Always the Designer, Never the Bride (20 page)

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "What?"

"Dogs," he reiterated. "Do you like them?"

"I guess."

"Good. Because Sherilyn and Andy are dog-endowed."

"What does that mean?"

"Come meet Henry," he said, offering his hand. "You'll see what I mean."

She climbed off the bike and handed him her helmet. He carried them both, and she followed him up the sidewalk. J. R. opened the porch door and led her toward the front door of a two-story house. Before the bell let out a fraction of a chime, something large thudded into the door from the other side, accompanied by a chorus of frantic barks.

"Henry, I presume," she remarked.

"A whole lot of him."

Russell tugged open the door. "We thought you two had gone on a walkabout. What took you so long?"

"We took the scenic route," J. R. told him.

"By way of what?"

Audrey let out a little scream as the barking mass of hair jumped on its hind legs, planting its front paws on J. R.'s shoulder.

"Yeah, Henry. Nice to see you too," he said, ruffling the fur from the Old English Sheepdog's eyes.

"Henry, this is Audrey," Russell added. "Be polite. She doesn't know you like I do."

The dog hopped down and followed Russell away from the door.

J. R. gave her a nod and led Audrey into a large, open living room. Sherilyn and Emma stood at the counter in the adjoining kitchen, and the rest of the crowd occupied an enormous sofa, a couple of chairs, and a few dining chairs pulled away from the table.

"Now that J. R. and Audrey have found their way home," Russell said, and he stood up straight as if he were about to make some great announcement, "I have some news."

"No," Kat growled. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I haven't spoken to Audrey yet," she said through clenched teeth and a pasted smile.

"Well, let's knock two birds then," he suggested. "Everyone . . . and Audrey . . ."

"Russell, please," Kat cried. Then she added, "Audrey, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I want to thank Audrey Regan," Russell said.

"What, are you accepting an award?" J. R. teased.

"Better! She brought this delicious girl into my life," and he pulled Kat close beneath his extended arm.

Audrey swallowed hard.
Please don't tell me you're getting married, for crying out loud!

"Russell," Sherilyn said from the kitchen, and she hurried into the room as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. "Are you two getting married?"

"Don't be crackers, woman," he answered. "We've only just met."

"Oh. Sorry," she replied with a laugh as she looked around at the others. "It had that grand announcement air to it. Sorry. Go on. What were you going to say?"

"I've been thinking for a while now of settling somewhere away from L.A.," he continued, "and I've sort of landed on the idea of doing it here."

"In Georgia?"

"In Roswell, actually," he told them. "I found a great place not five miles from The Tanglewood."

Audrey moved closer to Kat and touched her arm. "You're not moving in with him, right?" Kat shook her head with vehemence.

"If you all will stop your guessing," Russell announced, "I would be glad to tell you our plans."

It was Audrey's turn. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"I'm going to move in to my new digs after we close at the end of the month," Russell said, and he perched on the arm of the sofa and looked around the room. "Since Kat's loose ends are tying up in New York very soon, she's going to move here as well."

Audrey deflated. She'd only just begun to come to terms with letting Kat go from her employ. Never once had she considered saying good-bye completely.

Kat moved next to Audrey and took her hand. Jiggling it, she told her, "I'll stay on until everything is wrapped up. I won't leave one minute sooner than you're ready for me to go."

"I'll never be ready for that," she muttered.

Suddenly, Audrey felt the heat of every eye in the room directed right at her.

"Audrey, are you going somewhere too?" Sean asked her.

"Uh, no, not . . . not exactly," she stammered.

"Audrey has been thinking of making some changes to her design business in New York," Emma said casually from the kitchen. "If she does, Kat might be freed up to find something else."

"And now she can find her something else right here in Atlanta with us," Fee added, and she embraced Kat around the shoulders. "I'm so glad you'll be sticking around."

"Me too," Russell added.

The smile pasted on Audrey's face felt like drying cement. Her cheeks ached and her eyes burned.

"That's really good news," J. R. said as he shook Russell's hand and smacked him on the arm. "You actually bought a house?"

"I did, mate."

"No more drinking, a new singing career, and a house? What's next?"

Russell cracked up. "You got me! I'm winging it here."

"It's really a time for change, isn't it?" Sherilyn commented. "It seems like everyone is moving into new seasons of their lives."

"Speaking of which," Andy chimed in, "does everyone in this room know that Sherilyn and I are expecting a baby?"

There's a second story to this house,
Audrey pondered.
I wonder if that's tall enough for a successful jump from the roof.

Top Three Hairstyle Techniques
for the
Vintage Bride

1.
Finger Waves

Ridges placed in product-saturated hair using fingers

and a comb.

C- or S-shaped waves in one direction and then the other.

2.
Pin Curls

Comb a segment of hair into a ribbon and shape the ribbon

into a pinwheel-type circular curl, overlapping as needed.

Secure with a bobby pin or clip.

