make of it.” Alex had said that exact same thing to me. She tossed her leftovers and handed the plate to the dishwasher. “But I can tell you this: You will never find another man that would love you the way Alex would.”
“Riddle me this. If you’re so smart, why are you hanging out with Kyle? He’s a scumbag.” I looked over at her as we walked.
“Oh, I know.” She shrugged. “I know exactly what he’s after, but when it’s just us, we have fun. I might understand how the world works, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to just be a little wild.”
“Be careful there. The lines become blurry when we’re living it.”
“I will.” Her blithe answer did nothing to make me feel like I had gotten through to her. Kyle was dangerous and I’d hate to see some of her sweetness smothered by the scars he would leave on her heart. “You leave tomorrow?”
“Yep. Bright and early. I think we’re driving.” I shrugged. “Chadwick already packed up my clothes and sent them to the house.”
“You’ll love it out there. Lots of trees and quiet.”
“I’ve seen some pictures online, but I’m really looking forward to being there in person.” I stopped near my bedroom door.
“Alex is going, too?”
“Yes.” I took a deep breath. I hadn’t seen him since our trip to the bookstore. It felt like ages and I was eager but also nervous to see him again.
“Lighten up, Sam.” She pushed my shoulder. “I expect an invitation to dinner soon.”
“Pizza party at my place.”
“Sounds perfect.” She hugged me quickly. “I’ve got to run.”
“See you soon.”
I spent the rest of the afternoon going through my e-mails. I was almost through with the list of unread messages when a new one popped in. When I saw the return address I grinned. It was from Bert, probably telling me about something silly Jess had done. I clicked on the icon and almost screamed when I saw the attached pictures.
From: BERT
To: "Sam Rousseau"
Subject: Important Question!!
Sam,
I was going to ask you to come with me to look, but since you’re all the way in Lilaria I’m sending you pictures. She’ll kick my ass if I pick the wrong one. What do you think?
Bert
I looked over the picture of rings and chewed on my lip. I was so happy for Jess, but also sad that I wouldn’t be there to listen to her squealing. I looked over the choices carefully, trying to pick out what Jess would and wouldn’t like. I debated for a minute over a couple of settings before responding.
From: Sam Rousseau
To: "BERT"
Subject: RE: Important Question!!
Bert,
It has to be the round-cut; they have the most facets so sparkle the most. And we know how much Jess loves to sparkle!
Congrats! Really happy for you guys.
Sam
I hit the send button and sat there staring at my computer monitor. I wasn’t there, but I had still been able to help Bert. I sent a quick e-mail to Dad with pictures I had snapped with my phone. Looking through the snapshots made me realize how much of the city I had seen. Cathy was right. I needed to stop focusing on the parts that made me miserable and enjoy the good things that came with this new life.
I decided to relax the rest of the night. Chadwick was so busy he hadn’t scheduled me anything after lunch. It was like coming home and having no homework. I made use of the big tub and finished the book I had started on the plane. In fact, I was so engrossed in the book that the water chilled and I had to get out. It was the most peaceful night I had spent in Lilaria and I was grateful for it. I had needed to recharge my batteries. I felt like I had been handing out little pieces of myself to everyone I met and took pictures with. After a while I had begun to feel like a shell of the person I was and having the night off was working wonders.
I fell asleep with the e-reader on my chest and didn’t move the entire night.
Chapter Twenty-Four
America’s Duchess Finally Goes Home
—California Travel Agents’ Association
The next morning was a blur of activity. For the first time since I met Chadwick, he looked flustered. I dutifully wore the dress he had left in my closet and checked the guest room for anything I might have accidently left behind. I packed up my laptop and stuck my e-reader in