by Sandy Loyd
“You’re just not ready to marry.”
Judith sighed. “I wish it was that easy.”
“It has to be. James is perfect for me and I’m perfect for him.”
“And a weekend in Tahoe is going to make him realize this?”
“Yes. He’s so different when we’re skiing and away from the daily grind.” Her words and tone filtered past her ears, as she noticed a woman pushing a stroller past their table. In seconds, the yearning for more intensified and she wondered. Who was she trying to convince? Herself or Judith? Doubts returned. How pathetic to have them at all at this point.
Just then, their waiter interrupted, asking if they wanted another glass of wine.
“Yes, please,” Kate said.
Judith shook her head and when he was out of earshot, added, “Maybe, but face it, Kate. You’ve been ready for commitment since you met him.”
That wasn’t totally true, but she didn’t dispute the fact. As far as Judith knew, she’d decided James was perfect for her within hours of meeting him. Part of his appeal had been that he wasn’t ready to settle down, which worked to give her time to accomplish her own goals. But now? James was in his early thirties and his business was going gangbusters, so it was time to cut back on work and think about their future. She only hoped she could convince him of that. Not wanting to think negatively, she smiled and said, “We’re going to have so much fun. You’ll see.”
“I hope so,” Judith said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll have a hard enough time getting Paul to back off after this.” She started drumming her fingers on the table, thinking. “Relationships just shouldn’t be so much work,” she finally said.
By the time the check arrived, their plans for the next weekend were set and the conversation switched to a new art gallery opening. The two decided to check it out during the week.
They left the restaurant and strolled down the block, looking at the passersby. It was a beautiful clear night with a light wind, a little on the chilly side for ambling, but Kate thought it was a perfect end to a wonderful dinner.
Neither spoke until they reached the street where the two separated to go in different directions.
“Thanks for agreeing to the trip,” Kate said.
Judith smiled. “Hopefully, the weekend will be all you want it to be.”
They hugged, added kisses, and said their good-byes.
“I’ll let you know the time on Wednesday for the gallery. I’ll drive so you won’t have to hassle with it, okay?” Judith said over her shoulder.
Kate nodded and hurried away, not wanting to think about the doubts now clouding her mind, most of them centering on one question. Would her plan lead her to the altar?
Judith is right. She frowned. Relationships shouldn’t be this much work.
Chapter 2
James Morrison braked hard and swore under his breath at the driver in front of him who was paying more attention to his cell phone conversation than to the heavy traffic. He wished he had one of those signs that read, ‘Drive, don’t talk.’ The bozo in front of him needed a warning. He was still yakking, with no idea his veering out of his lane had almost caused a pileup.
Unfortunately, clueless drivers and an upcoming traffic snarl weren’t James’ only concerns.
The entire time his Toyota Sequoia inched along I-275 on his way into the city to pick up Kate, he wondered why it felt as if the world was closing in on him, much like the cars surrounding him.
Face it, Morrison! It doesn’t take a genius to understand why.
Kate was excited about their upcoming weekend in Tahoe. Not that he didn’t want to go, but he knew what was in store once he got there. She’d push the commitment button again. She wanted marriage. She’d been vocal about it ever since her sister announced her wedding plans.
He should be totally ready for wedded bliss after six years. Yet, the idea of till death do us part scared the hell out of him. What if she wasn’t ‘the one’? The more he thought about it, the more he questioned their relationship.
Unfortunately, Kate was tenacious when chasing a goal. In the past, he’d always gone along with her demands because it was easier than all-out confrontation. He couldn’t do that this time. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t want marriage either. James hadn’t known how to voice his reservations, so he’d taken the coward’s way out and backed off, which only made him feel guiltier.
Now he needed to grow a spine.
Despite her bulldog nature, he did love Kate and enjoyed being with her. What wasn’t to love? She was gorgeous, bright, supportive, and successful. A woman any man would give his right arm to have standing by his side.
The traffic started flowing again and he sped up. As he drove, his thoughts swirled. The only solution to his predicament, he decided, was to take time this weekend to explain his feelings to Kate. As he wound his way through Golden Gate Park, his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He had to prepare himself for the prospect of letting her go. If he couldn’t commit, she deserved the chance to find someone who would. It was only right, he decided, as he headed through the Presidio and eventually took the turnoff to Marina Boulevard.
Once on Kate’s street, every square inch of curb space held a car. He drove around the block searching for a parking spot, only to become more edgy and frustrated. The ordeal reminded him of why he left San Francisco and moved south to San Mateo.
After another lap, he finally parked illegally. He jumped out, leaving the car running, stalked to the door, and jabbed the buzzer to Kate’s apartment.
“James? Is that you?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t find a spot, so can you just come down? I’m in your building’s driveway.”
“Sure, I’ll be right there,” shot through the intercom.
~
Kate sighed, wondering why he sounded so grouchy when his client had raved about his designs the day before.
As she walked to meet him, her thoughts drifted back to their last date, right before she left on her buying trip. He hadn’t spent the night and was rather distant. Work. That was the problem. He really needed a break.
