Page 72 of Miss Fortune

“My mother’s having a sixtieth birthday party on Saturday night down in Laguna Beach. I was wondering, if you didn’t have other plans, if you would accompany me?”

“I’d love to.” Chill, Daisy, this wasn’t some big step in our relationship. This was being his date. But the fact he felt comfortable enough to have me meet his parents seemed huge.

“Good. How was the rest of the visit with your parents?”

“It was great.” Even though I’d missed him, and so had they.

“Glad to hear it. You’re babysitting tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, me and Toby are making pancakes and watching Paw Patrol. I should be finished by eight a.m. the next morning.”

“Are you okay with skipping our normal Saturday morning plans? They asked if I could help with another house build. I’ll be done early afternoon and can pick you up at four o’clock. It’ll take a couple hours to get down there. We won’t plan to stay long.”

He sounded as though he was already dreading it. “What kind of party? Formal? Casual?”

“It’s never casual with my parents. Think of dressy, outdoor country club attire. But if you already have plans, and this is too last minute, I understand. It honestly slipped my mind.”

“No, I’m free.”

“Okay, see you then. I’ll miss you tomorrow night.”

When he said things like that, I got warm and tingly all over. “I’ll miss you too.”

* * *

After Toby’s mom came and picked him up on Saturday morning, Tory came over for brunch and a much-needed opinion on what to wear. I spent an hour trying on different dresses and fooling around with my hair and makeup. Although I was typically all for color and standing out, tonight at the party I was going for elegant and sophisticated.

“What about this one?” I posed the question to Tory, modeling the navy maxi dress, which I thought classy and conservative.

“It’s great, but I really loved the red one on you.”

Yeah, the red one hugged all of my curves without apology. The navy dress was much more subdued. “I know, but the last thing I want is to stand out, especially the first time I’m meeting his family and at his mother’s birthday party.”

I didn’t miss her frown.

“Come on, I’m not hiding who I am. I’m simply toning it down a notch.”

“I get it. And you look beautiful in the navy dress. Truly.”

“But?” I knew my best friend had more to say.

“But, does Caleb make you happy. It’s been a few months, and although you said it’s not serious, I know you, Daise— You wear your heart on your sleeve.”

Caleb made me exceedingly happy when we were together. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide my feelings, which meant time was running out. And if you couldn’t be honest with your best friend, who could you be honest with? “I’m in love with him.”

There was no surprise reflected in her expression. “And?”

“And we want different futures, so I suppose I’m setting myself up to get hurt. But the thought of no longer seeing him sucks.”

“Meeting his family is a big step. Maybe he’s ready for something more serious?”

I shook my head sadly. That kind of thinking would only set me up for disappointment. “Caleb is the type who would say something if he’d changed his mind. He definitely hasn’t.”

“I don’t know how someone can’t be in love with you at first sight. I sure was.”

We both laughed. “No, you weren’t. You thought I was crazy.”

She rolled her eyes. “In my defense, you named your car, which had eyelashes, and you were so damn nice. To strangers. And you were a hugger.”