Return to You (16 page)

“You felt betrayed.”

Selena nodded. “All over again.”

Knowing that she wasn't ready for him to touch her or even for him to talk, James took a step forward and, with a shaky hand, touched the plaque that was a memorial for his child. They had never discussed names; they'd never had the chance. It had probably been too early in her pregnancy for the doctors to tell if their baby had been a boy or a girl. It didn't matter; this simple little plaque on this beautiful bench sitting in this amazing greenhouse was far more of a tribute than he'd ever even imagined.

“The day of the dedication, Grandma insisted that I come. I was still sulking, but I was curious as to how it all turned out. I sat through the sermon, and I stood by Grandma's side during the ribbon cutting, and when it was time to come inside for a tour, I wondered why she didn't join me. When I got back here and saw this, I sat down and cried.”

James turned toward Selena, took her hand in his, and pulled her close to him and then they both sat down. “I didn't know about the plaque,” she said tearfully. “I didn't expect that she'd do something so beautiful. When she finally found me, she sat down right here with me and told me she remembered how much I talked about butterfly bushes after I first met you. It was funny how she always remembered everything that I ever told her.” James reached out and wiped away the fresh tears that began to trail down her cheeks.

With glazed green eyes, she turned and looked at him. “It had been so long since anyone in my family had shown any kindness to me, and it was the first time that anyone had acknowledged what we had lost. This was her way of acknowledging you and me and our baby.”

His throat was too clogged with emotion to speak, so he simply leaned back and pulled her close. They sat there until it was well and truly dark, until the only thing they saw when they looked up were the stars in the sky.

As one particularly bright star continued to shine brighter than the others, James imagined that it was a sign, that the universe was telling him that their baby knew he had been loved.

“I think it's going to be a little bit tight in there, don't you think?” Selena said the next day as she and Jen walked around the local bowling alley that was going to host the first night of reunion festivities on Friday. Keith Mitchell, a former classmate and reunion-mate, was now the owner of the Island Lanes bowling alley and had offered the use of it for a unique meet-and-greet party.

“Nah. Keith does this sort of party here all the time. Don't you think he'd know if there wasn't going to be enough space?” Actually, Jen wondered the same thing herself—she just didn't want to alarm Selena with her thoughts.

Selena shrugged. “It just seemed so much bigger back then.”

Jen laughed. “Welcome to every day of my world. I feel like a giant as I walk the halls of the elementary school.”

“I kind of feel like a giant right now.”

“This place wasn't even built to scale for kids, Selena. You just have a poor memory.”

She was about to argue, but maybe Jen had a point. “Maybe. I still feel kind of bad about him closing for business for the night.”

“Please.” Jen snorted. “He's not doing it for free, and you know it. Everyone coming had to pay a small fee, and the food isn't free. He's going to make a killing Friday night.” As she looked at the condition of the place, she figured that any money Keith made was going right into his pocket rather than back into the business; the entire building was in need of a major rehab job. But this place was synonymous with having grown up in this town.

“Still, it's unlimited bowling…” Selena added, trying to sound optimistic.

Jen shrugged. “Woo…somebody pinch me.”

Selena laughed. “You have to admit, not many people can say they started off their reunion weekend with a bowling party.”

“There's a reason for that.” They finished their tour of the facility and went over the itinerary with Keith.

“Doors are going to open at six,” Selena said as she read down her list. “We'll have greeters near the door with a check-in table, so people can pick up their name tags and so the public can be informed that the alley is closed for a private event.” She looked up at Keith. “Is that all right with you?”

He nodded. “I've had signs up for the last couple of weeks and already notified the members of our leagues that we were going to be closed Friday night. You shouldn't have to worry too much about anyone other than reunion attendees showing up.”

“That's great. Thanks.” With one final glance at her list, she felt like they were good to go. “Thank you so much for being willing to donate the place for the event. I think people are really going to get a kick out of being back here. I'm sure just about everyone coming has a memory of bowling here as a kid.”

Keith laughed. “You'd be amazed by the stories I hear from people…”

She could only imagine. Selena had some good memories of her own of the place. As a matter of fact, she had shared her first kiss with Billy Malone somewhere back by the pinball machines when she was fourteen. Not that she was going to share that with Keith right now, but as she looked in that direction, she caught Jen's knowing smirk.

