19. Hope
“You arethe best thing I never planned.” ~Unknown
I’m sitting in between two of my favorite people in the whole world, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Especially now that I know my best friend is totally on board with me dating her brother. Okay, totally on board may be stretching it. The fact that Ames didn’t gag when she gave Shane and me her blessing is good enough.
“I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t do any lovey-dovey stuff in front of me,” she pleads from her side of the bench. We’re out on our little balcony at the inn again, enjoying the sunshine after they got back from breakfast. Amelia wrinkles her nose and adds, “I don’t think I’m quite ready yet to see any PDA.”
“How do you define PDA?” Shane asks, his tone mischievous. “Holding hands? Putting my arm around Hope? Kissing?”
Amelia yelps and looks away from us. “Definitely no kissing. I need to first wrap my head around the idea of you two even being in the same space. You guys have always existed in your own bubbles before, but now the bubbles are merging, and it’s throwing me off.”
“Like a Venn diagram!” I exclaim as my inner fifth grade math teacher comes out. “Our three circles are intersecting in a whole new way. Before this, all we had in common was you, Ames, but now, Shaney and I have our own intersection.”
“Yes, we do,” Shane agrees as he gives my cheek a quick smooch.
“I heard that!” Amelia shudders. “I have to get used to hearing your nicknames, too.”
I nudge her arm playfully. “Shaney’s not that bad. You used to copy me and call him that, too.”
“When he was ten. But fine, it’s a lot less cringy than what I put you through for over a decade with the nickname I used for a person who shall not be named.”
“You mean Ry-Ry?” Shane pipes up in a high-pitched voice to imitate Amelia’s. “Because of you, sis, I’ve never been able to look at rye bread the same way again.”
“Me either.” I laugh and copy Shane’s look of dismay. “I’m glad you said it, Ames. I never want to say anything bad about that nickname since you loved it so much.”
“Used to, not anymore.”
“Aren’t you and Ryder talking again?” Shane asks. “He called me up the other day asking where you were. He sounded pretty concerned.”
“It was work-related.”
“Work-related? But you guys are at different hospitals.”
“He was doing a reference call for someone applying for a job in his department.”
“Oh, interesting,” I remark, with an emphasis on the latter word. I can tell from her tone that there’s something she’s not saying. “Was that all?”
“Mm-hmm. So, what was this luggage fiasco you were telling me about over the phone?” she asks, obviously ready to change the topic.
“Oh, my goodness, Ames, you’ll never believe what happened. Actually, you know me so well, maybe you will.”
She grins. “Is this on the same level as you squeezing out all the air from a plastic bag of grapes before you weighed it at the grocery store?”
“Just about.” I turn to Shane, too embarrassed to look at him. “Pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Hear what?” He tilts my chin up to meet his gaze. “Not that it matters what I heard or didn’t hear because it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I love every part of you, Hope. Especially the part of you that gave away your luggage to a fake Good Samaritan who then sold it at a flea market to a little old lady who reminded me of Edna from The Incredibles who found you to be so delightful, she gave it back to you for free.”
I burst out with a hearty laugh, feeling both loved and amused. “That pretty much sums it up. Thanks, Shaney.”
“My pleasure.”
“So, you didn’t lose your luggage?” Amelia asks, confused.
“I did. But God also brought it back to me.”
“Like He did with me,” Shane boldly adds. He bumps my knee with his, then shoots me a heartfelt wink that makes my cheeks warm.
“Yep. There were quite a few surprises on this trip.” I smile at him before turning back to Ames. “The only downside is that I lost the things that were in my luggage. Including your birthday gift that I spent months working on.”
Amelia gives me a quick hug. “You are so sweet, Hope. Just tell me what you got; that’ll be enough for me.”
“Well, originally, I got you thirty candles in your favorite scents.”
“Thirty?! And you put them all in your luggage? That must’ve weighed a ton!”
“Not quite a ton.” I chuckle, remembering my clever workaround to that situation. “You would’ve loved them, Ames. There were fruity scents, floral ones, and everything in between. There was even one that smelled like angel food cake.”
“Yum! That sounds so good now that I can eat again. I can’t wait to visit the bakeries here. You’ll have to take me to get an ?bleskiver later today.”
