“I feel like a kid again, discussing the evening’s date with you guys,” she said as they entered the suite with their packages. She had bought a new dress for the occasion. It was a very feminine, very soft shade of lilac. The swirly skirt hit her just below the knee and the cowl neckline was perfect for the pendant she had planned to wear with it. It came with a matching shawl and she would wear her black, strappy sandals with it. A pair of drop earrings would complete the picture. She’d had her nails done while they were out and they were painted lilac to match her dress.
“It’s good to see you so happy, Katy,” Angie answered her friend with a smile.
“I know it’s been a long time coming, but I could really fall for this guy. I will have to be cautious, though. I know you all are worried that I am getting in over my head with the confirmed bachelor of Dallas,” she replied with a sigh. “But after hearing what Chloe had to say earlier today, I can understand that part of his life a little better. He had his reasons for not wanting to become involved with anyone seriously. It was easier for him to play the field.”
“Who knows, you may be the one to break the spell,” laughed Marianne.
“I’m going to try and draw him out tonight, make him talk about the past, if I can. That is the only way that I have a chance of getting through the wall he put up all those years ago. I wonder just exactly how many years it’s been.”
“Good luck with that, honey. I am not sure he will want to talk about it. From what Chloe said, he was devastated.” Lizzie entered the conversation, still concerned for her friend.
“I’ll just have to be very careful how I approach the subject. Maybe if we can both talk about the past, we can move on, hopefully together,” she added with a secret smile.
“Angie, my dear, what is on the agenda with the wonderful Michael for the evening?” Lizzie turned to her other friend.
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t. I would like to have another chance with him. There I’ve said it out loud. It’s no secret that I never got over him. But it has been so many years and we have both changed and grown. We may find that we are two totally different people now, which could be a good thing, or on the other hand, could be a bad thing. I want so much for this evening to work out, but like Katy, I need to be very cautious. I need to keep my wits about me and let my head rule over my heart tonight. Michael is no longer my husband. He is a work colleague and I would do well to remember that,” Angie answered thoughtfully.
“Well, you really need to talk about the reasons you split up all those years ago. Maybe then you can tell if it would work out to try again,” Marianne advised.
Angie did not answer her friend. No one knew the real reason they split up except Angie’s mother. There was more to it than the career. There were other things that had made Angie decide to divorce Michael all those years ago. Painful things she had kept bottled up inside all these years. She had done it for Michael. But if I tell him now, will he understand? After all these years of silence, could she ever make him understand why she did it? Could I make any of them understand? Her mother had urged her to talk to him, urged her not to end her marriage. But she was so filled with grief at the time, she did not listen. She wondered now if that had been a terrible mistake.
Now that I know he never remarried and started the family he’d always wanted, should I tell him the truth? If they had any kind of a chance at reconciliation, she could not keep her secret any longer. He would have to know. And knowing what she had done could be the end of them forever.
“Race you for the shower!” Katy teased her friend, interrupting her disturbing thoughts.
“You go first, Kathryn, my dear. Make yourself beautiful for your man,” Angie teased back. They had joked like this so many times in the past when getting ready for dates in high school and in college. It brought back many fond memories.
“All right, I’ll try not to stay in there too long. I know you need to get beautiful for your guy too.” And with that Katy grabbed her packages and headed for the bathroom, anxious to get ready for Ryan.
“You got awfully quiet there for a minute, Angie. Is everything okay?” Lizzie asked after Katy left the room.
“Oh, just thinking about tonight. It’s a big step, seeing Michael again.”
“Well, you know if you need to talk, we are always here. I’m sure that we’ll have lots to talk about tonight… or tomorrow morning… whichever the case may be.” Marianne laughed at Angie’s reddening cheeks.
“Your new outfit should knock old Michael’s socks right off.” Lizzie had helped Angie pick it out this afternoon. It was pink, of course. Michael had always loved Angie in pink and still, to this day, she almost always chose that color when shopping for special occasions.
“Socks, shirt, pants…” Marianne teased.
“Marianne, stop it… If you had your way, Michael and I would skip dinner altogether and head straight to the bedroom. And what you’re suggesting can’t happen.” Angie worried. “It just can’t.”
“Just funning with you, Angie, don’t fret so much,” Marianne reassured her friend. “It might be just the thing you both need to knock some sense into your heads,” she added with a giggle. But Angie knew better. It would only make things worse. She had to stand her ground.
Katy entered the living room. Her new dress hugged her petite figure in all the right places. She looked stunning. The other three each nodded in approval.
“You look ravishing, Katy. Dallas’s most eligible bachelor doesn’t stand a chance tonight.” Angie was the first to speak.
“You are simply gorgeous.” Lizzie smiled in agreement, tears pricking her eyelids.
“I am so happy for you, Katy.” Marianne had tears in her eyes as well. This evening had been a long time coming for Katy, and Marianne was truly happy for her friend. After all, it was just one date. What harm could it do?
