said as he turned to me, his eyes sparkling.
“Eleanor will be in this house for years,” I said, a little offended. “Years and years.”
“I suppose. I’ve always wanted to go through the place, though. You know, see what’s hidden in the attic.”
“I don’t think anything’s hidden up there. And you know my grandmother. She wouldn’t want someone poking around her house even if the crown jewels were in it.”
He smiled and nodded. “I suppose. I guess I just like going where I don’t belong.” He winked at me, as if I knew what he meant.
I moved ahead and Marc followed. By the time we reached the back door, we were side by side. His arm casually brushed against mine, and something about it made me jump a bit. Barney, looking a little worried, caught sight of us and ran to my side.
“Why didn’t you come when I called?” I asked him as he jumped at me so excitedly that I nearly fell over.
“Didn’t Eleanor tell you he’s losing his hearing?”
“I guess I forgot.”
Barney jumped up on me once again. Before I could crouch down to let the dog have his way, Marc pulled him off me roughly. Barney winced at the move.
“Don’t do that. You’ll hurt him,” I yelled.
“Dogs shouldn’t jump on people,” he said flatly, and released Barney.
“I have to feed him,” I said. Leaving Marc at the back door, Barney and I went inside.
Barney had barely begun his meal when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door to no one, but on the porch were a half dozen of my grandmother’s flowers banded together with twine. Resting on the twine was a note: “Sorry I scared you. Mr. Squirrel.”
In the driveway, Marc had turned on the headlights of his truck. He waved at me. I waved back. “I’m going to clean up here before I leave,” he called, gesturing toward the pile of old roof tiles that littered the front lawn.
“Thanks,” I said, and held up the flowers. He smiled and I smiled back, then closed the door. I don’t know why I’d reacted so strongly to Marc. He hadn’t really done anything but remind me that I was easily spooked, and even more easily embarrassed.
I grabbed the flowers and brought them inside. I couldn’t put them in a vase. If my grandmother saw that someone was picking through her flowers, she wouldn’t be happy about it. But I didn’t want to throw them out either. I took them into my bedroom and put them on the nightstand. I lay on the bed and stared at them for a while, then I turned my attention to the ceiling.
Tomorrow was Sunday, and that meant going home. If I took the 4:40 train back tomorrow afternoon, I’d be in Manhattan around 6:30 p.m. and at my apartment no later than seven. I would have survived a whole weekend without talking to Ryan.
But going back meant going to work and either seeing him, or spending the day only a few floors away and not seeing him. Neither option exactly thrilled me.
I had to come up with some kind of game plan for what I would say if I saw him. I had to figure out my response to any messages he might have left on my voice mail. If he left messages on my voice mail.
And it also meant finding a place to live. I couldn’t afford the place Ryan and I had planned to move into together, and my apartment had already been re-rented.
It was too much to think about, so I did the only thing I could think of—I went to sleep.
CHAPTER 10
I was standing in my wedding dress, looking down the aisle at the church. It seemed like the aisle went on for miles. I looked around, but none of my bridesmaids were with me, and that was a bit annoying. Why couldn’t they be on time for my wedding? I didn’t know whether I should just go ahead and walk down the aisle by myself or wait for everyone else.
I took a few steps and stopped. I couldn’t make out who was at the end of the aisle. Was it Ryan? It looked like Ryan, but not completely. The man at the end of the aisle had lighter hair. Maybe. It was hard to tell. Should I walk down the
“Eleanor will be in this house for years,” I said, a little offended. “Years and years.”
“I suppose. I’ve always wanted to go through the place, though. You know, see what’s hidden in the attic.”
“I don’t think anything’s hidden up there. And you know my grandmother. She wouldn’t want someone poking around her house even if the crown jewels were in it.”
He smiled and nodded. “I suppose. I guess I just like going where I don’t belong.” He winked at me, as if I knew what he meant.
I moved ahead and Marc followed. By the time we reached the back door, we were side by side. His arm casually brushed against mine, and something about it made me jump a bit. Barney, looking a little worried, caught sight of us and ran to my side.
“Why didn’t you come when I called?” I asked him as he jumped at me so excitedly that I nearly fell over.
“Didn’t Eleanor tell you he’s losing his hearing?”
“I guess I forgot.”
Barney jumped up on me once again. Before I could crouch down to let the dog have his way, Marc pulled him off me roughly. Barney winced at the move.
“Don’t do that. You’ll hurt him,” I yelled.
“Dogs shouldn’t jump on people,” he said flatly, and released Barney.
“I have to feed him,” I said. Leaving Marc at the back door, Barney and I went inside.
Barney had barely begun his meal when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door to no one, but on the porch were a half dozen of my grandmother’s flowers banded together with twine. Resting on the twine was a note: “Sorry I scared you. Mr. Squirrel.”
In the driveway, Marc had turned on the headlights of his truck. He waved at me. I waved back. “I’m going to clean up here before I leave,” he called, gesturing toward the pile of old roof tiles that littered the front lawn.
“Thanks,” I said, and held up the flowers. He smiled and I smiled back, then closed the door. I don’t know why I’d reacted so strongly to Marc. He hadn’t really done anything but remind me that I was easily spooked, and even more easily embarrassed.
I grabbed the flowers and brought them inside. I couldn’t put them in a vase. If my grandmother saw that someone was picking through her flowers, she wouldn’t be happy about it. But I didn’t want to throw them out either. I took them into my bedroom and put them on the nightstand. I lay on the bed and stared at them for a while, then I turned my attention to the ceiling.
Tomorrow was Sunday, and that meant going home. If I took the 4:40 train back tomorrow afternoon, I’d be in Manhattan around 6:30 p.m. and at my apartment no later than seven. I would have survived a whole weekend without talking to Ryan.
But going back meant going to work and either seeing him, or spending the day only a few floors away and not seeing him. Neither option exactly thrilled me.
I had to come up with some kind of game plan for what I would say if I saw him. I had to figure out my response to any messages he might have left on my voice mail. If he left messages on my voice mail.
And it also meant finding a place to live. I couldn’t afford the place Ryan and I had planned to move into together, and my apartment had already been re-rented.
It was too much to think about, so I did the only thing I could think of—I went to sleep.
CHAPTER 10
I was standing in my wedding dress, looking down the aisle at the church. It seemed like the aisle went on for miles. I looked around, but none of my bridesmaids were with me, and that was a bit annoying. Why couldn’t they be on time for my wedding? I didn’t know whether I should just go ahead and walk down the aisle by myself or wait for everyone else.
I took a few steps and stopped. I couldn’t make out who was at the end of the aisle. Was it Ryan? It looked like Ryan, but not completely. The man at the end of the aisle had lighter hair. Maybe. It was hard to tell. Should I walk down the
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