She turned the corner of the stairwell and spied James through the glass door of her apartment building’s lobby, pacing impatiently. When he saw her, he waited until she unlatched the lock, helped her guide the heavy door open, and held it as she stepped through.
They both hopped into the SUV at the same time.
“Traffic’s a bitch and there weren’t any open spaces,” he said, as he put the car in gear and backed out. “God, I hate coming into the city.”
His words and annoyed manner had her grasping for patience. Okay. He hasn’t kissed me hello, even though it’s been a while since we were last together. Plus, he’s complaining about traffic. Both only strengthened her resolve to get him to relax. In an effort to cheer him up, she began recounting her buying spree back east, happy to note after a couple of blocks he was smiling.
She had him laughing by the time they entered the entrance to the Bay Bridge. Her story ended at the same time he turned into the arena garage. As he drove up the ramp, she eyed him carefully, wondering whether to finalize their plans for the ski trip. No. Not yet. She’d wait until after the game.
After exiting the parked car, Kate took hold of James’ hand and pulled him along. “Let’s hurry. I don’t want to miss the tip-off.”
“Kate, slow down,” he said, laughing. “We have plenty of time.”
“Not if we want to get something to eat before it starts,” she said, relieved to see him finally unwind.
“Oh, that’s right. It’s going to cost me an arm and a leg just to satisfy your junk food craving. Where do you put it all?” he teased. His gaze took a suggestive trip over her body, going up, then down, and back up again.
“Just consider this a cheap date. You won’t have to take me out afterward.” Oh, how she wished James would be this easygoing all the time.
“Sold.”
Once inside, James pulled the
tickets out of his pockets and handed her one. “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it—you go sit down.”
“Two hot dogs with the works, nachos with lots of cheese, and a beer,” she rattled off. She looked at him and smiled. “I may want more later, but that should tide me over.”
“Got it.” He shook his head and returned her smile. “I know you’ll eat every bite.”
“Of course I will,” she said, mirroring his teasing voice. “I’m a growing girl.”
“It’s amazing.”
“What’s amazing?”
“In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never gained an ounce though you eat like a truck driver at times.” He turned and walked away, still shaking his head.
James returned with hot dogs, nachos, and beer, and for the next two hours, neither mentioned anything more serious than what the players were doing on the court. The game ended with a victory for her team.
Even the stop-and-go traffic on the way out of the parking garage didn’t mar James’ good mood. He was definitely relaxed.
On the drive back, he opened up a little more about his completed project and how smoothly his meeting went. By the time they neared her neighborhood, she decided it was silly to be worried, since this James was the man she’d come to love, not the other one who kept distancing himself with work. “We need to firm up plans for the weekend. What time are we leaving on Thursday?”
“I wanted to discuss that with you.” James cleared his throat. “I can’t leave on Thursday.”
“Why not?” Kate eyed him suspiciously. “It’s supposed to be a three-day weekend and I thought you were looking forward to skiing on Friday without the crowds. Plus, they’re predicting snow.” They’d bought their usual season passes together earlier last summer. While the money wasn’t a problem for him, it had been a chunk of change for her, which meant careful budgeting. Buying a pass in advance usually paid off, since in the past the two went up often enough to more than break even. But this year, he’d barely used his. “We’ll be skiing powder. You haven’t been skiing since before Christmas.”
In her situation, she couldn’t afford to be so lax. Every weekend she didn’t go meant wasted money. Some people went on exotic two-week trips where, once it was over, it was over. Snow skiing was her exotic vacation that lasted the entire winter. Still, it bugged her that James kept backing out.
“I know, but something came up with work.”
Of course, something came up with work. Doesn’t it always? Instead of voicing her first reaction, she countered, “Your project’s done, James. You’ve been working nonstop for months…you need a break.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The partners are having a meeting Friday morning.”
“Can you reschedule?”
“No,” he said firmly.
“Why not?” Her gaze narrowed. “You’re one of the head honchos.” He was a senior partner of Morrison, Morgan, and Stone, an architectural firm located in San Mateo, twenty minutes south of San Francisco.
“It’s the only time everyone can meet, and it’s important. Besides, I planned to leave right after the meeting. We’ll still have Friday afternoon and the rest of the weekend together.”
She turned and looked blindly out the passenger window, her thoughts suddenly jumbled. Her plans were going south fast. It would be torture to spend an evening with Paul and Judith as a third wheel, so much so she might decide against going up early. What if Judith and Paul decided to cancel, making it a moot point? On the practical side, she’d already arranged for someone else to cover her at her shop. By keeping to her original plans, she’d knock out another awesome powder day on the slopes—an uncrowded one, at that. But she’d be skiing alone…again.
She glanced back at him and pleaded, “Are you sure you can’t leave Thursday night?”
“I’m sure. Let’s plan another three-day weekend if it means so much to you.”
Fat chance of that happening. By then, he’d be involved in a new project and have another reason to cancel. “You could rearrange your meeting if you wanted,” she accused, not backing down this time.
