“I told you she was just tuning out the train wreck onstage.” Andie winced as the couple singing a country music duet together hit a particularly sharp note.

“Sorry.” Julia shook her head. “I guess I got lost in my thoughts.”

“Well, I hope you found what you’re looking for,” Kat said, pointing. “Because someone is looking for you.”

Julia caught sight of Luke on the other side of the gazebo. Her heart flip-flopped. “Stop that,” she hissed, pressing a hand to her chest.

“What?” Andie cocked an eye at her.

“Nothing.” Julia stood. “I’ll be back.” She made her way around the outside of the circle, past the clumps of people practicing their acts. She took her time, moving casually, when what she really wanted to do was run into his arms and wrap her legs around him while sucking his face off. She also had the urge to demand what the hell did he think he’d been doing by taking off on her earlier.

Face sucking first, though.

But she didn’t do any of that. “Hey,” she said, opting for an attempt at playing it cool. She crossed her arms and waited for him to make the next move.

“Hey,” he said back. “Sorry about earlier. You, uh, caught me off guard. But I had some time to think and I was wondering … Would you like to do a magic show together?”

“Magic, huh?” She paused, considering. “To be honest, I didn’t appreciate your disappearing act.”

“I know. I really am sorry.” He cleared his throat nervously, only adding to the awkwardness that she found irresistibly adorable. “You asked me if I had any ideas up my sleeve, right?” He grinned, throwing his arms out dramatically and pulling a bouquet from one of the cuffs. “For you,” he said, presenting her the flowers with a flourish.

Julia took the bouquet. Completely charmed despite herself, she sniffed the blooms, hiding a smile. He’d won her over, but she wanted him to work for it a little more. “Hmm,” she hesitated, voice teasing now. “You’re not going to try sawing me in half or anything like that, are you?

“Definitely not,” he assured her.

“Would you wear a cape?”

“Um…”

She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“Yep,” he capitulated. “I’d love to wear a cape.”

“Deal.” She beamed at him, not ashamed to revel in how quickly he’d surrendered to her wishes. “Should we shake on it?”

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her mouth. Electricity crackled between them. “Now that’s magic,” he whispered.

Julia giggled.

“Oh, God,” he groaned. “That was corny, wasn’t it?”

“Very,” she agreed. It was the most ridiculous, corniest thing in the world he could have said, and Julia loved it. Her heart squished. “You want to hear something else that’s corny? You make my heart feel like a marshmallow.”