“Good. That’ll give me time to grab some lunch and meet Melody over at Diva’s so I can find a dress for the sultan’s party tomorrow.”
“You really need to slow down, or you’re going to burn out.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t. Too much to do.”
Sue came in and stood in front of Kinsley’s desk. “Exactly why you need to do as I suggested and bring a few brokers on board. It’ll free you up, and you’ll feel so much better. I promise.”
Kinsley leaned back in her chair. “I agree.”
Sue’s lips parted in surprise. “You do.”
“I have two interviews scheduled for next week.”
Her assistant threw her hands in the air and screamed, “Yippee,” before heading back to her desk.
Kinsley worked a little longer than she’d planned, getting involved in a new project for a developer. That left next to no time for lunch. Oh, well. It wouldn’t kill her to skip it. Especially, since she’d put on a few pounds during her stay in Camille.
“If I’m not back from the Baylor showing when you’re ready to leave for the day, don’t bother waiting for me. Just go ahead and lock up.”
“Will do. Pick out something pretty for the party, and tell Melody I said hello.”
“Will do to both.” Kinsley laughed as she left the office.
It took a little longer than usual to hail a cab. The ride to the Upper East Side took longer than usual too. She kept checking her watch for the time, not wanting to be late meeting her friend at the boutique.
“This is fine. Just pull up over here,” she said to the driver, and then nearly jumped out before the taxi came to a complete stop. She’d handed him a wad of money, not waiting for change, sure that he’d welcome the huge tip.
As she hurried down the street, she spotted a food truck. Memories of eating fried dough with Dylan at the festival made her stop. Her eyes scanned the menu written on the chalkboard on the side of the truck. She didn’t have much cash left, having just given most of it to the cab driver, but there was enough for a grilled cheese sandwich. “I’ll have multi-grain bread, Asiago cheese, and honey Dijon dipping sauce,” she said when she placed her order.
It was a little difficult to eat and walk without winding up wearing some of the dipping sauce, but Kinsley didn’t care. The sandwich was delicious, and she enjoyed every bite of it.
She was about to throw away the wrapper before entering Diva’s, and nearly bumped into Melody as she was doing it.
“Did I just see you eating something from a food truck?” her friend asked.
“Yes,” she replied sheepishly. “And it was great.”
“But I thought you never ate food from a truck?”
She shrugged, not wanting to tell her about the festival. That would only bring back sad memories and put her in a bad mood. “I decided to be adventurous and give it a try.”
Melody smiled. “Good for you. Now let’s go inside and try on some dresses.” She headed straight for a red sparkly one hanging from the wall. “Oh, this is so you. You’ve got to try it on.”
Kinsley pursed her lips.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”
“I’m looking for something a little more subdued.”
“Subdued. That’s not you. And why the heck wear something like that to the party. You want to stand out, don’t you? Be the belle of the ball…”
Kinsley didn’t bother to answer, as she had spotted exactly what she’d been looking for— silver silk, actually it was more pewter in color, and it was absolutely gorgeous in its simplicity. “This is the one,” she said while looking for her size.
“Okay. I’ll try on the red one then.”
A few minutes later they were in the dressing room admiring themselves in front of the mirror.
“I think that’s a perfect choice for you,” Kinsley said to her friend.
Melody grinned. “I agree. And you were right about the silk. You look stunning in it.”
“That didn’t take long,” she said after they’d purchased the dresses and were standing out on the sidewalk.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the party!”
Kinsley gave her a hug. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it.” But as she said that, something tugged at her heart. The usual excitement that she felt before a big event wasn’t there.
As she walked to Baylor for the showing, her thoughts drifted to Dylan, as they’d been doing a lot since she’d left Camille. Last night she dreamed of him, and it was so real that when she woke, she could almost smell his cologne. An image of him at the sanctuary, looking lost and forlorn as she walked away, wouldn’t leave her.
She had a hard time focusing on the buyer’s needs as she showed him the property, but he must not have noticed, because, to her relief, he wound up making an offer, which the seller immediately accepted.
Kinsley debated on whether to stop in at the office before heading home to give Sue the contract but decided against it. She could easily email it to her. All she wanted to do was relax in a nice hot tub.
Chapter 18
“Want to grab a beer at Charlie’s?” Emmit asked. “A bunch of us are headed over there.”
Dylan walked over to him, leaving Hewey under a canopy of trees as he nosed around looking for nuts. In addition to spending a lot of time with Nadia, Dylan had been spending extra time in the bear enclosure. “Thanks, but I’m going to be heading to my parents’ house for the weekend.” He’d called his dad this morning to tell him he’d go to the party, after all. Why not? It was nice of him to have invited Dylan. Maybe it was time to put an end to the dispute that had separated them for years. Besides, nothing was going on here that couldn’t wait until Monday. “Martha’s in charge while I’m gone,” he added. “She’s also babysitting my dogs.”
“Enjoy the city,” Emmit said before walking away.
