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“Sh!” Elle commanded on a moan. “I simply can’t bear thinking about that horrible night. Why, my princess in her pretty gown, and that cad not having the decency to…well, I guess it’s murky water under the bridge. The brigand.”
“It was, until today,” Martin said woefully. “Wonder what they said to each other?”
“I doubt Crystal let him say very much at all. As is perfectly appropriate, I suppose.” She sounded uncertain. “If I weren’t so shocked to see that scamp, I’d have…I’d…”
“You’d what?” Martin said, sitting up to tap his pipe.
“It’s curious that he’s back in Lover’s Valley,” Elle interrupted, her voice thin and high with hope. “Do you suppose he was outside the store for a reason?”
“Like buying a dress? I shouldn’t think he was the shopping type,” Bess stated flatly.
“But what if he knew Crystal owned the Lover’s Valley Bridal Boutique? How could he not know? His parents would have told him. Any of his high school jock friends would have told him,” Elle said excitedly. “Anybody might have mentioned it.”
“Even if he’d decided to try to explain for the prom night that didn’t happen,” Martin cut in, “his words would fall on deaf ears, so we need not speculate on that. Far better for us to concentrate on how we’re going to get ourselves out of the doghouse with Crystal.”
“You’re right.” Bess nodded, though a glimmer of hope had been doused in her soul. “As unmotherly as this may sound, on the eve of my daughter’s thirtieth birthday, I would almost be willing to forgive Mitch if he…”
Elle’s blue eyes were huge behind her silver-rimmed spectacles perching on her delicate face. “If he what?”
Possibly she was abnormal. Certainly she didn’t wish her daughter any further pain. Quite the opposite! She wanted her to experience the joy of happily-ever-after.
Unfortunately, she and everybody else in this room knew that Mitch wasn’t the man to unlock her daughter from her self-imposed ivory tower. “Never mind,” she said sadly. “At least we’ve planned something special for Crystal.”
“We’ve never given her a surprise party before. It should be a lively occasion,” Elle said. “I expect to see Crystal smiling then. And maybe she’ll forgive us for the shock our meddling gave her today!”
Their hopeful smiles faded as they remembered the undisguised panic on Crystal’s face when Mitch had landed among them.
“Or maybe not,” Bess said.
Chapter Three
Mitch hadn’t known what to expect yesterday upon seeing Crystal. As he’d stood on the pavement, trying to gather his wits to go in and offer a long-overdue apology, he’d tried to imagine what she looked like. If she’d changed at all. How she’d come to open a wedding boutique when she’d dreamed of medical school.
He’d attended med school, and become a surgeon in Dallas. Anything that needed removing or suturing, he could fix with skill. Not broken hearts or shattered souls, his or anyone else’s. His work was the physical.
Crystal’s appeared to be the stuff of dreams.
Yet, she seemed to studiously avoid any pretense of the romantic herself. No one who had a hot date after work dressed like she did. Gone was the giggly girl who’d loved faded blue jeans and glittery fingernail polish.
The Crystal he’d just met was professional. Not about to let her hair down. Refined. He’d once thought her name suited her, because she glowed with an inner warmth that sent prisms of color dancing over the otherwise plain surfaces around her. In her mother’s house, there was a crystal chandelier that sunlight had touched in the afternoons as they sat in the parlor talking about nothing more than rainbow prisms and future dreams. Crystal had been warm and colorful, like those prisms.
Now she was beautiful and icy and without color. Crystal without light.
He fully remembered how much fire she’d once possessed. He wanted a chance to warm her again.
But he was not in a position right now to even dream of warming Crystal. He had troubles of his own right now—which was why he was taking a breather here in Lover’s Valley.
Mitch swallowed, grabbing at the invitation that sat before him on the table at his parents’ home, where he was staying a few nights as he tried to sort out a family dilemma. His parents lived across the street from the home where Crystal had grown up. She no longer lived there, of course, but Martin, Bess and Elle would never give up the family seat. It was a stately two-story white building, with columns out front that spoke of Southern gentility. People in Lover’s Valley wondered why two sisters and a brother still held on to a house that was too big for them to keep up and that would bring them a pile of money should they decide to sell. Real estate in this neighborhood had skyrocketed, due to the wonderful architecture and enormous lots.
