2020-04-13_Womans_World

HARLEQUI

N ROMANCE^

hat’s it,” Willa O’Neill declared

after Kevin Pine walked away from

the food truck she was

manning. “I’m going to do it.”

She glanced at Alethea to see if

her friend had heard her.

The celebration at

Duskywing Farm for the

wedding of Sebastian Evans

and Brooke Ardell was joy-

ful and had been going on

for some time. Just when Willa

thought her pronouncement had

gone unheeded, Alethea shot her a glance

that said it was about time.

Oh, boy. Willa’s nerves ratcheted as she

smoothed a hand down the front of her

dress. The color still jarred her; she was so

used to wearing earth tones that the bright

yellow still made her do a double take. But

Alethea had been right yesterday when

she’d helped her find something to wear.

The knee-length dress in hues of a perfect

Butterfly Harbor, California, sunset felt

decadent. But the dress made her brave.

Today, she’d stop worrying about what

could go wrong and embrace the moment.

“Hey.” Alethea stretched out a hand and

squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll never know

if you don’t try, right? It might be yours

and Kevin’s wedding I’m catering next.”

Willa’s entire body went taut. Wedding?

She was just going to ask him if he’d like

to go with her to the Spring Into Easter

Festival. With the blooming flower exhib-

its, activities and games, it was now second

only to the Monarch Festival in the fall.

“I’m kidding.” Alethea gave her a gentle

push. “Now go. Be yourself.” That was

An Easter

invitation

the problem. Willa’s “self ” was normally

sitting out of the way, watching over her

mother or younger siblings. Unlike

Alethea, she wasn’t a grab-life-

and-take-it-for-a-spin kind of

girl. But with her mother’s

health issues behind her

and her siblings solidly on

their feet, she’d begun to see

that life had more to of fer.

She took the three shaky steps

toward the party.

For Willa, Kevin had always

stood out in a crowd with his doe-brown

hair and eyes that glinted with f leck s of

gold. But it was his kindness she loved

most. And his amazing smile.

You are a

gift to the

world!

No one else

touches lives the

same beautiful

way you do.

No one meets

challenges with

your extraordinary

blend of talents,

traits and

problem-solving

powers. No one

can work your

brand of magic.

And no one is

more special than

irreplaceable,

celebrate-able

you!

A Moment for

Y

ou

Sh

utt

ers

toc

k;^

Ge

tty

“T

“As he turned

his remarkable

eyes on her,

everything

inside her

tipped”

This week’s Crossword solution

Turn upside down for Brain

Crossword Jumble: Hyacinths

When Willa sees her crush, Kevin, at a local

wedding she’s helping to cater, she decides

to take a chance to see if love is on the menu

48 4/13/20^ Woma n’s World