds like a compliment, but it’s really not.”

“That’s not completely true…”

“It is. Trust me.”

“And I was really excited to wear my cowboy hat. I don’t have anyplace else to wear it until next Halloween.”

“We’ll have to pick different costumes next year. I can’t go as the same thing twice.”

That sounded completely adorable—but she kept that observation to herself. “Well, we’ll have to think about it when the time comes around.” She yawned loudly. “Listen, I really need to get some sleep. I’m so sorry to be missing out this weekend.”

“Me too, baby. I wish I were there with you.”

“That’s how I felt when you were sick. And just think, the next time either of us gets sick, we’ll be there for each other. Won’t that be fun?”

“I know you’re trying to make light of this…”

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