Runaway Bride Page 7

She wasn’t sure if she detected a hint of jealousy in his voice or mild curiosity. Brushing back a strand of her hair, she glanced at Mark who was accepting a cube of cheese from one of the servers. “Yeah, he’s my brother-in-law’s friend. I met him while my mother was trying to surprise my sister with a wedding.”

  Nick chuckled. “I remember hearing about that. Your sister should have gone along with it. Your mother would have done better than a gazebo wedding on the beach.”

  “I don’t know. It was a small affair, but it was sweet. My sister and her husband love each other.”

  “You talked to Mrs. Morris. Did you tell her you liked her choice in colors?”

  Surprised he’d switched topics so unexpectedly, she cleared her throat. “Actually, no. The conversation didn’t get that far. She spent most of it talking about you and what a great doctor you are.”

  “Really?”

  Noting the pleased tone in his voice, she added, “Yes. She thinks very highly of you.”

  “And you made me look good, right?”

  “I think so. She seemed to like the fact that we called her painting original.”

  He hesitated. “When you say ‘original,’ do you mean that in a good way?”

  “Well, there are no other paintings in the gallery that look like it.”

  “I hope she thinks you liked it.”

  “I just don’t get art, Nick. There was a lot of symbolism in it, and I’m not the kind of person who sees that kind of thing when I look at paintings.”

  “We’ll have to work on that. Don’t despair, Lexie. This is the kind of thing that can be taught. You just need to know what to look for.”

  “Okay.”

  “What colors did she use?”

  “Brown and green. They swirled around the Colosseum.”

  “That’s easy. The colors and the fact that they’re swirling represent the conflict between the good and bad of Rome’s past. It sounds like a good choice in colors. Make sure to tell her you appreciate that about her work.”

  “Okay.” She turned her gaze back to Mark. “I should get going.”

  “It’ll work out. Good luck with the rest of the evening and make sure you talk to her again.”

  “I will.” She hung up the phone and returned to Mark.

  He smiled. “Hey, I was thinking. Since we’re done here and it’s still early, did you want to humor me and accompany me to Don’t Open the Door? I hear it’s more funny than scary, kind of like the movie you told me about when we went out to eat.”

  She checked the time on her phone. It was still early in the evening, and while she could spend more time here and mingle with more people, she didn’t feel like it. The thought of receiving instruction on how to appreciate art only depressed her because it was another reminder of how inadequate she was when it came to Nick’s friends. She glanced at the engagement ring on her finger. Was she about to make a horrible mistake?

  “Lexie?” Mark gently asked.

  She turned her attention back to him and sighed. “I have to tell Mrs. Morris that the brown and green colors on her painting do a great job of showing the conflict between the good and bad aspects of Rome’s past.”

  “Is that what her painting represents?”

  “I guess so. That’s what Nick said it meant. Anyway, he wants to make sure I tell her that.” She took a step toward Mrs. Morris and paused. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that movie, when we’re done talking to her.” If nothing else, it would be nice to get a break from trying to act more sophisticated than she was. She’d enjoy escaping into a film that was supposed to be a bunch of cheesy nonsense.

  “Are you alright?” Mark asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get this over with, okay?”

  Though he seemed hesitant, he nodded and followed her as she walked to Mrs. Morris to tell her about the colors in her painting.

  Chapter Eight

  On the way to the movie theater, Mark rambled on about the different movies he’d seen, and though she replied, he sensed Lexie’s mind was on whatever happened on the phone. Mark didn’t like the change in Lexie’s mood. Before Nick called, she seemed to be having a good time and now, it was as if the wind had been taken out of her sails. He wasn’t sure why, but he got the impression that Nick said something to make her feel as if she didn’t meet his expectations, whatever those expectations were. Mark hadn’t met the guy, but he had the urge to warn him to treat Lexie better. But it didn’t matter. Lexie wouldn’t marry Nick. She’d marry him. And he’d make sure she knew he appreciated her.

  After he parked his car in front of the theater, he turned to face her. “If you’re not in the mood for a movie, we can do something else. We could go to the beach and take a walk.” The last thing he’d do was suggest she go home. “Or we can just go for a drive.”

  Her gaze left the parking lot and went to him. “If I ask you a question, will you be honest with me, even if you don’t think I’ll like the answer?”

  Unsure of whether this would be good or not, he nodded.

  “Did you know that Mrs. Morris’ painting represented the conflict between the good and bad moments of Rome’s past?”

  “No. I couldn’t make out anything about the painting. I felt bad once I realized how nice Mrs. Morris was. I wanted to like the painting, but I didn’t.”

  “She was nice, wasn’t she?”

  “Yeah, she was. Much nicer than most of the others that were there.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.”

  “Is that what’s bothering you? Do you feel bad because you didn’t like her painting?”

  “Kind of,” Lexie replied. “But I’ve mostly been wondering if something is wrong with me because I didn’t see what the others saw tonight when they were looking at all those paintings. Nick wasn’t even there and he knew exactly what Mrs. Morris was trying to say with her painting. My mom would have seen the symbolism, too.”

