Runway Romance (Love in the Air Trilogy) (23 page)

“She has to. I don’t think I can live without her.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kate heard the jingle of keys in the front door and glanced at Patricia. “She’s home too early. Something’s wrong.”

Jenny made a beeline for her bedroom. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said as she walked down the hallway.

“Should we follow her?” Patricia asked.

“No. Jenny’s a thinker, she has to process and mull things over until she’s ground whatever’s gotten under her skin into a fine powder.”

“Then what?”

“She either blows on it and it flies everywhere, then disappears, or it gets stuck in her ear until it drives her crazy.”

“I hope it’s the first one.”

Jenny tossed her clothes on the bed, they slipped down to the floor. “Figures. You’re turning on me, too. Why not? Everyone else has.”

She pulled back the thick covers of her comforter and pulled it over her head, blocking out the world in a cave of soft darkness.

“Why do you keep hurting me?” she whispered.

Why do you keep going back?

“I like him. I really, really like him.”

He’s right about jumping to conclusions. This is the second time you haven’t really listened to his explanation.

“Why in the hell does he have to do so much explaining? His life isn’t that complicated.”

Why do you always assume the worst?

“You’re my inner thoughts, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

I am on your side. I like Rich, too. I think you’re good together, but damn you get madder than a hornet at the drop of a hat.

“How about looking at my side of it? First he drops the bomb that he’s got a kid, then that he’s married. Then I see him kissing some woman on the night we’re supposed to meet for dinner. How can this possibly be my fault?

Stop looking at who’s to blame and start looking at what you want from this relationship.

“I don’t want anything.”

Liar. You can’t fool me. I know all your thoughts. Try again.

“All right, maybe I do want a relationship with Rich, but what am I going to find out next? How can I trust him? He has all these excuses and explanations, but how about just being forthright from the very beginning?”

Play back the scenario tonight. He did explain up front. You weren’t listening.

Jenny thought back to the conversation she’d had with Rich. He’d said he was worried about her because she was late. One point in his favor. He said he’d been telling Becka all about her. Another point for Rich.

Admit it, that little green-eyed monster bit you but good when you saw how protective he was with Becka. Even to the point of telling her he’d handle the situation.

“I’m tired of this game.”

It’s not a game. If you want to keep Rich in your life, you’re going to have to listen to him more and shut your trap once in a while.

“Just who died and made you the boss of me?”

Silly woman, I am you. This is you giving yourself advice that no one else will dare tell you because they’d be afraid to hurt your feelings.

“You’re certainly not afraid to hurt my feelings.”

Because I know you best of all. I know you’re in love with Rich, even if you won’t admit it to anyone else.

Jenny fell silent for several minutes.

“I don’t know when it happened. We haven’t even spent that much time together. It’s just that he, he… well… he makes me feel like I can do whatever I set my mind to. Like that’s a good thing and he wants me to succeed.

I love the way he cared for his friend who was in trouble and how he keeps caring for her, and her daughter. You’d never know Maya wasn’t his by the way he acts.”

You don’t have to explain it to me. I know how you feel. Why don’t you go tell him?

“Yeah, right. Now, that’s a good idea. I just made a public scene and humiliated him and embarrassed Becka. I’m sure he’d love to see me right now.”

I didn’t mean this very second, but soon. Don’t wait too long or your window of opportunity may very well be closed forever.

Jenny tossed and turned, thinking that she was either losing her mind having a full-on conversation with herself out loud or she had the smartest inner voice ever.

“Why does it always come back to I’m sorry? When am I going to learn to assess a situation in the moment rather than after the fact?

Rich has been truthful, honest, kind, funny and at every turn I’ve believed the worst about him. Was it some kind of test to see how much of my shit he would take before calling it quits? Am I that manipulative?”

Jenny got up, slipped into her robe and headed for the kitchen. She rummaged through cupboards and then the freezer. “Isn’t there any chocolate in this house?”

“We ate it all,” Patricia said. “The day of Kate’s doctor appointment, when we were going out of our minds worrying about her.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“You okay?”

“I think something is seriously wrong with me.”

