by Judy Duarte
He set the other things aside and opened it.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Robinson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Sophie Anne
to
Mason Montgomery
Saturday, the sixth of May
at six o’clock in the evening
The Driskill Hotel ballroom
With the wedding just around the corner, his sisters would want his RSVP as soon as possible. So he pulled out the response card, opened the drawer and pulled out a pen. His right hand hovered a moment over the line where he was to provide the number who’d be attending.
Dana immediately came to mind, since she was the only woman in the world he’d consider taking. But he’d made it a point never to take a date to family events. And while he was sorely tempted to make an exception this time, it was too soon.
Besides, his sisters already had visions of him running off in the moonlight with a special lady. Why fuel their imaginations?
“Daddy!” Rosie called out. “Mommy wants to talk to you!”
Great. That cinched it. All he needed was for Sophie’s flower girl to refer to Dana and him as her mom and dad. He’d never hear the end of it. So he gripped the pen tightly and marked a big, solid 1 on the line and then wrote his name. Before he could place the small card into the its envelope, Rosie called out again, “Hurry, Daddy! She wants to know if she should bring dinner. And she also said it was okay if Teddy comes to my party! She said she will bring him if he doesn’t have a ride.”
Kieran rolled his eyes. He’d have to let Dana know that Sammy wasn’t a child before she made him a party favor and put him on the guest list. “I’ll be right there, Rosie.”
Then he hurried into the living room, pumped that he’d get to see Dana again tonight.
* * *
Dana tried to tamp down both her excitement and nervousness while driving to Kieran’s house. She was glad that she’d been invited to dinner—and that she’d been told not to bring a thing but herself.
It was especially nice that the invitation had come from both Kieran and Rosie. She’d been a little worried about him leaving her house so quickly after they’d made love, but she’d probably expected too much. He’d mentioned taking things slowly, and...well, now here they were, moving right along.
As much as she looked forward to having some time alone with Kieran after Rosie went to sleep, the focus during the early hours would be on Rosie’s birthday party. The little girl wanted a princess theme and, after talking to Sandra on the phone, Dana was determined to make that wish come true.
According to Sandra, Kelly and her friends wanted to decorate the ranch house like a castle. So Dana had gone shopping after work yesterday and picked up party favors, plus tiaras for the girls and crowns for the boys.
Since Dana had volunteered to make the cake, she’d researched various internet sites and found the perfect design, which was similar to one her mother had made her when she was six. To make the three-dimensional “princess,” she’d make a cake in a bundt pan, which would form the gown. She’d already purchased a Barbie doll to place in the hole. Then she’d frost the cake and the doll’s bodice with pink frosting and decorate it with edible crystals and sparkles. Rosie would love it.
Since that cake wouldn’t be enough to feed everyone Rosie had invited, including Michael and his mother, Elaine Wagner, Dana was going to make cupcakes, each one decorated as a flower, that would surround the princess.
Needless to say, Dana was nearly as excited about the party as Rosie was. She could hardly wait for Saturday.
Even more exciting was the evening that awaited her at Kieran’s.
After parking her car in a guest spot under his building, she greeted the doorman, who’d not only expected her arrival but called her by name. And that was another sign that she and Kieran were on the right track. Then she took the elevator to his tenth-floor apartment and rang the bell.
A happy Rosie met her at the door, which warmed her heart. But it was the dashing man in the background who nearly took her breath away and sent her thoughts soaring to dreamland.
Rosie reached for Dana’s hand and pulled her inside. “I’m glad you finally got here. We missed you.”
She glanced over the child’s head once more, her gaze meeting Kieran’s. Her eyes asked the question she couldn’t voice. Did we?
His wink was the only answer she needed.
“And we have pizza,” Rosie added. “It’s not the yucky kind from Cowboy Fred’s. We found another place that cooks it better.”
“I don’t care what we eat,” Dana said. “I’m just glad that we all get to have dinner together.”
What she didn’t mention was that she’d brought a toothbrush and a change of clothes with her—just in case she was also invited to spend the night.
Since she hadn’t wanted to appear presumptuous or eager, she’d packed them in a gym bag, which seemed like something she might keep in the trunk of her car for a spur-of-the-moment workout—rather than a planned sleepover.
After all, they’d agreed to take things slow.
When Kieran walked over and took her hand, he looked and smelled so good that she needed a mental reminder. The operative word is slow, she repeated to herself. But looking at him, she couldn’t help wanting to move things along a little faster.
“Come on into the kitchen,” Kieran said. “We should eat while the pizza is still warm. Can I get you a glass of wine?”
“Just half a glass,” she said. “I have to drive home.”
“You got it,” he said, as if a sleepover had never crossed his mind. Then he withdrew a bottle from a small wine cooler near the desk area. “I have a Napa Valley merlot I think you’ll like.”
She tamped down the minor disappointment. “Sounds good.”
Minutes later, they sat at the kitchen table, a glossy black, ultramodern piece with matching chairs, to eat the cheese pizza. It was actually delicious. And so was the vegetarian antipasto salad, which had a tasty vinaigrette dressing.
