by Baird, Ginny
“Maybe there is someone else.”
“Yeah.”
“I think you should come right out and ask him.”
Isabel felt a twisting inside her telling her that if she did, she might not like the answer. The more time she spent with Robert, the more she realized she liked him. Liked maybe even wasn’t the right word. Robert was smart, generous and fun to be around, and, goodness knew, unbearably handsome. The hard fact was Isabel was becoming desperately attracted—and way too attached to the idea of forming an involvement with him for more than just the short term.
When she’d been a young girl, spending her life with Robert was all she could dream of. Someday they’d no longer be kids. They’d be grown-ups, with real jobs and big plans. Plans that concerned them settling down and building a family together. Each time her mom had dragged her to another neighborhood wedding, little Isabel had come home with a piece of wedding cake to tuck under her pillow. Superstition said that the man you dreamed of was the man you would marry. But Isabel only ever dreamed of one boy. She’d forgotten all about those dreams and early feelings until she’d started getting to know Robert again. And now that those old emotions had returned, they’d arrived in full force. Isabel could no more stop her heart from falling for Robert than she could halt a runaway train. “But what…?” Her lips trembled. She pressed them together to steady them. “What if he says that there is? That there is someone else?”
Cindy laid a hand on her arm to comfort her. “Then, it’s better to know now. Don’t you think?”
Isabel met her best friend’s eyes, knowing Cindy was right. “It really stinks being a grown-up sometimes.”
“I know it does,” Cindy said, leaning forward. “But at least we can be grown-ups together.” Her face was etched with sympathy. “And if he gives you bad news, I don’t want you to think your world has ended. Because, let’s face it, Isabel, you’re a great girl. Plus, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you… A career. A future. And someday, yes, someday, you’re going to find a way to share it with the perfect guy.”
Isabel felt like she’d already found the perfect guy. Perfect for her in so many ways. The only question was, did Robert feel the same way about her?
Early the following Sunday morning, Isabel found herself at the shore with Robert. They’d spent a wonderful evening having a picnic in the park before an outdoor movie screen. They hadn’t watched an action film or a chick flick this time, but rather a classic oldie instead. It had been a fun and refreshing story, one of those old wartime love stories from long ago. As the last scene faded, closing on a couple kissing on a beach, Robert had taken her hand. “Let’s go somewhere,” he’d said. “Do you want to?”
“What do you have in mind?” she’d asked him. And when he’d said the beach, Isabel had found it impossible to say no. She loved the majesty and romance of the seashore and always had since she was a kid. It was a four-hour drive, but she didn’t mind, as long as she was taking it with him. They’d driven mostly in silence, listening to funky jazz tunes on the radio that caused her heart to pulse in rhythm just at the thought that he was still holding her hand. She had to brave the question, and she knew it. As soon as they got to the shore, she was prepared to ask him. But then they’d gotten there, and everything had been so beautiful as he led her across the dunes and down to an empty stretch of sand.
“You know what I like about being here?” he asked her. “I like the fact that’s it’s just me and you.”
And it was. Not even the gulls were awake at this hour, and all the sand crabs had long since been tucked in. “I like that too,” she answered.
He spread his car blanket on the ground and offered her a seat beside him, tucking her under his arm to shield her from the early chill. “Robert,” she said as the waves crashed and roared before them, “I’ve got something to ask you.”
“You can ask anything you want. But first, I need to do this…”
When he brought his mouth to hers, Isabel thrilled at the moment. She’d wanted him for so long, and his slow, languorous kiss was like warm molasses on a sultry afternoon. Isabel sighed against him as she kissed him back and he threaded his fingers through her hair.
“You’re even prettier than I remembered,” he said, gazing down at her. He lightly brushed his lips to hers. “And you’re a helluva a lot better kisser too.”
“You’ve improved yourself.”
His brow rose in mock offense. “You mean I wasn’t good then?”
“You were fine then,” she said with a smile, “but you’re rocking now.”
He growled lightly and pulled her to him. “You don’t know how much I want you.”
“I want you too,” she breathed, even sensing it was wrong with her not fully knowing the truth.
“I think I’ve always wanted you,” he said. “But somehow, with time and space…and life moving on…it’s almost like I’d forgotten.”
“Yeah.”
He kissed her again, then spoke in a husky whisper. “I want to make this work. You and I… We have something, Isabel. Something worth fighting for. I believe that.”
“I do too.” She met his eyes as the sky streaked purple with the dawn. “But, Robert, I’ve got to know… Is there somebody else?”
Robert broke their embrace.
“Robert?” she asked, her voice tinged with pain.
He rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head.
“You’re the only woman in my heart.”
Isabel felt as if a blade had sliced straight through her. “In your heart?”
He took her hand.
“I need you to do something for me. I need you to trust me.”
“But what about—?”
“Sometimes life is complicated. More complicated than you know.”
“But until tonight, you never… You didn’t try to—”
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to.” He set his eyes on hers. “I’ve been working on something. A way to make things right. And I’m getting very close. I swear.”