Clearing her throat, she thanked Keith again, and before heading out, she told him they'd have people there beginning at four on Friday to set up. With a wave and a smile, they walked out toward their cars. “Well that was fun,” Selena said, glad to cross that meeting off her to-do list. A quick glance at her watch showed it was still early, and now that they were finally alone, she and Jen could talk.

Jen had agreed to meet Selena at the bowling alley immediately after work; it had been their first chance to get together since Jen had gone back home. They stood by their cars and Selena could tell there was something on her friend's mind.

“So you must be feeling relieved by now,” Selena said, hoping to see relief on Jen's face. “Todd is in custody, and you have your order of protection against him because he admitted to throwing the bricks through the windows. Your life can return to normal.”

“I guess,” Jen said with a lack of enthusiasm.

That so wasn't the reaction she was expecting. Leaning against her car with her arms crossed, Selena voiced her concern. “Okay, what gives?”

“What are you talking about?”

“This guy has had you freaked out for quite some time. I mean, between the calls and the harassment and all, you were starting to come a little undone. You used that as an excuse to get me to come home. And now that it's over, your reaction is a little lackluster. So come on, what gives?”

“Believe me, I am very relieved that it's over, and I was thrilled when James let you call me with the news late last night. It's just…”

“What?”

“I guess I had hoped that Mike would be the one to come over and tell me, and then maybe I could have invited him to come to the reunion with me.”

It took every ounce of strength to not reach over and strangle her friend. Sometimes she had to wonder how it was that Jen managed to live on her own without getting into some kind of trouble. “So all of this is over a guy?”

Jen had the good sense to look at least a little ashamed. “Clearly, I have a problem.”

“Most women would not be even the slightest bit interested in dating after what you went through, and here you are whining because you just got rid of a crazy stalker ex-boyfriend and you're already looking for a replacement!”

“Yes, but Mike wouldn't be crazy!” Jen said in her own defense.

“Look, why don't you just go to the station, thank him for all of his help, maybe bake him some of your famous chocolate chip cookies, and then ask him to come to the reunion with you?”

“I don't know…”

Selena took what she thought was an intimidating step forward and used her firmest voice to snap her friend out of her pity party. “Hey, you made me come here and face my demons. You bullied me into taking a pointless position on the reunion committee when I didn't want to, and now here I am, standing in the parking lot of a damn bowling alley that probably should be condemned and counting down the minutes until I can meet up with James and have yet another eventful and sexually satisfying evening.” She smiled. “I have you to thank for that.”

“I would think you'd be thanking James,” Jen said with her own grin.

“Very funny. The point is that you forced me out of my comfort zone, and things have worked out pretty damn well. You made me take a risk, and now I'm glad that you did. I really think you should take a chance and go see Mike.”

“What if he says no?”

“What if he says yes?”

Jen grimaced. “It's hard to argue logic like that.”

“Don't I know it,” Selena agreed. “Now go and be brave and call me tomorrow to let me know how it all worked out.”

“Why can't I call you tonight?”

Selena reached for her keys and looked over her shoulder. “Because with any luck, we'll both be otherwise occupied and unable to talk.”

Jen watched as Selena got in her car and drove away with a cheery wave. “Yup, hard to argue logic like that.”

* * *

“You're kidding, right?”

Selena shook her head. She and James were sitting on the sofa in her hotel suite enjoying a late dinner while watching
The
Bachelor
and
the
Bobbie
Soxer
on TMC when she told him about the upcoming bowling party. “Why? What's wrong with it?”

“It's something a ten-year-old does for his birthday,” James said as if he were humoring a child.

“Well, it seemed like a lot of fun, and almost everyone who responded to the reunion is actually going,” she said, nonplussed by his complete lack of enthusiasm. “I just thought maybe you'd like to go with me, that's all.”

“So you're going to bowl?” he asked with a knowing smirk and watched as Selena's spine stiffened and her hands folded primly in her lap. “Are you sure about that?”

“Just what exactly are you implying?” she asked without looking at him.

The urge to pat her on the head was nearly overwhelming, but he had a feeling that if he did that, he'd be driving home very shortly. Alone. “While you've always had a great many talents, bowling wasn't one of them.”

“Maybe I've gotten better,” she said defensively. Back when they had dated, they used to have to put up the bumpers for her just so she'd have a hope of knocking down even one pin. Unfortunately, there hadn't been a way to protect other bowlers from her when the ball happened to get away from her.

