The Promise of Home (20 page)

L
ate on Saturday evening, after Rowen was asleep, Claudia was canoodling with Kyle on his living room sofa. It was the first time they'd been alone all day.

“So,” Kyle asked in a soft voice with his arm around her shoulders, “I'm dying to hear what you thought of Misty.”

Claudia sat up a little straighter. The whole afternoon with Kevin and Misty had been miserable. “She is beyond awful,” Claudia said, and Kyle gave a chuckle. “Shallow, self-absorbed, obsessed with designer things that cost a fortune. The way she acts around Kevin—I wonder whether she really likes him at all. And he seems so taken with her.”

“I know,” Kyle said. “She's another loser.”

“Exactly. But why can't Kevin see that?”

“It's so typical of him,” Kyle said. “Kevin is
the
nicest guy you'll ever meet. He'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. But he's always had problems with women. He's a little overweight and insecure about it, so he tries to compensate by being funny and really accommodating. Like, almost naive-pushover-level accommodating. I think having Misty walk into his office and then agree to go out with him really blew his mind.”

“I can just see it,” Claudia said with her hand on her face. She could truly empathize with how Kevin must have felt. “I mean, I'm sure lots of men find Misty attractive, and if Kevin had problems meeting attractive women…”

“Exactly,” Kyle said. “I still remember him calling me up the day he met her. By the time she left his office, they'd made plans to have dinner together, and he was gushing about how this gorgeous woman had dropped into his life and taken a huge interest in him.”

“Maybe he's so enamored with her looks that he doesn't realize what she's really like as a person.”

“Wouldn't be the first time,” Kyle said, “although her looks don't hold a candle to yours.”

“I'm relieved you feel that way. She smiled at you an awful lot.”

“I noticed that,” Kyle said as he rolled his eyes. “Maybe it was just her nerves. I hope it was innocent.”

“Trust me, it wasn't. She was trying to flirt with you.”

“Maybe, although she's really an idiot if she thought it would be effective,” Kyle said, drawing her closer. “I don't know why Kevin would be with someone like that, but I'll bet he didn't notice.”

“You're sure not like your brother in that department,” Claudia said as she leaned back into Kyle and rested her head against his shoulder. “You're good at reading people. Even now, when you look at me, I feel like you can tell exactly what I'm thinking.” Slowly, she traced her finger up Kyle's chest. He caught her hand in his.

“You make it easy,” he said. He pulled her closer as he kissed her, and the urgency of his touch left no doubt in her mind that she was right.

“This couch is a little small, don't you think?” she asked when she could. “Besides, Rowen might see us out here if she wakes up.”

Kyle pulled back slightly and stroked his fingers down the side of her face. “Yeah, but wait. There's something I wanted to talk with you about.”

“What?”

“I was thinking…it wouldn't be easy for us, but maybe we should sort of…hold off on certain things until our wedding night.”

Claudia blinked and studied his face. “Seriously? I don't get it. First you tell me that I'm way better-looking than Misty. Then, you kiss me like that, so all I can think about is…you know…being with you, and then you tell me you don't want us to do that again until we're married. What is this, payback for me seducing you in the Jeep?”

“No, no,” Kyle said with a laugh. “I suppose I didn't do a very good job of broaching the subject. We don't have to if you don't think it will be worth it, but…do you suppose that, maybe, it would make our wedding night even more memorable than it will already be?”

“Our wedding is still two months away. I don't think I can make it that long.” Claudia freed her hand from his grasp and slid it back down his chest, then a little lower. “I'm willing to bet that you can't, either.”

“It would be a challenge,” Kyle said. “But imagine how it would be if we did. It might be like the first time all over again, but better. More…intense.”

She thought back to their first night together, the night of Valentine's Day, when an unexpected snowstorm had cut the power to Kyle's apartment. The thought of waiting for two months and then making love with Kyle on their wedding night in December, when the snow might be whirling around outside once more, sent tingles down her spine. Then again, she had no idea where they would be spending their wedding night or what the weather there might be like.

