Angels at the Table (Angels Everywhere #7)(21)

“I insist, Wendy. I will pay for our meal or Josie and I will need to leave.”

Lucie heard her mother reluctantly acquiesce. Almost right away dinner orders started to come in and soon Lucie was preoccupied with cooking and getting food onto the plates. Within a matter of minutes she was so busy that she managed to put the fact that Aren sat only a few feet away out of her mind.

When next Lucie had the opportunity to look out to the dining area, she saw that another couple sat at the table where Aren and his sister had dined earlier.

Aren was gone.

Wendy had made certain that Aren had Lucie’s cell number and she was left to wonder and hope he’d phone. Lucie wasn’t finished cleaning the kitchen until after eleven. Her mother joined her and brought them each a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

“I see what you mean,” her mother said, raising the cup to her lips. “Your Aren is real easy on the eyes.”

“He isn’t my Aren,” she countered and then quickly added, “You think so?”

A smile quivered that her mother made no attempt to hide. “I wish you could have seen the look that came over you when you heard him say he’d been waiting for you.”

“All these months. Oh, Mom, I feel dreadful.”

“You wanted to meet him. Why wouldn’t you let me tell him what happened and that you were on your way to meet him when the hospital phoned?”

Lucie wasn’t sure. “The timing wasn’t right. I figured it simply wasn’t meant to be.”

“What do you think now?”

Lucie was afraid to reveal how happy she was that she’d found Aren. Although she’d worked a grueling shift, she wasn’t tired. In fact, she was fairly certain she would have a hard time falling asleep. Her mind and her heart were filled with the hope of reconnecting with the man who’d swept her off her feet last New Year’s Eve.

“Do you think he’ll phone?” she asked her mother.

Wendy lowered her gaze to her coffee. “Sad to say, no.”

Her heart plummeted. “He won’t?”

“He said as much.”

“You spoke to him after I went back to the kitchen?” Lucie had been too busy to pay attention to what had gone on after their initial meeting.

“At length.”

“Mom!” It was just like Wendy to keep her in suspense like this.

“Sometimes I wonder about you, daughter.”

“Why, what did I do now?”

Wendy shook her head. “Well, first off, you asked him how long he’d waited for you.”

“Yes, I wondered … I mean, it’s only natural to wonder if he had.” He couldn’t fault her for that.

“But you didn’t bother to mention that you’d been on your way to meet him when you got the call from the hospital.”

“I know …” Perhaps it’d been a mistake to keep silent.

Her mother sadly shook her head. “In fact, you didn’t say a single word to encourage him.”

Lucie’s heart sank. Her mother was right.

Lucie was horrified at her thoughtlessness. “I noticed that he didn’t really answer how long he’d waited for me.”

“As well he shouldn’t. Just think about it, Lucie. You stood him up and then asked him to confirm the fact.”

Hearing it put like that made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Don’t you think that was hard enough on his ego without you rubbing salt in his wound?”

Her mother was right. Lucie had messed up her chance with Aren royally. Not once, but twice. No wonder he’d made it clear he had no intention of contacting her. How completely dense she’d been. Hearing it now, and realizing how utterly foolish she’d been, made her want to weep.

Pushing the coffee aside, Lucie felt heartsick. “So he told you he has no intention of contacting me … ever.”

“A man has his pride, Lucie.”

“And I managed to stomp all over his.”

“That you did,” her mother said, and then hesitated. “However, Aren and I did manage to have a lengthy conversation.”

Lucie’s head snapped up. “What did he say?”

“Well, the truth of the matter is, I did most of the talking.”

Oh, brother, this might not be good. “Mom, what did you tell him?” Lucie waited, holding her breath.

“Lucie Ann, don’t use that tone of voice with me. I simply explained that you had every intention of meeting him January 7, until you got the call from the hospital. I’m the one who caused you to miss that meeting. I assured Aren that I am not a busybody, but seeing that you failed to make your rendezvous because of me, I considered it my duty to set matters straight.”

“What did he say to that?” Lucie leaned so close to her mother that she was in danger of falling off her stool.

“Well, right away I could see that Aren was grateful to learn the truth. He perked right up and so did his sister.”

“He did?” Lucie frowned. “But you said he had no intention of calling me even though you gave him my cell number.”

Her mother shook her head. “Give the man his due, daughter. His pride took a licking. He left his cellphone number with me and said if you were still interested then you should give him a call. You will, won’t you?”