“Yeah, I know. But sometimes it happens anyway.” She gave him a quick glance before looking down at her water. “Was it Amanda?” she asked, almost swallowing over the words.
He jerked again, sloshing the scotch in the glass he’d carried with him into the kitchen. “What did she tell you?” he asked softly. Slowly.
“Nothing. She really didn’t. I promise. I just noticed a few things. You’ve always stared at her a lot. And she’s acting weird too, and I... Oh shit. This is awkward as hell, and I’m no good at it at all, but you’re family, Uncle Robert. And we’re all worried about you. So if she... I’m sorry if things didn’t work out.”
He could tell how uncomfortable she was with this whole situation. Just as uncomfortable as he was.
He was relieved Amanda hadn’t made their night together the subject of gossip among her friends, although he hadn’t really thought she would. But the fact that Taylor had picked up on something anyway concerned him.
He didn’t want anyone knowing what had happened.
He didn’t want anyone recognizing that he was still brooding about her, thinking about that night, wishing it could happen again.
He didn’t want anyone realizing that the reason he hadn’t been dating was because he didn’t want anyone other than Amanda.
He didn’t want anyone seeing into his soul.
He’d made one attempt the day after their night together to see if she’d be open for more, but her response to his text—while thoughtful—hadn’t offered any hint that she wanted to see him again. That had been his one possibility. If she’d made it clear she wanted more. Since she hadn’t, he wasn’t going to throw away everything he’d always believed about life and open himself up to getting hurt.
This whole thing already hurt enough.
He’d not been out and about, so he hadn’t seen her around. But there was a wedding coming up in a few weeks that he knew she’d be attending. He was invited too, and he’d been planning to go, but he was torn now about whether he should.
He couldn’t hide from her forever, however. It would be easier to just get the first encounter over with. He wouldn’t put her on the spot. He wouldn’t act like he was hoping for more from her. He’d act like his normal self—cool and distant and unconcerned—and they’d both go back to business as usual.
That was what he should do, and after the wedding it would all be easier.
“Nothing important happened,” he told Taylor, clearly and with his typical composure. He felt better now that he’d made that decision. “My heart isn’t broken. I promise.”
She peered at his face. “Really? Then why did you stop dating?”
“I don’t know. I just haven’t been in the mood. I’m taking a break for a while, but I’m really fine.”
“Okay. I hope so. I just wanted to...” She shook her head roughly. “I just wanted to say that Amanda is amazing. And I know she’s my friend and it’s a little weird that you’d... I mean, you’re older, but you’re not that old. And if that’s the reason you think you can’t... I mean, it’s fine with me. If you want to... Oh shit. I’m shutting up now.”
Despite the weird twisting in his chest and gut, he couldn’t help but chuckle dryly about Taylor’s garbled but sincere proclamation. “Thanks, Taylor. Seriously. I appreciate it. But I’m fine. And I’m not heartbroken or anything close.”
“Okay. Okay. I get it. I’ll stop prying and go back to what I do best. Minding my own business.”
She smiled at him, and he walked her back to the door.
Despite her words and the way they’d left things after his assurance that he was fine, Robert wasn’t sure she’d believed him.
THE SATURDAY OF SHELLY’S wedding turned out perfect. An ideal day in May. Sunny and warm with a light breeze to keep it from becoming uncomfortably hot. It was perfect for a garden wedding. The flowers were blooming, the bride and groom were happy, and the bridesmaid dresses were a hit.
Amanda should have been pleased. She should have been having a very good time. And she would be if Robert hadn’t shown up and wasn’t currently acting like she didn’t exist.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that he was invited. His family was good friends with Shelly’s family, just as Amanda’s was. But she wasn’t sure why he’d decided to come since he wasn’t close with either the bride or the groom. And if he did insist on coming, why couldn’t he act like a decent human being and maybe smile and say hello to her?
He did neither. Through the whole ceremony and most of the reception, he studiously avoided her.
Either he was doing it on purpose or he genuinely cared nothing about her at all.
She’d hate for it to be the latter even though the former infuriated her.
She’d been good to him during their night together. She’d been as generous in bed as he’d been—as generous as she’d known how to be. She thought she’d treated him pretty well.
She hadn’t done anything to deserve being ignored this way.
For a while she’d thought she was wrong about him, but she hadn’t been after all.
The man was truly an asshole.
She stewed about it during the ceremony as she kept a wide, pretty smile on her face. And she stewed about it as they took endless photographs afterward. And she stewed about it when they went over to the reception, which was taking place in the garden’s reception room and patio.
She stewed about it so much that she eventually had to act on it, so she started strategically placing herself right in Robert’s path.
Just to see what he would do.
He made a detour to talk to the bride’s parents to keep from encountering her by the bar. And he made a U-turn to keep from running into her at the restrooms. She really thought she had him when he came to get a piece of wedding cake, but he pretended to get a call and walked out onto the patio to “take it.”
She stared out the french doors at him.
The absolute bastard.
What kind of childish move was that?
If he didn’t want to talk to her or see her again, he could just say it right to her face.
Amanda had always had a quick tongue, but she didn’t have a quick temper. She was usually in control of herself, and she only showed anger when she thought it would do some good.
But she wasn’t doing it strategically right now. She was simply mad. Mad as hell. She’d spent week after week trying to get over Robert. Trying to get him out of her head. And he was acting like this.
No.
No.
She didn’t deserve to be treated this way.
She’d gotten a new glass of champagne a few minutes ago—only her second since she’d learned her lesson about drinking too much at weddings—but she hadn’t had a chance to even take a sip. She carried it outside with her, too distracted to find a place to set it down.
Robert was standing by a railing that looked down on the rose beds. He wasn’t pretending to be on the phone anymore, although he still held it in his hand. He was leaning on the rail, propped up on his forearms.
He looked tired. Exhausted really.
Amanda didn’t care. She was tired too, and she wasn’t the one acting like an ass.