It had been a long time since Dylan had been to Brooklyn. He imagined a lot had changed in the thirty neighborhoods that made up the borough. Each one was unique and had its own personality, as diverse as the people who lived there. However, his parents still owned the townhouse in Cobble Hill, where Dylan had grown up. It was a charming neighborhood with lovely homes, but he never felt like he fit in there. It wasn’t until he moved to Camille that he really felt at home.
Later, after he packed his bag for the weekend, he went over to the Victorian. He hadn’t been there since Kinsley left and he went to pick up the key. Too many memories of her and Cora for him to stay there alone. The house needed to be full of laughter and joy. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be in its future, not the immediate one anyway. At some point, he planned to talk to Kinsley about ways to utilize it. It was a shame for it to sit empty.
As he wandered through each room, just like the last time he was there, all he could see was Kinsley’s beautiful face— her gorgeous chocolate eyes flecked with gold, her full naturally rosy lips so soft when he’d kissed them. He closed his eyes, reliving the pain of that final day. What a fool he’d been to have ever thought she might stay. That had never been a possibility. All the work that had been done here was so she could put the sanctuary on the market. At least that didn’t happen, and he was grateful to her for that. But it didn’t stop the painful loneliness that plagued him twenty-four hours a day. He hoped the change of scenery this weekend would help alleviate that.
Walking into his parents’ home hadn’t been as uncomfortable as he’d imagined it would be. His mom hugged him so long he wondered if she was ever going to let go. It wasn’t until his dad said, “Enough, Dottie. He’s going to wish he hadn’t come,” that she released her hold on him.
Her wrinkled face puckered even more. “You don’t wish that, do you, Dylan?”
He kissed her cheek. “Of course not, Mom. It’s wonderful to see you. I’ve missed you.”
Her faded eyes misted over. “I’ll bet you’ve missed my apple pie too.”
He smiled. “I sure have.”
“Whenever
you want a piece, you let me know. I made one last night, especially for you.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that. I think I’ll take you up on that offer after I unpack. I haven’t eaten much today.” The truth was he hadn’t eaten at all. Everything tasted flavorless lately. But if he’d told her that, she would’ve pestered him until she got him to tell her what was wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to discuss Kinsley with her.
“I’m glad you’re here, son.” Frank Reese clapped him on the back, then opened his arms wide, and to Dylan’s surprise, also gave him a hug.
As Dylan returned it, the animosity he’d felt toward his dad for so long began to fade away. It was time to put away the past and start new.
Over apple pie, Dylan answered the many questions his parents asked about his job. He was pleased that they were interested enough to ask them, and when his dad’s usually stern face softened over the story of Hewey’s escape, that only confirmed Dylan’s thought that it was time to start over. Of course, he didn’t mention Kinsley in it, and they never asked if there was a woman in his life, making the evening an enjoyable one.
The next night, as they were getting ready for the party, his mom came into his room and offered to fix his tie. She used to do that for every formal he attended in high school.
“You look so handsome,” she proclaimed when finished. “Maybe you’ll meet some nice woman tonight.”
“And have her screw up my life. No thank you. I’ve been down that road before with Tori.” She dropped her lashes, quickly hiding the hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mom, but unless you can find me, someone who wants to live on a wildlife sanctuary out in the sticks and spend her days making up tubs of food to feed the animals, it’s just not going to happen.”
She looked back up at him. “You have to wish for it to happen. I know there’s someone out there who’s right for you.”
Her words made him think of the wishes he and Kinsley made on the big and little dippers. As he thought about it, he realized that his wish that Kinsley would come up with a way to make keeping the sanctuary work for her had come true. Only not in the way he’d hoped. He’d meant for her to want to want to live there too.
A heavy feeling settled in his chest as he slipped on his suit jacket. “Ready, Mom?”
She nodded and together they walked downstairs, where his father was waiting for them. He’d hired a limo to take them into Manhattan.
Chapter 19
Kinsley was blown away by how beautiful the West Ridge penthouse came out. The sultan’s taste was nothing like her own, but his decorator had done an impeccable job. She’d have to find out who he used.
A waiter came by carrying a silver tray full of champagne glasses, and he offered her one. People were just beginning to arrive. As she took a sip, she spotted Rachel, Georgie, and Julie coming through the front door. Right behind them were Kate and Melody. She waved at them, and they hurried over. “You all look gorgeous.”
“So do you.” Kate’s gaze was fixed on Kinsley’s dress. “Quite an unusual color. What do you call it?”
“The tag said medieval gray, but I call it pewter.”
Kate laughed. “Well, it’s very pretty on you. Not at all what I expected to see you in. You usually go for something bolder, but I like it. It’s a nice change.”
“Thanks. I think so too.” She waited until each of her friends had a glass of champagne to make a toast. It took the waiter a few minutes to get over to them because the penthouse was now full of guests. When they were all set, Kinsley raised her flute and said, “Thank you for coming tonight. We all work so hard in our businesses, it’s nice to have good friends who can share in our success. To us ladies, the No Brides Club!”
