Until he’d met Drinda, he’d been slogging along, day after day, nothing particularly good or bad happening to him. His world had brightened, and his heart lifted the first time they talked. She was bright and sunny. Funny. Smart. Aside from the career thing, she was exactly what hewanted in a wife.
He thumped the back of his head against the door and cussed. Finally, he worked up the energy to take off his outerwear and trudge to the sofa.
He didn’t know what to do, all he knew was that Gibson’s threat of asking Drinda out had cut right through him. No way in the world was Ford going to let that Lothario, or anyone get his hands on his girl. He just had to figure out how to win her back, without compromising his stance on no pets and a stay-at-home mom.
His heart plummeted to his toes.
He was sunk.
Chapter Fourteen
The week dragged by like syrup in snow. It was hard to believe it was Tuesday again. One full week had passed since their fight. Drinda sighed as she dug through her cosmetics drawer. She wore makeup maybe twice a year. It wasn’t her thing. At work, the heat of the steamer wreaked havoc on foundation and mascara. Tonight, she needed the bolstering effect of a painted-on façade. She slathered on foundation and concealer in a vain attempt to cover the bags under her eyes.
She wasn’t sleeping well. She’d lived next door to Ford for months now and not once had she heard him make noise at night. Now she swore he was thumping around next door all night long. Either his night habits had changed, or she was imagining things and losing her ever-loving mind. Whatever the truth was, she looked like death and was not goingto the planning meeting without an emotional backup in the form of a good concealer.
She waited until Ford left before kenneling Oscar, climbing into her car, and heading to the meeting. She did not want to risk a chance encounter with him. She made a quick stop at the shop to pick up her dessert selections. Tonight was the night. With less than a week left until the big Valentine’s event, she was ready and eager to show off what she could do. If she didn’t have to talk to Ford while doing it.
The meeting was already in progress when she arrived. She towed her dolly of boxes into the room and took her place next to the committee head. Thankfully she was not beside Ford, nor could she see him from where she sat. Finally, it was time to present her selections.
“Hi,” she greeted everyone. “I have four dessert selections for you. If I could have some help to pass out the plates, I’ll explain them.” Franny and Sage leaped up to assist. They set out the plain white porcelain plates. Each was carefully laid out with four artfully decorated dessert selections.
“If you look at your plate, you’ll see a sample of my tiramisu, a mocha caramel cake with whipped frosting, Black Forest cake, and a salted caramel torte. All these pair well with the Irish Cream Coffee I’ve planned to accompany dessert. With your approval of course. Go ahead and try everything and let me know if you have questions.”
“I thought you and Ford were making the decision,” the chairman said.
“I told Drinda it was best left up to her. She’s the expert,” Ford chimed in.
Drinda’s jaw nearly dropped. Ford praising her? Was the world ending? Her knees trembled all the way to the coffee pot. She poured a generous cup and laced it with sugar and cream just to delay seeing the expressions on their faces as they tasted her treats. She sipped her sugary drink, hoping it was decaf because the last thing she needed on top of her sleepless nights was caffeine.
“Stop it,” she whispered. “You’ll do fine.” She’d feel better if she knew she had Ford on her side. They might not have agreed on desserts, butknowing he was there, close by and supportive would have steadied her nerves. Too bad that soufflé had fallen.
The room was totally silent except for forks on plates. Unable to stand the suspense any longer, she turned around. Her eyes met Ford’s. He smiled and winked.
Her pulse thundered out of control until a sudden calm washed over her. They might not be friends anymore, but it still felt like he had her back. She smiled gratefully.
♥♥♥
Ford’s night had brightened when Drinda entered the meeting. His heart soared. She was lovely. She was pale and tired looking despite the makeup she’d tried to mask it with. Though clearly exhausted, she was beautiful.
There was a strange comfort in knowing that he wasn’t the only one suffering in their separation. Of course, there was a special torture in knowing he was the cause of her exhaustion. It hurt that she didn’t give him any further acknowledgment as she returned to her seat, not even another wobbly smile.
Helpless to stop himself, he leaned forward and watched her every move. She twisted a pen in her hands, her knuckles white. She watched everyone eating, her nerves shining in her eyes. When she glanced his way, he gave a reassuring smile. Her answering smile of relief brought every cell in his body to life. There was his girl.
Yeah, he finally admitted it. She was his girl. No matter the circumstances he’d find a way to win her back.
He dove into her desserts. Surprisingly, he loved them all. The Black Forest cake was his favorite, but when wasn’t it?
“I vote for the salted caramel torte,” his grandmother declared setting off a noisy debate. The only thing the group agreed on was the Irish Cream Coffee. After about ten minutes, it was getting out of hand. Drinda’s shoulders inched higher with every passing second. Ford couldn’t endure another moment of watching her stress.
He rapped his knuckles on the table. “May Isuggest a vote?”
“Good idea.” She smiled at him.
Dang, that smile did weird things to his innards.
After three votes it came down to the torte and the Black Forest cake. They went around the table and when it came to him to cast the final ballot, the desserts were tied. He wanted that cake so bad he could taste it.
But he knew that Drinda really wanted to show off with the torte. Both would be good for her business. He didn’t hesitate. Not for a fraction of a second.