When his family moved into town his senior year, he’d fallen immediately head over heels for the girl across the street. She was always in motion, having girlfriends over and boys pick her up in their cars.
He’d decided right then and there that location was everything, and he was in a prime position to win Crystal’s heart. He had, the same way he helped the football team or the debate team win, using his determination and his charm to win, convince and score.
She’d been so much more than a score. His lips pressed together tightly as he remembered the way moving into her tight body had felt. Heaven and hell all at once. Pain and pleasure in agonizing extremes. The most beautiful thing he’d ever experienced in his life.
To this day he treasured their fumbling, tender joining.
This invitation to Crystal’s party tonight, which had his parents’ names on it, would not include him. Mitch knew that too well. Bess would think it rude to hold a party in her house without inviting his parents. All the parked cars and noise in front of their houses would strain a relationship everyone was eager to keep as neighborly as possible. Their families had remained cautious friends, mostly because no one knew of the night of passion Crystal and Mitch had shared.
His name was not on the invitation, because no one had expected him to be in Lover’s Valley. Even if they had, he would have only been invited because of Bess’s good manners. It was a surprise party, and the worst possible surprise he could give Crystal was to show up on her birthday.
Still, he could send a small token of the esteem in which he’d always held her.
BESS, ELLE AND MARTIN could hardly sit still as they waited for Crystal to arrive. After she was safely in their care, Martin would spirit her off on a convenient “errand,” which would take up thirty minutes. This would give the guests time to be greeted and then hidden in the decorated great room. When Crystal and Martin returned, wouldn’t she have a nice surprise waiting for her?
Tonight, everything was going to go smooth as velvet. “I’m edgy,” Bess announced, as if her brother and sister couldn’t tell by her pacing.
“I just hope Crystal shows up.” Elle fretted, patting her hair as she stared into a sideboard mirror. “I worry about her deciding to work late or some other foolishness.”
“Since she may be slightly put out with us from yesterday, perhaps I should call down to the shop,” Martin suggested.
“Maybe so.” Bess peered out the upstairs window at the street. “Call her, Martin. Make sure she hasn’t forgotten that we invited her over for a ‘family birthday dinner.”’
They shared a nervous glance.
“I believe I will. No reason to leave anything to chance, or to Crystal’s work ethics.” Martin went to the rotary phone that sat atop an old rolltop desk in the hallway. He dialed the number swiftly, then listened for a few moments. “She’s not picking up. Maybe she’s gone home to feed her pet menagerie before coming over.”
“You don’t think they’ll bring him, do you?” Elle murmured from her place at the window. Without realizing it, she’d been staring at the McStern place ever since they’d gone upstairs to keep their vision trained on the street for Crystal’s appearance.
“I should think not!” Bess stated. “It would be impolite to do that to Crystal on her birthday. Besides, I doubt he would want to come. I’m sure they had very little to say to each other yesterday. And why should he invite himself tonight when he didn’t bother to show up for the big night?”
“I don’t know.” Elle sighed, shaking her head. “It worries me that Crystal may believe we knew Mitch was staying at his folks and told him to pay her a call at the shop.”
Bess straightened, as if a two-by-four had gone up the back of her dress. “I may be a nosy neighbor, I may be a bit of a well-meaning busybody, but I would never hurt my daughter. Surely she knows that.”
“We were pretty overbearing in her shop,” Elle reminded her, “as we primed the pump for tonight so she’d give extra consideration to all the handsome, eligible men we invited.”
“Yes, but we never suspected…you’re right,” Bess said suddenly. “Maybe that’s why she’s not here. She’s angry with us because she thinks we set her up by sending Mitch down there.”