  “I was there and all I got out of the painting was the different geometric patterns in it. In fact, that’s all I saw in all the paintings. Somehow, I doubt the artists were hoping I’d be counting circles and other shapes.”

  Letting out a slight chuckle, she said, “Maybe the one with all those circles was supposed to be an appreciation for geometry.”

  He grinned. “It would have been an awesome painting if that was the case.” Glad to see her smile, he added, “There’s nothing wrong with you, Lexie. I think art is meant to be subjective. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to look at a painting. And besides, symbols mean different things to different people. If you see a glass that is filled halfway, people will debate whether it’s half-full or half-empty. It’s the same glass, but their perception of it is unique. Just because others said the painting was about the conflict between good and bad, it doesn’t mean that’s what the painting is about. I think most of the people agreed that’s what the painting meant because they didn’t want to take the risk and say they saw something different. And I bet some of those people were just as confused as we were. Only they were afraid to admit it.”

  “Maybe. I’d like to think so.”

  “It’s hard to be the person who sees things differently.”

  As he said that, he thought of his own struggles to fit in on Earth. He was careful to pick up on the familiar expressions of the culture and learn the customs so he’d blend in. Chris hadn’t been as concerned with fitting in, and there were times when their coworkers sensed he wasn’t ‘normal.’ But Chris didn’t care. If he wasn’t sure about something, he came out and admitted it. Had he been at the gallery, he would have said he didn’t see what others saw. Sometimes Mark admired Chris for his ability to show his inexperience.

  Mark directed his attention back to Lexie and wondered if they were more alike than he had originally suspected. Maybe they were both trying to fit in and hid their uncertainty as much as they could. Maybe it was why he felt that being with her was so natural, as if they belonged together. Maybe she could understand him i
n a way that no other woman on this planet could.

  “Sometimes,” Lexie softly began, “I wonder if I’m marrying Nick because it’s what I want or because it’s what my mother wants.”

  He’d been waiting for her to say this. He turned toward her in interest, hoping she’d continue, hoping this would be the moment when she realized she was better off with him.

  Finally turning her gaze to him, she sighed. “You know what? I’m tired of thinking. I just want to relax, watch a corny movie and forget everything.”

  Despite his disappointment since he had been hoping to have this conversation with her, he smiled and nodded. He wouldn’t press her and maybe next time he saw her, they could continue this conversation. There was a balance between helping her discover she was better off with him and pushing her away. It had to be her decision. “Let’s see the movie.”

  He got out of the car and opened her door so he could escort her into the theater.

  ***

  As soon as Chris stepped into his house, Caitlyn stood up from the couch where she’d been reading her book and gave him a long kiss. He held her close to him, savoring the moment. This was what he had hoped his life would be like when he left Pandoran. A life mate to come home to after a long day at work; one who would be happy to see him when he walked through the door. And it was even better than he imagined.

  When their kiss ended, he smiled at her. “How did your day go?”

  “It was wonderful,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him another kiss.

  “As much as I’d like to believe I inspired two passionate kisses, I suspect there’s more to your good mood.”

  “Okay. There is, but I’m still glad you’re home.”

  He gave her a light squeeze then closed the front door. As he led her to the couch, he asked, “What are you excited about?”

  They sat down, and she snuggled up to him. “I have the perfect woman for Mark.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. I think he and Sandy will be great together.”

  “Sandy?” He expected her to say Lexie since Mark was so confident that Lexie was the right one for him.

  “I’ve known Sandy my whole life and she’d make a great wife for him. Mark deserves a woman who’ll be kind, steadfast, a good friend. She’s all that and more. She’d be ideal for a life mate.”

  He hesitated but asked, “What about Lexie?”

  Caitlyn’s eyebrows furrowed. “Lexie’s engaged. She’ll marry…that guy…the doctor, Nate or something.”

  “I don’t remember his name either.”

  “That’s because the only thing my mom calls him is ‘the doctor,’” she replied with a giggle.

  “If she had any idea how useless doctors were on my world, she wouldn’t be so impressed.”

  “Well, they’re extremely useful on Earth. Anyway, Lexie’s getting married. Mark can’t have her.”

  “But the wedding hasn’t happened yet. Doesn’t that mean Lexie can marry Mark?”

  “Theoretically, that’s true, but Lexie is about two weeks away from marrying the doctor. Two weeks. A woman doesn’t end her engagement that close to her wedding day to run off with a man she barely knows.”

  “She doesn’t?”

  Mark seemed so sure that Lexie was going to run off with him, and Chris assumed that Mark knew everything about this world. But maybe he didn’t know as much as he thought. Caitlyn had lived here her entire life and she was a woman. Who better to understand what Lexie would or wouldn’t do than her own sister?

  “Lexie and that guy are a sure thing. We need to fix Mark up with someone who’s available, and I can’t think of anyone who’d be a better life mate for him than Sandy. She’ll be good for him. She’s fun to be with, kind, pretty. Better yet, she already knows that you’re from another planet, so it won’t be hard to explain that Mark’s an alien, too. It’s perfect. And since Mark’s your best friend and Sandy’s mine, we can double date.”

  “Mark’s my best friend?”

  “Sure, he is.”

