“Do you know how he answered when Josh and I asked him why he wouldn’t just come talk to you?” She paused. “He says he doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t want to hurt you any more than he already has.”
“You have a choice, Libby,” Blair said, her voice softer than before. “You can keep running away from love or you can live your life with a man you clearly love—a man who loves you just as much.” Her voice broke. “I almost missed that chance with Garrett, Libs. Don’t let Noah go. You’d regret it for the rest of your life.”
Megan squeezed her hand. “Libs, Noah is your soul mate. The man who showed up and saved you from the marriage you weren’t meant to have. You can’t give him up. He’s the man the fortune teller foretold. The one you’re destined to marry.”
She shook her head. “You don’t believe in the curse.”
Megan smiled. “Don’t you see? You’ve made us believers. We were just too obstinate to admit you were right. There is magic in the world.” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “What I have with Josh is magic, and what you’ve found with Noah is magic too. I mean, come on. Noah McMillan, confirmed bachelor, is holed away from the world because he can’t handle losing you. Who could have predicted that? You changed him, Libby. And he’s miserable without you.”
“She’s right,” Blair said softly. “What were the chances of me seeing Garrett before my wedding, let alone him being in the wedding party?” She leaned forward. “You spent weeks convincing us to admit the curse was real. It’s our turn now. Noah is the man you’re supposed to be with. Don’t throw that away.”
Libby started crying again. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say.”
Megan smiled through her own tears. “Go to him. I bet you don’t have to even say a word. Just show up and that will be explanation enough.”
“So?” Blair asked.
Libby nodded. “Yes. I’ll go.”
Megan beamed as Blair pulled an envelope out of her bag and handed it to her. “Then here’s a wedding present from me and Garrett.”
Libby opened it and gasped when she saw an airline ticket voucher. “This is for this afternoon.”
“Which is why you better get your sorry ass in the shower. I know the man loves you, but there is a limit to how much one person’s olfactory nerves can take.”
Libby launched herself at her friend, throwing her arms around her neck. “I love you, Blair.”
“I love you too.” Her voice broke. “Thanks for not kicking me out after being such a bitch. Especially given my bad-cop role in this part of the intervention. But Megan and I figured we needed to shock you into going to him.”
“How did you know it would work?”
“Because, if someone had suggested that I divorce Garrett after our first fight, I would have freaked out just like you did. I had to make sure you really loved him.”
Megan snorted. “Because the fact she looks like shit wasn’t proof enough.”
“And don’t forget the way she smells.”
Libby laughed. “Hey!”
“We’re so sorry, Libby,” Megan said. “You did everything in your power to help the two of us find the perfect partners and we let you down.”
“I still haven’t decided if I’m going to forgive you,” she said with a grin.
“Which is why I’m hoping your wedding gift from me and Josh will bribe us back into your good graces.” Megan gave a sheepish grimace. “We bought Tortoise a ticket to fly with you in the baggage compartment. He’s too big to ride with you.” She held up her hands when she saw Libby start to freak out. “It’s perfectly safe. I stopped at the pet store before we came and got the carrier they recommended for him to fly comfortably.”
Libby shook her head in shock. “Why would you do that?”
“Because Blair and Garrett got you a one-way ticket, and we know how much you love your dog.”
“You better get in the shower,” Blair said, sounding gruff. “Megan and I will start packing your clothes. I’ve paid for you to bring three bags and I figured you’d want to bring your camera equipment in your carry-on. You and Noah can come back and get the rest later.”
Tears flooded Libby’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
Blair swallowed, but a tear fell down her cheek. “Just promise you’ll come back to see us more often than Megan did before she married Josh.”
“We’ll probably be back for business.”
“Not necessarily,” Megan said, subdued. “Noah refuses to take his job back.”
“Oh.”
“Does that change anything?” Blair asked.
She shook her head. “No. I just need to get to him.”
Her friends pushed her toward the bathroom and she climbed into the shower. They kept barging into the bathroom to ask her which clothes to pack. Tortoise sensed something was up and began to pace nervously.
“Oh! Food for Tortoise!” Libby exclaimed once she was packed and ready to go.
“I know this may come as a shock,” Megan said. “But we have dog food in Seattle.”
Libby stuck out her tongue as she scooped some of Tortoise’s dry food into a Ziploc bag and slipped it into her purse.
“I think I’m ready.”
They rode to the airport in silence. Tortoise sat quietly by Libby’s side in the backseat of Megan’s old Explorer, eyeing the crate in the back with suspicion. He wasn’t very happy about getting inside the box when they checked him in at the airport, but Libby rubbed and kissed his head. “I’ll see you in no time,” she cooed. “And then we’ll go see Noah. He’ll be so happy to see you.”
She only hoped he’d be happy to see her too.
Megan and Blair walked her to security and they shared a moment of awkward silence.
Megan handed her a slip of paper and a key chain. “This is the key to my car. The lot where it’s parked is written on this paper. Take my car from the airport and I’ll pick it up later when I get home. The address is where you can find Noah. He’s not at his apartment.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s at his grandfather’s house on Bainbridge Island. My mother-in-law sent him out there to inventory the house and his granddad’s workshop. Something to keep him busy.” She paused. “She also said he used to love it there when he was a kid. I think she was desperate to do something to make him feel better. I saw him there yesterday, so I know he’s still there.”
“Thank you.” She stuffed the paper and the key in a pocket inside her purse.
“Oh!” Megan’s face lit up. “Have you heard from Gram?”
“No. Why?”
“She got married in Vegas.”
“She what?”
Megan grinned. “A hot yoga instructor from some class she took out there. Nana Ruby had to fly home without her. Knickers is fit to be tied.”
Libby laughed. She could only imagine. But it reminded her of her own situation. “I don’t even know if we’re still married. I don’t know what happened to the marriage license.”