“Well, she has every right to be.” Martin put the phone down and took a seat on a cushioned chair in the hallway. “Crystal most probably suspects we were matchmaking. Which we were, just not with our neighbor in mind. We had no way of knowing he’d be in town, and even if we had known…”
He trailed off. Bess thought that was a minor dilemma they’d been spared. “Oh, dear, what a quandary!” She paced for a moment before snapping her fingers. “If Mitch shows up tonight, which would be the height of ill manners, we will endeavor to keep them apart. There are enough rooms in this house to achieve that.”
Elle nodded. “That way she’ll know we weren’t trying to run her life. Uh, aren’t trying to run her life.”
“Exactly,” Bess agreed.
The doorbell rang, and the three shot downstairs. Bess couldn’t see anyone through the panes of the front door, so she cautiously opened it.
Outside, a small neighborhood boy staggered under the cumbersome girth of an enormous garden bouquet of salmon-and-white garden roses. Bess recognized the child and relieved him of the burden. “How lovely!”
Martin plucked the note from the roses. “It’s addressed to Crystal.”
Elle chucked the little boy under the chin. “Thank you, honey. Are you a secret admirer of Crystal’s?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
“No. He is,” the child said, pointing across the street at Mitch’s home before speeding off.
The threesome gaped at one another.
“I don’t think this bodes well. Crystal’s definitely going to think we’re up to something,” Bess warned.
“I’d read the note, but I think that comes under the heading of spying or snooping, something I’m not ready to stoop to,” Martin said, replacing the note in the roses.
“Oh, dear,” Elle moaned. “Wouldn’t he just complicate things for us on Crystal’s second big night? The night we’re planning to relaunch her into the dating stream?”
“No need to upset her.” Bess swept the flowers into the kitchen, putting them in a vase and burying the card among the stems. “We’ll tell her about the flowers after the party.”
They went into the front dining room to survey the hors d’oeuvres they’d labored over. The tablecloth shone white and lacy under the light. Peach candles glowed in tall silver holders. “I wish she’d come on,” Bess grumbled. “I want Martin to run her off on the ‘errand’ before the guests arrive.” All the tension of the evening was beginning to build in her muscles and in the back of her neck. She didn’t want anything to spoil the surprise for Crystal. This should be a night of happiness for my daughter.
“I’ll try her house again,” Martin said. “And the shop.”
“You need not bother. It’ll be a few more minutes before she gets here,” Elle said suddenly, letting the lace panel of the drape fall back into place. “She just went into Mitch’s house.”
CRYSTAL HAD TO FORCE herself to move past Mitch into the hallway. Her heart beat quickly, enough to make her feel even more nervous than she already was. He stared at her with curious eyes, and every instinct screamed that she’d made a mistake in coming. “I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday,” she said, her tone crisp to cover her discomfort. “Not that I appreciate the joke that was played on me, of course. But I overreacted to something that was, after all, only a joke.”
His eyes widened. “I didn’t play a joke on you, Crystal. And I certainly understood your reaction. Actually, I was quite stunned to be jerked inside your store.”
“It’s hard to believe you,” she murmured. “My trio of loving family members had just been stating their feelings about my unwed status. And then, presto! Available high school boyfriend appears, like a canned man. Instant relationship. Or at least I suppose they’d hoped it would be.”
“I’m not available,” he corrected her, “nor would I be a candidate for a canned man, as you put it.”
Her lips parted just a fraction, though she caught herself before her mouth fell completely open. “Not available! I haven’t heard anything about you being married.” Then she blushed, because she had as much admitted she’d been keeping an ear attuned to his bachelor status.
“Oh, you mean available as in unmarried!” he exclaimed, as if he hadn’t known all along that was what she’d meant. A twinkle gleamed in his eyes. “Since you’re inquiring, actually, I am currently unattached.”
“I was not inquiring,” Crystal said, her feathers totally ruffled. “It makes no difference to me at all. I’m a very happy single woman, and I couldn’t care less about any man!”
“Ooh, that sounds angry.” He pulled her by the hand into the sitting room. “Care to talk to me about it?”
“No!” Jerking her hand out of his, she glared at him.