“I'd be willing to try it,” she said finally, “but I have three conditions.” She leaned over and kissed him again, a soft, sensual kiss with her lips barely brushing his.

“Tell me,” Kyle said, although the look on his face seemed to indicate that he was no longer in much of a mood to talk.

“All right.” She kept her face close, her mouth hovering over his as she spoke. “First, kissing is allowed, along with hugging and anything else we can do with our clothes on.”

“Agreed,” Kyle said. He leaned in again, but Claudia turned her face slightly and put her finger up against his lips.

“Uh-uh, I'm not finished,” she said with a smile. “The second condition is that you have to give me a hint about where we're going to spend our wedding night.”

“Hmmm. A hint?” Kyle pulled back, his eyes narrowed in thought. “I can do that. I'll even give you two hints.”

Claudia's smile stretched wide as she enjoyed the feeling of gleeful anticipation.

“It's somewhere very private, with a very large bed.”

“Those aren't helpful hints.” She stuck out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.

“You didn't say it had to be a helpful hint.”

Claudia rolled her eyes. “Fine. I suppose I'd really rather not know, even though I'm dying to, because you want it to be a surprise, and I don't want to take that away from you.”

“Thank you,” Kyle said, drawing her tight against him. “It's only because I love you. I want it to be special, that's all. Now, what is your third condition?”

She didn't answer right away, but instead smoothed her hand down the side of his face and lost herself in his dark brown eyes before she kissed him again, hard on the mouth. He didn't complain at her delay in answering, just ran his fingers through her hair, cupping them gently on each side of her jaw. Only when his lips found their way down to her neck did she whisper her third condition.

“The last thing,” Claudia began, then gasped as his hands slid down her body. She covered them with her own and guided them beneath her shirt. “The last thing is that the starting date for your little plan is
tomorrow.
”

On Sunday afternoon, Claudia walked to The Stitchery for her second fitting. Pauline met her at the door, just as she had for their first meeting. Claudia stifled a giggle when she looked down and saw three pins protruding from Pauline's “wearable pincushion.”

“How is the wedding planning coming along?” Pauline asked.

“Everyone keeps asking me that,” Claudia said with a laugh. “We've got things set for the ceremony and reception. Pretty much everyone has RSVP'd, and I've given Ruth a deposit for the cake. I wish there were a florist here in Mill River, but since there's not, I think I'm going to use Hawley's in Rutland for the flowers. Other than those things, Kyle is taking care of the honeymoon plans, and he's got some surprise in store for where we're spending our wedding night.”

“Sounds like you've got everything under control,” Pauline said. “You're ahead of the game on most of those things.”

“Maybe. But I don't want to be stressing about anything on my wedding day. Nobody likes a Bridezilla, you know, so I'm trying to have everything in place well in advance.”

“You're a smart girl for doing that,” Pauline said. “Even if something unexpected happens at the last minute, I'm sure you'll find a way to deal with it and have a beautiful wedding. Things always have a way of falling into place. Now, I'm going to stop my yammering so you can get changed. Your shoes and gown are already in the booth there, ready for you to put on.”

“Oh, good!” Claudia said. “I can't wait to see my dress!” She hurried down to the booth and went inside.

“If you need any help getting into it, dear, just call me,” Pauline said.

When Claudia emerged from the booth, a huge smile was plastered on her face. “This looks so good, Pauline! The length is perfect with my shoes, and it feels like it fits so much better in the bodice and arms.”

“As well it should,” Pauline said with satisfaction. “Come on up here in front of the mirror so I can take a good look.”

Claudia walked carefully up the steps to the three-way mirror, and Pauline began a detailed examination of the gown. “The sleeves do fit perfectly now,” she said. “But I think the bodice could be taken in a little more.” She pinched the fabric a bit. “Does that feel too tight to you, as I'm holding it?”

