Page 20 of Lovesick
My brain wandered back to Lizbeth’s declaration. A thousand romance books. Who had the time for that?
Or the space?
“Bro!” Mark barked up the ladder. “I stopped by the bank. I think we could make this spa idea happen.”
A deep sigh rippled through me. That didn’t feel any more exciting, of course. Another business. Another tangled mess. Another volley of ideas. Even that was better than staring at the ceiling, trying not to catalogue all the ways Lizbeth was wrong about romance. Why did I have to prove it to her, anyway?
Why couldn’t I just let her believe it?
“Coming!” I stood up. Because it was time to forget Lizbeth and let her live her life. Maybe she would find her romance and live happily ever after.
I wished her luck.
9
Lizbeth
The Frolicking Moose had never looked more like home.
The moment Mark pulled into the parking lot, I wanted to throw myself into the arms of a latte, a new romance novel, and fresh pastries. Once inside, I closed my eyes and inhaled the aroma of vanilla and coffee beans.
“Devin, if you squirt that Cool Whip in your mouth straight from the container, and I have to go buy another oneagain, I will have your head,” Ellie threatened.
Ah, home.
While the winter wonderland with JJ had been idyllic, returning to the shop and my sisters filled me with a happy buzz. Also, a new phone awaited very soon in my future. Couldn’t deny myself that joy.
The door closed at my back, and Ellie’s emerald eyes shot to me in relief. No customers in the shop, only Ellie and Devin behind the counter. The gleam in Devin’s eyes faded when he saw me.
“Hey, Lizbeth!” He rushed around the counter and crushed me in a hug with his thick football arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Ellie ran up behind him, and they wrapped me in their not-so-casual love. I melted into them. Devin had thickened up and grown taller in the last couple of years. Right into the beloved star of the town as high school quarterback.
“Dev,” Ellie finally gasped. “Lay off.”
He released us enough to allow a quick gasp for breath, gave one last vise-grip squeeze, then stepped back.
Ellie grabbed my arm. “Mav told us everything. That scared me,” she whispered. “Please never do that again. You’re okay, right?”
“Yes, I’m okay. And it scared me too.”
“You’re good?” Devin asked.
“Good.”
Ellie didn’t look convinced. She leaned back against a table, the essence of casualness in her leggings and knockoff Uggs. An oversized sweatshirt of Maverick’s, rolled to her elbows, completed the relaxed ensemble. Like usual, she’d thrown her black hair into a loose knot at the top of her head.
“The fate of the car is...” she drawled.
“An icy grave?” Nonchalance came more easily now that I wasn’t dangling precariously over the edge. “I have no idea. Maverick texted me that we’d deal with it later. JJ isn’t sure they can tow it from that far down.”
“May it rest in peace,” Devin said through a half bite of what appeared to be an egg sandwich.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Stopeating! That’s your fourth one this shift.”
He said something unintelligible through his last bite, pushing a hand toward her face. She deftly dodged. The buttery, warm smell of croissants caught me by surprise.
“Croissants?” I asked.
