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“You do remember that Eugenia told you that you would marry him,” Desiree said.
Eugenia? Then she remembered. The ghost.
“Look, I know you believe in her, but I’m not taking the advice of a ghost,” she said. “I don’t believe in them.”
Desiree laughed. “You sound just like the men in my family. They don’t believe in her until she finds them the love of their life. She didn’t find yours, but she did tell you that you were going to marry him.”
“No, I’m not marrying any man,” she said. “I’m going back to Oakdale and getting busy on making my law practice successful. And no, I won’t fake date any man ever again. I didn’t expect it to be this hard. I didn’t expect to fall in love with him.”
Desiree reached over and patted her arm.
“I think I’m glad I haven’t found love yet,” she said with a sigh. “It’s not all fun and roses like the movies make it out to be.”
“No, it’s not,” she said, wondering how she could ever see her mother again without running into Adrian.
They pulled into town, and soon, they were in front of the small apartment she’d rented. She was home. Safe and sound and she couldn’t wait to get out of this dress she’d been wearing for three days.
It was going in the trash. Too many memories were associated with the silk gown.
“Thank you for bringing me home, letting me cry on your shoulder, and listening to my sad tale of woe,” she said. “I owe you a big steak dinner.”
“What are friends for?” Desiree said. “Someday it could be me calling you.”
“Anytime,” Madison said, stepping out of the SUV.
“Be careful, it’s still icy out there,” Desiree said.
“You too,” she replied and shut the door. She glanced up at her apartment and wondered if she’d made a mistake quitting her job in Dallas and moving here.
Waving to Desiree, she hurried up the stairs. When she reached the top, Adrian was sitting there at the door waiting for her.
Gulping, she glanced at him. The handsome man’s face was red. He was furious.
CHAPTER 15
After the best two days of his life, he’d awakened this morning to an empty bed, an empty room, and a broken heart. He’d known immediately when she wasn’t in the room that she’d run.
When he reached downstairs, the desk clerk handed him her note and he’d left.
Damn her for running and not talking about what happened between them.
Damn her for making him worry about how she’d gotten home, if she was safe, or if some asshole had picked her up.
When he’d seen Desiree pulling up to the apartment building, he’d known Madison was safe, but still he wanted to speak to her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m making sure you got home safe and sound. And now we’re going to talk,” he said.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Our verbal contract ended the night of the ball,” she said. “It’s over. We’re done.”
Her words infuriated him. Didn’t she see what they had was special? He’d never experienced this kind of love with Laurie. He’d never felt so close to another human being. And she wanted to destroy it all.
She put the key in her lock and opened the door. For a moment, he feared she was going to shut him outside.
“There’s nothing left to say,” she said.
“The hell there isn’t,” he said, walking in behind her.