“I don’t understand.”
He looked at her with sad understanding. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
She bit her lip and turned away.
“Izzy, please. Look at me.”
She slowly turned her gaze to his. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”
“I know. But I remember. Remember very clearly what our being together was like.”
“What was it like?”
“It was like…magic.”
Isabel couldn’t argue. What they’d had together as kids had been truly special. Even if their parents had thought of it as puppy love, it had certainly felt like more than that to her and Robert. And now, being here with him, Isabel understood how easy it was for Robert to still exert his power over her. She’d all but forgotten him. Or that was what her head said, anyway. But the truth was, her heart remembered. She recalled the longing in his eyes and the way he used to hold her for hours on end when neither of their parents was home. Her dad had worried about them getting into trouble, and they had. But not in any sort of way nearly as risqué as he might have imagined. They never did much more than kiss and hold each other tight. During a couple of those close-together sessions, Isabel had gotten the idea Robert’s body was ready for something more. Though he’d never said so and had never pressed her. Just being with her the way they were seemed good enough. It certainly had been for Isabel. In truth, it had been more than good. It had been wonderful. Theirs was like a storybook love from another realm. Unique and mystical… And yes, it had appeared at the time, most especially magical.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “It was.”
He wrapped her in his arms and tugged her close, his mouth hovering over hers. “I want us to find that magic again,” he whispered. “But this time…we need to hold on to it.”
Isabel nodded in numb understanding, knowing that she could never fight her feelings for Robert now. Whatever his worries, he was working o
n a way to sort them out. Isabel had to believe that his feelings for her were sincere and that he’d never intentionally do anything to hurt her. At least, she hoped with her whole heart he wouldn’t. Because, at the moment, that heart was brimming with longing and affection for the one guy she now felt she had loved forever.
Robert brought his lips to hers and kissed her sweetly. Then he deepened his passion in a skilled way he’d never known as a boy. Isabel felt herself melting away, losing herself in Robert’s embrace and surrendering to his ardor. He pulled her toward him, then gently laid her down, covering her body with his. How she wished they could stay here forever, with ocean breezes rippling and the first morning gulls just starting to call, as he kissed her over and over and her heart lost sight of what was…and could only dream of things to come.
Chapter Five
The next few weeks passed like a dream for Isabel. Though before they’d been seeing each other regularly, since that night on the beach she and Robert had become practically inseparable. She loved everything about him, and being near him was where she wanted to be. It didn’t matter if they were out for a fancy dinner or sharing burgers at a drive-through, just being together felt right. Both their academic schedules kept them busy, but they did their best to dovetail their efforts so Isabel’s late nights at the studio corresponded with Robert’s moonlighting at the lab. One way or another, they’d been able to work things out so they spent nearly every moment of free time each of them had together. For together was where both of them wanted to be.
“Nooo!” Isabel yelped as her bowling ball zigzagged across the lane and bounced once more into the alley. “Not again!”
Robert handed her a cold draft beer. “You’ll get better with time.”
“That’s what you said three weeks ago.”
He sipped from his own beer and smiled. “I wouldn’t worry too much about the bowling. You have other strengths.”
“You do too, Doctor,” she said, poking him in the ribs.
“I’m not a doctor yet.”
She shot him a sexy grin. “No, but you’re working on it.”
He studied her a long while, emotion filling his eyes. “What do you say we wrap up this game and get out of here?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Someplace quiet.”
A little while later, they sat on a bench in a downtown park, each sipping from decaf coffee. “I can’t believe how great it’s been seeing you again,” she told him.
There was agreement in his eyes. “It’s been a pretty special summer.”
“And summer’s almost over,” she said with a sigh.
“Lucky for us we’re both enrolled here in the fall.”
“Yeah.”
“Isabel. I want you to know that, even if we weren’t going to be…” He took her hand between them on the bench and turned to face her. “What I mean is, I would have wanted to keep seeing you regardless.”
“I would have wanted to keep seeing you too,” she said, barely breathing the words.
He set down his cup and brought his palm to her cheek. “I’ve known this for a long time, but it’s taken me a while to get my nerve up to say it. And that’s despite the fact I spent…oh, about a million years rehearsing.”
“What?”
His face warmed in a smile. “When I was thirteen, I mean. I knew it then. Knew it with my whole heart, but I never told you.” He studied her a prolonged beat, his eyes lingering on hers.“I love you, Isabel. Madly and deeply. The truth of the matter is, I don’t believe I’ve ever loved anybody more.”
Her heart thumped in response as she felt her face flame. Everything he’d said, she felt as well. She’d adored him long ago, but somehow now—after so much time—she was crazy for him all the more. In a grown-up way, the sort of way that sometimes meant forever.
“Oh, Robert,” she said, gazing up at him. “I love you too.”
He brought his lips to hers. “That’s precisely what I’ve waited years to hear.” Then he kissed her again with the sweetness and passion that had been bottled up from long ago, and Isabel held fast, basking in its glory. While she’d imagined lots of things as a kid, she never could have envisioned being with Robert would be so wonderful. But it was. Wonderful and unforgettable too. Just having him hold her close made everyday cares fade away and her whole world bloom in Technicolor. It was more than special. More than unique. It really was like magic.
