Read Online A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection by Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Josi S. Kilpack, Heather Justesen, Aubrey Mace - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Josi S. Kilpack, Heather Justesen, Aubrey Mace
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Short Stories, Anthologies, Anthology, sweet romance, clean romance
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for Mrs. Kennington’s negativity. James had a spot beside Tess, and had he stayed there, Tess would have been happy to sit beside James as they ate, even in silence. In the past, he’d taken her hand under the table to squeeze it in their code: three squeezes meant “I love you,” to which she replied with four squeezes, “I love you too.” He’d been known to sneak her the occasional wink and make sure to keep her glass filled, her roll buttered, and her salad drizzled with dressing.
But tonight, he hadn’t sat more than five seconds before guests greeted him, and he stood to say hello—then vanished into the crowd again. The same thing happened over and over, leaving Tess with an empty seat beside her and James’s parents pointedly ignoring her across the table.
Surely the stream of well-wishers had to end. James would eventually return to his meal beside her, wouldn’t he? But too many people and too many things pulled him in different directions. Every time he sat down and began cutting into his steak, a friend came over to talk, or he needed to meet so-and-so’s new fiancée, or something else, leaving Tess at the table, awkward and as silent as ever, giving Mrs. Kennington the occasional smile before plunging her fork back into her salad. She’d added the dressing herself. Whenever James returned, he whispered an apology as he sat and smoothed his napkin on his lap. But he never took more than a bite before he was interrupted and called elsewhere again.
Tess wouldn’t ruin his big night by complaining or nagging over being “neglected.” This party was about him. She could sit in the background and bask in the glow of her husband-to-be, who only had to pass the bar before being a bona fide lawyer. As the noise in the room increased, Tess found herself zoning off into her imagination, planning more of her upcoming nuptials. The evening would end with the spotlight on them both; she could wait.
How long of an engagement would his mother insist they have? Tess could plan a decent wedding in three months, if she hurried a few things. July or August would be perfect.
The band finished a song but didn’t start another. The conversation around the room gradually quieted as everyone turned to see the singer, who had given the microphone to Garrett Pack; she recognized him from several law-school parties. James considered him his best friend; they’d studied and crammed together, and they were both on the law review staff. Garrett made a quieting motion with one arm and waited for the remaining chatter to die down.
“Thank you for coming, everyone. This is quite an exciting night, as we all know, celebrating the accomplishment of one James D. Kennington, Esquire!” He clapped against the mic, sending a heavy noise through the speakers. The crowd clapped and whooped their approval.
As the roar died down, Mrs. Kennington leaned in to her husband and said, “I would have thought that with us footing the bill for the evening, that that Pack boy would have let us address the crowd first.” She sniffed and straightened.
Tess pretended she hadn’t heard anything.
Garrett nodded at the applause. “It’s great, isn’t it? Three years of hard work, finally completed. I happen to know that James is ready for the next stage of his life, and he would like to come up now to tell you all about it.”
More clapping. Tess joined in as her heart went wild in her chest. Here it comes. This is the “something else” he hinted at. She prayed she still looked nice—that her curls hadn’t drooped, that her dress wasn’t wrinkled from sitting, that she hadn’t eaten off all her lipstick. All of these thoughts passed through her mind in a flash as she watched James, in his slick gray suit, move from a spot near the left side the room to the front. He hopped onto the platform and took the mic from Garrett, the two of them slapping each other’s backs in a manly variation of a hug.
Garrett stepped into the
But tonight, he hadn’t sat more than five seconds before guests greeted him, and he stood to say hello—then vanished into the crowd again. The same thing happened over and over, leaving Tess with an empty seat beside her and James’s parents pointedly ignoring her across the table.
Surely the stream of well-wishers had to end. James would eventually return to his meal beside her, wouldn’t he? But too many people and too many things pulled him in different directions. Every time he sat down and began cutting into his steak, a friend came over to talk, or he needed to meet so-and-so’s new fiancée, or something else, leaving Tess at the table, awkward and as silent as ever, giving Mrs. Kennington the occasional smile before plunging her fork back into her salad. She’d added the dressing herself. Whenever James returned, he whispered an apology as he sat and smoothed his napkin on his lap. But he never took more than a bite before he was interrupted and called elsewhere again.
Tess wouldn’t ruin his big night by complaining or nagging over being “neglected.” This party was about him. She could sit in the background and bask in the glow of her husband-to-be, who only had to pass the bar before being a bona fide lawyer. As the noise in the room increased, Tess found herself zoning off into her imagination, planning more of her upcoming nuptials. The evening would end with the spotlight on them both; she could wait.
How long of an engagement would his mother insist they have? Tess could plan a decent wedding in three months, if she hurried a few things. July or August would be perfect.
The band finished a song but didn’t start another. The conversation around the room gradually quieted as everyone turned to see the singer, who had given the microphone to Garrett Pack; she recognized him from several law-school parties. James considered him his best friend; they’d studied and crammed together, and they were both on the law review staff. Garrett made a quieting motion with one arm and waited for the remaining chatter to die down.
“Thank you for coming, everyone. This is quite an exciting night, as we all know, celebrating the accomplishment of one James D. Kennington, Esquire!” He clapped against the mic, sending a heavy noise through the speakers. The crowd clapped and whooped their approval.
As the roar died down, Mrs. Kennington leaned in to her husband and said, “I would have thought that with us footing the bill for the evening, that that Pack boy would have let us address the crowd first.” She sniffed and straightened.
Tess pretended she hadn’t heard anything.
Garrett nodded at the applause. “It’s great, isn’t it? Three years of hard work, finally completed. I happen to know that James is ready for the next stage of his life, and he would like to come up now to tell you all about it.”
More clapping. Tess joined in as her heart went wild in her chest. Here it comes. This is the “something else” he hinted at. She prayed she still looked nice—that her curls hadn’t drooped, that her dress wasn’t wrinkled from sitting, that she hadn’t eaten off all her lipstick. All of these thoughts passed through her mind in a flash as she watched James, in his slick gray suit, move from a spot near the left side the room to the front. He hopped onto the platform and took the mic from Garrett, the two of them slapping each other’s backs in a manly variation of a hug.
Garrett stepped into the
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