Page 24 of Finding Happily Ever After

“Thank you.” Natalie took a small sip. She’d already had a glass and a half, and she definitely didn’t want to drink too much, but at that moment, wine felt like a good fit. “I really appreciate you…well…talking to me, I guess.”

Sarah laughed. “You do not have to thank me for that.”

“It’s just that I’m new to town, and I don’t know—”

Sarah put a hand on her arm. “It doesn’t matter if you’re new or if you’ve been here your whole life. We’ve got you, Natalie. Let me tell you, this town and the people in it saved me when my first husband died.”

Natalie sat back. She hadn’t known that Sarah was married before. Sure, she’d known that her daughter was from a previous relationship, but…well, she hadn’t really stopped to think about what that relationship was.

“Yes,” Sarah said with a small smile. “I was married before and, without getting into too many details, Josh and I were high school sweethearts.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She nodded but to Nat’s surprise, she didn’t look sad. “It was a hard time for a lot of reasons,” Sarah continued. “And I wanted to close myself up and hide from the world, but I didn’t because—”

“Of your friends?”

“Exactly. And my point is, it’s like that for everyone, Nat. You, too. You might be pretty new to town, but that doesn’t matter. No matter what you need, we’re here.” She squeezed her arm to make her point. “Okay?”

Natalie nodded. “Okay.”

“Great.” Sarah sat up and sipped her own wine. “Now, tell me what is going on with you and that ridiculously sexy teacher out there, because from where I sit—not that I’ve been watching—he is crazy into you. I mean, in a huge way. Was dinner okay?”

“Dinner was delicious. So good.”

“And now, let me guess, you’re not sticking around for any of Birchwood’s famous chocolate mousse, but opting for dessert of your own.”

Natalie almost spat out the sip of wine she’d just taken. Instead, she managed to swallow it, but only just barely. “I…what…I…”

“Am I wrong?”

She wasn’t. At least not really. Which was the whole problem.

The conflict must have shown on Natalie’s face, because Sarah’s smile faded and was instantly placed with a look of concern. “Oh. I…” She leaned forward. “Is that the problem?”

Natalie nodded. “I…this is so embarrassing, but…I’ve never…”

Sarah pressed her lips together and closed her eyes for a moment. “I get it.” She put her wine glass down and leaned forward. “When I first met Brody and we…well, I hadn’t been with anyone besides my husband and it was terrifying and…exciting, too. I’m not going to pretend it’s the same thing, but I will say this.”

Natalie listened, grateful to have someone to talk to about it after all this time.

“There is no right or wrong answer,” Sarah continued. “Whatever you do, just make sure you’re more than comfortable with it, okay? Aiden seems like a good guy. He’s not going to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Natalie nodded. She agreed with that. Aidenwasa good guy and even though she didn’t want to tell him that she was a virgin because it made her feel stupid and immature, she felt instinctively that he would understandifshe did tell him.

“Go with your gut, Natalie, and you’ll be okay.”

“That’s kind of vague advice, don’t you think?” Natalie couldn’t help but giggle a little.

“Sure it is.” Sarah laughed. “But no one else can tell you what to do here. It’s just about how you feel. I assume you have a reason for not…well, for saving yourself, and—”

“It’s not like that.” Natalie interrupted. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with saving yourself for marriage, but that’s not why. I just…well, when I was young there was a—”

She stopped herself. It was one thing to have a quick girl chat in the ladies’ room; it was a completely different thing to get into childhood trauma and drawn-out stories while your hot date, who you happened to be crazy attracted to, waited outside. “You know what?” She changed her mind. “That’s a story for a different day. But the point of it is, I really like Aiden and I…well, I…”

“Wanthim.”

She laughed. “I do.”

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