“And he is hurt that you didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth, I am sure,” Lizzie added.
“Give him the space he needs. Next week, when you get back to work, you will just have to take it slow, feel him out, and see how he responds to you. Then, ask him to talk with you about it again, after some time has passed. The two of you need to grieve for your baby together. That is something you never did. That’s the only way that the two of you stand a chance,” Marianne advised wisely. If only I possessed this much wisdom when it comes to my own problem, she thought wryly.
“I really think that if the love is still there, which it so obviously is, then the two of you will find your way back to each other. It just may take a little longer now.” Katy gave her friend a reassuring hug.
“I agree. Don’t count Michael out yet. I know he loves you. The two of you were brought back into each other’s lives for a reason. Now that he knows the whole truth, maybe it will be even better the second time around,” Marianne offered.
“I feel better now that it’s all out in the open. I am so sorry that I didn’t tell you all sooner. I just couldn’t face it. I thought that if no one knew, then I could get over it. That didn’t work, though. I have spent many years agonizing over it all.” Angie smiled at her three oldest and dearest friends in the world.
“Don’t give up, sweetie,” Lizzie said as the other two nodded in agreement.
“What were you all talking so seriously about when I came into the room? I heard you telling Katy you were sorry. Did your date not go well, either, Kate?” Angie was relieved to get the subject off her for a few minutes.
Katy took a deep breath and told her friend what she had already told the other two. She related the whole saga of what had happened with Ryan earlier in the evening. “I really felt a connection to him. I really thought that he was a man I could build a future with. Now I guess I know why I felt so close to him. He mentioned love at first sight. I think it may have been more than that drawing us to each other.”
“How do you feel about it now that you know who he is?” Angie asked.
“I was shocked, of course, when he told me. But I tried not to let him see that. I just don’t know how he’d have reacted if I had told him that I was the Kathryn that he had tried to contact ten years ago to apologize to. It’s not his fault that his wife and her boss were in the car that killed Bill and Bree. I realize that. I also realize that he lost as much as I did that night. But I don’t think he realizes that,” answered Katy.
“So do you still think that you could have a future with him?” asked Marianne.
“I wish I could say yes. But I’ll eventually have to tell him the truth and I just don’t know how he’ll react. He has spent all these years being bitter and feeling guilty. I’ve dealt with my feelings. I spent ten years dealing with them. I will never get over losing two of the most precious people in my life, but it’s time to finally move on. I think that Ryan was feeling that too. But if I tell him the truth, I am afraid it will throw him right back into the dark place which he has so apparently been in all these years. I really think that given the chance, our feelings would grow into something wonderful for both of us. I just don’t know if we will get that chance, now. Our life together is probably over before it gets a chance to begin. Maybe we met just so he could finally apologize to me. Maybe there was never meant to be anything more. Not the great love I was hoping for,” she answered sadly.
“Well, Katy, my friend, there’s only one way to find out. You’ll have to tell him. You will never be able to move on with him if you don’t. It would eventually come out anyway,” Lizzie advised her good friend.
“I know. I’ll just have to find the right time, before things go any further between us. And I’ll have to be prepared to deal with the fallout. I may lose my chance with him, or it could set us both free from the past. I will never know until I tell him. I could break it off with him and never tell him, but I don’t want to do that. I really need to call Alex in the morning, though, and tell him what’s going on. It will be a shock for him to hear that the man I told him about is the husband of the woman in the other car.” Katy worried that her son might be opposed to her having a relationship with Ryan now.
“Alex is a level-headed young man. I don’t think he would blame Ryan for what happened. Like you said, it’s not Ryan’s fault,” Angie said.
“I am not going to tell him until the end of the week, though. I want to enjoy the rest of our week and spend a little more time with Ryan before it ends. I at least can have that, can’t I?” Katy mused.
“What about working with the restaurant now? You would have to see him when you come back out to Dallas,” Mari ventured.
“I would like to do the job. I really like all the O’Gradys and hate to let them down. It will be a good start for my business, as well. Surely, Ryan and I can work together civilly. I’d probably be working more with Chloe than Ryan anyway”
“I hope you can do it. It’s such a good opportunity for you. Now, I think we’ve all had a very stressful night and it’s time to hit the hay. We can still get a few hours’ sleep and maybe things will look a little brighter in the morning.” Marianne yawned as she stood up. “I need to begin thinking about dealing with my problems too. It’s been so nice to forget about it for these past few days.”
“Anytime you need to talk, you know we are here for you,” Katy reminded her.
“I know, but some things just have to be dealt with alone. I need to make a decision soon,” Marianne answered gloomily as she headed for the bedroom.
Her three friends looked at each other sadly as they watched her walk away.
“It’s amazing that we are all at such a crossroad in our lives right now, isn’t it?” Lizzie asked.
“This trip was so needed for all of us. We just didn’t know it was going to be so eventful,” Katy answered.
“When is Rex coming?” Angie looked at Lizzie.