3.
Barrel Curls

Comb out wet segments of hair and roll loosely over fingers.

Once completely wrapped, secure with a pin or clip along the

underside of the curl.

9

E
mma and Sherilyn had prepared an impromtu supper of pasta primavera and greens salad, and every bite satisfied. Audrey wondered if she had ever been able to spontaneously whip up anything remotely like it for even two people, let alone for a whole group!

Sherilyn sat tucked on Andy's lap, a perfect fit, and looking for all the world like she belonged there; Sean and Fee went about the business of creaming their cups of coffee, arms interlocked as they did, and stealing quick, loving glances; Jackson stood at the kitchen counter putting the final touches on a cup of tea that he delivered to the table in front of Emma before he stroked her hair fondly and sat down beside her; the soft hum of conversation between Russell and Kat wafted in from the living room where they both sat on the floor in front of the unlit fireplace, Henry's big head collapsed in Russell's lap as he stroked the dog's fur.

J. R. seemed oddly solitary on the other side of the dining room table, his chair wedged into the corner, an untouched cup of coffee sitting before him. Despite being engaged in conversation with Andy and Sherilyn, Audrey wondered if J. R. felt as singular as she did. Reminded of a
What's Missing From
This Picture?
puzzle she'd once seen in the newspaper, she grinned, and J. R. looked up just in time to catch it. The smile he returned appeared lopsided, and the amusement in his eyes delighted Audrey.

"I think it's time for me to get back to the hotel," he announced without breaking eye contact with her. "Do you want a ride back?"

She nodded and immediately got to her feet. "I'd love that. Thank you."

Audrey rounded the table and leaned down to give Fee a hug.

"Thank you for the help with my dress," Fee said as they embraced.

"Are you kidding? I had a wonderful time. I appreciate being part of your day." She pressed her hand on Sean's shoulder and smiled. "Congratulations to both of you."

The journey from table to front door was an extended one as embraces and chit-chat paved the path. When she had just about reached the door, Audrey turned back to look for J. R. and found Jackson standing behind her instead.

"Audrey. I'd like to talk to you about something privately. Can you come to my office tomorrow morning?"

The request took her completely off guard. Nodding her head, she stumbled over her reply. "Uh, y-yes. Of . . . of course."

"Around ten?"

"Um, sure thing."

He squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "I'll see you then."

Scenarios raced through her mind as J. R. handed her one of the helmets in his arms and they stepped outside.

"Thanks for coming," Sherilyn said, and she and Andy waved at them from the porch door. "Drive safe, J. R."

"You know it."

They climbed aboard the bike and slipped on their helmets. Audrey wrapped her arms around J. R., and they sped down the driveway and around the curve of Sherilyn's street. All Audrey could see or think about was Jackson's request for her to come to his office. It seemed rather obvious to her. Emma had let on like the room was going to be taken care of, but perhaps Jackson had vetoed that idea and wanted to make payment arrangements.

I hardly have anything left to my name with no prospects for the future. What kind of arrangement can I agree to?

"Want to take the long way home?" J. R. called back to her.

"I don't think so," she returned. "I'm really tired."

He nodded. Without further discussion, he steered them to the main road into Roswell. Twenty minutes later, he walked her to Room 210.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked, hoping it didn't come off as a halfhearted invitation.

"Is there anything I can do?"

She tilted her head and considered his question. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"

"You're out of sorts tonight. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She sighed. "Not really."

"Then I'll leave you to your thoughts."

"I'm sorry, J. R."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his mane of shaggy hair. "No need. But I'm here if you change your mind."

Audrey smiled. "Did you ever feel like life had something against you?"

He inspected the tips of his boots, nodding his head. "Life can be unreasonable that way sometimes, can't it?"

"You said it."

J. R.'s smile ignited, and he opened his arms to her. "C'mere."

She stepped into his embrace and sighed. The man had awesome arms, that was for certain. Burying her head in the crook of his neck, Audrey thanked him.

He planted a kiss on her temple and rubbed her back vigorously for a moment. "Call if you need anything."

"I will, J. R. Thank you."

After she closed the door between them, Audrey wondered if she'd made a mistake in sending him away. Even if she hadn't opened up the gates and unleashed every worry, every fear, every disastrous calamity of her tangled-up life, it might have been nice just to sit quietly with J. R. and let his light flood over her for a while.

She stood there, leaning against the door, and she sighed. Kicking off her shoes on the way, she plopped down on the bed and stared at the phone. Just two numbers into dialing Carly, she glanced at the clock and thought better of it. She hung up and pulled the drawer on the nightstand open. The menu caught her attention for a moment and she grabbed it, but she wasn't the least bit hungry. A leather-bound Bible got in the way when she tried to replace the menu, so she pulled it out of the drawer. She sighed and flipped it open at random.

"Isaiah, chapter fifty-four, verse eleven," she read. Someone had underlined the passage with a bright green pencil.

O you afflicted one,

Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,

"Yep," she said aloud. "That's definitely me."