As their glasses clinked, she spotted two extremely handsome men cross the room to go over to talk with the sultan. The older gentleman was very distinguished looking with his silver hair and a closely clipped beard. While the other man—she nearly dropped her glass her hand was shaking so bad—looked just like Dylan. She blinked quickly to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Although she didn’t know how she could be, she’d only had two sips of champagne. Could he have a twin brother that he hadn’t told her about? Or maybe the theory that everyone has a double was really true. But whoever this Dylan look-alike was she had to meet him.
She gulped down the rest of her champagne and then handed her empty glass to a waiter. “Excuse me for a minute, ladies. There’s someone I have to see.”
Without waiting for the millions of questions that were sure to follow, Kinsley maneuvered her way through the crowd, but by the time she got over to where the Dylan look-alike had been standing, he was gone.
She scanned the room, but couldn’t find him. Well, he had to be here somewhere. He couldn’t just disappear into thin air. The older man he’d been with had his back to Kinsley and was talking to an elegant woman of about his age. She didn’t care if it was rude to interrupt them, she tapped the man on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sir.” When he turned around, she said, “the good-looking man with the dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes that you were talking to a few minutes ago, do you know where he went?”
“Do you know my son?”
“Well, I don’t, I don’t know.” She felt like a blubbering idiot, but she didn’t care. She had to find out where he went.
“Something important came up, and he had to go home my dear,” the elegant woman said.
“Where’s home?”
“It’s a little town upstate called Camille,” she replied. “Have you heard of it? There’s a wonderful wildlife sanctuary there that Dylan runs. We’re very proud of the work he does with animals.”
Kinsley’s knees went weak, and she thought she might faint, so she steadied herself by placing her hand on the wall. “Yes. I’m familiar with it.” She couldn’t keep her voice from shaking.
“Well, if you’re looking for Dylan, that’s where you’ll find him,” she said.
“Are you his mother?” Kinsley asked.
“Yes, sweetie, I am. Are you feeling all right? You’re awfully pale.”
“It’s just so hot in here,” she replied, waving her hand in front of her face. “Do you mind if I ask you one more question?”
“Yes, we do,” Dylan’s dad piped in. “We’ve answered too many as it is. We don’t even know who this woman is, Dottie. It’s time she left us alone.”
Dylan’s mom put her hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Frank. She seems like a nice person, and if she’s a friend of Dylan’s, we need to be cordial.” She shifted her attention back to Kinsley. “Are you a friend of his?”
“Yes, I am. I own the sanctuary.”
“So you’re his boss?”
“Yes. Well, kind of. I mean, Dylan knows everything about running Forever Wild, and I’ve never known anyone who’s better with animals than he is. Except for maybe my Aunt Cora, and I only just recently inherited the place from her. I don’t know anything at all about animals other than I’ve discovered that I really like them, thanks to Dylan, so who am I to tell him anything. I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s pretty much his sanctuary. He can do whatever he likes there.”
Dottie’s blue eyes, a color very much like Dylan’s, studied her carefully. “I can see you’re very fond of him.”
“Very,” she said softly.
“What is it you wanted to ask us, dear?”
“Do you live in Camille?”
His mom laughed. “Oh, no. We’re from Brooklyn and still live in the same house that Dylan grew up in.”
Kinsley frowned. “So he’s from the city? I wonder why he never told me that or mentioned anything about his family.”
“He’s always been a private person, more at ease with animals than people. It took us a while to accept that he wasn’t going to follow in his dad’s footsteps. That caused a falling out that we only just mended.”
“It was mostly my fault,” Frank added, with a pained expression on his face.
Dottie squeezed his
arm. “You’re too hard on yourself. And you had nothing to do with that what’s her name breaking his heart.”
“Tori,” he said.
“Yes, Tori. She wanted him to choose between her and his work. What kind of woman would ask a man to do that? No one should have to make that decision, man or woman. People can do both these days. You can have it all if you set your mind to it.”
“Or wish upon a star.”
Dottie flashed her a wide smile. “He told you about the big and little dippers.”
“We wished on them.”
“And did they come true?” Dottie asked.
“One of them did.”
“And the other?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you ready to find out?”
Kinsley was more than ready, and she knew exactly what she needed to do to see if her other wish would come true. “Thank you, Mrs. Reese. It has been a pleasure meeting both of you. You’ve been very helpful.” Kinsley started to walk away, but then turned around to ask, “How do you know the sultan?”
“I’m his accountant,” Frank replied.
“I sold him this penthouse. I’m his real estate broker,” Kinsley said.
Dylan’s mom smiled. “Small world, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.” Kinsley’s mind was awhirl as she walked back to her friends. They must’ve had a couple more glasses of champagne because they were all quite giddy. “I have to go,” she said loud enough for them all to hear.
“Where?” Melody asked.
“To Camille.”
Rachel’s brows shot up. “Now? Can’t it wait until Monday?”
“No. This has to be taken care of tonight.”
“When will you be back?” Melody inquired.
“I’ll text you,” Kinsley yelled over her shoulder as she raced toward the door. On her way out, she grabbed two glasses and a full bottle of champagne.
Chapter 20
No Time for Love (The No Brides Club Book 1) Page 11
