DREAMING OF YOU GO PL

by Barbara Freethy

  "Here you are," his brother said, joining him with a curvy redhead by his side. "This is Amy—my brother, Barrett."

  "Hi, Barrett," Amy said with a warm smile. "I hear your mother set you up."

  "I see Matt's big mouth is still working."

  His brother gave him an unrepentant grin. "How are things going?"

  He tipped his head to where Elaine was now holding court in a circle of interested men. She was definitely a woman who liked to be the center of attention.

  "I know her," Amy said. "That's Elaine Cummings. She's a fashion blogger and a social media influencer. She has hundreds of thousands of followers."

  "She said a lot about that in the car," he admitted. "She's definitely doing some networking tonight."

  "Would you guys excuse me? I'm going to use the ladies' room," Amy said. "I'll be back." She handed Matt her glass of champagne and then left them alone.

  "Any sparks between you and Elaine?" Matt asked with a grin.

  "Not a one. And I'm sure she feels the same way. She just wanted me to get her through the door, which I did. What about Amy? What's her story?"

  "She's an interior designer. She's helping me furnish my new apartment."

  He saw a gleam in his brother's eyes that he hadn't seen in a while. "You like her."

  "I do," Matt admitted. "But it's early days. We've only gone out a few times. We'll see how it goes."

  "Well, good for you."

  "Sorry your date turned out to be a dud."

  He shrugged. "I didn't have high expectations."

  "Maybe that's the problem," Matt said cryptically.

  "Whatever that means."

  "It means it's time to get back in the game."

  "I'm in the game."

  "Are you?"

  He frowned at his brother's challenging words. "I go out. I just haven't met anyone I want to see twice." As he finished speaking, his mind returned to Kate. He did want to see her again. But he told himself that was because he was concerned about her hand. With the way she felt about him, she might want to sue him for her fall. Not that she seemed like the litigious type. On the other hand, it would probably make sense to ensure she had the proper medical care.

  "Barrett, are you listening to me?"

  He actually had no idea what his brother had just said. "Sorry. What?"

  "Your date is now slow dancing with David Bennis."

  His gaze moved to the dance floor where Elaine and David were getting very close. Besides being a successful lawyer, David had deep pockets and blue blood running through his veins. Elaine certainly moved fast when she saw something or someone she wanted. He kind of admired that. "Good," he said. "I'm glad she's found someone to entertain her. I think I'll get going."

  "Seriously?" Matt asked, raising his brow. "Where do you have to be?"

  "I'm bored. I'm tired. I want to get out of here. Would you mind telling Elaine that I had to leave? Make sure she has a ride to wherever she wants to go."

  "I suppose I could do that, but you'll owe me."

  "I'll happily pay, as long as it's not another blind date."

  "So, you're just going home?" Matt asked, a speculative glint in his eyes.

  "Where else would I be going?" he said lightly, as he headed to the door.

  * * *

  Kate took her hand out of the second bucket of ice. She'd given herself a ten-minute break between icings while she'd changed into leggings and a long sweater and popped a frozen pizza into the oven.

  Her fingers were red and slightly less puffy, but they were still painful. She looked at the pile of ribbons, lace, potpourri and other items on the kitchen table in front of her. She'd talked herself into the idea that she could at least get something done, if she just went slowly, but it was looking like a very formidable task. She'd wanted to show the samples to Jessica and Maggie tomorrow, but that might have to wait. She was just about to plunge her hand back into the ice, when her doorbell buzzer went off.

  She wrapped a dishtowel around her wet hand and moved toward the intercom. "Hello?"

  "It's Barrett. Can I come in?"

  Her heart skipped a beat. "Uh, I guess. I'm on the second floor." She buzzed him in, then moved to open her door. She couldn't imagine why Barrett had come to see her. He was supposed to be at the Winter Ball.

  Barrett came down the hall a moment later, still wearing his tuxedo, which only reminded her that her casual wear was a little on the ragged side. "What do you want?" she snapped, annoyed that he'd caught her at her worst once again.

  "I came to see if you were all right," he said, glancing at her towel-wrapped hand. "And you're not."

  "It's not that bad."

  "Let me see."

  She unwrapped the towel and revealed her puffy fingers.

  "You might have broken one or both of those fingers."

  "They're not crooked just swollen. I'm hoping for the best."

  "Instead of hoping, you should have someone take a look at it."

  "I'm soaking it in ice. Everything will be fine in the morning."

  "Why don't you want to see a doctor?" he asked curiously.

  "Because I don't need to. Why are you here?"

  "I wanted to check on you—see if you were all right."

  She gave him a disbelieving look. "You were concerned about me?" Her gaze narrowed. "Oh, I get it. You think I'm going to sue you, don't you?"

  "Never crossed my mind. If you're going to sue anyone, it would have to be the owner of that hoop thing you were wearing." He paused. "Can I come in?"

  "Why?" As the word left her mouth, her oven timer went off.

  "Whatever you're cooking smells good," Barrett commented.

  "It's just a frozen pizza."

  "Big enough for two?"

