“I want one of those chicken ones!” Winter hollered over the noise of Will’s pizza shop. Maybelle laughed from deep her in belly, loving how Winter fit right in Alabama, right into her brother’s life.
Will gave her a flirtatious whistle, then started flailing around the dough, really showing off for his audience. The whole town was buzzing with the newbie in town—the princess who snagged the pizza man. There was a tale of a tall, dark, and handsome knight in shining armor that the spinster turned away, but that didn’t nearly shine as brightly as her brother’s story, and for that, Maybelle was grateful.
“His best is the parmesan breadsticks,” Maybelle told Winter with no need to lean in to be heard. Maybelle’s voice was back home, and everyone in a five mile radius could hear it.
“Ooh, you hear that, babe? I need me some breadsticks!” Winter beamed like a spotlight, everyone loving her, everyone amused by her antics, and everyone—especially Maybelle—listening in to use anything against Will.
“Yeah, babe. Get me a meat lover’s!” Betty called from the back with a hefty laugh. Will probably would’ve grouched about it, but the smile hadn’t left his face since he’d arrived with Winter in tow.
After a few good slices of Will’s chicken and cheese pizza, Winter took a large gulp from her water and leaned in. “So… Michael’s not the one, huh?”
She said it with interest, her eyes concerned and unlike the many townspeople, Maybelle trusted her not to gossip about it.
“I s’pose not.”
“Are you doing okay?”
A smile teased the corner of Maybelle’s mouth, gratitude spreading through her. She thought for sure Winter would be Team Michael, having known him for so long, worked with him… She liked being thought of in the situation, especially since she was the rejecter.
“A’right, I guess. I don’t regret the decision, but it…”
“Yeah,” Winter said, putting a hand up, letting Maybelle know she didn’t have to finish that sentence. A few seconds ticked by and then Winter let out a solitary laugh.
“What?” Maybelle asked.
“Oh, I was debating on letting you in on a secret, but I figure Will probably will tell you anyway, right?”
“I think you have more faith in our relationship than you should,” Maybelle joked. Winter covered a laugh and took another gulp of water.
“Okay… I’m hyped up on carbs and really happy right now, so I’m going to tell you.”
Maybelle clapped her hands and scooted in closer, eager to hear something good. Winter met her halfway, lowering her voice.
“I’m Cupid.”
Maybelle blinked. “Huh?”
“The mansion? The whole rumor…?” She pointed at herself. “It’s me. I match guests up and try to get them together.” Her eyes grew big and mischievous. “I’m really good.”
Maybelle didn’t know whether to laugh or call her out on it. Surely she couldn’t have been orchestrating every encounter she’d had over the course of the murder mystery—not while also acting in the mystery itself. And falling for her brother.
She blinked again, admiring the talent this woman had.
“So it’s your fault Michael and I kept running into each other?” she teased, poking her in the shoulder. Winter tossed her head back and shook it.
“That was all him. I didn’t think anything of it because he’s always so charming and flirts with everyone.”
Well, that explained how he was so smooth all the time. Maybelle frowned, but there was an internal sigh there that maybe she wasn’t an exception for him. It was a horrible thought, but made the rejection easier to swallow.
“Actually,” Winter continued, running a finger over the rim of her glass, “I’d been hoping for a Garreth/Maybelle match up. You two seemed so cute, so right for each other.” She nodded to Will. “Your brother thought so, too, at one point.”
“Will knew about this?”
“Darn boy caught me sneaking around, trying to match people up on day two.”
Maybelle half-laughed, but her mind was ricocheting between all the information she was getting. “So… wait… Garreth… You think he was…?”
“Into you?” Winter snorted. “No doubt. Poor guy would turn into a babbling, stuttering mess around you. And you should’ve seen him moping around the mansion the day you were ‘sick.’” Winter gave her a pointed look, as if to let her know that she knew Maybelle had faked all of that. “I thought for sure you two would be a success story, but…” Winter shrugged and let out a long sigh.
Maybelle’s phone suddenly felt ten pounds in her pocket.
“You’re not trying to get me with him still, are ya?” she asked with narrowed eyes but a smile on her lips. Winter jerked back, “innocently” shaking her head.
“I just think it’s funny,” she said, gazing fondly at Will, “how things turn out.”
Maybelle nodded, her hand tucking into her pocket and playing with her phone case. She wasn’t sure where she was in the stages of losing Garreth. Denial played out for a long time, with spurts of anger coming through, along with some bargaining. Acceptance hadn’t come, even though she’d wished for it.
Like it wanted her to do something with it, her phone vibrated with another pointless notification. The ball was in her court, and maybe she didn’t need the perfect thing to say. She’d made her choice to live her life for herself, to only accept the things she wanted, to not give up on her dreams. Garreth was so close to her dream, but she’d need to get to know him more.
And she wanted that. She was tired of waiting for it.
She pulled out her phone and swiped to the dating app, clicking on Garreth’s profile and pulling up the private message. She’d typed so many things, but she couldn’t believe she hadn’t typed this one.
With a smile, she tapped across the screen and sent it, hope rising in her chest that her life was about to go in the direction she’d always hoped it would.
Hey there.