He appeared nonplussed. “Oh. I just thought maybe you had some issues with men you’d like to talk about.”
“I wouldn’t discuss them with you, even if I did have men issues, which I most certainly do not!”
“Well, clearly something’s going on, if your family is jerking strange men off the street to go out with you.” He sucked his teeth in a “poor Crystal” emphasis as he shook his head. “Think of me as your big brother, ready to counsel you.”
If Crystal could have steamed, she would have. “The last person I would ever want to help me with any psychological trauma is you. You are no big brother figure in my life, Mitch McStern!”
“I see it now,” he murmured.
“See what?” she demanded, cursing herself for falling for his ploy.
“That fire you used to have. Ah, Crystal, I thought you’d lost your shine for good. All you needed was a little heat, and the radiance is reflecting right back off your transparent heart.”
He pulled her into his arms, giving her a kiss that was guaranteed to melt any remaining ice she might have possessed. Crystal struggled at first, outraged, before slowly allowing herself to give in to the memories. He still kissed the same, wonderfully gentle and deep, taking his time with her. She was special in his arms. He had the power to make her feel that way. If he was heat to her ice, she was liquid water now, flowing smooth and wet.
She gasped when he pulled away from her. His hand swooshed a fast smack to her fanny, and she jumped away from him as if lightning had zapped her. “Oh!”
“A kiss for good luck, and a spanking to grow on. Happy birthday, Crystal.”
“How dare you?” He stood looking at her smugly, and Crystal wanted to smack him upside the head with a sofa cushion.
The phone rang, startling both of them. She whirled to leave.
“Uh-uh,” he said, grabbing hold of her wrist. “No running off in a huff or the previously offered apology is moot.”
“I’m not apologizing for being angry now!” Crystal tried to loosen her wrist but she couldn’t. His grip was strong, and his grin was huge. He was toying with her!
He reached to answer the phone, and she considered sending a fast kick to his ankle. But he shook his head at her, warning her in case she made that mistake. The way things were going, they’d end up on the floor in a wrestling match, and that would do no good for the little composure she had left.
“Elle? How are you doing? I haven’t seen you, well, since yesterday, I guess. I would have liked to spend more time with you and Martin and Bess,” he said, catching Crystal’s complete attention. “Everything happened so fast. Maybe next time we can visit longer. Why, yes, she is here,” he practically crooned, enraging Crystal totally. “We were just remembering the good old days.”
Wildly, Crystal tugged at her wrist, determined to get away from him. Without seeming to pay her much attention, he drew her against him, holding her tightly against his side.
“Sure. I can do that. You, too, Elle.”
He hung up the phone and grinned at her.
“They’re expecting me. Let go of me,” Crystal commanded.
“I can’t. They said they can’t meet with you for another thirty minutes, and would I mind keeping you occupied in the meantime. I said I was more than happy to do so.”
“I don’t need to be kept occupied!”
“Your aunt Elle said you did. And I’m delighted to do my neighborly duty.” He ran a finger along the side of her face, brushing back the wisps of hair that now escaped the dangerously loose knot.
Traitorous chills raced through her veins. “Mitch, let me sit on the sofa. I don’t want to be this close to you.”
He let go of her. “Methinks you protest too much, but that’s okay. You always had a hard head. Let’s sit down and chat about our schoolmates.”
“I don’t want to make idle conversation.” Her heart was still hammering from their kiss. How could he act so nonchalant about it? No one had ever kissed her the way he did. Sadness overwhelmed her. The truth was, she did want a man—the right man for her! How could she ever find him when he had to compete with what Mitch could do to her with a simple kiss?
“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport.” He patted the leather sofa where he’d taken a seat. “You’re safe with me. Your aunt asked me to keep you company for a few minutes while they finish cooking something. You can stay here without losing your cool.”
Her temper began to rise again. “I believe you grabbed me, not the other way around.”
“Well, a guy should remember his ex-girlfriend’s birthday, or he wasn’t much to start with, right? I like to think I have some romantic qualities.”
