Page 65 of Three Little Wishes

He leaned back and looked down at her. “So what’s with the tears?”

She pressed her palm on his chest and then moved it, waving her hand between them. “It’s about you and me… about us. There can’t be an us. I mean, I don’t know if there’s an us—”

“There’s an us. We’ve been an us since we were fifteen.”

“We were a different kind of an us than the us I’m talking about.”

“We were fifteen. We couldn’t be the us we are now or the us that I’m very much hoping we’ll be.”

“I wanted that too. I wanted it so much,” she said, stepping back and swiping a finger under her lashes. “And now we can’t be anything more than Summer Noah and Willow. Even that might be too close.”

“I think I’m missing something.”

“You are. I’m sorry. It’s just been a lot.” She looked around and then took him by the hand, leading him away from the restaurant to the water’s edge. “My mother’s my mother, but she’s not my biological mother. Cami is.” She squeezed his hand. “And Noah, my mom says that your uncle is my father.”

He let go of her hand and stared at her, looking stunned.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. But Noah, I’m almost certain we’re not cousins. At least fifty percent certain.”

“Willow, you have nothing to apologize for.” He took her hand. “Why don’t we sit down?”

“I’m not sure I want to. That’s what my mother said before she dropped her bomb, bombson me.”

“You really have had a hell of day, haven’t you?” he said, drawing her into his arms and resting his chin on the top of her head. “Don’t worry. I’d hug you even if you are my cousin.”

She buried her face in his chest. “I don’t want you to be my cousin.”

“Trust me, sweetheart. I don’t want to be your cousin any more than you want to be mine.” He gave her a light squeeze. “Talk to me. Tell me how you’re feeling, really feeling. I’m assuming when you told Sage you’re good, you were referring to learning Cami was your biological mom. But I can’t believe it would be that easy for you to bounce back after that kind of news.”

She nodded. “I haven’t had a chance to completely process it. I don’t know what it says about me, but I couldn’t get past the cousin thing.”

He stepped away from her, placing a hand on the small of her back. “Come on. Let’s sit over here.” He guided her several feet from the shore, and they sat side by side on the sand.

She leaned against him. “Do you think there’s something wrong with me that all I could focus on was you and me?”

“No, but I’m biased. I like that your biggest concern was how it impacted us. And, like you said, it’s a lot to process.”

“It’s not just that. My mom was torn up. You saw her. She looks like she’s been crying for a week, and she feels guilty, so guilty. I couldn’t make her feel worse by asking questions or letting her see that I was angry that they’ve kept it fromme for all this time.” She shook her head. “Not angry, disappointed, I guess.”

“You can be honest with me, Willow. I’m not going to judge you. I want to be here for you. I want you to be able to say whatever it is you’re feeling.”

“Ugh.” She flopped onto her back in the sand. “Stop being Mr. Perfect. Stop saying exactly what I need to hear.”

He lay on his back beside her, turned his head, and winked at her. “Perfect Noah, I think I like it.”

She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m being serious.”

“So was I. Talk to me.”

She blew out a breath. “I can’t be mad at Cami. Maybe because I’ve gotten to know her this past week, and she was just a year older than she is now—a year older than she thinks she is, I mean—when she had me. Can you imagine?”

“No. In fact, the idea of the Cami we know having a baby is slightly terrifying. She’s lucky she had your mother to turn to, and you’re lucky that it was Gia who raised you. I don’t mean to sound judgmental. I know plenty of young women who raise children on their own without the help of their family and do a fantastic job, Robyn for one. But think about what Cami must’ve been dealing with at the time. Not only was she a pregnant seventeen-year-old, the father of her baby had recently died in a tragic car accident.”

“I can’t imagine.” She picked up a handful of sand, watching as it seeped through her fingers. “So you think it’s true. I am your cousin.”

“There’s a possibility Flynn is your father. We’ll take a DNA test. Riley will too. We’ll have an answer by the end of the week.” He took her hand, gently shaking it to get herto look at him. “If my uncle was your father, Willow, you’re entitled to a third of the sale of the corporation.”

She pulled her hand from his and shook her head. “No, I’m not. It’s yours and Riley’s, and I want no part of it. I mean it, Noah.”

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