“There’s something seriously wrong with all of us.”

“No, I mean it. I had this long conversation with myself tonight and I think I either have a split personality or I’m going insane.”

“There’s another option.”

“Lay it on me.”

“You’re in love.”

“Don’t start.”

“Okay, I won’t. But, you are. It’s only a matter of time before you realize it. Jenny, don’t let pride hold you back. Go talk with Rich. You guys got through your first misunderstanding and you’ll get through this one, too.”

“I swear I should just walk around with duct tape on my mouth twenty-four, seven.”

“That wouldn’t be any fun. You wouldn’t be able to give your man sweet kisses.”

“Do you think we really have a chance?”

“Of course.”

“He hasn’t tried to call or text.”

“Have you?”

Jenny shook her head.

“Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to walk away?”

“And never know what might have been? Now that would drive you insane.”

“Why are you up anyway?”

“I was feeling kind of bad about the way Malelough left. I don’t like having harsh words be the last thing we said to one another. I mean, what if he was in a plane crash or something?”

“Hey, hey, hey, you know the rule. We never talk about airplane crashes.”

“Sorry, forgot that one. You and Kate gave me quite a list of rules when I first got here. I figure I’m doing good if I remember half of them.”

“You’re doing fine. Actually, better than fine. You seem to fit right in here. Was it hard at first?”

“You and Kate are so tight, I definitely felt like the odd one out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you didn’t do anything intentionally. I think it was just natural that you’d have this connection, inside jokes, know what each other was about to say. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to crack the secret code to join the club.”

“You found a way. How’d you do it?”

“I quit trying. I just let it be what it was going to be and hoped for the best.”

“Worked like a charm. Truth is, I liked you from the moment we met, otherwise I never would have introduced you to Kate. I figured if we clicked, then all three of us had a better chance of getting along together.

Kate liked you from the get go, too.”

“Really? I sure didn’t think so.”

“She doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve. She told me the first night that she was really glad you were here.”

“I wish we’d had this conversation a few months ago.”

“I guess I just figured you knew. It never occurred to me that you were anything but self-confident.”

“I wear confidence like a sweater; sometimes it’s in the wash.”

“More layers being peeled back on the onion that is Patricia Ruskin.”

“Oh, make that an apple, they’re sweeter.”

“An apple it is.”

“I’m going to head back to bed, unless you want to talk more.”

“Nope. I’m talked out. I think it’s time for some action.”

“Intriguing.”

“Not yet, but I hope it’s going to be.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jenny curled up in her favorite recliner with a pen and paper trying to write her feelings for Rich down until they made some kind of sense.

She needed some kind of gesture. Something to make him laugh, or at least smile, and make him understand that she knew she wasn’t perfect, far from it, but she wanted to be in a relationship with him.

Patricia was right, she wasn’t a sit-at-home-wondering-what-if kind of gal. She needed a plan.

Paper after paper was written on, then crumpled up and tossed on the floor. “I’m going to need to find another legal pad if this keeps up.”

It was almost four a.m. when an idea hit her so hard, she almost tipped over the recliner when she jumped up from it. “That’s it!”

She scurried around the house finding all the materials she’d need to mail a package to Rich. FedEx would be the quickest way.

Letters were great, but she just wasn’t good writing words on a page, she needed to be face-to-face with the person.

She found the permanent marking pens and decorated the small box that would house her gift with hearts and flowers. It was cheesy, she knew, but she wanted her intention to be clear.

Once the package was ready she sat it on her bedside night stand. “I will mail you tomorrow. Then I’ll know if Richard understands my flaws and is still willing to make this relationship work.”

Jenny stripped off her robe and got back into bed. This time she fell asleep within minutes and slept until noon. When she wandered down the hallway, sunlight was flooding the kitchen.

“She walks!” Kate said. “She breathes! She stands upright!”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jenny said.

“Nope, not until tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?” Patricia asked from the window seat book nook they had created in the living room.

“Madagascar.”

“You never told us that before,” Jenny yelled from the bathroom.

“You think I tell you guys everything?”

“Yes. At least you’re supposed to,” Jenny mumbled.