“For sure. I’m sure Shaney would like another ball of fried dough,” I tease him.
“Whatever you wish, my love.”
I swoon a bit inside. If Ames wasn’t sitting beside us, I’d be covering his face with kisses right now, but for her sake, I hold back. Instead, I try a move from the historical romances I’ve read and inch my hand closer to Shane’s until they’re side by side. I brush my pinky against his and tingles travel up my finger at the contact. In response, Shane flexes his hand, à la Mr. Darcy, and we share a secret smile.
“Ahem!” Amelia clears her throat. “Should we get those ?bleskivers now since you guys seem to be in the mood for something sweet?”
I offer Ames a sheepish smile before telling her, “I actually have a replacement gift for you. It’s not as fragrant as the candles, but hopefully you’ll like it. It’s not quite your birthday yet, but do you want it now?”
“Hope spent a lot of our vacation shopping for it,” Shane informs Amelia.
“Your vacation?” she balks. “You mean Hope’s and my vacation.”
“Hope’s, your, and my vacation,” he replies with a cheeky grin.
“Humph! You should be grateful I’m willing to share my best friend with you, little brother.”
“I’m more than happy to share my girlfriend with you, big sis.”
“Just remember she was my friend first!”
“But we’ve known her the same amount of time.”
“All right, guys, we get the point!” I jump up off the bench, then look from one person to the other. “No more arguing! I love both of you guys!”
Amelia quirks a brow. “But who do you love mo?—”
“I’m going to get your gift, Ames!” I head into the room to retrieve the large bag I’d put all the items in and also grab a pair of socks for my cold feet, before taking my seat on the bench again. “Happy birthday, Ames! It’s missing one more thing, but we literally went to every store in town, and I couldn’t find what I wanted, so you’ll have to take a raincheck for the last item.”
“This is more than enough!” She tucks her curly brown hair behind her ears, then proceeds to take the items out one by one. After unwrapping each one, she takes a moment to ooh and ahh and laugh when appropriate. Her face lights up as she shows off the various items. By the time she’s emptied the bag, her entire lap, along with Shane’s and mine are full of gifts. “Thank you, Hope. I love them all so much. I always said you’re the best gift giver I know.”
I receive her hug with open arms. “I’m so glad you like them. It was like a wild goose hunt trying to find them all. I’ll give you the thirtieth item as soon as I can.”
She shakes her head. “No, Hope, you don’t need to give me anything else. I have my last gift already.”
“Where? What are you talking about?”
“It’s you guys,” she says, gesturing to Shane and me. “Seeing you and my little brother happy together, as weird as it is, makes me happy. I’m glad you guys found each other again after all these years apart.”
“Thanks, sis.” Shane reaches around my back to give Amelia’s shoulder a pat. “Happy birthday. I guess this takes care of my gift to you this year.”
“Nuh-uh, not so fast. This was Hope’s gift to me. Her being willing to put up with you is all her doing. You still owe me one.”
Shane laughs. “Seriously? What could be better than me and Hope dating?”
“You know what.” Amelia wiggles her brows and shoots him a knowing look. “Diary, cheese—catch my drift? Do your magic, little bro. I’m going to go put these away and unpack my stuff and give you guys some privacy.”
As soon as Ames steps back into the room, I turn to Shane. “What was that about? Why was she talking about cheese?”
“It’s a long story, but first things first.”
He pulls me onto his lap and gives me a proper kiss. Not Pride and Prejudice proper, but fitting for a boyfriend kissing his girlfriend without the risk of making his sister sick. It’s a sweet and tender kiss that leaves me with a goofy smile on my face. I kick my feet, then wrap my arms around Shane’s neck, feeling like a lovesick teenager. “I see you got my message.”
“I did,” he says, gesturing to my socks and the If you can read this, kiss me now text on the soles. “I think a shirt with the same words would work better though. I can’t see your socks all the time.”
“Are you planning on kissing me all the time?”
“All. The. Time,” he repeats with a sparkle in his eyes. “Which means I’ll need to buy you about a dozen more of these.”
