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Scarlet tightened her knees to her chest, wanting to curl into the fetal position and never come out again. “Do you remember my last Christmas Eve here?”
“Yes.”
“That night,” Scarlet closed her eyes remembering the green dress, the hours of perfecting her makeup, the nervous energy, “I thought we were going on our first real date. Having our first real kiss. But he never showed.” Her voice cracked.
“I know. But it’s been ten years, and I know he loves you.” Aunt Laura’s words sent a flash of hope as bright as the north star, but it quickly burned out.
“Trust me, he doesn’t. He might flirt with me now and then, but he thinks of me as his sister or something. We’ve been alone together, at night under the stars, holding each other with no supervision, and he never once tried to kiss me or anything else.”
“He has his reasons for that.”
“Like what?”
“Not my business to tell you. Talk to Duke. Ask him what happened.”
“You’ve got it wrong. Trust me. I’d know if he really liked me. Besides, why would his childhood friend ask why he didn’t show up that night when I had no reason to believe it was a real date?” Scarlet scooted from Aunt Laura to put distance from her manipulation. “I won’t humiliate myself like that. None of this matters anyway; I’m engaged to be married so the past is the past.”
“You accepted?”
“Not yet, but—”
“Good, then it’s not too late.” Laura shot up into perfect posture. “Promise me you’ll give it two weeks before you decide to return to Atlanta. Talk to Duke, spend some time with him.”
“No. I need to get back to Henry.”
“Ask yourself what you’re afraid of. If you truly love Henry and you plan to marry him, then you shouldn’t feel anything for Duke.”
Scarlet fidgeted with the pull in her shirt hem. Marriage was about more than fanciful notions of love and emotions. “It’s wrong to spend time alone with another man when I’m in a relationship.”
Aunt Laura shrugged. “Is it? I thought you were just friends.”
“Subtle, really.”
Aunt Laura rose from the couch holding her bad hip. “Besides, doc says I need help for a couple more weeks. I had a total hip replacement, remember?”
“I told you I can pay for a nurse when I leave.”
“No, not having a stranger help me. I didn’t pawn you off on no nanny.”
“Don’t hold any punches there, auntie.”
“I won’t when it comes to protecting you, niece.”
A hammering sound outside drew Scarlet’s attention. She rose up on her knees and pulled the curtain back but couldn’t see anything with the awning blocking her view.
“Let me ask you something else. Do you trust a man because he says he’ll never leave you or a man who’s never left?”
“He might have physically remained in Cherry Creek, but he was farther away than Atlanta from me.”
“And you never asked him why.” Aunt Laura popped one hip out with southern attitude but then straightened as if remembering the pain.
“Besides, no red-blooded man is going to keep his hands off a woman all those years. And Duke Trenton is as red-blooded as they come.”
“You have a point. He was once the most sought-after bad boy, star baseball player, gorgeous guy in town. Many a swooning girl trailed after him.”
“Exactly.”
“Then if he didn’t like you, why didn’t he ever snag one of those?”
