flight. Or would it?” Marianne laughed as an idea came to her. “You could stay just a little longer…” She laughed as she pitched the idea to Katy.
Katy laughed. “Yes, I could, but I won’t. I’ll go home as planned. Ryan said he would call. I’m not going to chase him. He knows how I feel.”
Marianne thought that Katy was just a little too strong for her own good. She had always helped everyone else but did not want to accept help. Marianne hugged her friend at the gate and watched her walk toward the plane. She waited by the window until the plane had taken off and waved to her friend in the air. “Be safe, my friend.” She turned and walked to the parking garage. As she drove home to McKinney, she wondered what would be waiting for her at home. She was still angry with Jon for not telling her about the Jennifer incident, but in the grand scheme of things, was it worth staying angry? Why waste a precious minute? After seeing what Angie and Michael had gone through, and now Katy and Ryan, was it really worth it? As she rounded the corner on her street and pulled into the driveway, the front door opened. Her husband stood in the doorway, smiling welcomingly.
“Welcome back. I’ve made you a scrumptious lunch. Thought we could eat on the patio. We have the house all to ourselves for the rest of the weekend. Jordan is camping with friends.”
With tears in her eyes, Marianne walked into the house with her dashing doctor husband to begin the process of repairing a damaged relationship.
Meanwhile, at ‘Chloe’s Place,’ Ryan sat at one of the tables in the private dining room with a mug of strong, black steaming coffee in front of him. He was staring at the wall. Chloe walked in and sat down across from him.
“This is where I spent my last happy time with her, Chloe.”
“I know, Ryan, but you can have more happy times. Just wait and see.”
“Her plane took off a little while ago. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her goodbye.”
“Y’all need to call her soon about coming back down to work on the designs. That will give you the excuse you need to talk to her.”
“I will, but not just yet. Chloe, I really love her.” He looked at his sister-in-law with sadness in his eyes.
“I know, Sweetie, and for what it’s worth, I think she loves you too. You just need to work through all of the unresolved feelings of guilt you’ve been harboring for all these years.”
The handsome Irishman sighed as he took a drink of his coffee. “Katy, my love, I am so sorry, but I am afraid we can never be.” He spoke under his breath as his sister-in-law left the room quietly.
He picked up his cell phone and dialed Katy’s number. He left her a voice mail telling her that he hoped she had a good flight and he would be in touch with her soon about working on the expansion. He said nothing more.
When Katy arrived home, she dropped her luggage in the foyer, kicked off her shoes and checked her messages. Ryan had called. She held her breath as she listened to his message. It was brief and to the point, with no emotion whatsoever.
“I will not give up on us,” she said aloud as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Our story was written in the stars ten years ago, before we ever met. And it is a love that will not be denied. I am sure of it.”
CHAPTER 27
The next few weeks flew by in a flurry for Katy. She prepared her work for Angie to review, had gotten sample swatches, a color wheel for paint shades and felt more than ready for her meeting with her friend and client. The ideas had flowed and she had really thrown herself into her work. She would be driving from Chicago to Davenport and staying in Angie’s hotel for the meeting. She had met with her attorney to consult with him on setting up the business and he had supported her wholeheartedly in her venture.
Alex had been home for a weekend. He felt sad for his mother. Even though she put on a brave front with the excitement of her new career, he could tell she was missing something in her life. And he had a good guess that it was the man she had met in Texas.