A Winter Wedding(104)
As soon as Renate pulled into her drive, Lourdes thanked her mother for the ride and hurried to get her luggage. She was afraid Renate would want to come in. They hadn’t seen each other for several weeks. But her mother obviously realized she needed some privacy; after a brief hug, Renate murmured that she should call if she needed anything and climbed back behind the wheel.
Lourdes rushed inside. She’d thought she’d find solace in the familiar, in her house, bought with her money, from her singing. But the house just felt...empty.
*
The following day Lourdes rubbed damp palms against her jeans. She was meeting Derrick for breakfast. She’d refused to see him last night. She’d needed time to adjust to being home, to determine how she wanted to proceed. But she couldn’t put him off indefinitely. They had far too much to discuss.
When he’d asked if he could pick her up, she’d insisted on driving into town on her own—to their favorite crepe place. They came here quite often. So did Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and his wife and many famous people. Some of the other patrons stared but rarely did anyone try to approach or take pictures. She appreciated their restraint and the fact that the owners of The Crepe Café tried to protect her from intrusion—by keeping an eye out for it and, if necessary, asking the offending party to leave. Lourdes especially appreciated knowing they’d look out for her today, when she was so nervous. She would’ve gone to Derrick’s house, or had him come to hers, except that she’d wanted to be on neutral ground, somewhere open and public, where she could walk away if she needed to.
She sat with a cup of tea, alternately eyeing the door and the clock. He’d texted her that he’d received a business call and was running a few minutes late, but she’d expected him to be here by now.
She was just getting her phone out to call him when she spotted his BMW pulling into the lot. He wasn’t as handsome as Kyle, didn’t have the same rugged sort of appeal. He was thickening around the middle, had a weak chin, which he compensated for with a full beard, and some gray in his hair. But he was always well-groomed and well dressed. And he was a genius about music.
She watched while he parked and made his way toward the entrance, then stood to greet him.
“You look gorgeous!” he said but hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure whether or not to touch her. In the end, she leaned toward him for a brief embrace, which only confirmed what she already knew. She wasn’t going to marry him. Those feelings were gone.
“You look good, too,” she said. “Are you all set for Christmas?”
“No. Haven’t done any shopping. And it’s right around the corner.”
“The packages in the picture I saw online were all Crystal’s?”
He reddened at the reminder but nodded. “I met her for lunch, to...to discuss everything, like I said.”
“I remember.”
“So are you excited about the song I found?”
“‘Crossroads’?”
“If we decide to keep that title.”
“I’m thrilled about it. But—” she slid the salt and pepper cellars closer together “—you may not want to give it to me after we’ve had a chance to talk.”
Raising a hand to stall her, he focused on the waitress who was coming to take their order.
When they were alone again, he removed his coat and scooted his chair closer. “Before you make any decisions, I have a few things I’d like to make clear.” His gaze locked with hers, and he continued more stridently, “I believe in you and your talent, and I am thoroughly convinced that, on a professional level, we can recover from the past six months. On a personal level, I want you to know that I love you and I’m sorry for what I did. Sincerely.”
She took another sip of her tea, more uncomfortable than reassured. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
His voice took on fresh hope. “You do?”
“I do, but—” she cradled her cup so she wouldn’t wring her hands “—that doesn’t mean we’ll be able to get back together, Derrick. I’m afraid what we had is over. My feelings have changed.”
He gaped at her for several seconds before recovering enough to respond. “It’s too soon to decide that. Let’s give it some time. Can we give it some time?”
She shook her head. “That would be pointless.”
He stared at the floor. “Is it that man you were with in Whiskey Creek—Kyle Houseman?” he asked when he looked up. “Is he the reason?”
“He’s part of it,” she said. “What happened between Kyle and me was...” She shook her head as she searched for the words to describe their attraction, their feelings for each other.
“It was unlike anything I’ve experienced.”
“Meaning with me.”
“With anyone.”
“I see.” He sat back as the waitress brought him his coffee. Then he lowered his voice. “Were you communicating with him before you went out there, like I read in all those blogs and...and articles? Is that why you chose Whiskey Creek?”
She felt her jaw drop. “No, I only said that to save face.”
“I’m not sure I can believe you, seeing that so much has changed.”
“Are you kidding?” she said “You were supposed to go to Whiskey Creek with me, remember? You’re the one who decided to stay here.”