A Convenient Proposal(31)
A bench stood beside the footpath not far from the gate and Griff steered them in that direction. “Would you like to sit down?”
Arden smiled. “Perfect timing. My new boots are still stiff.” She perched on the seat at an angle, looking out over the park. “I can imagine this view in summer—the trees leafed out and the flower beds full of blooms, the fountain in the center…it must be glorious.”
“Sheridan’s pride and joy.” He stretched both arms along the back of the bench. “This whole side of town used to be part of the Statler estate, and they donated the land for City Park.”
“Does it ever snow here?” She gestured to the downhill slope before them. “That looks like a great hill for sledding.”
“About once every ten years we get a snow deep enough to build snowmen and use a sled. Hasn’t happened in quite a while.”
“Maybe it will snow while I’m here,” she said, turning in place to lean against his arm. “Living on the ocean, I do miss snow, sometimes.”
Griff curved his body toward hers. “Judging by that condo of yours, you could take long vacations in Switzerland, if you wanted to.”
Arden shook her head. “I’m not much into traveling these days. Certainly not that far.”
He took her left hand in his. “And does that reluctance have anything to do with the cheating fiancé and the broken engagement?”
She stiffened in his arms.
“I know, you figured I would let it drop. But we’ve been engaged three whole days. You should know me better by now.”
“I…” Her exasperated breath was a puff of steam in the cold air. “I thought you had learned to respect my privacy.”
“I grew up in a small town. Nosiness is part of my genetic makeup. Are you going to tell me about this jerk?”
She hesitated a long time. “He was twelve years older, very handsome,” she said eventually. “I really wanted to be careful, not risk too much in the relationship until I was certain, but…almost before I realized, we were involved…intimately. Getting engaged seemed like the right thing to do. But then I—I found him with someone else. Someone I’d trusted.” She paused again. “I threw a huge tantrum, he retaliated by telling me how many other women he’d betrayed me with and asked for his ring back.”
Griff couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle. When she looked at him indignantly, he said, “I can’t imagine you in a temper tantrum.”
“Not pretty, I assure you.” She drew a deep breath. “We were at a hotel in…in Italy. I threw his ring in the pool and wished him good luck finding it. Then I left and flew home.”
“Good move! Your reaction to being dumped was much stronger than mine.”
Her cheeks flushed bright pink. “It was childish. But, really, he deserved to lose something for treating me so badly.”
“I agree. Did he find the ring?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t heard.”
“What about the person you caught him with—did you deal with her?”
“We had a…discussion. But we haven’t spoken since.”
Her voice reminded him of one of their earlier conversations. What was it…?
Then he remembered. After the dream that had caused her to cry, she’d said, “We’re estranged.” About her mother, in that same tone.
Griff sucked in a quick breath. “Your mother? He cheated on you with your mom?”
In the next instant, Arden was on her feet and walking away.
Catching up, Griff didn’t try to stop or even slow her down. He walked along, hands in his pockets, as they traversed the entire length of the park—about a mile. And when she finally slowed, he did, too.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s more pain and insult than one person should ever have to bear.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t deserve such treatment.”
She jerked to a stop and stared up at him. “Why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “I blamed myself for Zelda dumping me. I’m guessing you wondered at least once if you’d done something to provoke the way he behaved.”
As he watched, her gray-green eyes filled with tears. “I tried to be what he wanted…”
Griff put his arm around her shoulders and turned her so they could walk back toward town. “Lucky for you, he showed his true colors before you married him. You don’t have to try anymore, because you’re all any decent man could want. And you should believe what I’m saying without question.”