  "You want to share a frozen pizza with me while you're wearing a tuxedo? Why aren't you at the ball? Shari told me you were going. It can't be over. It's barely eight."

  "It's not over, but I was done."

  "What happened to your date?"

  "You might want to get your pizza before it burns."

  "Fine, come in," she said, leaving him to enter, as she moved into the kitchen and took out her pizza, setting it on the stovetop to cool.

  Barrett followed her into the small kitchen. "Ah, it is big enough to share," he said with a smile that warmed his features and made her heart beat a little faster.

  She couldn't argue with that. "Fine. We can share." She pulled out her pizza cutter. "You can slice. I'll get the plates."

  "Don't hurt your hand."

  "Thankfully, it's my left hand."

  She put the plates on the counter and opened the refrigerator. "I have orange juice, milk, and sparkling water."

  "I'll take the water," he said, as he placed a couple of slices of pizza on each plate, then took them over to the table, which was laden with wedding supplies. "What is all this?"

  "I'm supposed to be making wedding favors tonight. You can just push them to one side."

  "You really take your work home with you, don't you?"

  "There's always a lot to do."

  She set a large bottle of water on the table. "If you don't mind opening this, I'll get some glasses."

  After putting the glasses down, she took a seat across from him. "I hope you don't get tomato sauce on that tuxedo."

  "I think I can manage, but it can always be cleaned."

  "So, you own it."

  "I prefer to own over renting."

  "Nice if you can afford it," she commented, taking a bite of her pizza.

  "This is good," Barrett said, devouring his first piece in a few bites.

  "You really were hungry. Don't they feed you at the Winter Ball?"

  "There were trays going by, but I'm not a fan of weird finger food and people kept wanting to talk to me," he complained.

  "Poor you. Too much fancy food and too many people who like you. Although, why you're popular is a mystery to me," she said dryly.

  He smiled. "We haven't gott
en off to a good start."

  "Which is your fault," she pointed out.

  "Maybe we can reset. Since we're going to be work neighbors, it would be easier if we got along."

  "I suppose. What happened to your beautiful date?"

  "She's still at the party, networking to her heart's delight."

  "Networking? That doesn't sound very romantic."

  "Tonight's date wasn't about romance. Elaine is one of my mother's setups. She wants me to get married again, and she keeps throwing eligible women my way. However, Elaine was not at all interested in me, especially when she realized I have no intention of ever getting married again."

  "Did you tell her that? Because that's quite a statement for a first date. And usually not one you make if you want a second date."

  "I didn't want a second date. I didn't want the first date. And I think I slid it in somewhere in the middle of her monologue about her social media influence."

  "Oh, she's one of those."

  "Elaine loves the selfie."

  She nodded in complete understanding. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry she won't be showing up at your office. She didn't seem like a very caring person when I tumbled down the stairs and landed at your feet. She stepped over me like I was roadkill."

  "In a lot of lace," he said with a grin. "Elaine is an ambitious social climber. Trust me, she's having a better time at the party without me."

  "Was the ball amazing? I've heard it's fabulous."

  He shrugged. "It was all right."

  "Speaks the man who has probably been a dozen times."

  "Probably." He finished his slice of pizza and tipped his head toward the pile of supplies hovering by his elbow. "Why don't you farm out the wedding favor construction? Surely, you can find an intern or an assistant to do it."

  "I don't normally make the favors. We have a group of high school girls who usually work on them, but these are for the double wedding of two of my best friends, Jessica and Maggie. I'm not just planning their wedding; I'm also in it. And it needs to be perfect. I told my friends I'd show them the samples tomorrow when we meet for lunch. Another bridesmaid, Liz, was supposed to come by tonight to help me, but her husband fell off his bike and she ended up at the ER with him. Thankfully, he's all right, but she needs to take care of him." She blew out a breath. "And that was probably way more than you wanted to know."

  "With your hand, I don't think you're going to get too far on your own."

  "I just need to get six samples done. I can soldier through."

  He gave her a doubtful look. "You really think you can manage?"

  "I'll figure it out." She paused, taking a sip of her water. "How did you know where I live?"

  "I have your home address on the lease you signed with us."

  "Oh, right. So, there really wasn't any other office space in the vast Fox Management empire that you could have used?"

  "The Union Street location is convenient for me. I live in the Marina. I can walk to work."

  "But surely your well-to-do clients would prefer a more sophisticated office building."

  He shrugged. "I know you'd like to be rid of me, but that won't happen for at least six months. You're going to have to soldier on there, too."

  "Just don't take down the swan picture by the front door."

  "What is the deal with that picture?"

  "My grandparents gave it to me. It's their love story."

  "They're swans?" he asked, with a sparkle in his green eyes.

  "Ha-ha. No, but they are mated for life, like the swans. They've been together for fifty-five years, and they love each other as much now as they did the day they married."

  "That's something."

  "True love does exist, and weddings don't always kill a marriage," she said pointedly.

  "What kind of wedding did they have?"

  "They got married in a small church in Portola Valley. My grandmother had grown up in the area and had always wanted to get married there. The reception was in the church hall. There was a cake, flowers, music. There might have only been about twenty-five guests, but my grandmother says it was perfect."

