Dreaming Of You (20 page)

Katelyn almost didn’t go to her friend’s wedding, even though she was a bridesmaid. How could she walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid then stand next to Alisha in the receiving line…smiling the whole time? How could Katelyn look happy at all under these circumstances? Alisha had married a wonderful man and her life was good.

Katelyn couldn’t say the same, and at this point, didn’t think she ever would.

As Katelyn stood in the reception line, tears threatened to make an appearance again, so she breathed slower to keep them from coming. Even after three weeks, the pain was as real as it had been the day Shane refused to listen to her. She tightened her fingers around the stems of the bridesmaid bouquet and forced herself to at least look like she enjoyed herself, which was, of course, another lie.

Alisha gazed lovingly up at her groom, Keith, as he returned the same expression of love in his eyes. At least some people were meant to be together forever, even though Katelyn didn’t think she would be considered for that most sacred role. It was all her fault. If only she’d told Shane the truth. If only she had done things differently. If only…

Unfortunately, she couldn’t relive the past. She had to keep plugging along, making each day better than the previous day, and hope for the best. Even if Shane would never be in her future.

By the end of the evening, Katelyn’s feet were killing her. The new high heels she’d bought that matched her bridesmaid dress hadn’t been broken in and so the balls of her feet were throbbing. She stayed by her friend even as Alisha and Keith cut the cake. When it was time for Alisha to throw her bouquet, Katelyn didn’t want to gather with the other single girls, but she was forced to stand there anyway. Luckily, Jennifer—one of the other bridesmaids—caught the flowers.

Soon, the bride and groom ran out to their car, decorated with Oreo cookies, toilet paper, and tin cans and left for their honeymoon. Katelyn stood on the sidewalk of the church waving to her friend. Tears stung Katelyn’s eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy. Alisha had been through many relationships and had her heart broken every time. It pleased Katelyn to see Alisha had finally found her hero.

Katelyn sulked back into the cultural hall to help the family clean up. She kicked off her heels in order to move around more comfortably. Her friend, Jennifer, walked beside Katelyn and bumped her with an elbow.

“So when is it your turn?” Jennifer asked.

Katelyn rolled her eyes. “I’m beginning to wonder if God has forgotten about me.”

“Oh, don’t say that.” She linked her arm with Katelyn’s. “I know at this time your faith is wavering, but God has
not
forgotten about you. Mr. Right is out there somewhere. So it wasn’t Shane Hunter, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a man out there for you.”

“No, trust me on this, Jenny. There is no Mr. Right. Not for me. From now on, there will be Mr. Almost-made-it, but that’s as close as it’ll get.”

Jennifer rubbed Katelyn’s arm and frowned. “Don’t say that. In fact, right over there is Doug Smith, Alisha’s cousin.” Jennifer tilted her head in that direction. “I know for a fact that he likes you. He’s been watching you all evening.”

Katelyn moved her gaze to the corner of the room and caught him watching her. His face turned red and he quickly looked away. Alisha had introduced them a few times, but Katelyn was never interested in the man. He wasn’t what a girl would call gorgeous, but he had kind eyes and smiled all the time. She remembered him being shy, too. That kind of trait in a man turned Katelyn away.

“I have met him, Jenny, but there’s just no spark and never will be.”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “What about Keith’s best man, Tim?” She turned her head to Tim who stood with three other guys. “I think he’s very good looking.”

Katelyn nudged her elbow against her friend. “Then you go hit on him.”

Jennifer scowled. “I already have a boyfriend, remember?”

Katelyn shrugged. “Yes, I remember, but I’m not interested in Tim or any of those other guys, thank you very much.”

“You’re so picky.”

“It’s my own fault, you know. If I didn’t write such wonderful heroes in my books, I would realize men like that don’t exist and I would have been happy to get mediocre. But I will
never
be happy with mediocre now. I want a knight-in-shining-armor kind of man.” Within seconds a memory flashed through her head from a time she had talked to Shane at Disneyland.
I’ve been feeling gallant this morning. Shoot, the way I’m feeling right now, you can put me in green stockings, stick a sword in my hand and call me Robin Hood.