“I’d better get a move on, wouldn’t want to keep the ex waiting, you know.” Angie headed for the bathroom. It was her turn now to become ravishing for her special evening.
When Angie emerged from the bathroom a little while later, she was every bit as beautiful as Katy was, in her own way. Angie was taller than Katy and more athletic. She had long, brown hair and her eyes danced when she smiled. Always slim, she generally looked as good in sweats and jeans as she did when she wore her business suits. Tonight’s outfit was slightly more feminine than her usual business apparel.
The filmy skirt was flared, instead of her usual straight style, in a pink paisley print. She wore a little crocheted jacket in the same shade of pink with a cream-colored shell underneath.
A simple gold chain adorned her neck and she wore matching gold earrings. She had left her long hair down with combs holding back the sides. She looked good. She looked like a woman in love.
“Wow!” Lizzie gasped as Angie entered the room.
“Sensational.” Marianne winked at Angie. Angie’s cheeks reddened again.
“You look great, Ang. We had better get down to the lobby. Have a wonderful time tonight.” Katy picked up her small evening purse and headed for the door.
“You go on ahead, Kate, Michael won’t be there for a little while yet. You have a great time too. Good luck.”
Katy was smiling as she left the suite. She had high hopes for her evening with Mr. Ryan O’Grady. She had no idea where he was taking her for dinner. She only knew it would be somewhere other than his own restaurant. Since he was not working tonight, he had told her he would be taking her someplace special. He had laughed when he told her she could check out the competition. Katy did not care where they ate, as long as she could get to know the handsome Irishman a little better. I hope I can get him to talk about his wife’s death and her deception. Katy had always been a good listener. Hopefully, that would prove to be beneficial tonight.
She stepped out of the elevator and walked into the brightly-lit lobby. She looked up to see Ryan entering the front door of the hotel. He was punctual. That was a good si
gn that he really did want to spend time with her. He looked relaxed and happy. His black suit looked expensive and fit him well. He wore a white shirt with it and a gold silk tie that brought out the flecks in his eyes. And he is mine for the entire evening, Katy thought to herself happily. He was a sight to behold and she was proud that she would be the lady on his arm tonight.
“Hello, Katy, you look ravishing.” Ryan smiled at her in obvious approval. “That color looks really good on you.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. O’Grady, you don’t look half bad yourself.”
Ryan chuckled as he said, “Right this way, ma’am. Your chariot awaits.”
And with that, their enchanted, never-to-be-forgotten evening began. Ryan walked Katy to his car, a sleek, black beauty, opened the passenger door for her and made sure she was comfortably seated before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. As they pulled away from the curb, he looked over and smiled at her. To hell with resolution, he thought. It is time for me to get on with my life. And this is the little lady I intend to do it with. The past is over. I think I could really fall hard for this one, my yellow rose. And for the first time in ten years, the thought of falling in love again did not scare Ryan O’Grady.
CHAPTER 13
“We are going to dine at a little restaurant a friend of mine owns. It’s not in the busy downtown area. It is out a little ways, but I thought you would enjoy seeing something different while you’re in town,” Ryan explained as he drove down the expressway, expertly weaving in and out of the busy Dallas traffic.
“I’m game for new experiences.” Katy laughed easily in response.
“So, how did the sight-seeing go this afternoon? I think it’s remarkable that you four have been friends for so long and still make time to get together,” he observed, trying to keep the conversation light.
“We had so much fun. I wish we could get together more often, but you know, life has a way of keeping people busy. Now that most of our children are older, maybe it will be easier for us to see each other more often. I certainly hope so, anyway. The fact that we all settled in different cities doesn’t help matters any.”
“You have a son, is that right? You mentioned yesterday he had started college.”
“Yes, Alex. He was quite the basketball player in high school, but decided not to play in college. I spoke with him on the phone last night. He was very excited for me when I told him about my interior design business.”
“I am glad he approves.”
“He has been after me for years to pursue my dreams, but I felt as if I needed to devote my time and energy to him while he was growing up. After he lost his father, I didn’t want him to feel any more alone than he already did. And Bill left me financially able to stay at home, so I saw no reason to make our lives any more stressful than they needed to be. But now it’s time for me to start a new chapter or two in my life.” She looked at Ryan and smiled.
They pulled into the parking lot of a charming, old Victorian-styled house, much larger than the one Katy lived in, and obviously renovated to become a restaurant. The parking lot was full, so this must also be a good place for dinner. She could not wait to get inside and see the interior. This would be a designer’s dream, she thought as Ryan opened her door for her and helped her out of the car. He held her hand tightly as they entered the restaurant and walked toward the reservation desk.
“We have reservations for two. O’Grady,” Ryan informed the hostess as she looked up from the desk.
“Ah, yes. Jarrett has a special table for you, Mr. O’Grady. Follow me.”
Katy looked questioningly at Ryan and he answered her unspoken question, “Jarrett is an old friend. I met him right after I moved to Dallas. He and his wife, Michelle, own this little place,” he explained as they followed the hostess.
