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“I’m sorry about your dad.”
“Thank you. It was a long time ago.”
But not so long ago that it didn’t impact her present.
He stood. “I’ll walk you to the car.”
“There’s no need.”
“Sure, there is,” he assured her. “Your mother will wonder about us if I don’t.”
“Oh, I guess you’re right.”
When they reached her mother’s car, Roberta got into the driver’s seat. Julianna was already in the back seat next to Casey in a child’s safety seat.
Ryder opened the passenger door for McKenzie. “Bye, honey. Have fun.”
Glaring at him while she climbed into the car, McKenzie’s nose crinkled with displeasure at his use of a pet name. “No name calling, remember? I’ve told you I prefer you to use my name.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Have a great time with your mother.” He fought chuckling as he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss on the side of her mouth. One not meant to be full of passion, but not so quick as to just be a peck, either.
“I...uh, thank you. I will.” Obviously flustered by his kiss, she gave him a hesitant look. “You’re sure you’re going to be okay with Jeff while we’re gone?”
Although he shouldn’t be, he was pleased that his kiss had thrown her off-kilter. “I’ll be fine.”
Mostly, he believed he told the truth.
* * *
“So, tell me about this hot new boyfriend none of us have heard anything about.”
McKenzie blinked at her cousin Reva.
They’d barely been at the bridal shop ten minutes. She supposed she should be grateful the question hadn’t been the first thing out of Reva’s mouth.
Not that her mother hadn’t grilled her about Ryder the entire drive into town before dropping her and Julianna off at the dress shop, then heading on to Reva’s mother’s house to help with whatever Aunt Jane needed.
Then again, it could be worse.
Reva and her family could be grilling her about Paul and not believing her when she said he was ancient history.
“This weekend is about your love life, not mine,” she reminded her cousin, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. Although a little snug around the bosom, the bridesmaid dress fit perfectly otherwise.
Reva laughed. “So, true, and I don’t mind at all being the center of attention.”
Just as well as her beautiful cousin had always held that honor, even in high school. Men had always thrown themselves at her, had done all they could to hold her attention, and it had always been Reva who’d bored with her relationships and ended them.
“But my love life is old news around here,” Reva insisted, fanning her face as the seamstress made a last-minute adjustment to her wedding dress. She’d lost weight and wanted the bodice tightened a smidge. “Tell us about yours.”
“Not much to tell,” she admitted, still going with the truth as much as possible. “Ryder and I work together and have just recently started dating.”
Reva’s brow arched. “Yet you invited him to come home with you?”
“Of course, I brought him.” She hoped she inflected her tone with just the right amount of “duh.” “If you were dating a gorgeous pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, wouldn’t you have invited him?”
“If I were dating that man, I’d never leave home,” Julianna spoke up from where she fiddled with tying a ribbon on Casey’s head in a big bow. “I almost ditched you gals so I could stay at Aunt Roberta’s just to drool over him.”
McKenzie suppressed a giggle. She’d have to tell Ryder as he’d likely get a kick out of the comment.
