pur—"
"Yes, they're purple,” Fawn giggled, “and don't you say another word. You promised. Remember? Come on, Kylie, this party is costing us an arm and a leg. Another thirty dollars worth of paper plates was not something my malnourished wallet could handle. I got them on clearance. A buck a pack."
Kylie pressed her lips together tightly and started stripping the cellophane from the packs. Not a word. She had promised. Fawn was right. This party was costing a fortune. It was completely worth it but even her budget was feeling the strain.
"Just ask him,” Fawn said softly. Sounding so unlike her nosy, bossy self.
"Ask him what?” Kylie sighed but she already knew the answer. Her sister meant ask him why. Her stomach jolted with an electric wave of anxiety at the thought.
"Ask him what happened. Why he left. Make peace with it. Then you two can get on with things. It's what you want,” Fawn said as if stating fact.
"I can't.” Her hands stroked the flowers, separated the paper plates, and tidied the napkin bundles. Anything to stay busy.
"And why not?"
"Because I already know the answer. He didn't want to be with me. Why add insult to injury?” Kylie mumbled. She straightened the candlesticks and smoothed the linen tablecloth.
"Because that's a load of horseshit and you know it. Something else happened and you're too chicken to find out what. Just ask him. I'll tell you what,” Fawn said, hands on hips. “You ask him or I will."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me,” Fawn hissed as the doorbell rang. “There's Tucker! I'll go show him where to hook up the kegs.” And then she scampered off.
Kylie watched her go, her heart heavy, her stomach knitted into an intricate nest of knots. Fawn wouldn't pull such a childish move, would she? Kylie put the finishing touches on the table with numb fingers. Damn right she would. If she wanted this whole thing to be handled correctly, she would have to beat her sister to the punch. She would have to ask Wade the big question. No matter how much she feared the answer.
* * * *
He looked incredible. No surprise there. Kylie thanked God for peripheral vision as she scanned Wade. Black dress slacks that showed off his narrow waist and hips, accentuated his leanly muscled upper body. A charcoal gray shirt that probably cost as much as her house hugged his sculpted shoulders, showing off his broad chest. His hair was freshly washed and combed back in mocha colored waves. Cleanly shaven. Nice leather loafers. He even smelled good. She could smell him across the room. A spicy, warm scent that made her think of evenings by the fire, and fall leaves.
She closed her eyes to block him out. She had to stay focused, her folks would be here any moment.
Kylie had made her decision. She would wait until the party was well underway and they wouldn't be missed. Then she would ask Wade if she could speak to him in private. Maybe once they were alone, she could find the nerve to ask him why he'd left. What she had done. Why he felt he had to run away.
* * * *
She looked spectacular. Wade tried to chat with people he had known all his life but his eyes and his mind kept straying back to Kylie. He did the funny thing, the polite thing, the charming thing. He held his beer in a death grip as he surreptitiously checked Kylie out. The jade-colored peasant blouse she wore made her blue eyes shine. Her snug dark jeans showed the gentle swell of her hips and sat just below her small waist. When she reached up to light the candles on the wall sconces, he caught a flash of the belly ring she wore. The sight of that tiny jewel made his heart stutter in his chest and did strange things beneath his slacks. The jeweled flats she wore reminded him of a fairy tale princess. She looked perfect, down to the silver jeweled clip that held her hair up in a terribly sexy, loose knot.
He took a desperate swallow of beer hoping it would stoke his courage. At some point he had to get her alone and attempt to
"Yes, they're purple,” Fawn giggled, “and don't you say another word. You promised. Remember? Come on, Kylie, this party is costing us an arm and a leg. Another thirty dollars worth of paper plates was not something my malnourished wallet could handle. I got them on clearance. A buck a pack."
Kylie pressed her lips together tightly and started stripping the cellophane from the packs. Not a word. She had promised. Fawn was right. This party was costing a fortune. It was completely worth it but even her budget was feeling the strain.
"Just ask him,” Fawn said softly. Sounding so unlike her nosy, bossy self.
"Ask him what?” Kylie sighed but she already knew the answer. Her sister meant ask him why. Her stomach jolted with an electric wave of anxiety at the thought.
"Ask him what happened. Why he left. Make peace with it. Then you two can get on with things. It's what you want,” Fawn said as if stating fact.
"I can't.” Her hands stroked the flowers, separated the paper plates, and tidied the napkin bundles. Anything to stay busy.
"And why not?"
"Because I already know the answer. He didn't want to be with me. Why add insult to injury?” Kylie mumbled. She straightened the candlesticks and smoothed the linen tablecloth.
"Because that's a load of horseshit and you know it. Something else happened and you're too chicken to find out what. Just ask him. I'll tell you what,” Fawn said, hands on hips. “You ask him or I will."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me,” Fawn hissed as the doorbell rang. “There's Tucker! I'll go show him where to hook up the kegs.” And then she scampered off.
Kylie watched her go, her heart heavy, her stomach knitted into an intricate nest of knots. Fawn wouldn't pull such a childish move, would she? Kylie put the finishing touches on the table with numb fingers. Damn right she would. If she wanted this whole thing to be handled correctly, she would have to beat her sister to the punch. She would have to ask Wade the big question. No matter how much she feared the answer.
* * * *
He looked incredible. No surprise there. Kylie thanked God for peripheral vision as she scanned Wade. Black dress slacks that showed off his narrow waist and hips, accentuated his leanly muscled upper body. A charcoal gray shirt that probably cost as much as her house hugged his sculpted shoulders, showing off his broad chest. His hair was freshly washed and combed back in mocha colored waves. Cleanly shaven. Nice leather loafers. He even smelled good. She could smell him across the room. A spicy, warm scent that made her think of evenings by the fire, and fall leaves.
She closed her eyes to block him out. She had to stay focused, her folks would be here any moment.
Kylie had made her decision. She would wait until the party was well underway and they wouldn't be missed. Then she would ask Wade if she could speak to him in private. Maybe once they were alone, she could find the nerve to ask him why he'd left. What she had done. Why he felt he had to run away.
* * * *
She looked spectacular. Wade tried to chat with people he had known all his life but his eyes and his mind kept straying back to Kylie. He did the funny thing, the polite thing, the charming thing. He held his beer in a death grip as he surreptitiously checked Kylie out. The jade-colored peasant blouse she wore made her blue eyes shine. Her snug dark jeans showed the gentle swell of her hips and sat just below her small waist. When she reached up to light the candles on the wall sconces, he caught a flash of the belly ring she wore. The sight of that tiny jewel made his heart stutter in his chest and did strange things beneath his slacks. The jeweled flats she wore reminded him of a fairy tale princess. She looked perfect, down to the silver jeweled clip that held her hair up in a terribly sexy, loose knot.
He took a desperate swallow of beer hoping it would stoke his courage. At some point he had to get her alone and attempt to
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