Page 83 of The Wedding Run
“Echinacea?” Luke repeats.
“You know, coneflowers.” She points to dried flowers hanging upside down over her head. “They have great healing properties.”
“What about peppermint?” I ask.
“Aids in digestion. And freshens the breath. Just in case.” She winks.
My gaze meets Luke’s, bringing back the memory of our kiss.
He clears his throat. “And, uh, chamomile?”
“Lowers blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and some say it even fights cancer cells.” Sara hands me the teabag. “I wish I could have helped more.”
“You helped more than you know.” I hand her a candle for Elle and a jar of tea leaves for Charlie, and she rings up my purchase.
After I pay, Luke and I head off, giving Sara a ‘see you later’ and ‘thanks so much’.
Luke watches me for a moment before asking, “You okay?”
“I wish this mystery were easier to solve. Why didn’t my mother explain the teabag in her letter? Was she encouraging me to be healthy? Was it an accident to place it with the letter?”
“It’s good for blood pressure,” he repeats what Sara said. “That’s needed for a good, strong marriage.”
He’s teasing, and I tap his shoulder lightly with the back of my hand. Yet, his good humor lifts me out of my somber mood.
“Actually,” I say, a sudden thought coming to me, “maybe I should call my Aunt Barb. My mom’s older sister. Maybe she knows something.”
Luke guides me toward another vendor. “Let’s think it over while we eat a funnel cake.”
Soon we find ourselves standing beneath the shade of a dogwood tree, the beautiful white flowers blooming overhead as we tear off pieces of sugary frybread. Once we’re done, Luke tosses the paper plate into a nearby trash can. When he comes back, he jostles a low-hanging branch, showering me with dogwood petals and making me laugh.
He gently plucks a white petal from my hair. For a moment, we’re just a breath apart. His gaze meets mine and then dips toward my lips.
Just when I believe he’s going to kiss me, he takes a step away and holds a delicate petal between us. “Make a wish.”
I’m reminded of my dad’s trick of blowing on an eyelash to distract me from heartbreak. I close my eyes and wish I knew what my mother was trying to tell me. I also secretly wish that my feelings for Luke would be reciprocated.
Then I open my eyes. Luke watches me intently. I blow on the petal, and Luke releases it into the spring air, which feels full of promise.
If only wishes could come true so easily.
CHAPTER 41
Luke
Libby unlocks her apartment door. Behind her, I carry the large package from her father. She flips on the light, brightening the entrance and living room. From what I can see, everything is neat, just as I imagined. She probably has lists detailing where everything goes.
She pushes her suitcase aside and clears a spot for the mammoth present on the coffee table in the living room. “Here. That must be heavy.”
“Not too bad.” I put it down.
We stare at it, as if after hanging out for a week we no longer have anything to say.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” I ask.
“I’m not keeping it.”
“You could still open it. Can’t return it all wrapped up.”