  "Well, good for them."

  "What about your parents, grandparents? Are they together?" she asked curiously.

  "I only have one grandmother left, and she's been married three times. My mother has been married twice, and my father is on his fourth marriage. His brides keep getting younger and younger."

  "Wow, that's a lot of marriages."

  "And weddings. Each and every one of them has spent a great deal of money to have the perfect day, only to end up with an imperfect marriage."

  "Again, you're generalizing."

  "Not when it comes to my family. Apparently, the Foxes are not cut out for marriage."

  "Maybe it's more about picking the right person than the right wedding venue."

  "I'll give you that. What about your parents? What's their story? Have they been as happily married as your grandparents?"

  She frowned at his question, not really wanting to answer it, because it would just add fuel to his fire when it came to weddings and marriage. "Do you want more pizza? There are a few slices left."

  "You don't want to tell me about your parents. Why?"

  She didn't like the knowing gleam in his eyes. "I just thought you might still be hungry. I was being a good host."

  "They're divorced, aren't they?"

  "No, they're not divorced."

  "Really?" Surprise ran across his face. "Then why did you hesitate to answer the question?"

  She really didn't need to tell him her life story. But for some reason it was difficult to look away from him. "My parents aren't divorced, because they were never married. My mom got pregnant. My dad hung around until I was born and then he took off. He said he couldn't be a father. He didn't want me in his life."

  Barrett's humor faded. "I'm sorry, Kate."

  She shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I never knew him. How can you miss something you never had?"

  "Some men aren't cut out to be fathers. I'm sure it wasn't personal to you."

  "When your father rejects you, it feels personal."

  "He didn't know you."

  "He didn't want to know me. Anyway, that's their story."

  "Are you close with your mother?"

  "No. She also wasn't cut out to be a parent. She's a singer, and she has been in and out of my life—mostly out. I lived with my grandparents from the time I was six until I went to college. They raised me. They're the people I count on."

  "Do they live here in the city?"

  "No. They're in Berkeley. They have a small house in the hills. It's not much, but it has a great view of the city. I used to sit on the patio and think about one day living in San Francisco and having my own business."

  "It all came true."

  "Yes. Dreams can come true. And marriages can last. My parents didn't even try, but my grandparents are great role models."

  He smiled. "You're clearly an optimist."

  "And you are clearly not."

  "Sometimes optimism is unwarranted. You need to be realistic, and I'm not talking about love and romance right now."

  "What are you talking about?" she asked warily.

  "Your fingers. I think at least one of them is broken. You can't wish that away with happy thoughts."

  As she turned her gaze on her hand, she was afraid he might be right.

  "Let me take you to the ER," Barrett said.

  "If the swelling doesn't subside, I'll go in the morning. There's not much they can do anyway. Do you want more pizza?"

  "I'm full. It was very good."

  "I can't take much credit. All I did was put it in the oven. I'm afraid I don't do much cooking."

  "When would you have time? Dealing with brides, trying on wedding skirts, making favors…"

  "It is busy, but I love it. And I'm lucky I get to do what I love."

  He nodded, giving her a thoughtful look. "You are lucky. Did you always wa
nt to be a wedding planner?"

  "Yes. It was an idea I had really young. When I was in college, I worked for a caterer, and after college, I moonlighted at a florist shop, while I worked as an account manager at an advertising agency for my very boring day job. But my ultimate goal was to be a wedding planner. Luckily, I made some contacts at the florist, who did a lot of weddings, and eventually I was able to quit the ad agency and start up my own little company. The first two years were rough, but business is starting to boom now. Getting Candice Hunt's wedding would be my biggest job yet. Although, I'm not sure she'll end up hiring me."

  "Why wouldn't she?"

  "Her mother would prefer to hire one of her friends, and in the end, whoever pays the checks usually has the most say. But I'm meeting with both of them next Friday, so we'll see if they like my proposal."

  "You have a lot on your plate."

  "I like it that way."

  "So do I," he admitted. "Work is where I'm at my best."

  "Unlike the Winter Ball, where you left your very attractive date without an escort."

  He tipped his head. "She had already moved on to someone else before I left. And big, expensive parties are not really my thing."

  "And yet you've been to two in the last week—if you count the Hunts' party."

  "The Hunts have been longtime friends. The Winter Ball was not my idea, but sometimes I try to keep my mother happy."

  "Only sometimes?"

  "She's not an easy woman to please. It takes a lot of effort, and the results are usually not good—at least not for me. My brother is much better at charming her into a better mood."

  "Younger or older brother?"

  "Younger. Matt is great. He's the perfect son, too. He's going to take over Fox Management one day. My parents are very proud."

  "I'm sure they're proud of you, too."

  "I'm not sure pride is the first word that comes to mind when they think of me. I let them down with my divorce and my career choices," he replied.

  "You have to live your life, not theirs."

  "Now that I agree with. See, we're getting along better already."

  "I have to admit you're nicer than I thought."

  He smiled. "So nice, I'm going to help you."

  "Help me do what?"

  "Make your sample favors."