“
Have
you gotten better?” he asked, his voice deep and rich next to her ear, and he almost laughed when her shoulders drooped and she bowed her head.

“No.”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “Then why torture yourself?”

Selena pulled back and swatted him on the chest. “Because I'm head of the damn reunion committee. I'm supposed to be there. I don't have a choice but to be there! Believe me, I can think of about a thousand things I'd rather be doing than bowling. But I'm stuck.” She flopped back on the sofa and crossed her arms over her chest with a pout. “If I don't bowl, then everyone is going to think that I chickened out.”

“So your attempts at bowling were legendary, huh?” he teased, hoping to make her smile.

The pout stayed. “It's humiliating to admit I can't do something that, as you say, a ten-year-old can do.”

James stroked a hand over her cheek. “It's not the worst thing in the world to not be able to bowl, Selena.”

“But I should be able to.”

Knowing that he had to distract her before she depressed herself even further, James leaned over her. “A thousand different things, huh?” he asked. “Am I in any of them?”

Selena snaked an arm around his neck and pulled him down for a quick kiss before releasing him. “You're in all of them.”

Well, damn
, he thought. “So if I go to this…bowling thing with you, you'd kind of be in my debt then, right?”

She saw where he was going with this and enjoyed playing along. “I suppose you could say that.”

“And what about the reunion itself? Do you maybe need a date for that?” he asked as he nuzzled at her neck. She nodded. “Hmm…I suppose there's some kind of event planned for Sunday too?” Again she nodded. “That would be a whole lot of debt owed to me,” he said as if he were considering his options.

“Yes, it would.” Sitting up, Selena swung a leg over his lap until she was straddling him. “What did you have in mind?”

His mind raced with at least a half a dozen snappy comebacks and sexual innuendos. “Come home with me for the weekend.” The words came out before he could stop them. He had been wanting to bring Selena home but couldn't seem to find the right way or the right time to ask her. Apparently, his mouth thought that the right time was now.

Selena pulled back. “You mean stay with you at your house this weekend?”

James nodded and then watched as pure delight washed over her face. “I mean, it's not a big deal,” he said, beginning to backpedal. “It's not that my house is great or anything; this suite has been just fine. I just thought that maybe you'd like…that is…you know, to save you some money…” Oh Lord, he was botching this up. Before he could make more of an ass out of himself, Selena placed a finger over his lips to silence him.

“I would love to spend the weekend at your house. And not because I'm trying to save money or because your house is so great, but because I just want to be with you. How does that sound?”

He leaned in and kissed her. There was no urgency, no need to rush to take it to the next level. It was just a gentle meeting of their lips as his hands caressed the softness of her cheeks and he inhaled the sweetness of her perfume. “Thank you,” he said when he lifted his head.

“For what?”

James looked deeply into her eyes and then studied her face, the face that had haunted his dreams for far too long. The face that he knew almost as well as his own. “For just being you.”

It was the sweetest compliment she had ever received.

* * *

The sun wasn't even up when Selena heard her phone go off, alerting her to a new text message.

He said yes!

Selena's eyes were mere slits as she read the message, and it took a full minute for her to comprehend what it was about. James rolled over and pulled her back against him, spoon fashion.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice muffled sleepily against her back.

“It's Jen. Let me just answer her.”

You do realize that it's only five in the morning, right?

I do but I couldn't wait to tell you.

I'm glad it worked out. You'll have to tell me all about it
later.

I'm just so psyched! When are you coming back here?

Would you be pissed if I said that I wasn't?

I can't believe I'm losing out to room service.

Ur not

Oh? Oh, really?

James asked me to stay with him this
weekend.

And you said yes??? That is so…

James pulled the phone from Selena's hand and sent a message of his own.

As much as I'm enjoying this chat, Selena has to go. Bye Jen

And then he tossed the phone to the floor.

“Hey!” she said over her shoulder, only mildly annoyed at his interference. “That phone cost me a lot of money.”

“I'll buy you a new one,” he said as he rolled her over and pinned her beneath him. “I had other plans for how we were going to wake up this morning and texting with Jen about her love life was not it.”

“I didn't want to be rude,” Selena said with a purr as James nibbled his way across her cheek and her neck. “That would be… Oh, that feels really good… I just wanted to make sure…”