One-Off (17 page)

“She did and she’d love to see you. I told her you were working, but she’s really hoping she can say hello today before I have to leave for the lecture.”

That’s right. She had the University of Maryland tonight, too. The scare with Dallas had really done a number on my memory. “Is she going with you?”

“She hasn’t decided. I think she’s got jetlag, but she’s not admitting it.”

A bus horn sounded. “Where are you?”

“The FDR memorial. We can wander over to your office now or have a late lunch if you need more time.”

I mentally went through everything else I needed to do today. I’d already worked through the lunch hour and hadn’t planned to stop so I could have a full evening off before Dallas returned. If I took a lunch break, I’d have to work late. “I haven’t had lunch either and a break is just what I need,” I told her.

“Lovely. I’ll tell Mum. We’re happy to come to you.”

“I’ll meet you at the steps to the National Gallery. They have a nice café there, and I feel like getting out of here.” I signed off and picked up my bag, rooting through to find my flats. I was wearing heels for the meeting with the old male club because they expected women to wear heels, but I’d need flats for the walk to the Smithsonian.

“Where are you going?” Tori didn’t bother to hide her astonishment.

“Lunch. A long one.”

“Are you coming back?”

“I might be doing some research for a story.”

She smiled widely. “You deserve it. I’ll hold down the fort.”

“Thanks.”

Twenty minutes later I hurried up to the steps of the National Gallery. My eyes searched the people milling about. They landed on Ainsley almost immediately. She was wearing a sleeveless top and knee length shorts that looked the same as what others wore but so much better on her. Her mother appeared behind a cluster of tourists. Fourteen years had turned the yellow blond hair she shared with her daughter pale with white streaks. A few added lines to her face, but otherwise she was as pretty as the forty-eight year old woman I’d met in New York. I hadn’t realized till that moment how much I’d missed her. We hadn’t spent a lot of time together, but it was memorable and enjoyable.

“There she is.” Ainsley pointed to me. I waved at both and jogged to catch up with them.

“Skye, darling,” her mum said, pulling me in for a tight hug. “So good to see you.”

“I’m happy you’re here, Elspeth.” I soaked up the affection as much as I had when I’d been in grad school. With limited resources, I hadn’t seen my own mother for two years by the time Elspeth arrived. She was a wonderful and willing substitute.

When she pulled back, her eyes glistened with emotion. “My word, you’ve grown into such a beauty. Isn’t she a beauty, Ainsley?”

Ainsley looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. She managed to smile and look away, but her mum wasn’t having it. She repeated the question and Ainsley was forced to reply, “Aye.”

My stomach fluttered at the compliment. I thought I’d seen an approving glance every now and then from her. To hear it confirmed from her made me feel less like a heel for being attracted to her. “Let’s get something to eat and you can tell me all about your travels and what you plan while you’re here. I hope you’re not leaving right after the wedding?”

“Nay, lass. Colin’s going to let us use his place while he’s on the honeymoon.”

“That is truly the best news I’ve heard all week.”

Her hand came up to pinch my cheek. “Still a sweetie. Isn’t she a sweetie, Ainsley?”

Ainsley swallowed what probably would have been a sarcastic retort and repeated, “Aye.”

“I’m happy to see you haven’t covered up these lovely freckles.” I could feel the blush hit under her still resting hand. “You Americans seem to have products for everything these days. I was afraid they’d be gone.”

“I don’t think they’ve invented anything like that yet, Elspeth.”

“A good job, that. You and my Ainsley have these beauty marks for a reason. Don’t go messing with them.”

My gaze darted to Ainsley’s face and down to her arms, scrutinizing her freckle pattern. Like me, I knew she’d have them on every surface. Other than redheads I’d only met a few blondes with the amount of freckles I had. Ainsley was one of them. A brunette in our office had a sprinkling on her cheeks, nose, and forehead, but her arms, neck, and sternum were completely mark free. She hated her freckles. I didn’t mind mine so much and I really liked Ainsley’s.

“I’ve missed you, Elspeth.”

“And ya should have, love.” Elspeth winked and looped her arm through mine and Ainsley’s before starting us up the stairs. The stress of my day instantly vanished with her playful words.

