Page 108 of Once Smitten, Twice Shy

I set my head against his chest, listening to his beating heart, and smile. “I know the feeling.”

•Thirty-Two•

Will

Sula shuts the door to the Edgy Envelope, flips the sign fromOpentoClosed, and slumps against the glass, hands raised over her head. “We did it!”

Juliet smiles tiredly from her perch on a stool at the register desk. I stare at her, worried she’s worn herself out, and she must read the concern on my face, because she mouths,I’m okay.

“Bea, Jules, Kate,” Sula says, drawing each of them into gentle side hugs, one after the other, “you were incredible, thank you. William”—she turns toward me, arms open wide—“gimme a hug, you inventory-restocking rock star.”

Sula’s always been nice to me since we met, but definitely not demonstrably affectionate, like the others. I throw Jules a quick surprised glance as Sula tackles me into a hug.

Juliet lifts her eyebrows, smiling wide.

“Thank you,” Sula says, slapping my back. “So much. We could not have done it without you.”

“Happy to help,” I tell her as we step apart. “I’m glad Toni texted me.”

Kate slumps onto the desk. “I’m so hungry. And I only helped half the day. You guys have to be dying.”

“Yep,” Jules tells her. “My stomach is eating itself.”

“Dinner’s two minutes away,” Sula says, eyeing her phone.

Bea lifts her hands in praise. “Thank God. I’m going to eat the shit out of that guacamole.”

The doorbell rings, and I jog toward it, accepting the giant bag of food and handing the delivery person a cash tip.

We tear open our Mexican and all settle in around the front desk, Juliet and Bea on stools, Sula, Kate, and I standing.

“So,” Kate says, crunching on a chip. “Jules was saying your family’s farm is expecting a big tourism boom this weekend?”

“Already ticked up pretty heavily toward the end of the week.” My sisters all reassured me they could handle today without me home, promising to keep me updated via text. It’s mostly been Miranda relaying updates from the others, but it’s helped to hear things have gone well. “Last I heard, they were slammed today, but that’s good for business, so no complaints.”

Sula asks, “So is your farm, where it is upstate, in the path of totality?”

Jules and Bea roll their eyes.

“Not this again,” Kate groans.

“If I had a nickel,” Jules says, “for every time Sula said ‘the path of totality,’ I could retire right now.”

“If I took a shot,” Bea tells her, “every time Sula said ‘the path of totality,’ I’d—”

“Have alcohol poisoning,” Sula grumbles, chucking a chip at Bea’s head. “Yeah, yeah, so sue me, I’m in awe of this rare, incredible natural phenomenon that’s happening in our backyard. I’msosorry.”

Bea dips the chip Sula tossed at her in guacamole and hands it to Sula, a peace offering. “We’re just teasing, Sul.”

Sula crunches on the chip. Peace offering accepted.

“So, is it?” Jules asks. “Is your land in the you-know-what?”

I grin. “The path of totality?”

Bea, Jules, and Kate throw up their arms, yelling in offense.

Sula smiles up at me. “I love this guy.”

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