Thread Reckoning (3 page)

I wavered. A maroon and black ball gown with a matching feathered mask? How cool was that? “Was it very expensive?”

“Not very.”

I bit my lip. The other reason I didn’t want to go to the ball was that I was afraid that going with either Ted or Todd would mean I was with Ted or Todd, and I wasn’t ready to form a steady relationship with either of them. At least, not yet. Particularly because I didn’t know which one I wanted. If either. And I wasn’t a hundred percent sure which one of them wanted me. If either! So there you go.

Besides that, Vera was loaded. Not very expensive to her could translate into very expensive for me.

“Come on,” Vera prodded. “How often in your lifetime do you get a chance to attend a masquerade ball? I’m close to sixty, and this will be my first. It’ll be great.”

Close to sixty? Come on, Vera
, I thought. “I’ll think about it,” I said.

“Promise?”

I smiled. “I promise.”

Before resuming work on my Kuba cloth, I glanced out the window. I have to admit I was still halfway looking for the man who’d borne such a striking resemblance to David. This time, though, instead of David, I saw Ted. And he was yakking it up with some woman. A really pretty woman, to be exact, who’d thrown back her head and was laughing ever so merrily at something he’d said. They’d come from MacKenzies’ Mochas and were both holding travel cups.

I didn’t realize I was sitting there staring at the pair with my mouth hanging open until Vera spoke.

“Oh, Marcy, dear, don’t trouble yourself about her. She’s just some detective Ted has to train.”

“Yeah,” I said. “He looks really bothered by this burden that’s been thrust upon him.”

“She is striking, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she is.” She was everything I wasn’t: tall, brunette, with an athletic build . . . and she had a position of authority. Some guys like that.

“I suppose I’d be jealous, too, if I were in your shoes,” Vera said.

“I’m not jealous. I’m surprised, that’s all.” I tried to examine my feelings. I wasn’t really jealous. Was I? I mean, we weren’t in high school. I wasn’t wearing Ted’s class ring or his letter jacket and telling everyone we were going steady. Even if he was dating the “striking” detective, it wouldn’t be any of my business. After all, he and I had been on a couple dates, had shared one kiss. And he knew I’d also been seeing Todd.

“Again, I wouldn’t worry,” Vera said. “From what I hear, he’ll be training her for a few weeks and then she’ll go off to a new unit or something or other.”

“Right.” I pointedly resumed stitching on the Kuba cloth.

“Besides,” Vera said, absolutely refusing to let it go, “if Ted develops an interest in the lady detective, you’ve still got Todd on the string.”

I did not have anyone on a string, and I didn’t want to discuss my romantic life with Vera any more today. “The most interesting thing happened this morning,” I said in order to change the subject. “I was passing by Nellie Davis’s shop and saw someone who looked like a guy I used to know in San Francisco. Isn’t that odd?”

She lifted and dropped her shoulders. “I dunno. They say everybody has a twin somewhere in the world. Do you believe that?”

“After this morning, I’m thinking that just might be possible.”

After Vera left, I went back into the office to work on the third design for the wedding dress. I was still staring at the photograph and wondering what else I could do when the shop bell jingled and my best friend, Sadie, called out, “Marce, where are you?”

“I’m in the office. Come on back.”

Sadie, also a tall brunette with an athletic build, sat on the chair beside my desk and peered over at my computer screen. “Is there something you’ve been neglecting to tell me?”

“
Ha-ha
. Do you know a Cassandra Wainwright?”

“
Um
, yes, I do,” Sadie said. “It’s rumored that she once died and went to hell, but the devil brought her back because she was too darn mean.”

I chuckled. “That’s encouraging. She’s commissioned me to embellish her mother′s vintage wedding gown for her wedding on—ready for this?—St. Valentine’s Day.”

“Cancel. Tell her you can’t do it,” Sadie said. “I’m telling you, the woman is bad news.”

“Maybe you’re right. All this looking at wedding dresses has me reliving a very painful part of my past. I even thought I saw David this morning as I passed by the aromatherapy shop.”

“Oh, Marce, I’m sorry.” Sadie blinked back sudden tears. “Call Cassandra Wainwright and tell her to forget it. Don’t put yourself through this.”