Twenty-Four

Baggage claim swarmed with people. I should have let them get on the chartered shuttles, but it had been three weeks and I wanted to see my friend. Van was the first one to appear at the bottom of the escalator. He looked like he’d aged ten years and barely seemed to be standing upright. He shuffled more than walked to the carousel and didn’t even notice me when I stepped up to him.

“Hi, Van.”

“Did you teleport here?” His eyes darted around as if searching for the apparatus that allowed me to appear in place.

“Hard trip?” I watched several of the other crew members from the show stumble off the escalator and over to stand beside Van, grunting at me in greeting.

“We blew off a little steam last night after completing the interview with the general.”

“They’re hung over?” I tried to keep the incredulity out of my voice. At least they didn’t have to go into work after this.

“This is all exhaustion for me, but yeah, most of them.”

“What about the twins?”

He winced. “Not exactly hung over, but I’m not sure they’re talking to each other today.”

I shook my head. They’d had professional disagreements that turned into marathon sessions of the silent treatment. This wouldn’t be anything new.

Dallas appeared before I could get anything else out of Van. She looked tired but beautiful as always. She hadn’t aged during the trip. If anything, the natural tan she’d acquired made her look younger and healthier. “Skye!” She raced toward me and wrapped me in a hug that swung me off my feet for a second.

“Welcome back.”

“Thanks for being here. You’re exactly what I needed today.” She shot a glare over her shoulder in the general direction of Colin, who’d just stepped off the escalator with the rest of the guys on the crew. Her eyes came back and locked in on my hair. “Look at you. Love the red hair. It suits you.”

A flush hit my cheeks. “I’m glad you approve. I wouldn’t want to ruin your wedding photos.”

“You could dye it lime green and you’d never ruin the photos.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I can’t wait to hear everything you’ve done.”

“I brought my car to give you and Colin a ride home.”

She blew out an exasperated sigh. “Forget him, the heavy handed Neanderthal.”

“Oh, great,” I muttered.

“You wouldn’t believe the crap he tried to pull. Told me that I wasn’t going anywhere without his permission. His permission!” Her voice rose and several people turned to look at us. I watched the recognition rise in their eyes.

“OMG!” two college girls shrieked. “You’re Dallas Knight. Could we get a picture?”

Dallas smiled her on-air smile. “Sure.”

I stepped away and watched as the girls surrounded her for a picture. This set off a chain of requests from nearby passengers waiting for the luggage rack to start up. When they saw Colin step up beside her, he got bombarded with requests, too.

Spotting Dallas’s bag, I grabbed it off the carousel. She caught my move and immediately turned to the people still surrounding her. “Thank you so much. Watch the show Friday night. It’s our best of the year. Let’s go, Skye.”

I glanced around for Colin, but Dallas was pulling on my arm to get us moving toward the exit. As soon as I shut the door on my car, I turned to Dallas. “What’s going on?”

“He’s such a man!”

I refrained from smiling. “That’s how it works when you’re heterosexual, doll.”

“Shut up,” she said through laughter. “God, it’s good to be with you again.”

I started the car and got us out of the garage and onto the parkway. “Before you tell me what really happened with your interview mishap, tell me what’s going on with you and Colin.”

“I didn’t know he could be so heavy handed. He basically told me I wasn’t going anywhere without him again. He made me tell him when I was leaving the room even if I was just going to the gift shop. It was suffocating. I always thought he considered me an equal, but it’s clear he doesn’t.”

I tried for diplomacy. “I’m sure it stems from your disappearance. If you remember, I basically ordered you not to go anywhere without a team of bodyguards. You’re not pissed at me.”

“You meant it lovingly.” Her hand squeezed my shoulder briefly. “You didn’t make me get your permission before I went downstairs to get some toothpaste.”

“You almost slipped right through his hands. You don’t know how out of his mind with worry he was. Ainsley tried to talk him out of rounding up a search posse on his own.”

Her green eyes rounded. “Ainsley talked to him?”

“Tori called her into the office when you were missing. We thought Colin could use someone to talk to.”

“I’m sorry I worried you so much, but it doesn’t excuse his behavior.”

“Have you told him how you feel about this?”

