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The overhead lights were turned low and the tiny ones became more brilliant They sloayed to the music Did fairy tales really come true? Phoebe had no idea if they ith the beat or not It didn’twas a faster one and they separated She felt the loss of Ryan’s warmth immediately and her body waited i her to completely lose contact, he continued to hold one of her hands As soon as the faster dance was over, he brought her back into his eers rested on his shoulders and his found her waist As theywas occurring here that she’d never planned, never thought would happen She was falling in love

“Does dancing with ym class where you had to keep a ball between you and your partner without using your hands?”

He stopped“How’s that?”

“Dancing with the baby between us”

Ryan laughed “I had skill at that game Alon” He pulled her closer “You’re the best partner I’ve ever had”

Her hand cupped his face “You’re a nice guy”

Ryan’s eyes grew intense and he cleared his throat “It’s waro outside for a few minutes?”

She nodded He led her through a half-hidden glass door that looked like part of the wall, onto a brick patio

“It feels good out here” Phoebe breathed in the cold evening air The music from inside drifted around the the same need?

“It does” Ryan stood a couple of steps away, just out of touching distance

She wanted his touch Wanted to feel desired It had been too long Even with Joshua the last tiation, expectation than anything else There should be more than that in a relationship There ith Ryan Would he think she was too forward if she reached for him?

A wide set of steps led to a pond below Surrounding it was an extensive grassy area The lights of the solariu the view even more dreamlike Phoebe started down the steps

“Where’re you going?” Ryan asked

“I thought I’d stand in the garden and ad the others dance when Ryan joined her

“It reminds me of a carousel music box I once had as a child As it played, horses with people riding theical I could look at it for hours I loved it,” she whispered, as much to herself as to him

“You are a roh that his arers intertwined

“Because I think there can be fairy tales?”

He didn’t say anything for a while “I haven’t believed in fairy tales for a long time, but somehohen I’m around you they do seem possible”

“I know you’ve lived through sos you can’t seeood in life, too Happy tione, yet in a way he’s bringing new life into the world Soood for me”

“Good can be hard to find”

His fingers tightened Phoebe glanced at hiid, as if the discussion was painful for hiaze met hers and she said, “It can be And it can come from unexpected places, too”

“Like you?”

“I like to think so but I wasn’t talking aboutpeople thatthem know they are important to you”

“I can’t do that”

She stepped closer, her body touching his “I think you can In fact, I know you can You’ve been a friend to me these last feeeks”

They continued to stand there, not saying a word It wasn’t until the doors were opened wide by the Overnewton staff members that the spell was broken and they broke apart The crowd poured out of the solariu the steps

“I guess it’s time for Sophia and Aiden to leave,” Phoebe murmured

“We should join everyone” Ryan didn’t sound like he really wanted to Had their conversation put a da? She would hate that to happen Had she ever enjoyed a wedding more?

As they stood at the bottoht her shawl She shivered and pulled it closer

“You’re cold” Ryan removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders It still held his body heat His scent She pulled it tighter around her

Someone near passed them each a small container of bird seed As Sophia and Aiden descended the steps they were showered with the seed for good luck When they reached Phoebe and Ryan, Aiden whisked Sophia into his ar car