13. Margo

13

MARGO

H arriet, or more specifically Tobias, had gone totally over the top in arranging the dinner between Eva and Bruno. He had reserved the entire arboretum and hired a private meal to be catered and served on location for just the two of them.

"This has been a great distraction, Yenta," Harriet said to Margo as she explained the plan. "Tobias gets to focus on setting his best friend up and I am off the hook for choosing hors d'oeuvres for another week. Weddings are an endless hassle. Anyway, he seems to think that Bruno is the perfect match for Eva, and I'm inclined to agree. He's delighted to set them up."

They were utterly ideal for each other, and the more that Margo learned about Bruno, the more it seemed like they were destined to be together. He was shy and good-hearted, like Eva, and he was strong to her slight.

Mates.

They were mates.

So Margo did the adult thing and set them on a path for happiness with each other .

It was slightly less adult of her to sneak into the arboretum so that she could assure herself that she hadn't screwed this up and that they really would be happy together, and she hadn't walked Eva into some kind of nefarious trap.

And it went perfectly to plan.

This was what you wanted, Margo told herself, watching Bruno lift Eva up into his arms and kiss her passionately. This was their fairy tale ending, and she could not allow herself to be jealous even though they were each getting what she wanted more than anything else in the world.

They would be happy together, happier than she could ever make either of them, and that would be enough. It had to be enough. It was all she had.

Bruno was setting Eva back onto her feet then, gazing into her eyes as she looked adoringly back. I can do this, Margo thought fiercely. I can be happy for this, even if it's not my own happiness.

Then Bruno put his nose in the air like he'd just smelled something, and his head swiveled straight to where Margo was standing in the shadows.

With no sense of smell of her own, Margo was never sure what her odor was doing. She cleaned faithfully and favored a lavender soap because people swore it was pleasant, but she was never entirely sure if she'd stepped in something foul or eaten a meal that gave her bad breath.

Bruno shouldn't be able to see her in the atmospheric gloom and underbrush, but Margo was sure that he had. Could he smell her?

Margo tried to melt away back into the underbrush, but the problem with arboretums was that they rustled like crumpled up plastic bags and she managed to step on a stray twig and knock over a potted plant .

What were you supposed to do when you were caught spying on the couple you'd just set up? Wave sheepishly?

Margo didn't have a better idea, so she gave the barest little tip of her chin in acknowledgement, then turned to go and leave them in peace.

"Margo!" Eva's call was soft and sylvan, and Margo glanced back to find that the woman had left Bruno and was running, fleet-footed and silent, straight for Margo through the trees.

This was not according to plan. This was nowhere near the plan. She should go, but she was too slow to evade Eva's hummingbird dart, and before she knew it, Eva was flinging herself up into her arms and Margo had to catch her out of reflex.

"Darling Margo!" Eva said in ecstasy, covering Margo's faces in little butterfly kisses. Was this her way of thanking Margo? Margo cradled her close, but didn't dare do more until Bruno crashed his way through the plants to catch them both up into his arms with a roar of laughter.

"What are you doing?" Margo demanded. Eva's lithe body was pressed between them, all curves and crushed black velvet.

"We're both his mates!" Eva cried. She had her arms around Margo's neck, and her legs wrapped around Margo's waist, and Bruno's arms were around them both. For a moment, Margo thought he might foolishly try to lift them together, but he only danced a little in place and laid a demanding kiss on Margo's lips over Eva's shoulder.

She really hoped she didn't have bad breath, but only for a brief moment before she had no breath at all.