*
Selina’s suitcase was heavier than Marc had expected. Having misjudged its weight, he’d had to tug several times to get it out of the trunk. A light snow was starting to fall as he moved his own luggage around in the back of his SUV to make room for Selina’s luggage. One flake hit the bull’s-eye, slipping down the neck of his jacket and melting between his shoulder blades.
When he turned, Selina was standing behind him, the collar of her coat turned up to protect her neck and her hands clasped in front of her chest. The glow of the streetlight fell in a halo on her head, making her hair look almost white. Snowflakes danced about her, and she looked like a winter angel. Not a fairy, who tricked and played games, but someone who would provide steady comfort at the precise moment he needed it.
Standing next to Selina, Babe didn’t look nearly as serene. Selina was looking at him, but Babe was staring at Selina with a mixture of love and worry in her eyes. There were tearstains on both women’s cheeks.
Marc slammed the trunk of the SUV, the noise echoing in the cold night air and adding a new finality to their decision. When he turned back, the women were walking toward him. He took a step toward her, which she matched with a large step toward him.
If they could continue to meet each other halfway, they would be okay. No, they’d be better than okay. They would be great. He gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned before turning back to give Babe a hug.
“Bye, my dear,” the older woman said, pressing her face into Selina’s hair. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll drive down to get you if you need me to.”
“I won’t need,” Selina reassured her, which also made Marc feel better. “But I appreciate the offer. Thank you . . . for everything.”
Babe patted Selina’s face. Tears had returned to both their eyes. Fortunately, Selina’s face showed no signs of doubt. If he’d seen any regret on her face, he might have told her that they couldn’t do this. But she smiled at him as she pulled away from her friend.
He opened the passenger door for her, and she stepped up, putting her hand on the handle on the inside of the door. “I’ll text to let you know our progress. And send you pictures.”
The snow had started in earnest now, falling hard enough that it was sticking to Babe’s hat and covering the car. Babe nodded. “Do that. I’ll worry if I don’t hear from you.”
“I know.” Selina slid into the seat. “I’ll miss you.”
They both turned their faces to him, like they weren’t sure what to do next. He made ending the lingering good-bye easier on both of them by shutting the passenger door.
A scowl scrunched Babe’s face. “You take care of her.”
“I will.” Then he added, “And I won’t hurt her.”
The older woman rolled her eyes. “Right. That’s what all men say. And most of them even mean it.”
“Hey,” he said, affronted. “You’re assuming something more is going to happen on this road trip than what Selina and I talked about.”
He had never felt as stupid in his life as he did when Babe raised her eyebrows at him, snowflakes melting on her nose. “She said you were real smart, but now I have my doubts. Selina is cute. You’re not so bad yourself. You’re both young. You’ll be in a car together and then in hotel rooms together. Maybe nothing will happen. But I was young once, too. I remember.”
In a flash of insight, Marc saw Babe when she was young, when her face was smoother, her stomach not so generous, and her eyes less wary. He also saw that her remembered youth was both the reason she wasn’t trying to talk Selina out of going and the reason she worried about Selina.
“I have no interest in forcing her into anything, if that’s what you’re implying. As for the rest . . .” His voice trailed off because he had no idea how to finish that sentence with anything remotely truthful. If they did more than talk and share the car, he couldn’t promise not to hurt Selina any more than she could promise not to hurt him.
“Well, at least you’re smart enough to know your limitations. I’ll give you that.”
“Thanks.”
A couple of years ago, when he was younger and his ego hadn’t been battered about by years of near failure designing his app, he would have been insulted by Babe’s comment. But he was neither so young nor so stupid. Instead, he saw Babe’s protectiveness as confirmation that he’d made the right choice asking Selina to come with him. Babe seemed like the type of person who didn’t give her love easily but who loved hard when she did. If Selina had earned that love, then Marc was going to be lucky to have her with him.