Katelyn shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind finding a Robin Hood kind of man, either.”

Jennifer laughed and shook her head. “Nowadays, men who wear tights aren’t exactly guys I’d consider manly kind of heroes, if you know what I mean.”

Snickering behind her hand, Katelyn tried not smile, but she couldn’t help it. “I stand corrected, then.” She picked up a folding chair and moved it to the man who was putting them away. Jennifer followed.

“Have you tried to talk to Shane lately?”

“No.” A frown quickly wiped away Katelyn’s smile. “He wouldn’t let me explain anything when I went to his condo that day. But really, what does it matter? I messed up. I withheld the truth from him, and he wants a woman he can trust. Apparently, I’m not that woman.”

“Well, I would like to have five minutes with the man to tell him exactly what kind of woman he’s turning away.” Jennifer scowled as she handed the man her folding chair. “I mean, you were the reason his children believed he loved them, right?”

Katelyn nodded. “Yes. Cori especially.” She picked up another folding chair. “Their aunt was brainwashing them, for heaven’s sake. That’s what upsets me more than anything. And to think Shane believed Tori over me! He even went as far as to take the twins out of my sister’s preschool, if you can believe that.” She stopped and breathed slowly again to relieve the anger inside. “Then again, I brought it on myself. If I had only been honest with him…”

“Well, if Shane believes Tori over you, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

Jennifer continued spouting off insults, but Katelyn’s ears refused to listen. Instead, her mind had returned to Shane and his twins. This couldn’t be the end, could it? God wouldn’t punish her by never letting her see those adorable twins…and their father. If she were writing her own story, what would she have the heroine do? Would the heroine sulk in her house for years, wondering why the hero hated her? Or would her heroine get off her butt and go
fight
for the man she loved?

Slowly, hope blossomed in Katelyn’s chest. It might take a while, but what other choice did she have? She loved Shane and his children. She could not be without them!

Katelyn gripped another folding chair but didn’t move it this time. What could she do that she hadn’t done already? Then again, she really hadn’t done much to try to win him back. Starting tomorrow, she would think like a writer and put herself in her heroine’s shoes—which was how she wrote her stories anyway. From this point forward, she
was
the heroine in her story, and she would win her man…or die trying.

* * * *

Shane raked his fingers through his hair as he studied his sales report for the fourth time today. The figures on the spreadsheet were not adding up, and he didn’t know why. He was losing money somewhere, but he couldn’t find where. He’d been over this report so many times this past week, his vision was blurry. Not only that, his brain refused to work properly.

Grumbling, he pushed away from his desk and stood. He stretched the kinks out of his arms and legs and moved into the front room. Cori and Casey sat in front of the television watching a kids’ show. They glanced his way, but quickly returned their focus to the television. For three weeks now, no smile—or semblance of a smile—had touched their faces. Every day they asked about Katelyn, and every day he repeated the same phrase, “
We won’t see her again.”

Their forlorn expressions tugged on his heartstrings, but they were too young to understand his reasons. Katelyn had broken Shane’s trust, and he couldn’t be with a woman without that.

Shane forced a smile. “Are you two ready? Grandma will be here to pick you up any minute now.”

Without looking his way, they nodded.

“Great.” Shane rubbed his hands together. “Grandma and Grandpa are really excited about having you spend the night with them. They’ve planned a lot of fun things.”

Cori stood and came toward him. She stopped right in front and slipped her fingers in his hand. “Daddy, there is one thing me and Casey want to do when we go to Gramma’s.”

“What is it?” He crouched to her level.

“We want to go see Miss Palmer.”

Casey jumped from his sitting position in front of the television and ran to Shane’s side. “Yes, Daddy. Can we? Gramma will take us to see Miss Palmer, won’t she?”

Shane shook his head. “We have discussed this already—”

“No, Daddy,” Cori interrupted. “This is different. You don’t have to see her, but
we
want to.”

The pain in his chest felt like strong fingers squeezing his heart. He didn’t want to disappoint them, but he couldn’t allow them to get attached to a deceiving woman like Katelyn. It was bad enough their father had become attached and struggled these past three very lonely weeks trying to forget her.