“Guess what?” Rosie set down her glass, the milk leaving a white mustache on her upper lip. “I get to be the flower girl when Sophie and Mason get married. I’m going to walk in first and drop roses on a rug for the bride to step on. And I get to wear a real princess dress and a flower crown on my head.”
“How fun!” Dana told the child. Then she looked at Kieran. “When’s the wedding?”
“Saturday, May sixth. It’ll be in the ballroom at the Driskill Hotel.”
Why wasn’t she surprised? Talk about dream wedding locales, at least in Dana’s mind. The landmark hotel had been built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill and had been providing its guests with luxury accommodations for more than a hundred and thirty years.
“I’ll bet the wedding will be beautiful,” Dana said. And expensive. The cheapest rooms had to cost at least three hundred dollars a night. But then, a fancy place like that was to be expected for the wedding of a Fortune.
Kieran didn’t respond, so she let it go. What she wouldn’t give to go as his plus one.
Once they finished the pizza, Kieran told Rosie it was time to put on her pajamas and get ready for bed. But the girl objected. “I want to wear my princess jammies, and they’re in the laundry.”
“Actually, they’re in the dryer. I’ll get them for you.” Kieran glanced at Dana. “Don’t worry about the mess. I’ll be right back.”
Dana wasn’t about to just sit there, waiting for him to return. So she cleared the table and put the dishes in the sink. She put the leftover pizza slices in plastic bags, then placed them in the fridge. Next, she folded the empty box and took it to the recycle bin, which was located near the kitchen desk.
She couldn’t help noticing the elegant invitation spread o
ut on top. In formal script, it was addressed to Mr. Kieran Fortune Robinson and guest.
Just imagining herself going to the Driskill Hotel on Kieran’s arm shot a combination of excitement and nervousness clean through her.
What would she wear? She might have several dresses hanging in her closet, but none of them would be appropriate for a Fortune wedding. She’d have to go shopping—and not at the usual places she frequented. An event that classy and special would require a trip uptown. Her budget would take a hit, but she’d make it work.
She scanned the invitation. May 6 wasn’t that far away. She’d need to schedule a hair appointment, too.
As she put the invitation down, her eyes lit on the matching response card which lay next to a pen. She assumed he was getting ready to mail his RSVP. But her heart clenched and her tummy twisted when she saw a big 1 where she’d hoped she’d see a 2.
“Thanks for cleaning up,” Kieran said, as he returned to the kitchen.
Dana slowly turned around. Aching with disappointment, the words rolled out of her mouth before she could give them a second thought. “You’re not taking a guest to your sister’s wedding?”
He cleared his throat, as if the question had taken him aback and he needed a moment to form a reply. “I thought about it, but I decided it was better if I didn’t. I’ve never taken a date to family events. For one thing, I know what they’d assume, and I don’t want anyone jumping to conclusions.”
“That would be terrible, wouldn’t it?”
“Not exactly terrible,” he said. “But I’m not ready to give anyone reason to speculate.”
And sadly, Dana had been speculating all evening.
How could she have been so stupid? She’d known full well going into this thing that she couldn’t compete with any of the women Kieran usually dated. And she’d never fit into his social circles.
Was she destined to always miss the mark when it came to finding Mr. Right? If so, she’d never be able to create a family for herself.
“You’re not upset, are you?”
Upset? No. She was crushed. And angry. But mostly at herself. Yet there was no way she’d let him know any of that. “Actually, I’m busy that day anyway.”
As luck would have it, Rosie came trotting back into the kitchen in her pajamas and bunny slippers. “Will you read me a story, Mommy?”
At the sound of that word, her heart clenched. The other times Rosie called her Mommy she warmed to the name, but tonight it chilled her. She wasn’t Rosie’s mommy, and she never would be. And what about Kieran? He seemed to be so concerned about his family getting the wrong impression about his relationship with Dana. But what about Rosie?
Dana knelt down, wrapped her arms around the vulnerable little girl and kissed her. “I’d love to, honey. But I have something important I need to do this evening. I only had time for pizza, and now I have to leave.”
“When are you coming back?” the child asked.
“One day soon,” Dana said, glad she didn’t have a nose like Pinocchio’s, which would be a foot long now. Then she headed for the living room, where she’d left her purse.
For some crazy reason, she actually expected Kieran to stop her, but he just let her walk out the door as if she’d never belonged there in the first place.
* * *
The moment Dana left Kieran’s house on Wednesday night and shut the door, guilt slammed into him. And so did a sense of loss. At first, he’d tried to convince himself that letting things cool off between them was for the best.
At one time, he’d enjoyed a single, unencumbered life. If one of the women he dated even hinted that she might want a commitment, he’d almost have an allergic reaction. But after a few days without seeing Dana or even talking to her on the phone, the remorse had really set in. And by Saturday morning, before leaving for Rosie’s party at the ranch, he’d had to admit that he’d not only reacted like a jerk, but he’d also been a fool. He was going to have to apologize, and hopefully, she’d forgive him. Something told him she would. Then, once the party was over, he’d invite her over for dinner—and then he’d ask her to spend the night.
