The music picks up speed and he puts his hands around my waist, picks me up and spins me around. My dress flares out around me. I gasp at the warmth of his hands spanning my ribs and the ease with which he lifts me. He slows and pulls me close. When he sets me down my front drags along his. My breasts press against his chest.

He holds me close, his hands span across my lower back and rest in the hollow that feels like it was made for him. He looks down at me and my heart thunders in my ears. It takes me a moment before I realize the music has stopped. I step out of Will’s arms and he lets me go. His hands fall to his sides and his expression shifts back to closed-off and cold. I shiver and turn back to Juliet’s wine table.

“He’s gone,” says Will, the teasing is gone from his voice.

“What?”

“Gavin left while we were dancing.”

I turn and quickly look around the field, but I don’t see him. Not anywhere.

“You did that on purpose.”

He nods. “I told you, I’ll do whatever it takes. Even dance.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand you.”

He shrugs. “You don’t have to.”

“You know, you won’t always be there to stop me. Fate is going to intervene, Will. You can’t stop something that’s meant to be.”

“Because the psychic love lady told you it was fate?” he asks with annoyed disbelief.

“Exactly.”

“So we’re still doing this?” He gives me a challenging stare.

“If you mean, am I still following my chance for true love and are you still trying to stop me, then yes, we’re still doing this.”

“So what’s on for tomorrow then? An impromptu song in the park? A contrived emergency so Gavin can play hero?” He raises a supercilious eyebrow.

I shake my head. “Good night, Will.”

He smirks. “See you tomorrow.”

I hold back a smile. “Looking forward to it.”

And strangely, I realize that I am.

I have big plans, and I don’t think even William Williams IV will be able to stop me.

7

Will

I decide it’s time to be more proactive. I’m looking for Jessie, I have something to give her. I step into the air-conditioned, book-scented hush of the Romeo Public Library. Even though I’ve known for years that Jessie works here, I’ve never been inside. It seemed like too much of an intrusion of her privacy. Or, let’s be honest, I didn’t want to see her smiling and happy in a place she loves and then have that smile replaced by wariness and dislike.