Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,73

You really turned me around, little lady.”

Katy giggled at the thought of being compared to a tornado. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

“Oh, you bet it is. If we intend to pursue this thing, though, and see where it leads us, we are going to have to discuss the distance factor, you know.”

She looked into his eyes and began to speak again. “But we need to talk about something else first.”

He smiled down at her.

“Have it all figured out, don’t you?” He touched her cheek softly and leaned over to kiss her.

She responded to his kiss again, not wanting it to end. But end it must, so she pulled away and tried to speak again.

“Ryan, there is something else I have to tell you. This is very serious and I have been debating how to tell you ever since we had dinner the other night. Do you remember our conversation about Marnie and the accident?”

He sighed as he said, “Yes, I do, but why do we have to ruin tonight by bringing her up? I thought the other night was the end of that subject.”

“I had hoped that it would be the end of that subject, but something you said that night absolutely stunned me. I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say at the time, but I have given it a lot of thought, and you have to know.”

“What in the world are you trying to tell me, Katy?” Ryan asked, a puzzled look on his face.

She took a deep breath and finally spoke the words that she did not want to say. The words that would end her newfound relationship with the first man she had met in ten years that was worth getting to know.

“Ryan, remember when you told me how you’d tried to locate the widow of the driver of the other car, but you decided against it?”

“Yes… Oh, my God, Katy, I forgot… He lived in Chicago… Did you know them?” Realization was slowly beginning to dawn.

“Ryan, this is so hard for me… My given name is Kathryn… Katy is a nickname.” There, I’ve said it.

Ryan was silent for several minutes. He rose from the couch and ran his hand through his hair. He turned to look at Katy crying on the couch and gasped, “It’s you?”

She nodded silently, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“Ryan, it’s all right.”

“No. How can it ever be all right? My devious, cheating wife and her lover were in the car that crossed the center line and killed your beloved husband and your precious little girl. How can that ever be all right? How can you even stand to be in the same city with me, let alone start a relationship with me?” Ryan asked angrily, hating himself for being a reminder to her of what she had lost.

“It’s not your fault, Ryan. You had nothing to do with the accident. I don’t blame you in any way. Please believe me. I had no qualms about starting a relationship with you. I wanted to spend time with you, get to know you, see where this leads us. But what we thought was love at first sight may have been nature’s way of getting us together so that both of us could have closure with the past. I just don’t know what to think.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. Ryan reached over to wipe it away and kissed the spot where it had rolled.

“But, can you say that in time, you wouldn’t grow to resent me, Katy, darling? And what about your son, surely he would resent me?” he asked gently. “You may be right. We may have been meant to meet and that was all. We were meant to be friends and to work together. Maybe that was all it was. We could be misreading the signs.”

“Ryan, I really thought I was falling in love with you. You asked me if I believed in love at first sight. Well, I never did, but after meeting you, I did. There was something about you the first time my eyes met yours. How can that not mean something? How can I feel the way I do when you kiss me if it doesn’t mean anything? I’m so confused.”

“What about your son? What will he say when he finds out who I am?”

“He knows, Ryan. He feels the same way I do. It’s not your fault. He wants to meet the man who’s turned my head after