“Do you want to tell me about it?” Garret asked, picking up a handful of rocks from under the log.
“Something happened this weekend.” She wished she could melt into the sand beneath their feet and disappear forever among the lily pads and reeds. It was mortifying to make this confession to Garret, but she knew it needed to be said. “Joseph and I were trying to get you to ask me to the Harvest Ball. To notice me, for once. That’s why he was flirting with me. He figured you’d go after me, too.”
His eyebrows raised and he chuckled. “You faked liking each other just so I would ask you to the dance?”
Her chest felt splotchy and itchy. “Yes...I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry we manipulated you that way.”
“Well, I guess it worked. And I guess I’m more predictable than I thought.” He sat back on the log, a frown forming on his lips. “Joey always accused me of following along a little too closely in his footsteps, but I always denied it. I guess he was right. The last thing I ever wanted to be in this life was predictable.”
“But that’s not all you are.” She turned to him, splaying her hands palm up in front of her torso. “You’re funny, you’re charming, you’re adventurous. I wish I had half of your courage.”
His lips twitched with a smile. “If I’m all of that, then what’s so wrong with me that you can’t kiss me back?”
She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “You’re just not Joseph.”
He breathed in through his nose, his nostrils flaring, and looked down at the ground. She wished she could know what he was thinking. Never in a million years had she expected this outcome. She’d been dead set on getting Garret’s attention, but now that she had it, it wasn’t what she’d expected.
Joseph had been a different case. From the moment she barged into his dad’s study, they’d clicked. Not only did he know how to make her laugh, but he also helped her feel confident in a way that Garret never had. And now, it was the only way she wanted to feel. She didn’t want to give that up.
“I hope you don’t hate me,” she said quietly, picking at the hem of her sweater. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“At the very least, I can say that I bounce back quickly,” he replied, shooting her a smile. “I’ll live. But I think you should really be telling my brother all of this.”
She gulped and shook her head violently. “No way. The last time we spoke, he asked me to choose him and I pretty much ran away as fast as I could. You should’ve seen the look on his face.”
Her memory conjured up an image of Joseph as he held her hand and asked her to go to the ball with him. His expression had been so earnest, as if he were putting his heart on the line and she’d just stomped on it. No, she couldn’t tell Joseph these things. She’d lost that right the moment her silly head and heart had stopped communicating to her what she really wanted.
“Well, you should’ve seen the look on his face when he told me to take care of you.” Garret arched an eyebrow and tossed a rock into the pond, breaking the smooth surface. “I’ve never seen him like that, but it all makes sense now. He’s totally into you. He has been since we were little.”
“What? No.” Michelle shook her head. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“It’s true! I remember how he would go down to the ditch near our house just to pick flowers every day for you. I thought he was just being stupid, but I guess he liked you even then.”
Her mouth fell open in awe. “You mean those dandelions that he would shove into my lunchbox? I thought he was just teasing me.”
“No, I think they were a third grader’s way of announcing his love for you.” Garret threw his head back and chuckled. “I think I even remember him grabbing Alex Knottly by the collar in the high school locker room and threatening to deal with him if he ever said something rude about you again. I didn’t think much of it then, but now it makes sense.”
She hadn’t realized that Joseph had done those things for her. Her heart warmed at the thought. If only she’d known. If only she’d realized before now how wrong she and Garret were for each other and how Joseph was the man she needed.
“I don’t know if I can face him again,” she said miserably, her stomach feeling like lead. “I really don’t.”
“Hmmm,” he replied, nodding his head slowly.
They sat sitting staring out at the ducks for a long, quiet moment, before Garret stood and offered her a hand. She took it, dusting off her pants where she’d been sitting on the log. When she looked back at him, he had a look of excitement on his face. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, as if he were just working his way through a thought.
“What if I can fix things?” he asked, rubbing a hand along his chin. “Would you trust me enough to meet me at the ball tonight?”
She hesitated, knowing that the last place she wanted to be tonight was in a crowded hall full of happy couples, but the look in his eye drew her in. “Okay, I trust you.”
“Good.” He gave a nod of his head, a smile returning to his face. “Tonight, I’m lending you all of my courage. So don’t let me down.”
She tried to suppress a smile, but couldn’t help herself as her mood began to lighten. “And can I ask what the plan is?”
“It’s time for a little payback,” he said, rubbing his hands together vigorously.
Chapter Ten
Joseph still couldn’t believe his brother had convinced him to go out this evening. He stared up at the clock on the Town Hall, his stomach heavy with dread. It was a deceptively beautiful night, with the sky above appearing cloudless and as the perfect inky blue color. The stars had just begun to wake up, dotting the sky above like a gorgeous canvas.