But making things right with his lover wasn’t the only reason he wanted to get to the ranch early. He’d promised Sandra he’d help. She’d always been a conscientious hostess, and he didn’t want her to overdo it trying to please people today.
She was also an excellent housekeeper, and he suspected she hadn’t been able to keep up with her usual tasks. So he’d sent a cleaning crew to the ranch yesterday, something he’d insisted on when he’d last talked to Sandra. He knew she’d be uneasy about having her guests see dusty furniture or find her kitchen anything other than spotless. She’d reluctantly agreed and thanked him, saying only that her time was limited these days.
So were her finances, which was why he insisted upon paying for everything. Dana had picked up the tab for the party decorations and the cake, but he planned to reimburse those expenses as soon as he saw her, which would be in a few short minutes.
He and Rosie had almost reached the Leaning L. He’d planned to arrive before the first guest did, but an unexpected business call from a client in New York had thrown him off schedule.
“Is Dana going to be there?” Rosie asked from the backseat.
The child had referred to Dana as Mommy nearly every day for the past two weeks. Why had that changed?
Had she sensed the issue that had cropped up between them on Wednesday night? He hadn’t thought she could be so perceptive, but then again, Rosie continued to surprise him. Either way, he was determined to square things with Dana today and they’d be lovers before dawn. Even the C word, commitment, didn’t sound so bad when it came to her.
“I’m sure Dana is already there. She’s making the birthday cake, remember?” Kieran glanced in the rearview mirror and watched Rosie nod in agreement.
He would let Dana know that he’d changed that 1 to a 2 on his RSVP card. He’d have to endure some major taunts at the wedding and long after it was over, but she was worth it.
Moments later, he and Rosie turned into the driveway. He didn’t see Dana’s car, though. That was odd. She knew how important this party was to Rosie.
He shook off his momentary concern. She’d probably had to stop by a store to pick up something at the last minute.
After parking near the barn, he got out of the car and unbuckled Rosie. “How does it feel to be four years old?”
She beamed and took his hand.
Kelly and several of her teenage friends greeted them before they could walk ten paces toward the house.
“There’s Princess Rosie,” Kelly said. “Come with us. We’re going to get you ready to meet your guests. We have crowns and tiaras to pass out to everyone when they arrive.”
Kieran thought about following them into the house, but since he expected Dana at any moment, he waited in the yard. That would give him the perfect opportunity to apologize in private.
Five minutes later, when the first guests arrived in a minivan, Dana still hadn’t shown up. He welcomed the mother and her little girl then pointed them to the porch, where Rosie and the teenagers were waiting to hand out the tiaras and crowns.
By the time a third carload of party guests arrived, he decided he’d better call Dana to check on her. But before he could take out his cell phone, he spotted Elaine and Michael Wagner getting out of a white sedan that had seen better days.
He greeted them with a smile. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Elaine, who was helping Michael from his car seat, said, “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world. This party is all Mikey’s been talking about for days.”
By the time she pulled out a gift bag and shut the passenger door, Kieran began to realize Dana might be a no-show.
How could she disappoint Rosie like that? Sh
e might be angry at him—and he deserved it. But why take it out on a child?
He headed to the house himself, guilt warring with anger, and entered the kitchen, where Sandra was preparing a pot of coffee.
“Have you heard anything from Dana?” he asked.
“Yes, she woke up with a terrible headache. But what a trooper. She drove out early this morning to bring the cake and cupcakes as well as a gift bag for Rosie.”
So she hadn’t ditched the party. A headache was a reasonable excuse. Or had she only feigned illness?
He had no idea what to think, let alone do. He wanted to talk to her, but he couldn’t very well leave when the party was just getting started.
Before he could quiz Sandra and ask how Dana looked, whether she might need something—or someone—to check in on her, Elaine entered the kitchen. “Sandra, is there anything I can do to help? Dana didn’t want you to lift a finger.”
So Dana had asked someone to cover for her, following through on her promise to help since she couldn’t be here herself. Her kindness and consideration was both amazing and touching.
“Go on out to the living room and enjoy the guests,” Kieran told Sandra. “Elaine and I can handle things.”
“What would I do without you?” Sandra asked.
Kieran tossed her a grin. “I could ask you the same thing. You’ve given me some of the best meals I’ve ever had. And I consider you and Sam part of my family now.”
She nodded, unshed tears glistening in her eyes, and walked away, leaving Kieran and Elaine alone.
“Thanks for offering to help us out,” Kieran told her.
“I don’t mind at all,” she said. “In fact, I was flattered when Dana called me on Thursday and asked me to step in for her.”
Kieran froze in his tracks. So Dana had known two days ago that she wasn’t going to attend the party?
Damn, he’d been more of an ass than he’d thought.
“Is something wrong?” Elaine asked, as she prepared a tray with cream, sugar, a carafe and disposable foam cups.
He shook off his surprise. “No, I was just having a...”
