The Anniversary Party (6 page)

A sudden and bright anger flared in Kylie and she fought the urge to slap him. “Well, if that's the truth, Wade Sinclair, you did a hell of a job of detoxing yourself. I'd say eight years is a pretty damn long time to stay away from your drug of choice. I think I'd say that you were cured long ago."

Kylie walked back to the house without him. Let him mope. She'd moped for a very long time when he had walked away from her. Tonight had been about her accepting what she wanted from him. Taking what she needed. She didn't need to know about his feelings. His feelings didn't matter.

Wade watched her go with a sigh of frustration. He should have told her the truth the moment he'd gotten her alone. But the fear had won as it always did. It was so much easier to lose himself in her. Try to escape and forget the fact that he owed her an explanation. He knew this in the part of his heart that honored what he and Kylie had once had. What he wished with an aching heart that they could have now. He also knew that truth was stranger than fiction and he didn't think he could take the look of disappointment on her face. The look he was positive would be there if he were to come clean.

He had spent so much time looking at the world from behind a camera to avoid looking at his own life and what he had lost. It had become so much easier to express himself with pictures. To show the world what was going on inside of him with a digital photo or a matted print.

He wished he could take a picture for Kylie. A picture that would show her just how much she meant to him. Just how much of his heart and soul she took up. He had to tell her the truth soon. No matter what. Even if the fear felt almost overwhelming when he even thought about it.

"But hearing the ridiculous truth would probably be a damn sight better than what she thinks now,” he muttered. There was no doubt that Kylie thought he had simply not wanted her. That all of the plans he had made with her, lying in bed with their naked limbs tangled together, had all been a farce. Something to keep her on a leash until he was ready to split. He didn't want her thinking that. Not ever. Those years with Kylie had been the best years of his life.

And he couldn't forget them. They haunted him whether awake or asleep. They served as an unattainable measuring stick for everything in his life. Women, jobs, happiness. He hadn't truly been happy since the moment he got on that bus and pulled away from Parkville. From Kylie.

Wade raised all the blinds and extinguished the lantern. He smoothed the chaise cushions and checked his clothes. No use in embarrassing both of them by returning to the house all disheveled and looking guilty.

With his head down and his feet feeling like cement blocks, he headed back toward the house. His body still hummed from being with Kylie and he could still taste her on his lips. He could smell her lingering scent. For just a moment he let himself relive the feel of her skin under his hands, the slope of her breast, the satiny skin of her inner thigh. It had taken all of his control not to take her right there in the gazebo. Give in to his incessant urge to bury his cock in the slick, creamy flesh between her thighs. Feel her urgent clenches around his length.

He drew in a stuttering breath and closed his eyes, his hand on the screen door. He had to accept the fact that the time had come.

When she was past her anger enough to hear him out, he would tell her the truth. And face the consequences.

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Kylie ignored her phone. Since leaving Wade open-mouthed on the gazebo the night before, she hadn't wanted to risk it being him. She'd slipped out of her parents’ house with a polite apology. She just wasn't feeling well. She would see everyone at her housewarming party. Since then she'd let her phone go to voicemail and always checked her cell phone's caller ID. She didn't want to talk to him anyway. There was nothing to say. He'd run out ages ago and then come back into town and went after a little slap and tickle.

Kylie wasn't ashamed of giving in to her desire to be with him. She just didn't hold any expectations. She refused to delude herself. She was the same woman he'd walked away from eight years ago. The only difference was she had now wasted eight years of her life not getting over him. She slammed a box of frozen puff pastries on the counter and sighed.

"Getting over him is exactly what I have to do.” She needed to get a cat. At least if she had a pet, she wouldn't sound so insane when she spoke out loud to herself.

When the flashing red indicator on her phone told her she had a message, she dialed into voicemail.

"What is up with you not answering your friggin’ phone?” Fawn's voice screeched. “The party's tomorrow for fuck's sake! Does this have something to do with your alone time with Wade out on Dad's gazebo? You know, you never did tell me what went on between you two out there.” Fawn sighed dramatically and then chirped, “Anyway, call me. You emailed me this list of
missing items
and I have a few questions. Don't worry! I'm not going to try to get out of the errand. I'll stop and get it all after work. I'm just not sure what you want. Call me. I'm at the office. Call me, dammit!"

Kylie shook her head and fought the urge to curl up on the sofa and find a mindlessly bad movie on cable. The party was tomorrow and her sister had her tearing her hair out. She punched in Fawn's number.

"What questions?” she growled when her sister answered.

"Like what kind of plates, napkins, and plastic ware?"

Kylie rubbed her temples and tried not to bark out her answer. “The kind you use to eat."

