Read Online Strangers When We Meet by Marisa Carroll - Free Book Online
Authors: Marisa Carroll
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was part of the reason she’d fallen so hard and so fast for Daryl. He had all those things, and if she married him, she would have them, too.
“We aren’t announcing our engagement this week,” Emma heard herself say. The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Obviously they’d been trapped behind the lump in her throat for too long and they were determined to fight their way to freedom.
“Why not?” Daryl’s mother looked at her, then at Daryl, her eyes narrowed, the corners of her generous mouth pulled down in a slight frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Mom.” Daryl didn’t sound convincing to Emma, and not to his mother, either, it seemed. He dropped his gaze and went back to cutting up his potato. Lori folded her arms on the table and continued to stare at Daryl.
“Something’s wrong. Not two weeks ago you were telling me you’d already picked out a ring and set a date.”
They hadn’t set a date, not a specific one, anyway. They’d only talked of a summer wedding at the local church. And that was before Emma had stumbled on him with the silvery-haired woman in their favorite restaurant. And he’d never given her a ring. Had he lied about that to his mother the way he’d lied to her? What did that say about his character? On the other hand, what if he had chosen a ring? Would a man who was being unfaithful spend money on an engagement ring? And what kind of woman would accept it if he did? Those were the questions that kept popping into her mind. And until she found acceptable answers for them, she wasn’t marrying Daryl or agreeing to set a date.
“It’s because of Emma’s job,” Daryl was saying. “She’s got a lot on her mind right now.” He gave her one of his great smiles, but his brown eyes were pleading, and his fingers shook slightly when he covered her hand with his.
Lori sat up a little straighter. She wiped at a dribble of water on the tabletop with the corner of a towel she had thrown over her shoulder. “What about your job, Emma? I thought you would be trying to find work here. There are several radio stations in the area, you know.”
Emma tried not to wince. The radio stations Lori was referring to were easy listening or golden oldie stations with programmed play lists, canned news reports and on-air talent that never did more than read the weather reports and the obituaries. Daryl gave her hand a squeeze.
“Emma’s been offered a syndication deal. It’s a great chance for her, Mom. Her show will be aired all over the country. She’ll have a chance to reach a million people a night.” Daryl was exaggerating the numbers, but Emma didn’t correct him.
“So that means you’ll be staying in New York,” Lori said, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“Yes.” Emma softened the one-word answer with a smile. “It’s a great opportunity. One I’ve been working toward.” That wasn’t quite the truth. She’d thought about syndication, of course, everyone with a talk show did. Who wouldn’t want to make as much money as Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh or Dr. Laura? What wasn’t true was that being successful at her job was the main goal of her life. It was important, but it was a distant second to what she really wanted in her heart of hearts—a home and family of her own. A man she could love and honor...and trust.
“How can you run your business from another state?” Lori asked Daryl.
“I’ll work it out somehow, Mom. But right now it’s Emma I’m thinking of. She’s got a lot of decisions to make. A lot of negotiations these next few weeks and promotions and meetings to attend. She doesn’t have time for parties and wedding showers and that kind of stuff.”
“Well,” Lori said dubiously. “I can see where all that’s going to keep you busy. But I still don’t see why we can’t have a nice family dinner. With Martha and Felix, of course, and you can show us the ring.”
Emma felt the room closing in
“We aren’t announcing our engagement this week,” Emma heard herself say. The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Obviously they’d been trapped behind the lump in her throat for too long and they were determined to fight their way to freedom.
“Why not?” Daryl’s mother looked at her, then at Daryl, her eyes narrowed, the corners of her generous mouth pulled down in a slight frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Mom.” Daryl didn’t sound convincing to Emma, and not to his mother, either, it seemed. He dropped his gaze and went back to cutting up his potato. Lori folded her arms on the table and continued to stare at Daryl.
“Something’s wrong. Not two weeks ago you were telling me you’d already picked out a ring and set a date.”
They hadn’t set a date, not a specific one, anyway. They’d only talked of a summer wedding at the local church. And that was before Emma had stumbled on him with the silvery-haired woman in their favorite restaurant. And he’d never given her a ring. Had he lied about that to his mother the way he’d lied to her? What did that say about his character? On the other hand, what if he had chosen a ring? Would a man who was being unfaithful spend money on an engagement ring? And what kind of woman would accept it if he did? Those were the questions that kept popping into her mind. And until she found acceptable answers for them, she wasn’t marrying Daryl or agreeing to set a date.
“It’s because of Emma’s job,” Daryl was saying. “She’s got a lot on her mind right now.” He gave her one of his great smiles, but his brown eyes were pleading, and his fingers shook slightly when he covered her hand with his.
Lori sat up a little straighter. She wiped at a dribble of water on the tabletop with the corner of a towel she had thrown over her shoulder. “What about your job, Emma? I thought you would be trying to find work here. There are several radio stations in the area, you know.”
Emma tried not to wince. The radio stations Lori was referring to were easy listening or golden oldie stations with programmed play lists, canned news reports and on-air talent that never did more than read the weather reports and the obituaries. Daryl gave her hand a squeeze.
“Emma’s been offered a syndication deal. It’s a great chance for her, Mom. Her show will be aired all over the country. She’ll have a chance to reach a million people a night.” Daryl was exaggerating the numbers, but Emma didn’t correct him.
“So that means you’ll be staying in New York,” Lori said, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“Yes.” Emma softened the one-word answer with a smile. “It’s a great opportunity. One I’ve been working toward.” That wasn’t quite the truth. She’d thought about syndication, of course, everyone with a talk show did. Who wouldn’t want to make as much money as Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh or Dr. Laura? What wasn’t true was that being successful at her job was the main goal of her life. It was important, but it was a distant second to what she really wanted in her heart of hearts—a home and family of her own. A man she could love and honor...and trust.
“How can you run your business from another state?” Lori asked Daryl.
“I’ll work it out somehow, Mom. But right now it’s Emma I’m thinking of. She’s got a lot of decisions to make. A lot of negotiations these next few weeks and promotions and meetings to attend. She doesn’t have time for parties and wedding showers and that kind of stuff.”
“Well,” Lori said dubiously. “I can see where all that’s going to keep you busy. But I still don’t see why we can’t have a nice family dinner. With Martha and Felix, of course, and you can show us the ring.”
Emma felt the room closing in
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