Just as he opened his mouth to refuse them again, the doorbell rang. “I think Grandma is here to pick you up.” He rose from his knees and hurried to the door. When he opened the door, it wasn’t his mother as he’d expected. His lawyer, Justin, stood in front of him with wide, panicked, eyes.

“Hunter, we need to talk,” Justin said matter-of-factly as he entered the room.

Shane motioned to the kitchen. “Let’s talk in here so we don’t disturb the kids.” He led the way and was the first to sit at the table. “What’s up?”

Justin didn’t sit at the table as Shane thought he would. Instead, his friend paced the floor.

“I need to know if you truly want to proceed with this law suit against the author.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I read the book, and although I can see the similarities, I really doubt we have a good case if you decide to pursue this.”

Shane sighed heavily. He’d almost forgotten about threatening to sue her. “Well, the truth finally came out, and Katelyn admits knowing me in college. She said she had a crush on me back then and that’s why she wrote about me.”

Justin’s mouth twitched as if he was trying not to grin. “Really…”

Shane rolled his eyes. “Yes, really.”

“So, I’m assuming you were able to become friends with her.”

“Yes, we were friends, and I even took her out on a date.” He frowned. “The best date of my life, in fact.”

“So, do you still want to sue her?”

“No.” Although he’d never forget how she withheld the truth, he also could not stop thinking of her beautiful, caring eyes, and her giving spirit, especially when she talked to Cori and Casey.

Justin walked to him and rested his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “Are you going to forgive her?”

“I just don’t know yet.” He peered into the front room. Cori and Casey stood at the large, front picture window gazing out. Smiles lit their cherub faces. His mother must be here. Either that or…Katelyn.

Just thinking that she might come see him had excitement rushing through him, and this time he couldn’t stop it. He rushed to the window and parted the curtains. When his mother climbed out of her car, Shane’s hopes sank. Although he really didn’t want to see Katelyn again, his heart just couldn’t let go. It was a good thing his mind was in control now.

Shane patted his children on the head. “Get your backpacks. Grandma is here.”

The two scurried down the hall but were back seconds before his mother knocked on the door. When she entered, the twins gave her a big hug.

His mother looked his way and quickly her happy expression disappeared. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Shane shook his head. “Nothing you need to be worried about,” he muttered. “Take the kids and have a good time.” He gave each child a kiss and hug, then they left with their grandma.

Justin walked to the door and stopped, resting his hand on the knob. “I can’t tell you how to feel or who to forgive, but I know you were one happy man there for a few weeks. I haven’t seen you that happy since before you married Amber.”

“Well, life happens, and once again, my dreams were pushed in the gutter.” He shrugged. “I’ll live.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.” Justin opened the door and left.

As Shane stood staring at the door, his mind fought a battle with his heart. Was he wrong for judging Katelyn so harshly? Yet his marriage with Amber had a left a gaping hole in his heart that was hard to mend.

Chapter Fifteen

The mall was crowded with Christmas shoppers. Katelyn really didn’t want to be here, but Stacey had talked her into coming, regardless. In fact, her sister had threatened to drag Katelyn out of the house kicking and screaming if necessary. She really didn’t want to think about what presents to buy today, especially not when she needed to put a plan together to win back Shane.

Stacey chatted about the daycare and what was happening with the children. She talked about her husband, and their sweet daughter, Gracelyn. Katelyn didn’t want to act like she was not interested, but the fact was she wanted to think of other things and her sister’s constant chatter wasn’t helping.

They walked into a clothing store, and Katelyn headed right for the children’s section. She usually bought her niece and nephews one outfit a piece and the rest toys, but today she was thinking of two other children to shop for. Would Shane allow her to buy something for his kids, too?

She found a rack, and started going through the clothes. Many people were talking loudly in this large store, drowning out the background Christmas music. Katelyn pulled the pink and white snow cap she still wore closer around her ears as to try to block out the noises around her. For two weeks she’d had a constant headache, and being in a crowded store really wasn’t helping.