Carly did. It was the best Band-Aid in the world. Lauren’s green eyes sparkled beneath the moonlight, and she suddenly had this urge to see her on Christmas morning, smiling as she unwrapped gifts. “I happen to know you pretty well after all this time we spent together, and I’m going to let you in on a secret. It’s about my first few days knowing you.”

Carly grinned and gave Lauren a squeeze. “This should be interesting. A peek behind the proverbial curtain and into the mind of one Lauren Prescott.”

Lauren looked skyward as she assembled her thoughts. Distantly, Carly heard a coyote howling. “I was prepared not to like you. Convinced I wouldn’t.”

“Oh, this is off to a troubling start.” Carly stuck out her bottom lip.

“Stay tuned,” Lauren said and bopped it. “The rumors were awful. Then you showed up late. You didn’t seem to care.”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about all of that. I feel like I’ve learned a lot since then.”

“Not at all the point of my story. Do you want to listen or apologize some more?”

God, Carly loved it when Lauren took charge and teased her. It got her all tingly and a little turned on. “I want to listen to you some more. Please go on. Regale me.”

Lauren smiled, and Carly’s heart warmed. “But what happened, despite my preconceived ideas, is that I couldn’t stop stealing glances at you. I watched you work. I took note of how kind you were to everyone you spoke with. Your beauty took my breath away.” Carly’s lips parted, and she sifted through this new information. Lauren had noticed her that early on?

“You’re not making this up?”

Lauren shook her head. “The point of this story is that those heads turning have nothing to do with the fact that you’re famous. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt, but you need to take my word for this.” Carly blinked, realizing she was holding Lauren so tightly that she had to have noticed. “You come with a life force, Carly, a presence that draws people to you. You’re special in that way, and just being here with you tonight, I feel incredibly lucky. Getting to know you and seeing that what’s on the inside is just as beautiful as what’s on the outside has been the most amazing journey.”

Carly couldn’t find words, and she was a person who always had them. Hell, she rarely shut up. After spending the day feeling inconsequential and small, Lauren, in under five minutes, had managed to make her feel like she mattered again. More than that, she felt important. What a gift Lauren had just given her. “Thank you for that. You didn’t have to, especially when I’m acting like a pathetic jerk and knee-deep in wine.”