“You know what it’s like when you have that first spark? That new passion that burns and burns. When you miss each other after five minutes, and smile every time you hear his voice?” I asked, leaning on the counter in the front of the flower shop, my voice annoyingly lovesick, even to my own ears.

“No,” Serena answered.

“Not really,” Chloe agreed.

“Oh, come on, you guys, really?” I looked at Chloe, whose hand was caressing her belly and asked, “Not even with Reardon?”

“With Reardon I was more freaked out that it was even happening. I didn’t have time for the gushy young love stuff,” Chloe replied, causing me to stick out my lower lip and pout at her.

I turned my pout to Serena.

“You either?”

I had a hard time believing Serena, possibly the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen in person, had never felt the stirrings of puppy love before. Were all the men in the world blind, or just totally freaking chicken?

Rena shook her head and said, “Nope. I mean, I’ve had hot sex, and boyfriends that I really liked, but no one that swept me up, not in the way you’re talking about.”

“But,” I muttered, still pouting, “That’s so sad.”

Serena chuckled and agreed, “Yeah, it is. But, we’re not talking about me, are we, we’re talking about you. And, what you’ve failed to say is, who is the lucky bastard who’s giving you all these feels?”

I slammed my mouth shut, wishing I’d done that from the get go, but when Serena and Chloe had walked in, I’d been thinking about seeing Dillon that night, and it had just popped out.

Chloe rolled her eyes and said, “I’ll give you one guess.”

“Dillon,” Serena answered immediately, shocking the hell out of me.

“What? How?” I stuttered.

“Puhlease,” Serena said, plucking a sunflower out of its container and walking toward me. “You’ve been in love with Dillon for-ever. I’m just happy you guys are finally figuring it out.”

“You knew?” I asked, incredulously.

She nodded.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Serena held the sunflower to her nose and brought her mocha eyes to mine.

“Because it was obvious you were always trying to hide it, and he was trying to deny it, and Jazzy would foam at the mouth anytime one of her friends showed any interest in her twin.” Serena shrugged. “I figured it would all work out in the end.”

At the mention of my best friend, my new love glow dimmed.

“Jasmine’s going to hate this, isn’t she?” I asked her cousin, knowing in my heart it was true.

“You know Jazzy always thinks with her heart first, then her head catches up. Even if she is upset at first, she’ll come to see how great this is,” Serena assured me.

“I don’t know…”

“Look, Jazzy is gone for a little while longer,” Chloe began. “Why don’t you wait and see how things go with Dillon. I mean, first it was just a weekend thing, and now you don’t know what it is. How about the two of you figure that out first, then worry about Jasmine. ‘Cause if things don’t work out, then there’s no reason for her to get upset.”

“You think so? I feel bad keeping something this big from her,” I told them.

“Yeah, Chloe’s right,” Serena said. “If you and Dillon haven’t even talked about what you’re doing yet, you need to do that. Focus on what you want, then make him give it to you, and then sit down and talk to Jasmine. One on one. You guys are besties, and once she hears from you how you feel, she’s going to be happy for you.”

I thought about what they both said and I really did want to find out what was going on, before I risked getting Jazzy spun up for nothing.

Although, I really, really hoped, there would be something to tell her. Because after our weekend together, and the easy way we’d been together today, I wanted this to be real. I wanted to feel giddy and excited over a guy who treated me like what I wanted mattered, like I matter. And I especially wanted that man to be Dillon.

“Okay, you’re right,” I said. “I do need to see where things are going with Dillon before I freak out and make a big deal out of nothing.”

Just then, my phone beeped, indicating I’d received a text, so I picked it up off the counter.

I’ll be done in about an hour, want me to pick up dinner and you can meet me at my house in an hour and a half?

“It’s Dillon,” I told them, my tone conveying my excitement.

I sound just like teenaged Laurel used to when talking about NSYNC.

“Oh brother,” Chloe muttered, but I ignored her lack of exuberance.

“He’s going to pick up dinner,” I added, then gushed, “You guys, he’s been so sweet and attentive. I’ve never been with a guy like him before. He literally treats me like I treat Princess. Like I’m someone precious to him.”

Thinking of Princess, I made a mental note to give her food and extra snuggles before I left her alone again. She was not going to be happy with me.

“He is one of the good ones,” Serena agreed with a grin.

“Okay, even I can admit that there’s something about you Lewis cousins that is unlike anyone else I’ve ever met,” Chloe said.

“I think it can all be traced back to our parents, and this town,” Serena said thoughtfully. “Our childhood was just the best, and I’m sure that helped shape the guys. I know it helped shape me.”

Chloe and I looked at each other, our matching expressions sad. Chloe and Zoey had grown up with parents much like mine, except rather than being verbally abusive to them, they chose to ignore their daughters and focus more on their marriage.

It made you wonder why some people decided to have kids when it was obvious they didn’t want them. Heck, my mother had flat out told me when I was six that she’d never wanted to have kids, but when she’d accidentally gotten pregnant with me, her parents made her marry my dad.

“You were so lucky,” Chloe said longingly.

Serena reached out and rubbed Chloe’s belly and said, “You and your children are now part of The Lewis Clan, so they’re going to get to experience what we did.”

Chloe’s eyes got a little misty, but we pretended not to notice, knowing she wouldn’t want the attention. In truth, I was a little envious. At least she and Zoey were part of a wonderful family now.