Patricia Kay – The One-Week Wife (страница 4)
“You’re not just saying that? You’ve been awfully distracted today.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m not just saying that.” Shrugging, he added, “There was always something missing between us. I felt it, but I didn’t want to face it. I’m glad Emma did.”
Now Shannon gave him a real smile. “You know, I never thought she was right for you, either.”
He couldn’t help grinning. Her loyalty warmed him. He could always count on his family.
“What’s going on over there?” Daniel said.
“Who wants to know?” Shannon said cheekily, winking at Reed.
After a few more lighthearted remarks, Daniel’s wife, Anna Lisa, turned to Shannon and said, “Hey, guess who I saw coming out of Goldman’s Deli this afternoon.”
“Have no idea,” Shannon said.
“Alex Newhouse.”
“Really?”
Alex Newhouse sightings were rare in Eastwick, for even when he was home and between films, he usually stuck close to his gated estate, especially during the height of tourist season.
“Yes. You should have seen the tourists gawking at him.” Anna Lisa giggled. “Of course, I wasn’t much better. God, the man’s gorgeous! Those eyes…” She sighed. “Did you know Felicity Farnsworth is doing his daughter’s wedding?”
Shannon nodded. “I’d heard.”
“Wouldn’t you kill for an invitation?”
“I know I would,” Reed’s mother said. “I’ve loved Alex Newhouse from the moment I first saw him in a movie.”
“He is magnetic,” Shannon agreed.
Reed wondered if he should mention the fact that the Newhouse wedding pictures were going to be taken at Rosedale. And that Alex would be in them. Best not to, he decided. The Newhouse family wouldn’t want an audience, especially at a photo shoot that was costing them five grand.
“Felicity’s done quite well for herself, hasn’t she?” Anna Lisa said.
“Surprisingly so,” Shannon said.
Daniel stifled a yawn, clearly bored with this talk of weddings. “Reed, want to go catch the rest of the ball game?”
What Reed really wanted to do was stay and hear what the women had to say about Felicity, but he couldn’t think of any way to do that, so he reluctantly pushed his chair back.
“Why do you say surprisingly so?” Anna Lisa asked.
Yeah, Reed thought, stalling by pretending something was in his shoe. Why do you?
“Oh, you know,” Shannon said. “She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I just didn’t think she’d have that kind of drive.”
“She strikes me as a woman who, once she sets her sights on something, will work like crazy to accomplish it,” Anna Lisa said. “I give her credit for picking herself up after that horrible divorce of hers and making something of her life.”
“It’s too bad she doesn’t have better taste in friends,” Reed’s mother said, shooting him a dark look.
Reed knew an exit line when he heard one.
But even after he and Daniel were settled in the family room in front of the big-screen TV their father had bought less than four months before his fatal heart attack, Reed’s mind was only marginally on the Red Sox game. Most of it remained centered on Felicity, his ex-fiancée’s best friend. And the more he thought about her, the more he wanted to pursue what they’d started earlier today.
Damn!
Why couldn’t he get the woman out of his mind?
Maybe his subconscious was trying to tell him something. Maybe, instead of trying to forget about Felicity, he should be figuring out how to get her into his bed. Because, obviously, he wasn’t going to be able to move on with his life until he did.
When Felicity arrived at her office Thursday morning, she wasn’t surprised to see Bo Harrison already there, ready and waiting. Bo, with his dyed platinum hair, diamond earrings and all-black “uniform,” looked like the creative artist he was. His photographs were works of art, and he was in high demand despite his outrageous prices.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling.
“Good morning, Bo.”
“Ready to roll?”
“As soon as I get my coffee I will be.” She’d barely uttered the words before Rita emerged from their little kitchen and handed Felicity an insulated cup. Felicity grinned. “You’re an angel, Rita.”
Today her assistant wore a bright yellow dress and matching yellow heels with peekaboo toes. She, too, was a shoe junkie, although unlike Felicity, Rita bought her shoes on sale at discount stores instead of designer shops.
“You look nice today,” Felicity said.
“So do you,” Rita countered, eyeing Felicity’s frothy multicolored sundress, a far cry from her normal work attire of either black or taupe—colors that would never take attention away from her brides or their attendants.
“Thanks,” Felicity said. “I have a Debs Club luncheon later.”
“I saw it on your calendar,” Rita said. “What time will you be back here?”
“Probably not until three. Why? Is there something urgent that I’ve forgotten?”
“No.” Rita smiled. “I just like to keep track.”
“If anything changes, I’ll call you. Or if something does come up, you call me on my cell.”
“Okay. Have fun today, you two.”
Five minutes later, Bo and Felicity were on their way. Felicity had declined Bo’s offer of a ride, since she would go straight to the club from Rosedale.
As they neared the entrance to the horse farm, her heart beat a little faster. Even though she’d spoken to Reed on the phone after that kiss—and both had pretended it hadn’t happened—it would be different seeing him in person. Meeting his gaze, remembering how his body had responded to hers, and hers to his. But no matter how awkward the situation, Felicity was determined to be her normal cool, efficient self today.
Because the last thing she wanted was for Reed to think that kiss had been important to her or that she attached any significance to it. Better for him to think her behavior yesterday had been a temporary aberration, a momentary lapse of good judgment.
Reed stood outside the office building as Felicity and Bo drove in. They both parked, then walked over to greet him.
“Good morning,” Felicity said crisply.
“Good morning,” he answered.
Damn, he looked good. Once again he wore close-fitting breeches, but today they were topped with an open-necked blue shirt the same vibrant shade as his eyes.
Felicity’s heart clutched when those eyes met hers. It took every ounce of her willpower and self-control not to look away. Instead, she said in a voice admirably even, “Reed, this is my photographer, Bo Harrison. Bo, Reed Kelly, the owner of Rosedale.”
“Bo,” Reed said, extending his right hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kelly. I appreciate the opportunity to work here.”
Reed smiled. “Where did you want to start?”
“Maybe you could just give us a tour of the place,” Felicity suggested. “Give Bo an idea of what’s here?”
Reed gave her a dubious look. “Are you planning to walk around in those shoes?”
“And risk my Blahniks? Are you crazy?” Felicity grinned. She’d shopped far and wide for the perfect complement to her shimmery sundress in shades of turquoise, violet and gold. “I brought some others.”
She reached into her tote and extracted a pair of New Balance cross trainers, exchanging them for her strappy gold sandals.
Soon they were off, Reed leading the way and explaining what each area’s function was. Felicity was glad they’d decided on a morning tour, for already the sun was getting uncomfortably warm. As they walked, she couldn’t help being impressed with the scope of Rosedale. It was truly beautiful, and far more comprehensive than Felicity had imagined from Emma’s sketchy description the one time they’d discussed what Reed did for a living.
Come to think of it, Emma hadn’t talked about Reed much at all during their engagement, other than to say they’d been there or done that. The omission should have been Felicity’s first clue that all was not well between them.
Had Reed sensed Emma’s misgivings? Because surely she’d had them for a while, even if she hadn’t been able to articulate them or share them with Felicity. Wondering how long it would take him to get over Emma, Felicity shot Reed a furtive look.
And caught him looking at her with the oddest expression on his face.
Startled when their eyes met, she could feel her face coloring and quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the quarantine and layup facility he had just pointed out.