Magical Weddings (41 page)

“I don’t fit the family mold in most ways.” She laughed. “Luckily, my parents love me anyway.”

He liked her sense of humor. Actually, he liked everything about her. “I should’ve made the connection between your last name and Dennis Reynolds,” he added. “I worked in finance for years before deciding to leave corporate America to teach, so I’m very familiar with your family’s business.”

She raised her brows at him. “Really? You don’t seem the type to have gone into finance.”

“What do you mean, stuffy and boring?”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t have said it quite like that, but yes, that’s pretty much what I meant.”

He cocked a brow at her. “And you don’t seem like the type to run an animal shelter.”

She looked down at her designer jeans and expensive sneakers. “Touché. What can I say? I like nice things.”

“It’s cliché, I know, but I guess that just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

“Not always, anyway.” Her mood soured a little, and he wondered to whom she was referring.

“We’re here.” He pointed to the brick-front building with the black-and-white awning.

“I didn’t know this place was here.” Kya had stopped in front of the door to read the menu posted on a wrought iron stand.

“It’s only been open a couple of weeks. The kids at school told me about it. It’s not always easy to find a place that caters to vegetarians.”

Kya opened her mouth in shock. “You’re a vegetarian too? I never would’ve guessed that.”

“What?” He laughed. “I don’t fit that part either?”

She shook her head in wonderment. “No, not at all. You look like the type who enjoys a juicy steak.”

“And what type is that?”

“Oh, I don’t know…big, muscular…” Her cheeks grew red.

“Here.” He handed her Daisy’s leash. “There’s a patio around back. Why don’t you find us a table while I get us some food? What would you like?”

She looked at the menu again. “I’ll have the veggie wrap with coleslaw.”

When she unzipped her handbag and pulled out her wallet, he quickly said, “Don’t be silly, I’ve got it.”

“That’s not necessary.” Kya pulled out a few bills.

“Put your money away.” His tone was firm. “I invited you to dinner, and I insist on paying.”

She stuffed the bills back into her wallet. “I’m getting it next time, then.”

Devon wasn’t about to argue with her, despite knowing he wouldn’t let that happen. He was just happy that she’d mentioned a next time. He watched her walk the dogs around the side of the building before he went inside. When she disappeared from sight, he opened the door and there was a spring in his step that he hadn’t had since Char’s death as he walked up to the counter to order their food.

Kya found a table with an umbrella to shade them from the sun. Although early evening, it was still hot. When he’d first asked her to join him for dinner, she’d been a little unsure as to whether she should accept. However, seeing as it wasn’t a date, why not? What harm could come from it? Besides, she hadn’t been that keen on having dinner alone either.

Mark had left her in such a funk that she was pretty much willing to do anything that would keep her from dwelling on him What she hadn’t expected, though, was to actually enjoy herself. Devon had a way of making her relax so that she felt comfortable enough to be herself. Something she never quite felt when she was with Mark.

Lucky and Daisy lay down under the table. She was putting the ends of their leashes under her chair leg when Devon came out of the café carrying a tray. He had four glasses of water. He put one in front of her, another on the table in the spot next to her, and then gave the other two to the dogs. Before sitting down, he handed her a plate with a veggie wrap and coleslaw, and then put an identical one down next to his water glass.

She took a bite of her wrap. “This is good.”

Devon ate some of his and agreed. “How long have you been a vegetarian?”

“Um, since high school.”

He smiled. “Oh, so just a couple of years.”

She laughed. “I wish. But thank you for the compliment. How about you? Have you been one long?”

His expression changed and the light left his eyes. “I met Char in college, and she got me to give up meat.” He looked down at the table.

She knew that he was hurting. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something—”

He cut her off before she could finish. “No, don’t be sorry. It’s ridiculous that the least little thing can still trigger a memory that cuts straight through my heart. After a year, you’d think the pain would’ve lessened some, but it hasn’t.” He shot her a half smile. “I didn’t mean to ruin our outing.”

“Please don’t even think that. I’m having a wonderful time, really. You have no idea how much I needed this. Just to get away for a few hours and not think about wedding plans is a relief.”

