Dream Wedding(103)

“Enjoy yourselves,” Ryan said as Joel held the front door open for Cassie. “You’ve got a key, right?”

She gave him a quick smile over her shoulder. “Yes, you gave me one last week. Don’t worry, Ryan, I’ll be back before midnight.”

“You don’t have to be.”

Her dark eyes slipped away from his, as if she had something she was trying to hide. “I know, but it’s a weeknight. Joel and I both have to be up early in the morning.”

She gave him a quick wave, then they were gone and he was alone.

Ryan stood in the foyer until he’d heard Joel’s car pull out of the drive and the silence settled around him. Silence and loneliness. He was in a strange place and the only person he knew in town had just left for the evening.

Maybe he could call a friend and talk, he thought, then dismissed the idea. He didn’t have the kind of friends he could just call. Guys didn’t just call; there had to be a reason. Except for his brother. He and John had talked on occasion. But his brother was gone…forever.

Ryan stiffened as he realized, perhaps for the first time since the funeral, that John was never going to be coming back. The last of his family had died.

Except for Sasha. His gaze turned toward the stairs. Toward the toy-filled room on the second floor. He remembered Cassie’s comments that he had to take more time to get to know his niece, that they only had each other now. As she’d talked, he’d wanted to protest the additional responsibility, to tell her that he wasn’t interested. But now, alone in the too-quiet house, he thought it might not be so bad. Tomorrow he would start getting to know his niece a little more.

For some reason the plan cheered him. He returned to his makeshift office and got back to work. As he did, he suddenly realized that the quiet didn’t seem so lonely after all.



CHAPTER FIVE

CASSIE SIPPED HER soda and tried to think of something to say. Although it was nearly ten in the evening, the restaurant bustled with an after-movie crowd. As usual, Cassie and Joel’s midweek date had consisted of going to a movie, then stopping for pie. Their other favorite date was to go out to dinner.

It was all just too exciting for words, Cassie thought sarcastically, then scolded herself for being critical. In the past she’d been very happy with her and Joel’s dating routine. The sameness had made her feel safe. But not anymore, she realized. Now she just felt trapped.

“The new shipment was just as bad,” Joel was saying. “Nearly all the lamps were broken. I called the distributor. I asked him what I was supposed to do with a hundred broken lamps. The very same lamps that are featured in the Sunday newspaper circular.” Joel paused to chew another bite of chocolate cream pie. “I told him that if he couldn’t get me a hundred perfect lamps by Saturday morning, I wouldn’t be doing business with him again.”

“Do you think he’ll deliver the lamps?” Cassie asked.

“Sure. He doesn’t want to lose the Bradley Discount Store account. It’s one of his biggest.”

None of this was fair, Cassie thought sadly. It wasn’t Joel’s fault that he wasn’t the most interesting guy on the planet. He started another story about yet another crisis with the delivery of merchandise. She tried to pay attention, but her mind wandered…about five miles east to the Lawford house on the other side of Bradley. What was Ryan doing now? Was he still working? Had he gone to bed?

Stop thinking about him! she told herself firmly. It was wrong to be on a date with one man and dwelling on another. If only things were different between her and Joel. If only there was more spark.

She studied her boyfriend’s face, the blue eyes, the wire-rimmed glasses, the freshly shaved jaw. He was a good man; nice-looking and kind. There was a time when she’d thought they would spend the rest of their lives together. What had changed?

She wanted to blame it all on her blossoming feelings for Ryan, but she knew it wasn’t about him at all. She’d felt restless and trapped for several months. For a while she’d thought the feeling would pass, but now she wasn’t so sure. Joel was steady, hardworking, honest and funny. They enjoyed each other’s company. She wanted to tell herself that was enough. She wanted to believe that craving more was just plain greedy. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure.

“So you didn’t like the movie,” Joel said.

Cassie blinked. “What?” Hadn’t he just been talking about work? “The movie was fine.” They’d seen a spy thriller with a strong romance woven through the action scenes. Something for both of them.

Joel finished his pie, then pushed his plate away. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at her. “What’s wrong, Cass? You’re not really here tonight, are you?”