A few days later, Isabel and Cindy stood beside the punch table, waiting for the server to pour them each another glass. “Another day, another department wedding,” Cindy said with a sigh.
“I know,” Isabel retorted under her breath. “You wouldn’t think there were so many starving artists bent on tying the knot.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Cindy said. “Though in practical terms, I believe you’ve got the right idea.”
Isabel lifted her brow.
“A doctor? Just think of all the art supplies his salary could buy!”
“Just think of all the school loans he’ll be repaying,” Isabel quipped back.
“I guess you’ve got a point.” She accepted her refilled cup with a nod and turned back to Isabel. “But he won’t be repaying them forever.”
“I’m not after Robert for the money.”
“You’re right. There’s the body too.”
Isabel felt herself blush. “Okay, I’ll admit to a bit of physical attraction.”
“Only a bit?”
“More than a bit, and you know it.”
“Boy, wouldn’t I like to. Hey, does he have a brother?”
“Sorry. Only a sister. And she’s married.”
“Too bad. I was hoping his genes run in the family.”
“Want to get some wedding cake?” Isabel asked.
“Sure,” Cindy said as they made their way across the room.
As Cindy scarfed down her piece, Isabel neatly wrapped hers in a napkin.
“What on earth are you doing?”
“Saving mine for later.”
“You’re not hungry?”
“No. I’m hopeful.”
“Hopeful of what?”
Isabel lowered her voice in a whisper. “Do you know that old tradition? The one about sleeping with a piece of wedding cake under your pillow?”
“Sounds more like a superstition to me.”
“You’re supposed to dream of the man you’re going to marry.”
“Get out. Have you done it before?”
“Only about a billion times. But that was before.”
“What do you mean, before?”
“Back in the day. When I was a kid. I guess you could say I was something of a wedding-cake junkie.”
“No kidding.”
Isabel shook her head.
“But you never ate it?”
“Couldn’t. That would have been bad luck.”
“Now you tell me.” Cindy stared down at her empty plate and frowned before looking back up. “So spill it. Who did you dream of? Movie stars? Recording artists? The boy next door?”
“Yeah, him.”
“Him who?”
“Robert,” Isabel said in a whisper. “It was always Robert.” She held up a hand in a pledge. “I swear. Only him. Even after he’d moved away.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. What did you have? Some sort of obsessive disorder?”
Isabel swatted her. “Shut up. I was a kid. A kid with a crush.”
Cindy eyed her astutely. “Something tells me you haven’t outgrown it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Isabel said with a toss of her head.
Cindy studied her wrapped-up piece of wedding cake with suspicion. “And what are your plans for that little slice of heaven?”
“I guess I want to see if I still dream of the same angel.”
“And if you don’t?”
Isabel shrugged and took another swig of punch. “It’s just a superstition.”
Later that night, Isabel awoke with a gasp. Ramm
ing her hand under her pillow, she found the smashed piece of wedding cake sealed up in a baggie still there. “Well, I’ll be…” she said with a happy grin, snuggling back down in bed. The main difference between now and when she was twelve was that this time she’d not just dreamt of a guy with gorgeous brown eyes meeting her at the top of the aisle, she’d also envisioned the honeymoon. A very lovely honeymoon, with lots of vivid detail. And that Statue-of-David body? Hmm. Yes. I would know it anywhere. In—or out of —a tuxedo.
Chapter Six
Kip adjusted his hard hat as he stood outside the Kenilworth Building on central campus. He and his capital improvements team were in the midst of erecting a brand-new building to house the growing engineering school, and boy, was it a winner, with all the bells and whistles the administration could hope for. The wealthy alumni benefactors who’d funded this project were bound to be pleased too. They were being given a hard-hat tour of the space tomorrow, and Kip and his senior foreman, Buddy, were putting the rest of the crew through the drill. Which areas were open for touring, and which—due to safety concerns—were still strictly off limits.
Kip said a few words, then turned the floor over to Buddy to address specific questions from the rest of the men. He glanced around, thinking they were lucky to have found this premium location, smack dab between the hospital complex and the high-rise parking garage. The old play house had been torn down to make way. But that was okay. A bigger and more elegant one had been constructed across campus by the arboretum, complete with an outdoor amphitheater. That had come in handy this summer, with the school opening up student performances of Shakespeare to the townsfolk in general. Kip pulled a hanky from his pocket to wipe the building sweat on his brow. Eighty-five degrees in the shade, and it was predicted to get warmer. Apparently, the student body knew it and had dressed accordingly. He perused a group of passing students in shorts and flip-flops as Buddy wrapped up his instructions. Things were a lot less busy here during summer session, but there were still enough kids around to keep the academic atmosphere at play. Kids and a few medical professionals, he mused, as a bunch of young people in scrubs rounded the sidewalk and headed his direction.
