How to Turn a Frog into a Prince - Bree Wolf Page 0,27

away a while past.

“Thank you,” Jacob mumbled with a quick nod and then equally quickly disappeared.

Relieved, Charlaine turned back to Nathanial. She ought not lie to him, but she had the distinct feeling that knowing who she was would destroy the fragile bond that had formed between them. How she was to continue being his friend after tonight had her puzzled though. Perhaps with time a solution would reveal itself.

“Is everything all right?” Nathanial asked before he glanced over her shoulder. “Do you have to leave?”

“Not quite yet,” Charlaine replied as she returned to his side. She had noted a touch of regret in his voice at the suggestion that she might have to leave and was surprised to experience a gentle warmth at the thought that he enjoyed her company.

Especially after the way he had brushed her off the other day.

Even if everything would come crumbling down soon enough, Charlaine knew that coming here tonight had been the right thing to do. Not only was she enjoying herself, but now she also knew that she had been right about Nathanial. He would be a wonderful friend, and they felt good together.

Hopefully, he would come to see that as well.

After tonight.

Chapter Thirteen

An Adorable Man

Leisurely, the lady in gold leaned against the balustrade, her dark eyes distant as she thought. “Well, I had a sister,” she told him. “She was quite a few years older than me and her life always seemed a true wonderment to me.” A small smile played over her lips. “I used to watch her do ordinary things and marvel at how precious the moment seemed.” She sighed, and the smile upon her face deepened as her dark eyes settled on Nathanial’s. “And then I watched her fall in love. It happened in an instant. It was something she hadn’t planned, something she hadn’t seen coming. If she hadn’t gone to the market that day, at that time, she would never have met him.”

Drawn to her, Nathanial stepped closer, eager to hear more.

“But she did.” Utter joy stood in her eyes. “She did go and she met the love of her life and, from one moment to the next, life was different. It was powerful. I still remember that day as clearly as though it had happened yesterday. It was one of those moments you can never forget.”

Nathanial swallowed. After all, his mind clung to one of these moments as well, replaying it again and again, unable to forget, unable to let go. His moment, however, was not one he wished to remember. Unfortunately, it seemed he did not have a choice. “Do you believe they were fated to meet that day?”

Her shoulders shrugged. “I do, and I don’t.” A slow breath lifted her chest, and she licked her lips. “Perhaps some things are meant to be and others are not. Perhaps all that happens is merely a coincidence and people simply like to see more than there is. Does it matter? In the end, my sister did go to the market that day and so they did meet and,” her eyes met his, “they took a chance.”

Nathanial nodded. “They took a chance.”

“They did,” she said, and her hand came to rest upon his arm, soft and gentle, but whispering of a hidden strength Nathanial could not help but wish he himself possessed as well. “I think I believe in taking chances, in seizing the moment, in looking at the good instead of the bad.” She smiled up at him. “I think it’s the only way to ever truly be happy.”

Nathanial watched her in awe for he not only saw the joy that stood in her eyes, but also the sadness that clung to every word she had spoken. “Your sister is no longer among us, is she?”

The lady swallowed hard, and he could see a slight tremor grip her jaw. “She died a few years ago, but because of her, because of what happened that day, I had a brother to lean on when it happened. There is always good with the bad. Always. Only sometimes it’s hard to see.”

“I’m sorry,” Nathanial whispered, feeling the need to offer comfort, but uncertain how to do so.

Blinking back the tears that lingered in her eyes, the lady lifted her chin and returned to the center of the terrace. “Today, you took a chance as well.” A mischievous twinkle lit up her eyes as she once more spread her arms. “You did something you’d never done before, isn’t that