“He’ll be here on Thursday. I need to pick him up at the airport in the afternoon. We’re all supposed to have dinner at ‘Chloe’s Place’ that night.”
“I wonder if Michael will still go to dinner with us.” Angie suddenly remembered that he, too, had been invited.
“If he does, I hope it won’t be too awkward for you,” Katy replied.
“If I’m going to have to work with him, I may as well get used to being around him, just like you will have to with Ryan.” Angie said with a long sigh, wondering how she could possibly be so close to him and not be able to touch him or reach out to him, laugh with him. What if he decided to pass the hotel project on to someone else now? What if he could not stand to work with her?
“I’m going to take Marianne’s advice and try to get some shut eye. You two should probably try to rest a little too.” Lizzie headed for bed.
“I’m going to have a drink to calm my nerves first,” Angie replied.
“And I will join you.” Katy said as she headed for the mini bar.
“Alright, suit yourselves. I am dead on my feet. See you in a few hours.”
“Good night, Lizzie,” Angie and Katy both said as they sat on the couch, drinks in hand.
“What a mess we have both gotten ourselves into tonight, my friend.” Katy was thoughtful as she looked at Angie.
“I know. Who would have thought that after all these years, I would meet up with Michael again and actually have a chance to work things out, only to mess it up.”
“You did the best thing by telling him the truth, Angie. You could never truly be happy if you had kept it bottled up forever. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I only hope I still have a chance with him. I really do love him, you know.”
“I know, sweetie, I know. I have always known,” Katy answered quietly.
They finished their drinks and then each retired to her bedroom to try and catch at least a few hours of peaceful slumber.
CHAPTER 16
One floor down, in his suit
e, Michael Gray lay in bed wide awake. He was speaking to the empty room, “How could she have done this to me? How could she have done this to us? I will never understand in a million years why she didn’t tell me. I would have stood by her, comforted her, and helped her through it. She didn’t even give me the chance. She kept the fact from me that I, too, had lost a child. Oh, Angie, how could you do that?” he asked over and over again as he tossed and turned in bed. “I know. I’ll call Jackie in a few hours, when I’m sure she’s up. Maybe she can give me some answers.” Angie had said her mother knew the whole story. He had always liked Jackie and he thought she had been fond of him. Surely she would talk to him now that he finally knew the truth. With that plan in mind, he rolled over and finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He slept soundly for the next few hours, exhausted from the evening’s events.
And on the other side of town, in his posh bachelor pad condo, another man was remembering his evening and whistling to himself as he prepared for bed. Ryan O’Grady thought about the evening he had just spent with Katy. She is one fantastic woman. Smart, easy on the eyes, a good listener. He knew now that he had been waiting to meet someone like her for all these years. He could finally put the past to rest.
Chloe was right, after all. Not all women were like his first wife. He was sure of that now. It was good to talk about it, to open up to Katy about the tragedy he had suffered. But now that was the past and Katy was the future. Oh, life is going to be so sweet from now on.
Sure, there would be problems. With her living in Chicago and him in Dallas, something would have to be worked out. Maybe he would put a restaurant in Chicago, after all. He would speak to Shane about the possibility. And Katy would be coming back to Dallas to work on the designing of the party room, and possibly the office and other restaurants. And then, there was her son, would he approve of her seeing someone after all these years? And would he approve of him? Ryan asked himself all these questions and many more as he lay down on the bed.
He could not remember the last time he had been this happy. “I wonder what time the florist opens in the morning?” he asked aloud just before he finally fell asleep. I have not ordered flowers for a woman in a very long time. It was time to get back in the groove. He had a pretty little lady to woo. His yellow rose. Ryan could not wait to get to the restaurant in the morning and tell Chloe and Shane about his evening with his beautiful little Katy. I feel like a teenager after his first date.
Little did he know that, like Michael, his world would soon come crashing down around him once again.
CHAPTER 17
Morning dawned with the brilliant Texas sun shining brightly through Ryan’s bedroom window. He rolled out of bed and walked briskly into the kitchen, grabbing a phone book. He started the coffee pot and went to the desk to look for a florist. He located one and ordered two dozen yellow roses to be delivered to Katy at her suite. Will she be surprised? He wished he could be a fly on the wall to see her face when they arrived. Oh, but life is good and getting better all the time.
He walked back upstairs carrying his mug of hot coffee, singing to himself as thoughts of last night entered his head. Once he’d had a hot shower, he shaved, dressed, grabbed another cup of the steaming black coffee for the road, and headed out the door to work. As he drove down the expressway to the restaurant, he was already thinking of the next time he would see the beautiful little lady from Chicago. My yellow rose.
He entered the restaurant with a smile on his face and hugged a stunned Chloe, who had just walked into the dining room from the office. He picked her up and swung her around, and kissed her cheek when set her back down. “Good morning, sweet sister-in-law of mine.”
“Well, someone is sure in a good mood this morning. I take it y’all had a good time last night?” Chloe laughed as she looked up at her handsome brother-in-law.
