she admitted with a wan smile. “The question is, where do I go from here? I’m not kidding myself that Cal will ever want to marry me. He and I move in different circles, and he’s told me himself that the thought of having another child terrifies him. He doesn’t even want a commitment. He told me so.” Her eyes clouded. “He hasn’t even called me.”
“You said he was going to be up to his ears in meetings,” Jenny reminded her.
She laughed bitterly. “And that shows you the place I occupy in his thoughts, doesn’t it? I’m not even as important as a board meeting. Do you know he walked out of a board meeting in the middle of a proxy fight to take his daughter to a birthday party?” she asked her aunt.
“It sounds like something he’d do,” Jenny replied, smiling. “And remember, he came quite a long way to spend a day with you.”
“But that was before...” She turned away. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I don’t want to raise your hopes too high, my darling,” the older woman said gently. “But he had the look of a man deeply in love.”
Nikki sighed. “But, then, so did Ralley...once,” she reminded Jenny with a faint smile. And before the subject had the chance to come around again, she got Jenny off on recipes.
Friday finally came. Her birthday, and Nikki had been nervous all day, wondering if Cal would remember his promise to take her to New Orleans. Mike had given her the afternoon off, swearing that she was of no damn use in the office except for wearing ruts in his floor. Ralley had overheard the conversation, and Nikki had the oddest feeling that he was up to something. But of course, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to disrupt her plans again. She’d see to that.
Jenny had gone to visit friends, and Mike had to drive to Atlanta for a conference on an editing workshop he was helping with, so Nikki had the house to herself. In a way that was worse than having it full of people. She dressed in a two-piece white knit suit that showed her tan off to advantage and white strappy sandals. Then she paced the floor and bit her lip, eyeing the clock every few minutes and wondering.
Cal had said that they belonged to each other. But wasn’t that pretty much what a man said when he’d been with a woman for the first time? He hadn’t wanted the relationship to get that involved; he’d said so often enough. But he’d given in to his own hunger, and perhaps it was guilt that had caused his remarks. He’d been the first, and he knew it, and he was sometimes pretty old-fashioned in his outlook. He might be permissive, but he still harbored feelings of responsibility, and it wasn’t inconceivable that he could be that way about Nikki.
She stared at the clock again. It was only ten minutes until five. If he was coming, he’d be there on time. Cal was nothing if not punctual.
Only ten more minutes and she’d see him again. Maybe only five more minutes. Her heart quivered madly in her taut body. It seemed like years since she’d seen him, held him. Centuries! It didn’t matter if he didn’t love her, as long as she could be with him for even a few minutes, see him, touch him. Oh God, she loved him so!
A sound caught her attention and she froze in the middle of the room. It was a car coming up the driveway. It was Cal!
She ran for the door as the car pulled up at the steps and she peered blindly through the curtains, trying to see through the layers of gauzy fabric...
She gave up and opened the door just as a tall man bounded up the steps. Her heart sank. It was only Ralley.
“What are you doing here!” she burst out.
“I’ve got to pick up something for Mike—if you don’t mind,” he added sarcastically.
“Oh, all right, but will you please hurry?” she ground out, peering around him toward the deserted driveway.
He went into the study and ruffled through some papers on the desk. His narrowed eyes studied her quickly.
“Uh, it sure is hot out there,” he murmured, tossing her a brief glance. “Do you think I could have a small glass of wine—just to take off the top layer of heat?”
“Ralley...!”
“I know Mike keeps a bottle of port chilled.” He grinned. “Come on, Nikki, have pity on a poor,