I laugh. “I’ll take a shirt instead. I hardly ever wear socks. This trip might be the only time. It’s much too hot in Arizona. So, tell me what you and Ames were talking about.”
“Well, it’s kind of related to Arizona,” Shane begins in a hopeful tone, “or more precisely, California. She wants me to convince you to move back. No pressure, though. Of course, I’d love for you to come back to the Bay Area, but if Arizona’s where your heart is at, I’m ready for a change.”
“I still can’t believe you’re willing to uproot your life for me.”
“I’m not talking about moving to a different planet,” he jokes, “or even a different country.”
“It’s a whole different climate though. We’re talking triple digit weather in the summer and also monsoons, thunderstorms, and haboobs.”
“Huh-who?”
“Haboobs. They’re dust storms. Phoenix has one to three a year.”
“You don’t say.”
“And there are also the bugs to consider.”
“No consideration needed. As you know, I love bugs.”
“Even scorpions?”
“Especially scorpions. Have you seen how cool their tails look?”
I shake my head and smile. “What about your job?”
“I looked into it already. I won’t be able to transfer my EMT cert to Arizona, but there is a 14-day boot camp I can take. The next one starts in July.”
My heart starts pounding as his words sink in. He’s already done his research. I have no doubt of his commitment now. “You’re really serious about this.”
“I’m serious about you. I can find a job anywhere, but there’s only one you. And if you’re in Arizona, that’s where I want to be, too.”
“Shaney, I can’t let you do this. You have a good job in California, and I’d hate for you to have to start your cert all over again. Plus, Amelia’s there. Who’s going to help her unclog her sink or jump-start her car when she needs help? And with you being so tall, your head’s that much closer to the sun, which in the desert is not a good thing.” I’m spouting off whatever excuses I can come up with and enjoying the confusion growing on Shane’s face. It’s all in good fun before I reveal my plan, one that I know in my heart of hearts is the right thing for me—for us.
“I’m not that tall, Hope. That’s not a good enough reason for me not to move.” He pauses, then chuckles. “Was that a double negative? Are you rubbing off on me?”
“Not quite, but I am going to be rubbing off on you so much, Shaney, you’re not going to know what to do with yourself. But I can’t let you move to Arizona because I’m moving back to California.”
“You’re what?”
“I already did my research. I can transfer my teaching credential to California without having to take any extra classes.”
“That’s awesome! But are you sure? You’ve already made a life for yourself in Arizona. You’d be giving all that up.”
“As a wise man once told me, it’s not like I’m moving to a different planet or even a different country. I’m actually going home. I moved because my mom needed me at that time, but now that she’s doing well, I think it’s okay for me to leave. I want to go back to the Bay Area. My favorite people are there.”
“Yeah? Which people exactly?”
“Well, there’s Ames, of course. And I really want to meet her neighbor, Ms. Archibald. Ames said she has the best stories to tell. And there’s this barista that I follow on Instagram who does the coolest latte art. I can’t wait to go to her café in person.”
Shane starts to pout with his brows drawn together. “Is that all? No one else?”
“I don’t know. Should there be anyone else?”
“Think again. Maybe the words gorgeous, cute, sweet, hilarious, and wise will jog your memory?”
“Hm. Do I know anyone like that?”
The longer I pretend to ponder, the poutier he becomes. I can’t help but smile at his disgruntled expression that is so unlike him. Shane is so the opposite of grumpy. He’s sweetness, sunshine, and tenderness all rolled into one.
Taking his face in my hands, I look deep into his eyes. The flecks of green, brown, and gold remind me of fireworks shooting across the night sky on the Fourth of July. My heart wants to burst in the same way with glorious lights and colors for all the world to see. I can’t believe I get to love and be loved by this man.
“There is definitely someone else,” I tell him, “my boyfriend. He’s gorgeous, cute, sweet, hilarious, and wise, and he’s the best surprise I’ve ever gotten in my life.”
“And does this amazing boyfriend have a name?”
“Yes. It’s you, Shaney. You’re my best surprise.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, he pulls me close and surprises me once again in the best of ways. He places his lips on mine with an unspoken promise of more. I kiss him back, more than ready for all the love and joy that’s sure to come our way.