“I shouldn’t have to.”

I wanted to roll my eyes, but she’d had a long trip. At the very least, I could let her complain for the ride home. “As you said, he’s a man. He needs things explained to him. He can’t just read your mind.”

She sighed loudly. “Not today. I’ve had enough of him today.”

“You’re not going to be able to do that much longer. Once you’re married, you’re kinda tied to him for a while.”

She chuckled and nudged my shoulder as I pulled into her drive. Her hand came down on my arm, keeping me from getting out of the car. “Am I making a mistake?”

Three weeks ago, I would have jumped at the chance to give her pause because it was such a short engagement. Everything was rushed and it relied on me being part of this wedding planning fiasco, but not now that I’ve spent every spare moment of the last three weeks in the wedding planning fiasco. Not when they were so obviously in love. It didn’t matter that I’d be losing my go-to person for all things, well, everything. Drop-bys, get-togethers, all-hour commiserating, and all-day outings were now going to have to be planned out well in advance and limited in time. I liked Colin, but it wouldn’t be the same if all three of us were there instead of just Dallas and me.

“It’s cold feet.”

“You think?” Her fingers gripped tighter.

“I do. You love him, right?”

Her sigh this time was dreamy. “Yes. He’s perfect.”

Hardly, but I could keep that to myself. “He treats you well.”

“Until he turned into a tyrannical asshole this week.”

“Because he was scared.”

“He wants me to take his name. He’s really angry I won’t.”

I pried her fingers off my arm and indicated we should go inside. She’d purchased both sides of a duplex and converted it into a single family dwelling. Unlike my experience, her contractor had done an excellent job from the start.

“Did you tell him why or did you just laugh in his face when he asked?”

Dallas slumped onto her favorite chair. She visibly relaxed as soon as she settled in and realized she was back home. “I may have laughed at first because I thought he was joking. I’ve been in the business three years longer. It was my show first. I’m not giving up name recognition just so he can make me submit to some outdated tradition.”

Dallas Knight had a cool ring to it. Dallas Pruitt didn’t have the same effect. Changing names in her business was always a tricky affair. “It’s probably just an assumption he made. I’m sure if you explain it to him, he’ll be fine with it.”

“How do you know?” She looked doubtful.

“His aunt kept her name and, because of a family tradition on her side, gave it to her daughter. I’m sure the idea of his wife keeping her name won’t offend him. He probably just didn’t like how you reacted to his question.”

“Maybe.” She stared at me for a moment. “How do you know that about his aunt?”

“I met her back when Ainsley and I roomed together in New York.”

“How weird is it that this girl you roomed with is the cousin slash best friend of my fiancé? Small world, isn’t it?”

“I’d say.”

Her lips quirked. “How has it been?”

“We have a lot to talk about,” I said but saw her fading quickly. “You should get some rest. Take a night away from Colin and work and the wedding. You’ll feel better about the whole thing tomorrow.”

“We have so much to do still, don’t we?”

Yes, but she was too tired to hear that now. “Everything’s in hand. Tomorrow we’ve got the dress fittings and you’re deciding on the shirt, vest, and jacket combo for Colin’s kilt.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe he’s going through with it. Did you know he doesn’t want any groomsmen except for his cousin?”

“Ainsley told me. I guess one of their other cousins could stand up for him, but he doesn’t want to make his dad be anything other than the dad.”

“Well, he’d better find another guy because it’ll be weird having you, Denver, and Savannah standing next to me and only Ainsley next to him.”

“I’m sure he’s got a buddy he can ask.”

“He does, he just didn’t want to. Men and weddings, huh?”

“I’m not all that found of them either, if you’ll remember.”

She stood and squeezed me to her. “I remember and I’m grateful. Really, Skye. Everything you did for this wedding. I’ll never forgot what a good friend you’ve been through this. I can’t even imagine where we’d be if one or both of my sisters had to arrange everything.”

“I’m hoping they’ll realize that.”

She dropped back onto the lounge. She was struggling between wanting to get up to date on everything and relaxing for the night.

“Get some rest. You’ll need it. You’re putting the show together starting tomorrow. Then we can get every last detail done for the wedding.”