"Noooo, Miss Smarty Pants. Do you want anniversary themed ones or just run-of-the-mill backyard barbeque stuff?"

"Use your own judgment,” Kylie snapped.

"I would but then you'd end up telling me I should have gotten the other kind."

"Trust me, Fawn, I won't do that. I'll be too busy sucking down booze and being relieved that this whole surprise fiasco is over."

"Okay. But I need you to promise. Sorry, but we've been sisters too long. I know you. You are so a perfectionist."

"I'll just be happy to actually surprise them and pull this off. All thoughts and hopes of perfection went down the toilet weeks ago.
I promise
."

"All right. I'm flying solo then.
My judgment
. No complaints."

"None.” Kylie laughed. Fawn did have a point. Kylie knew she leaned toward picky.

"So, spill. What did happen out there? You've been in a snit ever since. Impossible to get a hold of. Like a hermit!"

"Nothing happened,” Kylie lied through her tightly clenched teeth. This was the last thing she wanted to discuss with Fawn.

"Liar!” Fawn shouted and Kylie jerked the phone away from her ear with a yelp. “You were all flushed. He was all flushed and ... engorged. I'm not an idiot, dear sister. There was definitely some hanky and most likely some panky going on out there. You think you're so smart, pulling your coat closed when I came in. Did you really think I wouldn't notice that your blouse was unbuttoned? Spill!"

"Okay! Okay! Jeez,” Kylie cried. “Not that it's any of your business, but we messed around a little."

"Ooooh. A reconciliation? You two are so pathetic. Giving each other cow eyes and making like you don't know that you're still madly in love even after all these years. It could be romantic if the two of you would pull your heads out of your asses."

"Fawn!"

"I'm just saying. ‘Fess up to yourselves, then each other, and then we can finally get on with the flippin’ happily ever after crap."

"There will be no happily ever after,” Kylie said. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a billion things to do."

"Well, if you won't listen to reason, Ky, just remember one thing."

"What's that?” Kylie snapped.

"You are not a slut. You do not do things like
mess around
on your parents’ property. Hell! You're practically a nun when it comes to stuff like that. So ask yourself this: why did you do it?” Fawn hung up.

Kylie slammed the phone into its charger so hard it slid to the side.
Why did Fawn have to do this today?
Kylie already felt like she was going to have a heart attack, why was her sister making things worse? Fawn always had been one to poke the bear. Fawn was infuriating. She was nosy, opinionated, and self-centered. But Kylie couldn't escape the thought that there was one thing her sister was not. A liar.

"Helllloooooo?"

"I'm coming!” Kylie checked her watch. Two o'clock on the nose. For once in her life, Fawn was on time. Unreal.

She put the last lily in the centerpiece and stepped back. Nice work, if she did say so herself. Her mother's favorites all included. Lilies, irises, carnations, and tea roses. Kylie had been surprised to discover that lilies smelled awful. Hopefully the sweet scent of the tea roses would cover it.

She came into the living room where Fawn struggled with six or more shopping bags. “'I'm coming’ usually means I'm coming to help you.” She grunted, lowering the bags as gently as possible.

"That's everything?” Kylie asked.

"Hello to you too, Kylie. Nice to see you. You're welcome for lugging all your forgotten items into the house.” Fawn took of her taupe cashmere wrap and draped it over a chair.

"Uh-uh.” Kylie waved a finger. “Coat closet."

Fawn blew out a sigh and trudged into the dining room to stow her wrap. “Tucker should be here in about an hour with the kegs. The wine is in my car,” she called.

"An hour! That's cutting it close, isn't it?” Kylie dug through the bags. Red peppers, tea lights, plasticware. So far everything was accounted for.

"Relax,” Fawn said, grabbing a few bags and heading toward the dining room. “Mom and Dad are never on time. They're at least a half-hour late.
Always
."

True.

"Okay. Let's get the utensils wrapped and all that stuff.” Kylie dove in to the chore. Trying desperately to distract herself from the knowledge that in less than two hours Wade would be walking through the front door. He would be in her home. Close to her again. And now they had the embarrassing encounter from the other night. Another emotional elephant they had to pretend didn't exist.

"You're thinking about him,” Fawn whispered, wrapping forks and spoons and knives in napkins.

"Am not."

"Oh, yes you are. You always get that look when you're thinking about him."

"What look?” Kylie asked, narrowing her eyes. “There is no look."

"Yeah, there is. You get this look, like a deer caught in headlights. All wide open eyes, spacey, dreamy. Lips parted like some porn queen!"

"Stop!” Kylie shouted and slammed down the last of her bundles. She took a deep, shaky breath.
Don't play her game. Right.
“Where are the plates?"

"That bag, I think,” Fawn said, pointing.

"Fawn, they're 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.