Her reaction to that embrace had rubbed her like a new pair of shoes, ever since.
She needed Jared’s assistance in helping Doug get the picture—needed to clear the way for her sister—but she didn’t need to care for him, to fall in love with him. She’d fallen in love before and out again. How could a healthy woman her age not have a few affairs of the heart? But falling for Jared would be a huge mistake.
Not only did she need to maintain their arrangement for a full year—something she’d never even wanted to attain in her previous attachments—she still had some hopes of coming out of this marriage without any lasting emotional damage. If she kept her head, she could enjoy the heck out of herself and finally do right by her sister.
Jared’s demeanor tonight was both reassuring and disquieting. On the one hand, he didn’t cling to her or act overly-possessive as some men did when they had feelings for a woman. On the other hand, how comfortable would it be to make love to a man who had no significant emotion for her? Even a man as hot as Jared.
A commotion by the apartment’s front door drew Kelsey’s attention.
“Here’s our surprise guest,” Jennifer said gaily. “You have to come see.”
She urged a laughing Kelsey through the crowd, coming to a halt in the foyer.
A middle-aged woman dressed in a canary yellow suit with a matching hat and shoes stood just inside the door, her arm thrown around Jared’s neck.
The laughter died in Kelsey’s throat. “Mother! You’re here.”
“Of course, I’m here," Chloe exclaimed, her little-girl voice even more breathless than usual. “How could I miss my Kelsey’s wedding?”
She planted a kiss on Jared's cheek. “You be good to my baby.”
“I promise,” Jared said, his voice good-natured, despite the smear of lipstick he had to know decorated his jaw.
“Give me a hug,” Chloe pleaded, crossing the foyer to throw her arms around Kelsey.
Hugging her mother for a moment, a cloud of Chloe’s signature perfume engulfing her, Kelsey felt affection, sadness and the intense desire for her mother to return to Spain. Guilt followed swiftly, of course, but she couldn’t shake the discomfort.
“Mother!” Amy separated herself from the crowd, going over to embrace Chloe. “How wonderful!”
Kelsey trailed her mother and sister into the living area as Jennifer introduced Chloe to everyone. She loved her mother, but her being here just added a wealth of emotion into a situation that Kelsey wanted to keep as simple as possible. Somehow her presence made the wedding more real.
She didn’t want Jared spending time with her mother, not because she was in any way ashamed of the woman who’d been her only parent, but because it was so much easier to keep things uncomplicated when the past didn’t muddy up the situation.
And she couldn’t help but dread the heart-to-heart talk with her mother. Deeply, ironically, romantic, Chloe would want every detail of their first meeting, first date and Jared’s proposal. Just the thought of manufacturing memories for all that made Kelsey tired.
Sitting her champagne glass down on a table, she drifted in and out of several conversations before finding herself at a window with a fantastic view of Central Park. Taking a breather before wading back into the enthusiastic fray, she looked out at the dark gardens, lit here and there by occasional lamp posts.
“Kelsey!” Doug whispered urgently beside her, making her jump.
“Oh, Doug. Isn’t this a great party?” she asked, noticing with foreboding the sheen of perspiration on his upper lip and the flushed appearance of his face. How much had he had to drink, she wondered.
“Do you mean to go through with this?” he asked abruptly, a mixture of anger and unhappiness on his face.
“Through with…,” her words trailed off, deliberate puzzlement on her face.
“This marriage,” Doug hissed. “I don’t care what Amy says. Jared isn’t your type.”
She looked down at her hands, her engagement ring winking at her. Kelsey wished she still held a wine glass. “You mean he’s not the type of man I’ve dated?”
“Yes,” Doug snapped, keeping his voice mercifully low.
The last thing they needed was for Amy to overhear this sad, little interchange.
Kelsey paused for a moment, searching for the words that would convince him of her devotion to Jared and thus, of her eternal unavailability to him. “I’m not interested in dating a ‘type’ of man anymore. I’ve fallen in love with Jared and, yes, I’m going through with the marriage.”
Doug turned to look out the window at the park.