Page 95 of Finding My Charming

Now that she mentioned it, my cheeks were starting to burn from smiling. “Dallin.”

“Stop! No more talking about boys until I leave the room.” I hadn’t noticed my dad sitting at the table, but he stood abruptly and left for the living room.

“He’s always had such a hard time with you girls growing up. I’m pretty sure he still tells himself Beth thinks boys are yucky.”

I giggled and settled onto my usual spot.

“So? Judging by your face, things went well with him?”

“He told me he likes me too, and we’re officially a couple!”

She set down her knife and came around the island before wrapping me in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you, sweetie.”

I nodded then looked down at the necklace. “It’s still red. I thought Beth told us it changed back to clear once she and Finn made it official.”

Mom looked at the charm and narrowed her eyes. “I thought so, too. That’s how it was with me and your dad. Maybe there’s more to it that I forgot.”

I did not like the sound of that! The full moon was next week! I was basically out of time.

“I’ll call your grandma and see if she knows anything else.” She picked up the phone and punched in the number while walking out of the room.

Depending on Grandma’s mood, this could either be a two-minute call or it could go on for an hour. I reached across the counter and pulled the cutting board my mom had been using toward me.

Poor Dad. It looks like they are having a salad tonight since I have carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes to snack on while I wait.

My mom strode back into the room much sooner than I’d expected and narrowed her eyes at me. I’d been caught mid-reach for another cucumber slice. She slid the board back to her and resumed cutting.

“Are you going to tell me what she said?”

Her focus remained on the poor veggies that were being mutilated and punished.

“Mom? Is it something bad?”

She let out a slow breath and set the knife down. I was grateful she wouldn’t have that in her grasp when she broke the news.

“Your grandmother reminded me of something that I’d obviously forgotten. I didn’t ask for the details about Beth, but I guess she didn’t have this same problem.”

Oh no. Now would be the best time to run and hide in my room and pretend none of this was my life. “What problem?”

“You can’t just tell each other you like them. Each of you needs to say ‘I love you’ in order for the charm to restart for the next daughter, or in this case, your sister.”

“Are you kidding me?”

That is insane! Maybe back in the Stone Age, when this stupid spell was created, people told each other they loved them within a week of knowing each other, but that will never work now!

“Wait. You and Beth both did that?”

She shrugged, looking as confused as I felt. “I guess so. It must have just happened faster for us.”

I dropped my head to the counter and pounded it a few times. “If I tell him I love him, and I’m not even positive that I do yet, he’ll run away screaming! People don’t just say that anymore!”

“Call Beth and ask her how it happened. The bottom line is you have less than a week left to tell him you love him and have him return it. I’m sure there’s some small print somewhere in the family book that says you have to mean it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be your soul mate, huh?”

I picked my head up off the counter while hoping she was going to say “Just kidding” or tell me this was all an elaborate scheme. That didn’t happen.

“I’m sorry, Elise.”

My deliriously happy mood vanished with the first mention of a problem, and now I again felt nothing but defeat. What a rollercoaster!