Page 80 of Love on the Run

“No. Not that. I’m definitely falling for Beau. I mean, likereallyfalling.”

Olivia chuckled. “I thought you said you had a problem.”

“This is a problem! I am head over heels!”

“Yeah, sounds terrible. Love is overrated,” Olivia deadpanned.

“Why are you being sarcastic? I just got my heart stomped on. I don’t know if Beau likes me back. What if people think I was cheating on Dean? It’s too soon.”

“First, who cares about what people think? If you two want to be together, don’t let anyone tell you it’s too soon after you broke it off with that loser. You deserve happiness, and you shouldn’t have to sit on the sidelines for a socially acceptable amount of time.”

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. “But people will talk.”

“Like I said, so what? Second, what makes you think Beau doesn’t like you back?”

“Well, I actually think he might, but I am terrified of being wrong about this.”

“Tell me about what’s going on. What led to these feelings?”

Anna spent the next half hour telling Olivia about different things that happened over the last few days that showed Anna a different side of Beau. Reliving the moments only strengthened her feelings for him.

Finally, Olivia let out a long whistle. “Wow. Girl, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. It sounds like he’s in this too.”

“You think?” She wanted to hope, but hope might only lead to more heartache.

“I do. I’ve never known Beau to act like that. This is different.”

Anna huffed out a breath and relaxed against the headboard. “It’s definitely different for me. I’ve forced more than my fair share of relationships, but being with Beau is as easy as breathing. I’m happy when I’m with him.”

“Bingo! That’s what I needed to hear. Just enjoy the rest of your trip and have a talk like responsible adults when you get back to the real world. If it’s meant to be, it’ll survive after the vacation is over.”

The dog continued barking next to Olivia. “Hey,let me call you back. Betsy needs to go out, and I have to suit up. It’s snowing hard tonight.”

“Go take care of your baby. We’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too. Don’t worry. It’ll all be okay.”

Anna dropped the phone onto the bed and allowed Olivia’s encouragement to sink in. As expected, Liv had helped Anna breathe easily again. They knew each other so well, and they’d been friends since they were young. Even with the history, they still didn’t shy away from telling each other the truth.

Her phone vibrated twice in a row, and she reached for it. There were multiple messages from Brittany.

Brittany: Who designed the beige trench coat you wore today?

Brittany: And were the boots Stella Artour? Have they been released yet? I can’t find them.

At least Brittany had moved on from personal questions. Fashion was a safe subject.

Anna: The trench coat is Gretta Danse, and the boots are Stella Artour. Good eye! They’re actually in next year’s fall line.

Brittany would no doubt reply immediately, but Anna clicked over to check her emails. A message waited from TrueBlue, the exclusive boutique that designed and sent her custom wedding dress.

TrueBlue: Hi Anna.

We received the dress and wanted to confirm that it is still in good condition. It’s unfortunate that you were unable to feature the dress since it was a custom creation. We also think it would be in poor taste to offer the dress to another bride in light of the negativity associated with your wedding.

Though we were grateful to have the opportunity to work with you, we have decided to terminate our business arrangement. The design and production of the dress was too much of a loss to overlook.

We wish you well.

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