Page 96 of Three Little Wishes

Riley smiled. “Me too.” Her smile faded as she thought of Noah and Willow. “I just wish Noah and Willow would talk.”

“Did he apologize to Cami?”

“He didn’t call her. He wrote her a letter. Cami said it made her cry. She blames herself for Noah and Willow breaking up, and we’ve been trying to figure out a way to get them back together or at least get them to talk.”

“Does Noah know you’re talking to Cami?”

Riley nodded. “Yeah, and he seems okay with it. But he doesn’t ask about Willow, and when I try and bring her up, he changes the subject. He used to do that when I brought up Mom, but we talk about her now, so maybe he’ll eventually talk about Willow, and I can figure out what Cami and I can do to get them back together.”

“Have you talked to Willow?”

“Yeah, but she’s as bad as Noah. Every time I mention him, she changes the subject. They’re so annoying. Cami says she’s not getting anywhere with Willow either.”

“I wonder if Noah believes Willow wouldn’t forgive him after what he said, and how he broke things off with her?”

“But that’s just it, Willow is the most forgiving person I know.” She told her about Megan and even Cami. “You’d love Willow, Mrs. D. She’s the best.” She showed Mrs. D some of the videos of Willow doing the weather and pictures Cami had sent of her.

“I printed off some of the pictures and left them out for Noah. He never said anything to me but I didn’t see them again.”

Mrs. D studied the photos. “I have an idea.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ve known your brother longer than you have. You have to stop pussyfooting around and confront him.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Lovey, you got him to not only take you to Sunshine Bay but to stay there with you.”

“That wasn’t me. It was Willow.”

“I’m sure she helped, but your brother wants you to be happy as much as you want him to be. You need to tell him how you feel about his break-up with Willow, tell him you feel partially to blame and that it would make you feel better if they’d at least talk. Then remind him about all the good times you all had together and tell him what you told me about Willow’s capacity for forgiveness. Because I do believe that’s the problem.”

“Will you come with me? I might need backup.”

Mrs. D chuckled and got off the couch. “I used to be your mother’s backup on occasion, and nothing would give me more pleasure than being yours.”

Noah looked up from the papers on his desk that a courier had delivered ten minutes before Mrs. D had arrived. Riley’s brother smiled. “Hey, Mrs. D. How was your vacation?”

“Lovely.” She set the plate of cookies on his desk. “Are you in the middle of anything important? Riley and I would like a word.”

He glanced at Riley and scratched the back of his head. “I’m just signing off on the purchase agreements for Channel 5 and the beach house.”

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence,” Mrs. D said. “We want to talk to you about Sunshine Bay and the woman you’re in love with.”

“Mrs. D,” Noah muttered.

Mrs. D. ignored him, took a seat on the chair in front of his desk, and smiled at Riley. “Go ahead, lovey. I’ll chime in when needed.”

Riley launched into the speech she’d been practicing for the past two weeks but hadn’t had the nerve to deliver. Mrs. D. chimed in a few times, but other than that, Riley said exactly what she wanted to and ended with, “Willow loves you as much as you love her, and she’d forgive you anything. She forgave Megan and Cami. She believes in second chances, and she’ll give you yours. I know she will, and deep down, so do you.”

Noah slowly nodded, and then, looking from Mrs. D to Riley, he picked up the purchase agreements and ripped them in two. Riley gasped. She couldn’t believe what he’d done. He’d just ripped up Willow’s dream, and Cami and Riley’s. Cami was buying the beach house so they could spend their summers there.

She was staring at the shredded papers on her brother’s desk when he said, “What are you waiting for, Tink? You’ve gotta pack. We’re leaving for Sunshine Bay in ten minutes.”

Chapter Thirty

The balloons lay deflated on the station’s floor, the corked champagne swam in the melted ice in a kiddie pool, and the food sat forlorn and forgotten on the groaning table. Five hours earlier, they’d been waiting for the call that would officially kick off the celebration. They’d gotten a call, just not the one they expected.

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