Alex jumped up and followed Grace out of the room calling out, “What? You said we were going shopping!”
Maegan stood and walked over to me. She leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I’m so happy for you both, I hope you know that.”
I reached for her hand and nodded. “I do, Meg. I love you.”
She smiled weakly. “I love you too, Lib.” Turning, Maegan made her way out of the room. Taylor and Lauren both stood up and walked closer to me. They dropped to their knees and I knew the questions were fixin’ to come.
Lauren bit down on her lip and then asked, “Do you regret sleeping with Zach?”
I nodded my head. “Yes. I knew he wasn’t the one and I used him to try and push Luke from my heart. It doesn’t work like that and my mother even tried to warn me.”
Taylor reached for my hand. “I want so badly to find what you and Alex have.”
I placed my hand over her hand in mine. “Oh, Tay, it will happen, honey. Don’t rush it. Wait for that one guy who’s smile is going to light your whole body on fire.”
“How do you know? I mean, how do you know when it’s love?” Lauren asked.
I glanced back at Lauren. “I don’t know how to describe it. Love seems to take its own sweet time. It doesn’t take a straight path. It twists and turns, but somehow it finds its way to you. You have to learn to listen to your heart, but that’s harder to do than it sounds.”
“There were times when it seemed like you and Luke couldn’t stand each other. How do you go from that to—this?” Lauren asked.
“I don’t know, Lauren. Luke had made me so mad sometimes I wanted to spit in his face and kick him in the balls.” I smiled and shook my head. “But then he’d smile at me—or look at me as if I was his everything, even when he wasn’t trying to look at me like that he did. I guess that’s why I waited for so long.”
Taylor cleared her throat. “I’m going to be patient and wait for him. I’m going to wait for that smile that makes my knees weak and my stomach flutter with excitement.”
“Do, Taylor. I promise you, it will be worth the wait.”
LUKE AND I walked along the beach and talked about everything. We found a spot where there weren’t many people. I turned and saw a huge mansion. “Um, I think this is a private beach, Luke.”
We both looked around. There was no one around us. “Where is everyone? How far did we walk?”
I giggled and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess I was too lost in the conversation.”
Luke scrunched up his nose and smiled. My heart dropped. It seems my heart was doing that a lot the last twenty-four hours. I watched as Luke placed the blanket down and then set the basket down. He took my ha
nd and held it while I sat.
Luke opened the basket and took out two bottles of root beer and set them on the blanket. Placing two plastic plates down, Luke smiled. He opened a container and placed a croissant sandwich on each plate.
“It’s chicken salad on a croissant. I know how much you love chicken salad.”
Yep. There went my heart again. Dropping down to my stomach.
Reaching into the basket he took out two brownies and set them on the plates. “Where in the world did you get those?” I asked. Luke looked up at me and gave me the same smile I had been talking to Lauren and Taylor about early.
“Colt made them earlier and I stole them!” Luke said with a laugh.
I picked up the chicken salad sandwich and asked, “The sandwich?”
“I made them. My mom showed me a few years back when I found out they were your favorite.”
Oh wow. Butterflies galore in my stomach.
“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, Luke,” I whispered as I leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
The moment the chicken salad hit my taste buds I moaned. “Oh God. It’s your mom’s secret recipe!”
Luke nodded his head as he chuckled. “Mom said her recipe was your favorite.” Nodding my head, I agreed.