"If Mom asks, we're going to tell her that you cried when we told her that we were going to have the leftovers she had in the fridge," Paul said as he opened the front door to the Stevens' Savannah house.

Sam, Colten, and Paul were the children of Penny and Sam Evers. They lived next door to the Savannah house and had been treated as cousins even though they weren't related.

"Fine, you do that, and I'll tell her that you called me crying that all you had were leftovers. We'll see who she chooses to believe." Beth laughed as she walked down the hall behind them.

"You sure you don't want to go out for a drink with us?" Sam asked as he reached the wide front porch. It had started to rain, and the last thing Beth wanted to do was go out in it.

A large crack of thunder made her jump. "I'm sure!" She shook her head as she walked to the edge of the porch with them.

Sam kissed her on the cheek. "We're right next door if you need anything, or at least we will be later tonight."

It turned out that Sam, Colten, and Paul had decided to come home for spring break too. Normally. Beth would have been at their house eating, but Penny and Sam Sr. had a benefit to attend, which had left the guys on their own.

"Be careful!" Beth called with a wave, watching them dart for a car that was parked on the street in front of the house. Colten slipped and almost fell, and his brothers were making all kinds of smart remarks about his near-miss.

Beth leaned against the porch column and looked up at the sky as another lightning blot pierced the darkening sky. She waved as the car pulled away from the curve, tightening her sweater around her body. As Beth turned to go into the house, a figure across the street caught her attention and she blinked in disbelief, thinking it was her imagination. Another lightning bolt lit the sky, and she clearly saw Wyatt standing in the road next to a car.

Their eyes met across the space that separated them, and then as if in a dream, he approached the house. Beth watched in what felt like slow motion as he drew nearer. She could make out the raindrops on his cheeks and eyelashes as he climbed the steps, and as he reached the step just below her, he looked at her.

Neither one of them said a word as they stared at each other. Eventually, Beth took a step back, and Wyatt stepped up under the porch with her, but his eyes never left her face, even when she looked away and hugged her sweater tighter to her body.

Beth cleared her throat when she could no longer take his stare. It was as if he was willing her to look at him. "How did you find me?" she asked.

"I asked your mother."

"I'm sure that went over well. What was the reason you gave her for wanting to see me? Why are you here, by the way?" Beth moved to one of the rocking chairs and sat down. She probably should offer him a towel or something, but she didn't know if she wanted to invite him in yet, and she was afraid if she left to get a towel, he would disappear.

Wyatt followed her lead and leaned against the porch railing across from her.

"She didn't ask." He shrugged.

Beth's eyes grew wide in disbelief. That was very unlike her mother. Maybe she had meant it when she said she wouldn't interfere.

"She didn't ask?" Beth wanted confirmation.

"No, she didn't. I emailed her and asked her for your contact information. She gave me your number and this address." Wyatt crossed his arms.

"You could have called. That would have been easier than a trip down here," Beth insisted, even though she still didn't know why he had come.

"Not for this." Wyatt shook his head, his eyes still on her. Beth was looking at the rain as it bounced off the cars in front of the house instead of at him.

"Why are you suddenly afraid to look at me, Beth? Why don't you want to be anywhere near me? What's changed?" His voice was gentle as if he was afraid of scaring her.

"I'm not, but even if I was, isn't that what you want?" Beth's chin was ridged in an attempt to keep her emotions under control.

"No," his voice broke, so he cleared his throat. "That's not what I want, Beth. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"Why are you here?" she asked, standing up quickly and walking further away from him. The evident pain in his voice made her want to rush into his arms.

"To figure things out, together." He stood straight, pushing off of the railing and turning towards her. "I had a realization the other day on the courthouse steps."

"What was that? That I'm a crazy stalker, who keeps forcing the hand of fate to get what I want by bulldozing my way into your life. You must think that I befriended your mother for that very reason." Beth still couldn't look at him. She didn't want to see the truth.

"I don't think that. I know Mave was responsible for the courthouse. She and I talked after you left that day. She was upset at the fact that she had hurt you, and as I told her that perhaps you were right and she needed to let you make your own decisions, I realized that perhaps I did as well." He took a deep breath. "I think your meeting my mother was indeed fate."

Beth froze as he said the words. "That's ironic, I've given up on fate, and you now believe in it." She gave a self-mocking laugh.

Wyatt walked towards her, stopping in front of her, all but touching her. "Look at me, Beth. Why won't you look at me?" She could feel his need to touch her.

"That day on the courthouse steps. You became who you were that first time I saw you. The unattainable guy. The handsome man who would never look twice at me. I felt once again that you were way out of my league, and I realized you must have been laughing at me this entire time, humoring the awkward little innocent." Beth shook her head. She hadn't even realized the extent of how she felt until she was forced to verbalize it.

Wyatt did reach out and grab her arms, pulling her towards him. "Please look at me, Beth!"

Beth forced her eyes to met his, and what she saw reflected there made her heart stop.

"From the moment I saw you, I was intrigued. I was drawn to you, and if you had been watching me during the tour, you would have seen that it was to you that I kept looking. I feel like you are the one out of my league." He stepped away from her and ran his hand over his forehead as he tried to organize his thoughts.

Beth tried to control the hope growing inside of her at his words.

"Just tell me if it's too late? If you feel in your gut, that the chance had passed, tell me, and I'll leave." His voice shook as he said the words, and Beth felt her hope grow a little bit more. "But if there is a little bit of a chance left, then I would like to talk about it and figure out why I screwed it all up with my stubbornness." Wyatt looked over at Beth. His gaze was full of longing as it took in her face.

"I thought it was too late, but now I don't know," Beth said honestly. "How long can you stay?"

"I have the week." The relief in his voice was evident.

"Do you have a bag?" she asked, looking over at him with a tentative smile.

"I do, but I was going to stay at a hotel."

"That's not necessary, there is plenty of room here, and it's not like we haven't shared a roof before." She walked towards the door. "Have you eaten, the Evers boys didn't eat all the food."

"Are you sure?" he asked, watching her closely.

"I'm sure." She nodded as she opened the door. "Get your stuff and come on inside."

"Beth," he called, stopping her. "Thank you. I'm sure that I don't deserve it for many different reasons."

Their eyes met, and Beth gave him another smile. "You probably don't, but we'll see, shall we?"

"Fair enough." This time he smiled at her sudden show of spunk.

They stared at each other for a moment more, before Beth turned, and taking a deep breath, entered the house. She didn't know if she was making the biggest mistake of her life or giving herself the chance to have all of her dreams come true.