“No,” Claudia said, “but I don't think I'd want it any snugger than that.”

“All right. I'll just pin this little part here, but other than this, I don't see anything else that needs to be altered.”

“I think it's gorgeous,” Claudia said. “I can't wait until Kyle sees it!”

“You're doing it the traditional way, then? The groom won't see the gown until the ceremony?”

“Yep. Although he teases me that he's going to sneak a look at it before then.”

“And yet he's keeping your wedding-night accommodations a surprise? That doesn't seem fair.”

“I may have to put a lock on my closet,” Claudia said.

“Do you two have lots of family and friends coming?”

“Neither one of us has a huge family, but everyone we invited on both sides is planning to attend. Most of our friends are coming, too. It shouldn't be a huge wedding, though. We're expecting between fifty and sixty guests.”

“Not huge by today's standards,” Pauline agreed. “I take it you've met his family?”

“Yes, everyone is just wonderful. Except…”

“Except?”

Claudia gave a little sigh. “Oh, Kyle's brother has a new girlfriend. We met her yesterday, and she was a real piece of work.”

“Really?” Pauline straightened up and came around to face her. “What do you mean?”

“We didn't have anything in common, and she seemed pretty disinterested in being there, except she smiled at Kyle a lot.”

“Really? It's odd that she'd do that, especially in front of you and Kyle's brother.”

“That's what I thought. Then again, she was rough around the edges, even borderline rude. Or maybe I'm just hypersensitive about other women noticing him.”

“He
is
very handsome,” Pauline said with a smile, then walked around Claudia, putting in a few final pins and checking everything over again. “I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Smiles are pretty harmless, and I'm sure Kyle is as honest and faithful as they come.”

“True,” Claudia said. “Besides, she and Kyle's brother live in Boston, so they're not down here in Mill River very often. And when they do come, I can keep my eye on her.”

“I think that's wise. Your situation made me think of the perfect advice for you for this fitting.”

“Let's hear it,” Claudia said. She'd been wondering what the seamstress would say this time, and whether the advice would be as practical as her first lesson had been.

“Well. Even though you and Kyle have known each other for a while now, your wedding day will mark a kind of new start for you and your relationship,” Pauline said. “It's the official beginning of your lives together as family. Your bonds have to be strong enough to weather hardships and tough times. Whatever you two have already been through in that respect, let it stay in the past. You'll have enough trying times to deal with in your lives ahead. Every new married couple does. What you don't want to do is let somebody or something come between you two and drag you down. Trust each other, enjoy the present, and focus on your future together.”

After Mass on Sunday, Karen was heading to Rutland to visit her father. Ben was with her this time, slouched in the front seat and wearing the typical scowl of a sullen teenager.

“He's not going to recognize me, Mom,” Ben said. “He never does anymore. I shouldn't have to come with you to see him.”

“Maybe he doesn't recognize you. Or maybe he does but he has no way of showing it anymore. He's still your grandfather. He still loves you. If you were sick in the hospital, and unconscious so you had no way of knowing what was going on or who was there, wouldn't you want the people you love to come visit you?”

Ben turned his head to stare out the car window. “If I was unconscious, I wouldn't be able to tell, so I wouldn't care.”

“I don't think you really mean that.” She didn't say anything more, and she tried to overlook Ben's surly behavior as exacerbated by the stress and fear they both felt over Nick's absence.

Deep down, part of her hated dragging her son to the Alzheimer's care facility. For the past several months, they'd had almost the same conversation every time, and it was true that her father seemed to have completely forgotten Ben. That was what really got her. It was one thing to have her own hopes crushed after sitting with her father for hours without seeing the tiniest spark of his old self emerge. It was quite another to see
Ben's
hopes crushed at first, and now see them completely extinguished.

And yet, it was her father, and Ben's grandfather, who was in that facility. He was family.