“Yes,” he uttered, turning a little green as if he might vomit.
“Omigod, omigod, omigod!” I squealed in eagerness, throwing my arms around him and hugging him hard, only to find that he’d gone stiff with terror. “Indy, relax,” I said with a laugh, pulling back to hold the sides of his arms and study his pale face. “This is a good thing.”
“Care to clue me in on what’s happening here?” Farrow inquired conversationally when he appeared at my side. “Because you appear to be on the verge of jumping up and down and doing a victory dance while Moast looks like he’s going to cast up his accounts any moment. Meanwhile, all the people of Pinsky are staring at you two as if you’ve lost your damn minds.”
Ignoring everyone else, I focused on Indy as his breathing went ragged and he struggled to control his lungs. “Indigo is sensing his true love,” I finally informed Farrow.
“What!?” Farrow snapped shocked eyes to Indy. Then he broke into a broad grin. “Well, congratulations, buddy. Where is she?”
“She—she—” His eyes flared with panic. “Jesus Christ, I can’t do this. I already know she doesn’t have the mark, since she’s not here seeking me out as well. I’m going to have to get her to fall in love with me all on my own. Nic...” he rasped, squeezing my hands and pleading to me with his eyes for assistance.
“You can do this,” I told him in a calming, steady voice. “I mean, you’re one of my favorite people on the planet. Of course, you’ll sweep her off her feet, too. Now, let’s go find her and get started,” I encouraged.
He nodded but clutched my hand, not about to let go of me. “Okay,” he panted, only to wince and dodge his gaze around the market. “She, uh, she’s this way.”
“Then let’s go this way,” I encouraged, hooking my arm through his and tugging his resisting self along.
“Buck up, will you?” Farrow told him from the si
de of his mouth. “My God, you look like you’re being dragged to an execution. Women like a little more confidence in a man than this.”
Indigo sent him a dirty glare but stiffened his spine anyway and straightened his shoulders before giving a toss of his hair with his fingers, flicking it out of his eyes.
Uneasily turning to me, he quietly asked, “How do I look?”
Charmed by his nervousness, I squeezed his arm. “As handsome as ever.”
He bobbed his head, confirmed, and steered us around a turn, his gaze darting over the mob of people with an eager kind of hope before—he jarred to a frozen stop and stared fixedly at someone. I squinted in that direction but didn’t immediately spot a woman anywhere. Like any woman. There were a couple off to the side where he wasn’t really staring, but I only noticed a gob of men where he—
“Oh, shit,” Indigo croaked, spinning away and hurrying off, yanking me with him, because I still had my arm hooked with his.
“Indy!” I cried in surprise. “Wha—?”
“This can’t be right,” he mumbled, shaking his head frantically.
“What can’t—Indy! My God, stop!”
He gave another abrupt halt at my command but refused to acknowledge me, seemingly lost in his swirling, unsettled thoughts.
Farrow reappeared at my side. “What the hell just happened?”
“I—I have no idea.” I glanced at him, biting my lip, and shook my head.
With an impatient sigh, Farrow slapped Indy’s arm, gaining his attention. “Hey.”
Indigo sent him a sharp frown.
Farrow lifted his hands, silently demanding an explanation.
Indigo turned away with a sniff and ran a hand over his face. “Un-fucking-believable,” was all he muttered to himself, ignoring us once more.
“What is?” I cried, growing just as impatient as my husband. “What's wrong with her? Was she with another man or something?”
“No.” Cupping his head in his hands, he peered up at the sky as if to say, Why? Why did you do this to me?
“Too young?” I tried. “Too old? Too hideous?” Vexed by that idea, I slapped a hand to my hip and scowled. “Indigo Moast, if you’re trying to deny your tie to your true love just because of the way she looks, I swear—”
“What?! No! I would never deny my true love anything,” he snarled savagely, glaring at me for even suggesting such a thing. “This has nothing to do with the way he—” Breaking off when he realized he’d just said too much, he winced and hissed out a curse.