Sadie had been the matron of honor at my wedding. She and Blake had been happily married for five years. Lucky them.

A lump formed in my throat. “I thought I was completely over him, Sadie. I thought all those feelings were behind me. But then she came in this morning and brought the dress . . . and I started thinking about my dress and how gorgeous it was and how Mom had worked so hard on it and then . . .”

Sadie hugged me, and we both shed a few tears.

“What a jerk,” she said after a couple minutes. “He didn’t even have the guts to confront you face-to-face.”

“I think that’s part of the reason it was so hard to let go,” I said. “There was never any closure. I mean, there we were one evening, laughing and talking about our future . . . and then the next day he just didn’t show up. He didn’t call. He didn’t send an e-mail . . . nothing. And then Tony came and basically told me good-bye from David.”

She sighed. “I know. Blake and I drove around looking for David. It’s probably good we didn’t find him. Blake might not have been able to hold me off him.”

I laughed as I took a tissue and then handed the box to Sadie. “I don’t think he could have. You were so mad! But you looked beautiful. You have to admit, Mom didn’t design tasteless bridesmaid dresses.”

“No, indeed she did not,” Sadie said, drying her eyes with the tissue. “Black taffeta with a white satin sash. I’ve worn that gown to a couple black-tie affairs since . . . you know, since then.”

“I don’t blame you. It’s a classy dress.”

“It is. And Beverly will come up with something even better for the next wedding.”

“If there ever is a next wedding,” I said glumly.

“Come on. Let’s get you out of this funk. Are you going to the masquerade ball?”

“I don’t know. Vera was in here talking about it earlier. She even said she saw a maroon and black gown and mask in a store outside Lincoln City that she felt would be perfect for me.”

“Ooh
, that does sound pretty,” Sadie said. “My gown is royal blue.”

“So you and Blake are going, then?”

“
Uh-huh
. We’re catering, but since the Chamber of Commerce is generous and really because they want all the local business owners enjoying themselves at the party, they’ve included enough money for us to hire a wait staff and leave all of our staff in place at the shop. So we can oversee but still enjoy the ball.”

I smiled. “That’s great.”

“Hasn’t Todd spoken with you about it yet?”

“Not yet.”

“He will,” she said. “He’s just been busy.”

I nodded. “I saw Ted Nash and his new partner leaving your shop this morning. Did you get a chance to meet her?”

“Yeah. She seemed okay. A little reserved, though, if you ask me.” She looked at my face. “Does that bother you? That she’s Ted’s new partner, I mean.”

“No. After this morning and my sudden hallucinations of David, I’m thinking I’m really not ready to even date anyone,” I said. “Friends are enough for me right now. They don’t rip out your heart and grind it into hamburger. That’s why I don’t know if I’ll even go to this stupid masquerade ball.”

“Come on. It’ll be fun. And it’s not an engagement party. Go with Todd. Dance, nosh, and kiss him at the midnight unmasking.”

“We’ll see.” I jerked my head toward the shop. “Come on. Let’s get out of here and stop looking at this depressing wedding gown.”

“So, you’re going to call and tell Cassandra you can’t do the work?” Sadie asked as we stepped over Angus and walked to the sitting area.

“I don’t know,” I said, expelling a breath of frustration. “I mean, I can’t let my past interfere with my present and my future, can I?”

Sadie pursed her lips but didn’t say anything.

“I doubt she’ll be happy with any of my designs, anyway,” I said. “And you should’ve seen how she reacted to Angus. You’d have thought he was a two-headed dragon that went charging at her.”

Sadie laughed and called Angus to her. He ambled over to sit at her feet. “I’d have given a hundred dollars—make that a hundred doggie treats—to have seen that,” she told him as she scratched behind his ears. “Could you do it again when she comes back? Could you?”

He barked his consent.

“Good boy! You’re a good boy! Yes, you are!” She noticed my face had frozen. “What’s wrong?”

She followed my eyes to the door. My ex-fiancé, David Frist, was stepping through it.

“Hello, Marcy.”

I couldn’t find my voice. All I could do was stare. He looked pretty much the same—sandy blond hair falling over his forehead and into his green eyes à la Redford in
The Way We Were
, perfect smile, hands placed casually in his front jeans pockets. I noticed he was wearing a scarf I’d given him—it was green-and-white-striped, and it played up his eyes.