“When’s the big day?”

“The twenty-eighth. Just a couple of weeks.” She sighed. “And there’s so much to do yet. Thank goodness I have an incredible wedding planner. I’d never be able to do it all myself.”

“And now your fiancé’s out of town?”

Lucky snorted, and she shot him a dirty look, then shifted her gaze back over to Devon. “Yeah, well, he hasn’t been much help anyway. Maybe it’ll work out better this way.”

He lifted his brows. “How long is he going to be gone?”

She took another bite of her wrap. When she finished chewing, she said, “I’m not sure, but he promised to be back in time for the wedding.” She tried to make light of the situation.

Apparently, she hadn’t fooled him, though, because he asked, “And you’re all right with that?”

She shrugged. “I have to be. What choice do I have?”

“I don’t know. Only you can answer that question.”

“Hmmm.” She picked up her fork and pushed some coleslaw around her plate.

“So I take it this is a big wedding.”

She nodded. “Oh yeah, and getting larger by the day, thanks to dear old Mom.”

“Maybe you should have just eloped.”

She set her fork down and leaned back in her chair. “You know, it’s not just my mom who wants this. It’s always been my dream to have a fairy-tale wedding. Isn’t it every woman’s?”

Devon paused for a moment before answering. “Maybe most, but not all. Char and I eloped.”

Kya put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up sad memories again.”

He leaned in toward her. “It’s okay. In fact, I think it might even help. At least I’m feeling something again… That’s a lot better than being numb.” He looked off in the distance. “Char didn’t care about a fancy wedding, and that was a good thing, because we couldn’t have afforded one. We were just a couple of college kids in love. What mattered was that we were together.”

Kya let those words sink in. It was so evident Devon and Char had been madly in love, and it made her question her relationship with Mark even more. She didn’t doubt that she loved him, but she wasn’t sure it was in the same way that Devon and his wife had been in love. Maybe that was okay, though. Maybe everyone loved differently.

She changed the conversation by asking him about school and found that was a topic they could discuss freely without worrying about stepping on toes. He talked about the university and his students, and she was glad to see the twinkle back in his eyes.

They finished their dinner on a light note, then walked to the park with the dogs leading the way.

When they reached their cars, Devon said, “That was nice. We should do it again soon.”

Kya smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Good.” He opened the passenger door so Daisy could jump in.

As Kya drove home, she realized the stress that had plagued her for months was practically gone. Maybe her friendship with Devon would do more than just help him, and help her too.

****

Devon breezed through planning tomorrow’s assignments. He hadn’t done that in ages. He set his pen down and looked at Daisy lying next to him. He had her to thank for meeting Kya. If it hadn’t been for Daisy and Lucky’s romance, she never would have walked into his life. There was something about her that made him feel like he could open up to her and talk about almost anything… Even Charlene. Although there was a time at dinner earlier when they’d been discussing Kya’s wedding and how he’d eloped that the mood tensed a bit, but that was his fault. He knew as soon as he’d made the comment about what mattered most was being together, not a huge wedding, that he’d hurt her feelings. And like an idiot, he’d just sat there eating his dinner without offering an apology. The problem was, he didn’t know what to say without making things worse. He hadn’t had a conversation with a woman in a long time and could put his foot in his mouth. Thankfully, she’d had the grace to change the subject and save the evening from disaster.

Actually, he had nothing against fancy weddings, and if Char had wanted one, he would have found a way to give it to her. But she wanted to elope. He wished now that he’d explained that to Kya.

He picked up Char’s picture off his desk and ran his finger across her face. “I’ll never stop loving you, but maybe I can start to have some sort of life again. I know you’d want that.” He set Char’s picture back down as his thoughts drifted to Kya’s remarks about her fiancé, Mark. When she’d spoken about him, her face didn’t light up like a woman crazy in love. He didn’t see that spark in her that should be there when her wedding was only a little more than a few weeks away. Something was off. He would try to get her to open up to him more. A man’s perspective could be what she needed to help alleviate whatever issues were going on.

Hopefully, she’d be at the park again tomorrow, and if she was, he’d encourage her to talk about her wedding.