“Quit pushing,” he barked.
Kate froze, staring mutely at him. There was no hiding the fact his actions and words had stung.
A deafening silence hung in the air until he sighed. “You’ve been up there plenty of times by yourself before, so why not now?” he finally asked, his voice and manner softer. “It’s only one night.”
“Paul will be there.”
James turned onto her street. “So? He’s not that bad.”
Her jaw dropped a good inch. Easy for him to say when he wasn’t on the receiving end of the guy’s razor wit. “I’d rather not deal with him alone if I don’t have to.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you invited him.” When she remained silent, he added, “The house is big enough that you don’t have to see him if you don’t want to. Just stay in the guesthouse tomorrow night. I’ll break away as soon as I can on Friday.” Though he was attempting to smooth things over, she noted a bit of tension in his eyes. Frustration came out in his long sigh. “I’m looking forward to getting away for the weekend.”
Her hurt slowly dissipated. He was trying, which helped. “Okay,” she said, nodding. “I guess I can head up alone.” She’d done so many times. Besides, if it did snow, she’d regret missing the opportunity to make first tracks down the mountain in fresh powder, something diehard skiers like her lived for. And she had vowed to make friends with Paul. With Judith there, it would be easier.
“Can we cook in Friday night and go out Saturday?” James slowed the car. “This way we can be more flexible. The restaurants are always so crowded.”
“Sure. I’ll hit the store after skiing. What time do you think you’ll be there?”
“The meeting should be over by ten,” he said, pulling into her apartment driveway, leaving the motor running. “So let’s plan on two…three at the latest, depending on traffic.”
“Okay, we’re on.” Kate heaved a relieved sigh, happy he was cooperating with at least part of her plans. But the mood only lasted until it became obvious he meant to drop her off and not spend the night. She sent him a questioning look.
“Cut me a break here, will you? I have an early appointment with a new client in the morning, and I still have about three hours of work left before I can meet with him.”
Yep, he was definitely backing off. Kate now recognized the signals. He was using work to distance himself.
He turned to stare out the window, avoiding her gaze, and said, “I’ll give you a call.”
She grabbed the handle, shoved the door open, and glanced back at him.
He didn’t move.
“Sure, no problem,” she choked out. She hurried out of the car and headed into her building as fast as her feet would carry her before she lost it and told him where he could stuff his demanding workload.
“Damn the man!” she thought, brushing a tear away and feeling him slip away even more.
~
The next evening, Kate watched from the lobby’s glass door of her apartment building for Judith. When her dark green Murano pulled to a stop, double-parking beside another car, she ran and jumped inside.
“Right on time, I see,” Judith said, letting her foot off the brake.
“Thanks for driving.” She reached for her seatbelt.
“No problem.”
Kate grimaced as she fastened the buckle, remembering her news. “Oh, by the way, James isn’t going up until Friday afternoon, so I’m on my own tomorrow.”
“That’s a drag.” She flashed her a sympathetic look. “Sorry about that. Are you sure you still want to go?”
“Of course.” Smiling, and trying to act like it was no big deal, she shrugged. “There’s no reason not to. He’s the one with the meeting he can’t get out of.”
Judith nodded and refocused on traffic. A few blocks later, she glanced at Kate. “Why not drive up with us,
then?”
“It’s no biggie.” Kate shook her head. “I can make the trip alone.” She crossed her fingers, hoping Judith would accept her at her word. Sharing a two-thousand-square-foot house was one thing, but being stuck with Paul on a long car trip was another matter entirely, one she had every intention of avoiding. Even her endurance had limits.
“No,” Judith said, tossing the idea away with the wave of her hand. “That’s impractical, and a waste of gasoline when we’re all going to the same place.” She offered a satisfied smile. “This way you can ride back with James and having you along will keep things light with Paul. So it’s a win-win.”
Kate gritted her teeth and forced out a smile, silently searching for a way out. She stared, unseeing, out the window, as the Nissan wound through the streets of San Francisco in the direction of the downtown art gallery. “I doubt he’ll want to include me,” she finally said, using the only excuse that came to her.
“Let me worry about him.” She turned into the lot provided for the gallery, then parked.
“I don’t want to mess up his plans.”
Judith switched off the ignition. “Paul lives right down the street from you, and we’re planning to leave around the same time. So I don’t see a problem.” She emerged from the car and, holding the door open, bent back inside. “Weren’t you the one who said we should all learn to get along?”
Kate hopped out of the car, and slammed the door. “I know what I said, but I really don’t want to ride with him.”
“What better opportunity to practice?” She hit the keyless lock. “Unless you’re not serious about being friends with Paul.”
She followed Judith to the entrance, as the noose around her neck tightened.
“So, we’re in agreement, right?” With eyebrows raised, Judith opened the outer glass door and waited for her to go ahead before stepping inside.
“You might want to wait until he agrees before you set it in stone.”
“I’m sure he’ll be reasonable.” She headed toward the first grouping of pictures.