“Hi, David,” I said.

“What are you doing here?” Sadie spat the words out as if they tasted as bitter as her voice sounded.

“Hello to you, too, Sadie,” David said with a smile. “You’re looking well.” He nodded at Angus. “Nice dog.”

“Thank you,” I said. I felt paralyzed.

David gave me a bemused frown. “He’s yours? I always thought if you ever had a dog, it would be a little long-haired lapdog.”

Angus couldn’t quite understand the underlying vibe in the room. He looked from me to Sadie and back again in confusion before realizing the tension was the newcomer’s fault and uttering a low growl at David.

“Sadie, would you mind taking him for a quick walk?” I asked.

“I’ll make it very quick,” she said. She got up, hurried to the counter, and retrieved Angus’ leash. “Come on, baby.” She brushed by David, giving him a scathing look. “I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t hurry back on my account,” he said. He turned and watched Sadie march Angus down the street.

I noticed she went in the direction of MacKenzies’ Mochas. She was going to tell Blake.

David turned back to me, took his hands from his pockets, and held out his arms. “Come here.”

I hesitated.

“Just a hug,” he said. “Please.”

I slowly rose from the sofa and went to stand in front of him. At five feet tall, I barely reached his chest.

He enfolded me in his arms and lowered his face to the top of my head. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Part of me wanted to yell at him, to scream and cry and tell him to get out of my shop. But somehow I allowed my arms to encircle his waist. He felt so familiar. I used to love for David to hold me. He’d made me feel so protected . . . secure . . . loved. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t do this to myself. I couldn’t let this man come in here and hurt me all over again. I’d thought I was completely over him. I
was
completely over him. I took a firm step backward. But I couldn’t just kick him out. This was a chance to get the answers I needed.

“Would you like to sit down?” I asked.

“Of course.” He sat on the sofa Sadie had vacated, and I sat on one of the club chairs.

“What brings you to Oregon?”

“You.”

Chapter Three

Before David could elaborate, Sadie, Blake, and Angus burst back into the shop.

“What do you mean coming in here like nothing ever happened?” Blake said.

Standing there with his hands on his hips, Blake actually kind of resembled David. They had the same hair color and fair complexion, but Blake was a little shorter and stockier than David.

“Blake, I don’t want any trouble with you,” David said.

“I know you don’t,” Blake said.

Blake had assumed the role of my big brother while he and Sadie were dating and Sadie was my roommate in college. “It’s all right,” I told him.

“It’s not all right,” Blake said. “He humiliated you in front of three hundred guests and then shows up today like he simply missed a dental appointment? I don’t think so.”

Angus growled.

“Sadie, please take Angus into the bathroom,” I said.

Sadie did as I asked.

“I’d just like to talk with Marcy privately,” David said. “Is that too much to ask?”

“No,” I said. “It isn’t.”

Blake blew out an angry breath and shook his head. “Fine. But if you need me, you call me,” he said to me. Then he turned to David. “And if . . . when Marcy tells you to leave, you’d better go.”

Blake and Sadie left, but they peered in the window all the way down the sidewalk until they were out of sight.

I smiled nervously. “They mean well.”

“I know they do. They love you,” he said. “So do I.”

Oh no, he didn’t! He did not just say that!
My mouth was dry, my hands were shaking, and I felt kind of queasy. “What are you doing here, David?”

“I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching the past few months.” He leaned toward me, placing his forearms on his thighs. “I was dating this girl, but I got so bored with her I finally couldn’t stomach even looking at her anymore. Not long after dumping her, I wound up losing my job. And you know what?”

I didn’t answer, but he didn’t really wait for a response, either.

“It didn’t even matter. I realized my job wasn’t that important to me. Nothing in my life meant much to me,” he said. “That’s a sad situation to find yourself in.”

“I guess it is.”

“So I started thinking back to the time when I was the happiest I’d ever been. It’s the time I was with you.” He reached out and took my hand. “Let’s start all over.”

I shook my head and fought to hold back tears. “There’s too much water under that bridge to ever go there again. I could never trust you.”

“Why not?” he asked. “I never cheated on you. I never lied to you.”