“Are you referring to the time you tripped on the rug and took a waiter and a tray of drinks down with you?” David laughed.
Lauren’s laughter mingled with his. “We’ve had some good times, haven’t we?”
“Yes, we have.” David couldn’t dispute her words. They’d always had fun together. He and Lauren had been great friends and he liked her a lot. But being around Christy the past four months had made him realize the difference between liking someone and loving someone.
“What brings you down here today?” David said. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”
Lauren taught kindergarten part-time at a private school and tutored several evenings a week.
“Broadview Academy is out for the summer,” Lauren said with an understanding smile, and he knew she wasn’t surprised he didn’t remember. In all the years they’d dated, he’d never been able to keep her schedule straight. “I came down here on the off chance that you were free. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“I have about forty-five minutes,” David said. “How about if we go across the street to Conroy’s and grab a quick lunch?”
“Sounds good to me,” Lauren said. “If you’re sure Christy won’t mind. I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
Her hesitation caught him off guard. After all these years and the closeness they’d shared, he hated the thought that she should feel so unsure.
“Of course, I have time. And Christy knows we’re just friends.” David flashed her a reassuring smile. “The only thing we have to worry about is whether we can get a table or not.”
Thankfully, the restaurant across the street from the manufacturing plant wasn’t as busy as usual and they were seated immediately. Located in an area heavily populated by industry, the mom-and-pop diner catered to its working-class neighbors. It was well-known for its wide range of stick-to-your-ribs kind of food.
David glanced around the dining room, remembering last Sunday when he and Christy had stopped there after church. “Christy loves coming here, especially for breakfast. She says they make the best oatmeal.”
Lauren leaned back in the booth and a tiny smile played at the corners of her lips. “Well, I never thought I’d see the day.”
“What?” David asked.
“You’re in love.” The smile still lingered on her lips, but a hint of sadness darkened her eyes.
“Of course I am,” he said gruffly, feeling embarrassed but not sure why. “That’s why people get married.”
“I know.” Lauren shifted her gaze, took a tall glass of iced tea from the waitress and smiled her thanks. “But you have to admit the way you and Christy got married wasn’t like most people.”
“I don’t know about that,” David said, refusing to acknowledge the point he knew she was trying to make. “Lots of couples get married in Las Vegas.”
“To someone they barely know?”
“We’d known each other.” He couldn’t quite keep the defensive edge from his voice.
“True. But you hadn’t been dating her,” Lauren said softly. “You’d been dating me. And I’m not the only one who wondered about this sudden marriage of yours. Most think you just gave in to your grandfather’s pressure and made an impulsive mistake.”
“Is that what you think my marriage is?” he said. “A mistake?”
“I did,” she admitted grudgingly. “But I’ve been giving it a lot of thought lately and I don’t feel that way anymore.”
“I’m glad. Because no matter what anyone says or thinks, my marrying Christy wasn’t a mistake.” His voice shook with emotion.
David didn’t care what people said about him, but he hated the thought of them saying anything about Christy. She deserved more than what she’d gotten so far—a rushed wedding in front of Elvis with no family or friends and no honeymoon. But he vowed he’d make it up to her, even if it took the next fifty years.
Fifty years.
A lifetime of love.
Till death do us part.
He realized suddenly that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Christy. He wanted her to be his wife and the mother of his children.
“David?” Lauren reached across the table and touched his hand. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He clasped her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about it.”
His gaze met hers and he knew he had his own amends to make.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.” The words came out in a rush. “Marrying Christy in Las Vegas may have been an impulsive decision, but it was the right one. What wasn’t right was the fact that I never really considered how this would impact you. I mean, we’d talked about marriage only in the most general of terms, but still…”
“David.” Lauren leaned forward, her green eyes large and luminous. “It was a shock. I won’t pretend it wasn’t. I mean, I honestly thought it would be me getting a diamond in Las Vegas. But we both deserve to be happy. And I realize now I never would be happy married to a man who doesn’t love me.”
“You know I care for you, Lauren,” David said.
“I know you do,” she said. “But you don’t love me. I want someone who does.”
“What about Rusty?” David asked. “Have you thought about giving him a chance? He’s always liked you.”
“I know,” Lauren said with a sigh. Her gaze shifted to a point over David’s left shoulder. “He’s a great guy. A good friend. But there’s no spark.”
“Maybe the spark is just slow to ignite.” Even to David’s ears, the argument sounded weak, but he owed it to Rusty to give it his best shot.
“If it’s not there, it’s not there,” Lauren said, meeting his gaze. “You should know that.”
David shifted uncomfortably in his chair. All he could think of was Rusty and how devastated he would be to learn he didn’t have a chance.
“What about tomorrow night?”
“The gala?” Lauren raised a dark brow. “What about it?”
“Are you still going?”
“I’d planned on it.” Her gaze narrowed. “Why? Do you think I shouldn’t?”
“No, you need to go,” David said quickly. “But someday soon you’re going to have to let Rusty know the score. You can’t lead him on.”
Lauren stared at David for a long moment. He shifted uncomfortably beneath her penetrating gaze. “I wouldn’t think of doing that.”
The waitress cleared her throat and David looked up to find her standing next to their table with two plates of food. She gestured to the table and David realized with a start that he still held Lauren’s hand. David quickly released it and glanced around the dining area, hoping no one he knew had seen him. Thankfully he didn’t recognize anyone in the dining room.
David breathed a sigh of relief, added some ketchup to his megaburger and changed the subject. “Got any big plans for this summer?”
“As a matter of fact, I do have some big plans. The news will leak out sooner or later, and I wanted you to be the first to know,” Lauren said matter-of-factly. “I’m going to have a baby.”