  He hadn’t thought of Mark as a friend. “Mark’s just someone I know.”

  “Someone you know and like.”

  “He’s okay.”

  “For someone who is okay, you two get along awfully well.”

  “That’s because we’re from the same planet and work at the same place.”

  She patted his leg and giggled. “If you say so. Anyway, I was wondering if we can take Mark and Sandy to Lexie’s engagement party?”

  “You want Mark to go as Sandy’s date?”

  “Not directly. I want us to pick up Mark and Sandy on our way to the party. It’s a subtle way of getting them together.”

  He sighed. “It sounds manipulative.”

  “It’s not manipulative. All we’re doing is putting two people together. They will start talking and realize they’re meant to be together.”

  “But didn’t you try that at our wedding?”

  “I introduced them at a time when there was too much going on. Sandy was my maid of honor, and Mark was your best man. That didn’t leave them adequate time to talk. But if they’re in a car, they’ll have that opportunity.” She squeezed his hand and grinned. “I’m telling you, once they start talking, love will bloom, just like it did for us. I fell in love with you when I first met you at the diner. All it took was a simple conversation with you and I wanted to know more about you. If you hadn’t cast your spell on me, I would have agreed to go on a date with you. And after a few dates, I would have known I wanted to marry you. But you did your magic with the hormone thing and sped up the process.”

  “I didn’t use magic. It was a simple will of releasing a sex hormone into the air.”

  “Considering it left me with no choice but to perform the bonding ceremony with you, I say it was magic.” Before he could argue it was more along the lines of science, she added, “I’m glad you released that magical spell over me. You gave me a husband,” she kissed him, “and a child.” She placed his hand over the bulge in her belly. “You’ve given me everything I ever wanted. I know Mark can do the same for Sandy.”

  Though he didn’t think Mark and Sandy would end up together, he couldn’t fault Caitlyn for trying. Her heart was in the right place. And who knew? Maybe Lexie was going to marry the doctor and Mark would have to continue his search for a life mate. Either way, they’d all find out soon enough.

  Chapter Nine

  The bell above the front door rang in the diner and Sandy glanced up from the table she was wiping down. A wide grin crossed her face as she picked up the washcloth and went over to Caitlyn. “How nice of you to visit me while I serve my penance to society.”

  “Hey!” Jack, her boss, called out from behind the counter as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “I’ll have you know the health inspector just gave this restaurant his seal of approval. That means this is a first-class establishment with fine cuisine.”

  Caitlyn laughed. “We only tease you because we love you, Jack.”

  He rolled his eyes but grinned. “With friends like you, who needs enemies?”

  “What you’re missing by not working here anymore,” Sandy joked. “Did you come here to eat half the food Jack has in the kitchen?”

  Caitlyn rubbed the mound in her belly and shook her head. “No. The cravings went away a couple days ago. I’m safe around food for a while.”

  “Too bad,” Jack said after he drank some coffee. “Now that you’re not my employee, you have to pay full price for your meals.”

  “I still came by to eat at my favorite diner,” Caitlyn assured him and glanced around the place. “Business is really suffering without me here to liven things up.”

  He snorted. “You wish. We just got through a huge lunch rush.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep,” Sandy added. “It was so crazy that the new waitress ran off.”

  “She didn’t,” Caitlyn replied.

  “This job isn’t for the weak of heart.�
� Sandy shrugged. “Everyone thinks waitressing is so easy, but it’s not all roses when you got a bunch of impatient people who think they need their food two minutes after making their order and then leaving a $1 tip, if they bother to tip at all.”

  “I once had someone leave a few dimes. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the man hadn’t been complaining that the coffee was too hot and the water with ice in it wasn’t cold enough.”

  “That’s nothing,” Jack interrupted. “I’m the one who has to slave away in the hot kitchen to make the best food in Florida. It’s enough to drive a man to smoke. Speaking of which, I think I’ll take a break.”

  Sandy waited until he went outside before she motioned for Caitlyn to sit at a booth. “So what really brings you here? It can’t be Jack’s cooking.”

  Caitlyn giggled and sat down. “Okay. You caught me. I’m here to give you good news.”

  “Oh? You won the lottery and decided to give me half?”

  “What is it with you and the lottery?”

  Sandy sat across from her and grinned. “I don’t know. I guess I think it’s neat when someone can be going through life and suddenly strike it big. Kind of like Chris falling from the sky and marrying you.”

  “Maybe it’s your turn to strike it big. Remember Mark from the wedding?”

  “Kind of. He came from the same planet as Chris?”

  “Right, and as luck would have it, he’s still looking for his life mate.”

  “Oh.” Understanding what Caitlyn was getting at, Sandy sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “He didn’t seem interested in me when we were at your wedding and he didn’t sit with me at the reception.”

  “To be fair, there were a lot of people there. Maybe he tried to, but couldn’t.”

  Sandy didn’t know if she believed that or not. True, there were a lot of people in a small space and it was hard to find a place to sit, but it seemed that if he had really wanted to, he would have found a way to sit with her.

  Caitlyn reached out and touched her hand. “You can’t let the break up with Josh keep you from finding true love. You owe it to yourself to move on.”