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“Enjoy your day.”
“You won’t be bored?”
Heather shook her head. “Na. I’m in the middle of a good book, so I just need to find some cozy bar to read it in. Maybe one with a fireplace?”
“There’s no fireplace, but you should check out my aunt’s coffee shop. It’s just off the square. Teal front. You can’t miss it.”
Heather pressed her lips together. “Thanks.”
“Okay. We won’t be out there too long. We need time to get ready for dinner.”
“See you later,” Heather called after her as Megan left.
Anna and Bob came into the kitchen a few minutes later to say goodbye, that guilty feeling settling in her chest once again. Everyone Heather had met so far had been so nice. Megan’s brothers and their partners. But Heather got it now. Everyone was settled and happy, and she could see how Megan might be feeling the pressure to bring someone home.
Vanessa wasn’t with anyone though.
The thought had crossed her mind more than once in the last month. What if Vanessa had met someone? She never once thought that Vanessa might have someone back home that she’d cheated on Heather with, and that realization made her stomach do another somersault.
What must Vanessa think of her right now?
Heather exhaled as she got up and put her mug in the dishwasher. She had to figure out a way to tell Vanessa later, assuming that she was coming to this dinner.
She could stop by the coffee shop like Megan suggested, but Heather had a gut feeling that it was a bad idea. Maybe she was out skiing too and wouldn’t be there anyway.
Heather climbed the stairs to Megan’s old bedroom. She needed to remember to act the part of Megan’s loving girlfriend later, because she nearly put her foot in it last night. She almost asked Anna where she was staying? Obviously, she would be staying with Megan.
What was she even going to say when she saw Vanessa again? That was probably what she was going to spend the day doing. Coming up with the right words to say to Vanessa when she finally had the opportunity to talk to her.
She just had to hope that she’d have a chance alone with Vanessa again tonight.
16
Vanessa walked into her sister’s home, inhaling the enticing scent of garlic and herbs that filled the air as she shrugged off her coat and placed her keys in the bowl on the narrow wooden table in the hallway. The sound of lively chatter, clinking glasses, and infectious laughter emanated from the kitchen and dining room. With twelve cars parked outside, she knew she was one of the last of her family to arrive at Anna’s.
Vanessa couldn’t make it skiing today because two of her employees had called in sick, and Saturdays were always so busy. She didn’t mind too much. At the moment, avoiding spending any additional time with Heather was her main focus, so she happily typed out a message to Anna that morning telling her she couldn’t make it.
Vanessa paused at the entrance of the kitchen, running her fingers through her long black hair before she entered the room, and Anna spotted her instantly, coming over and wrapping her arms around her. It was only six o’clock, but if Vanessa had to guess, she’d say her older sister was two if not three glasses of wine in.
“You just missed Gabriella,” Anna said as she pulled away. “She was asking for you.”
Vanessa resisted the urge to look around and find Heather. She held Anna’s gaze until Megan joined them.
“Hey,” Megan said, handing Vanessa a glass of red wine. “Who’s Gabriella?”
“Thanks,” Vanessa said as she took a drink.
“The owner of the Italian all of this food came from,” Anna said glancing behind her to where there were trays of food set up like a buffet. Vanessa’s nephews were lining up, scooping pasta and meatballs onto their plates. She thought she caught a flash of light brown hair in the corner of her eye, but Vanessa returned her attention to her sister.
“Oh,” Megan said with a nod. “I saw the Pride flag outside.
“Well then, maybe,” Anna said looking at Megan, “You can tell your aunt to stop being so picky and give the woman a chance.”
“You turned her down?” Megan asked Vanessa.
“No.” Vanessa threw daggers at her sister. “She hasn’t even asked me out.”
Anna added, “She’s a beautiful woman.”
