Emmy glances over her shoulder at Jude, then lowers her voice. “It worked! Our plan worked, and especially Saturday night’s ruse. Jude came over on Sunday and we talked for hours. He admitted he has feelings for me, but he didn’t want to tell me and possibly mess up our friendship. Seeing me with you Saturday night, though, forced him to realize he had to tell me or risk losing having a chance with me. I came clean with him about us and . . . long story short, we’re going to give dating a try.”
Even though jealousy pulses through my gut, I high five her. “That’s great news, Emmy. I’m proud of us.”
“Me, too!”
“But what about Stevie? Has he told her?”
Emmy nods. “He said he called her on Monday and let her know. She seemed fine, relieved was his word. I checked in with her yesterday to make sure we were okay.”
I didn’t know any of this. Because Stevie and I aren’t talking. Is she going to shut me out entirely? Forever? Because if I’d known that, I never would have given her that note.
“Is she coming tonight?” I ask carefully.
Emmy frowns. “I’m not sure. I didn’t hear from her today.”
Jude sees me then. He walks over, disc in hand and Meadow prancing by his side. He bumps my fist and puts an arm around Emmy, and then smirks. “Hey, Logan. I hear you’re a half-decent actor.”
I manage to smile. “Half-decent is right. Emmy’s the real talent here.”
He laughs. “I don’t know. That green dress is a rising star. Seeing it on you,” he looks at Emmy, “with you,” he raises an eyebrow at me, “pushed me right over the edge.”
It’s her turn to smirk. “Then it did its job. I’ll be sure to wear it again soon.”
“Yeah, do,” Jude says and kisses her.
Emmy calls the group together. I look around; still no Stevie or Bean. I relax a little. It’s painful enough knowing she’s in the house and not talking to me. Having her avoid me here too would only heap on the misery.
“Okay, everyone,” Emmy says. “As you all know, we have a special demonstration today. Are you ready? Do you know what you’re doing?” The others nod. “Then let’s get lined up.”
Everyone except Emmy spreads out along the throwing line, discs in hand and dogs at the ready. I stand back to watch, but Emmy waves to me. “Come over beside me, Logan.”
I have no idea what they’re doing, but curious, I walk over to her. Emmy pulls out a whistle, blows, and Aaron, the first person in line, throws a purple disk. Bear chases, catches, and delivers the frisbee back to Aaron who walks over and hands it to me. I take it hesitantly.
Aaron raises an eyebrow. “Turn it over, bro.”
I flip the disc. There, written in black marker on the underside, is the letter I.
“Thanks?” I’m confused. What is this?
A grinning Emmy pats me on the shoulder. “Wait.” She blows the whistle again.
Nisha throws next. Jack doesn’t quite catch the red disc, but he snatches it off the ground and brings it back, dropping it at her feet. She hands it to me.
I flip it over. You is written there. My eyes jump to Nisha, then to Emmy and Aaron. They’re all beaming. I glance around the field. No one else is around, but my body tingles and electricity runs through my veins. My Stevie-sense hums.
Emmy blows again. Jude steps forward with Meadow and runs through a quick freestyle routine. Meadow runs around him, weaves through his lunging legs a few times, leaps on to his back and then off again, and catches the blue disc he flips to her while she’s in the air.
Everyone hoots and claps at her performance. Meadow brings the disc to Emmy at her command, who hands it to me. The word Logan is on the back. I stare at the three discs in my hand, then up at the group.
Aaron laughs. “You should see your face, man.”
“I. You. Logan?” I say.
“Hang on.” Emmy grabs a green disc from the ground and after capturing Meadow’s attention, throws it. The border collie catches it in the air and brings it back.
My heart thunders in my chest and sweat runs down my back. It’s a pretty mild afternoon, but I feel like I’m running a marathon. Could this be what I think it is?
When Meadow brings me the disc, it says Too. Emmy gestures to me to look behind me. When I do, I finally see them. Stevie and Bean.
I. You. Logan. Too.
Stevie smiles at me, tears in her eyes, and walks to the line. Her throw is shaky and doesn’t go all that far, but I couldn’t care less than less. I only want to know what’s written on her yellow frisbee. Bean catches it and trots back with it. She lets Stevie take it.
Slowly, her eyes on me, Stevie brings it to me. And on the back of the disc is the word Love.
I hold the discs spread out like a hand of cards. I. You. Logan. Too. Love.
“Okay, who switched the discs at the last minute?” Emmy complains. “They were in order, Stevie, I promise.”
“I did,” Stevie says with a small, choked voice. She clears her throat and says to me, touching the yellow disc, “I wanted to give you this one myself. I love you too, Logan. And I want to give us a chance.”
As tears roll down her cheeks, I drop the discs, sweep her into my arms and kiss her. Then I hold her against me with the immediate plan to never, ever let her go.
Howling, people snatch the frisbees and throw them into the air like graduation caps. The dogs go wild. One of the discs hits Aaron on the way down.
“Ow!”
But all that is background noise. I see Stevie, feel Stevie, smell Stevie, taste Stevie. Her tears mix with a scent that I associate only with her. Something fresh and unexpected, even though I’ve known her almost all my life.
“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear.
“Thank you,” she says. “For sticking with me all these years. For being honest. And for giving me time to think. Oh! And I have one more surprise.”
She slides down to the ground, leashes Bean, and says to the rest of the group, “We’ll be back in a few.”
“Take your time,” Jude says in a suggestive voice. Emmy rolls her eyes at us, and he kisses her.
Our hands entwined, the way I’ve wished they could be for months, years, Stevie leads me towards the zoo. We don’t say much. I’m overwhelmed by knowing that I can touch her, kiss her, tell her how much I love her. I’m not sure how she’s feeling; she might not be sure herself. But we have time. Tons of time. Time for it all to unfold.
I realize after a minute that we’re not headed toward the zoo, we’re going to Duck Lake. When we get there, Stevie points to the graylag geese—a glorious pair of them now—swimming together. As I watch, one goes underwater after a fish while the other keeps watch.
“She’s back. Or he. I’m still not sure. Anyway, they’re together.”
I hug her to me. “I didn’t know. I haven’t been able to get myself to run by here for a while. I didn’t want to see him alone.”
Stevie puts her hands on my face and meets my eyes. “I don’t think we should make any promises, Logan. But know this. You mean everything to me. You’re my best friend, and you’re more than that, too. I love you. It’s taken me some time—and a little pep talk from Mom—to figure that out, but I know it now. I feel it.” She moves her hands to my chest, and I cover them with my own. “I want to make this work. Still . . . promise me one thing.”