Kya had listened to Lucky chatter on and on last night about Daisy and Devon, trying to convince her to call off her wedding. That was easy for a dog to say. He’d never planned one and had no idea of the work that went into it. Besides, why would she cancel it? She was in love with her fiancé.

She squeezed her eyes shut and pictured Mark’s handsome face, but when it was replaced by Devon’s, her lids flew open. Her pulse raced. This wasn’t good. Not at all. She’d been trying to dismiss her attraction to him since their first meeting, but it was now quite apparent that wasn’t working. What was she to do? She shouldn’t have feelings for another man. It was wrong, and it would only complicate things.

Lucky and Pepper bolted into her office, and Lyn was right behind.

“Sorry,” she puffed. “I wanted to put them out in the pen with the other dogs, but they got away from me. Wanted to come see you, I guess.”

“Hi guys.” Kya petted the two dogs, then turned her attention to Lyn. “Remember how I told you I’d met someone at the dog park the other day?”

Lyn sank into a chair next to her. “Yeah, sure. The guy with the golden retriever.”

“Well, I saw him there again yesterday, and we had dinner together.”

Lyn’s eyes grew wide. “And…?”

“We went to a cute little café on Market Street that opened a few weeks ago. You should check it out. It’s really good. Anyway, I didn’t see anything wrong with grabbing something to eat with him. We were both hungry…he lost his wife last year and is still mourning her, so I knew his intensions toward me weren’t romantic.” Kya paused, not quite sure how to go on.

“Sooo, is there a problem?”

“I don’t know. I need your opinion.”

“Okay. You know I’m ready, willing, and able to give it. What’s going on?”

Kya scrunched down in her chair. “You know I’ve been wanting to marry Mark for a long time. That’s why when he finally proposed, I didn’t want a long dragged-out engagement.”

“And because you didn’t want him to chicken out and change his mind,” Lyn said bluntly.

“Yeah, but also so
I
wouldn’t.”

Lyn’s jaw dropped open. “What? Why would you? I thought you wanted this.”

“I do, but there’s always been this little voice in my head telling me that I might be making a mistake, and now, after meeting Devon, it’s grown louder. And after last night, it’s practically shouting.” Kya bit her bottom lip.

“Then don’t you think you should listen to that warning voice?” Lyn advised.

A war of emotions raged through her. “I don’t know. I’m confused. Maybe I should stay away from Devon… Clear my head, and then if I’m still unsure about Mark, make a decision on what to do. It could be that I’m annoyed because he’s away.”

“Or maybe it’s because Mark is all wrong for you, and this Devon is more your type.”

Lyn wasn’t helping at all. “All I know is that I need to concentrate on my wedding without any distractions.”

“From a nice, good-looking man, you mean.”

“Yes.”

Lyn frowned. “I think if you’re attracted to another man, that means you shouldn’t be getting married.”

Kya waved her hand at her. “That’s ridiculous. Don’t tell me you haven’t been attracted to anyone since you married Bruce.”

“Well, if I see a hot guy somewhere, I’ll look, that’s for sure, but that’s as far as it goes.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m not going to see Devon anymore.” The way Lyn was looking at her made Kya think she didn’t believe her, and that was fine, because she knew deep down what she needed to do.

****

Devon had been at the park with Daisy for two hours, and there was still no sign of Kya and Lucky. It was pretty clear they weren’t coming. He had to admit he was disappointed. He pictured Kya’s lovely face and how when she smiled it went all the way up to her eyes. He was starting to feel more than a friendship for her, and that scared him. Not just because he’d never thought he’d desire a woman again, but because she was engaged to someone else.

Maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t come to the park today. Maybe it would be best if he didn’t see her again, but the moment he thought that, he quickly dispelled it. He didn’t want to go back to those lonely evenings with no one to talk to. Although nothing could come of the feelings that were churning inside him, he was okay with that. As long as Kya was in his life, as temporary as that might be, he was happy. He knew full well that once she was married, their friendship might end, and he should prepare for that. But right now, he’d take whatever time he had and enjoy it.