“You could say that, Chloe, my sweet. Katy is wonderful.”
“Oh, Ryan, I am so happy for you. You deserve the best, you know.” Chloe could not have been happier for him. Ryan was more like a brother than brother-in–law, and she truly wanted him to be as happy as she and Shane had been all these years.
“And Katy is the best. I never knew women like her existed. I never ran across one before. Except for you, my love, and alas, my dear little brother found you first,” he teased her with a grin.
“What’s going on out here? Y’all flirting with my gal, bro?” Shane asked as he entered the dining room in time to hear the two of them laughing.
“Ryan was just telling me about his date last night. It seems your brother is quite smitten with a certain little gal from Chicago.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when my big brother was actually ‘smitten’ with anyone, let alone a Yankee gal.” Shane laughed as he patted Ryan on the back. “I’m happy for you, bro. Does this mean your playboy days are over? Whatever will the women of Dallas do?”
Laughing together, the three of them walked toward the office to begin the day’s work.
At about that same time, in their hotel suite, the ‘Fab Four’ were just forcing themselves awake after their few short hours of sleep when there was a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” yelled Lizzie as she poured herself a cup of hazelnut coffee.
“Who could be calling at this hour?” Angie asked sleepily.
“It is morning, honey, it just doesn’t seem like it to us.” Katy laughed at her sleepy friend. Angie seemed to be in a little better spirits this morning, although Katy could tell the evening’s events had taken a definite toll on her. Angie had dark circles under her eyes and her eyelids were puffy from crying most of the night. Poor Angie, she thought. What a mess she has created for herself.
Katy was sitting quietly on the couch, sipping her morning coffee, thoughts of Ryan running through her mind. She gestured for Angie to join her.
“I am dreading the phone call I’ll be making to Alex in a little while.” She looked at Angie for support.
“Hopefully he’ll understand your dilemma. I know you’d never want to hurt him.”
“He has been through so much and has grown up to be a decent young man, in spite of not having his dad and beloved big sister for the last ten years.”
Katy’s son had been eight when they lost Bill and Bree. He had been a very brave little eight-year-old boy, supporting his mother, never giving her any problems growing up. She knew that not all parents were so lucky, but maybe it was God’s way of evening the score. He took Bree away but gave her an angel on earth in Alex.
Lizzie had answered the door and returned smiling, “Wow, someone wants to make an impression this morning. Katy, sweetie, these are for you. Read the card to us.” Lizzie carried a vase of twenty-four of the most beautiful, yellow Texas roses she had ever seen. She sat the vase on the glass coffee table and handed the card to Katy. Katy blushed as she admired the roses. She opened the card, read it silently and smiled.
“Come on now, no holding out on us… We are the ‘Fab Four,’ you know,” Angie teased. “If I can come clean after all these years, there will be no more secrets between us.”
Katy laughed as she read, “Katy, thank you for a great evening, looking forward to seeing you soon. Love, Ryan.”
“She has definitely landed Dallas’s most eligible bachelor. This is one for the history books,” Marianne remarked in awe.
“The man does have good taste.” Lizzie touched one of the rose petals as she spoke.
“Katy, not to spoil the moment, but you really do have to tell him soon. The man is obviously very interested in pursuing a relationship with you,” Angie said seriously. “You can’t let it go on. The hurt will be that much greater. Take it from one who learned the hard way.”
“Yes, I will have to tell him very soon, before this goes much further. He asked me last night if I believed in love at first sight. You know, I never gave it much thought, but there was a definite spark the very first time I laid eyes on him that night at the restaurant. Why d
oes there have to be a problem? Why does he have to be who he is and why do I have to be who I am?”
“It’s that old fate thing again, I’m telling you. But this time it was with a real twist. It was meant for you to come together at this particular time in your lives, just like it was meant for Angie and Michael to come together now, we just haven’t figured out why.”
“Marianne, you truly believe in fate. You always have and have taken your share of teasing for it over the years. But now… maybe you are right, after all,” Lizzie said.
“You know, I think I will give Chloe a call and see if she can get away from the restaurant for a few hours. Maybe she’ll meet me for coffee. She knows Ryan about as well as anybody. I’ll get some advice from her,” Katy said thoughtfully. I would have loved having her as a sister-in-law, she pondered wistfully. What fun the four of us could have had together through the years.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Lizzie agreed, bringing Katy back to reality.
“I need to call Alex first. He has a late class this morning, so I may be able to catch him right about now. Then I’ll call Chloe.” Katy got up, poured herself another cup of coffee and went into the bedroom to make her calls.
After she went into the bedroom, Lizzie asked the other two, “Do you think they can work through this thing?”
“Well, they certainly are attracted to one another. And from what I know about Ryan, that is very unusual for him. And we all know that Katy hasn’t been serious about anyone since Bill, until now,” Marianne responded. “But to be this man, of all the men in the world,” she added. “It’s sad, in a way, because Katy may never get to have a relationship with him.”
Crossroad To Love (Fab Five Series) Page 11