He woke up a few hours later in a foul mood with bleary eyes and the first thrums of a headache. His sketching fever felt like a dream, but his cowardice felt unbearably real. But being a coward, he didn’t want to figure out why he was being so cowardly, so he shoved his messy thoughts into a dusty corner of his mind. After a quick shower, Seth headed out for Weldon. He wasn’t enjoying his company very much, and would rather be buried in the bustle of strangers.

Pancake Hut was busting at the seams as usual, and the sight lifted his spirits. A tall stack of hot, fluffy pancakes would be a great way to turn around his morning. Simple and satisfying. The way his life had been before the dating dare. Now a prickling sense of dissatisfaction shadowed his day unless Tara was with him. This has to stop. He had less than two weeks left to start a new chapter in his life. All this disquiet, yearning, and soul-searching wasn’t going to do him any good. His path was set. His time in Weldon was only a layover.

Seth got himself on the waiting list, and went out to stand on the sidewalk with the long line of hungry customers. Everything moved a little slower in Weldon, but he was starting to like it that way. He walked with his head down toward the end of the line when a familiar voice said, “Hey, Seth.”

He stopped a second too late and had to backtrack a couple steps. It was Jack, Alex, and … Tara. Shit. It took superhero strengths to keep his eyes from devouring Tara. The woman he’d been thinking and dreaming of all night. He still felt exposed and vulnerable after his remarkable night, and he wasn’t sure how well he would be able to hide his feelings for Tara from her older brothers.

“Good to see you guys. How are you doing?” Seth shook hands with Jack and Alex, and gave Tara a jerky nod in his best attempt to be casual.

“Jack and I are doing swell, but our baby sister is in a black mood,” Alex said over Tara’s muffled moan. She had her face buried in her hands. It was difficult to make out, but she seemed to be muttering kill me now on repeat. “So we brought her here to cheer her up, and make Scary Tara go far, far away.”

“Thanks for that, Alex,” Tara said with a touch of acid, and took a peek at Seth through her fingers. With a defeated sigh, she lifted her head and met his eyes, looking adorably flustered. “So what brings you here?”

“Pancakes,” Seth said with a smile that soon disappeared at Tara’s not-so-amused glare. “I needed a pick-me-up as well.”

“Don’t let her scare you.” Jack placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. “She’ll be all better after pancakes. A full Tara is a happy Tara.”

“Why don’t you join us?” Alex said, waving him closer.