They were led to a corner in the back of the restaurant. The décor of the room was all Katy had hoped it would be. The true Victorian charm was displayed throughout the room. Antiques and old pictures were plentiful. The table they were being seated at was in a secluded corner. She was glad. This would be perfect for talking about serious matters and getting to know each other better. Not to mention gazing into those sexy eyes of his.
“I love it already, Ryan. This place is wonderful,” she remarked as she looked around the room, drinking in the exquisite atmosphere.
“I figured it would be your cup of tea, with you being into designing and all,” he grinned.
He took the liberty of ordering the wine while Katy studied the menu.
After they had placed their orders, with Ryan helping her decide, Katy wondered when and how to approach the subject of his painful past. She decided to wait until after dinner.
She did not want to ruin the evening, and bringing up the subject might do just that. So they spent a relaxing evening looking at the antiques around the room and discussing them.
They also discussed Katy’s plans for the restaurant’s party room and the chain of new restaurants that Ryan and his family were planning to open. He was very excited at the possibilities ahead of them. Apparently these plans had been in the works for some time.
“Do you know what locations yet?” Katy ventured to ask.
“We haven’t gotten that far yet. We originally thought we would open a few more locally, but now we’re thinking of maybe branching out a little. There may possibly be one in the Midwest, one in Florida, and one in New England, to start. The problem will be finding quality people to run them, since obviously, Shane, Chloe and I can’t be in four places at once. It would also be a lot of jetting around the country for a while, getting everything organized, but that could be fun.” He glanced at her as the thought came to him that it would be fun if she were jetting around the country with him.
“Well, you can always open one in Chicago, that way you could visit me while you’re there,” Katy invited with a suggestive smile. I can’t believe I just said that, she thought to herself. What a flirt I have become since meeting this man.
“Not a bad idea, little lady, not a bad idea. I might just have to have to take you up on that.” Ryan smiled back at her as the waiter brought their dinner to the table. The food was out of this world. He had made all the right selections.
“Ryan, this food is delicious,” Katy said in awe.
“I told you that you would like it,” he answered as he took a bite of his own dinner.
“It is almost as good as ‘Chloe’s Place,’” she laughed as she looked up at her dinner partner.
“I am just glad Jarrett is not close to our place or we might have some serious competition on our hands,” he answered as he looked into her eyes, the gold flecks in his twinkling in the light.
“Am I going to get to meet your friend, Jarrett?”
“Unfortunately, not tonight. When I phoned him, he told me that he and Michelle would be out of town tonight to a family gathering of some sort. He arranged for our table and said he hoped to meet you another time. I think he was a little shocked when I told him that I was bringing a special lady with me tonight.”
“You told him that? Why would that shock him? Surely you’ve brought dates here before.”
“But I said special lady, Katy.” He hesitated before adding, “Jarrett is not used to me referring to one of my dates as special.”
Katy blushed happily at the knowledge that he indeed thought she was special.
“We need to talk later, Katy. There are some things you need to know about me.”
“You read my mind. I was thinking the same thing.”
****
They finished their dinner, laughing together at Ryan’s restaurant stories and Katy’s tales of some of the ‘Fab Four’ past experiences. Dinner was topped off with a scrumptious dessert that was to die for.
As Katy was sipping a fresh cup of coffee, Ryan began in a more serious tone, “Katy, when I told you that we needed to talk, I was very serious. I was more serious than I have been in a long time. I feel a real co
nnection with you and that is something new for me. But there are things you need to know about my past.” He took her hand and continued. “As you probably have heard, I lost my wife several years ago. That’s when I moved from Indianapolis to Dallas.”
Katy nodded and replied, “I did know that.”
He went on, “Since coming to Dallas, I have earned quite the reputation of a so-called playboy. I admit that I’ve dated many women during the years I’ve been here, but I made a pact with myself that I would never let myself become seriously involved again. It was all fun and games. Anytime a woman started becoming serious, I immediately broke it off with her. Up until now, that has worked just fine.”
“What do you mean, up until now, Ryan?” Katy held her breath, waiting for an answer.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” he asked her and, without waiting for an answer, continued with, “I never did until you walked into ‘Chloe’s Place’ the other evening. I have been fighting this for the two days that I have known you. This is crazy, I told myself. Ryan O’Grady, of all people, does not fall in love, let alone at first sight. I decided on the way here tonight, I’m not going to fight it anymore. Maybe it’s finally time for me to put the past behind me and move on with my life like you said you’re doing. We both seem to be at a crossroad in our lives.”
Katy looked at Ryan with tears shining in her eyes. “Oh, Ryan, I feel exactly the same way, but I thought you would think I was nuts, or that I was just another one of those women trying to get you to commit. Since I lost my husband, I haven’t had any more than an occasional social date. I was never really interested. For ten years, I have been waiting for you to enter my life, I guess. I never believed in love at first sight either, but there definitely is something happening here. But before we move on, there is something that we have to do, Ryan.”
Crossroad To Love (Fab Five Series) Page 8