Astoria. Renee was not registered there, either. He calmly thanked the person on the phone and disconnected.
“She lied to me,” Carter said out loud. Getting up, he returned to the window. He needed to explain to her why he’d left three years ago. He’d wanted to do it last night, but the moment he’d seen her he’d known she wasn’t ready to listen. So he’d tried to convince her to come back to Hampshire Publications. He wanted her there, and her job was open. When she’d been in charge, the magazine had led the industry. He knew she’d regain the share they’d lost, but she wasn’t interested. Carter wanted to try and change her mind, see her again, but she’d evaded him. And now he had to go out to the Island.
He thought about how she’d looked. She was still the tall, thin woman he remembered, but there was more confidence in her appearance. And she was even more beautiful than she’d been three years ago. Her hair was black and glossy. When a curl had escaped, he’d almost reached across the table and threaded his fingers through it. Yet she’d told him he was a stranger. She couldn’t know that she’d never be a stranger to him.
He was used to seeing models. Renee wasn’t a model, yet her body mirrored that of the best he’d ever seen. Her waist was thin and nipped in at just the right angle. Her hips curved to exactly match the contours of his hands. Carter’s fingers trembled at the thought of touching her again.
A horn sounded below. He checked the time. He had to go now or he’d never make the train. Leaving Renee another text message, he left the apartment and headed for Penn Station wondering why she wouldn’t take his calls and why she’d lied to him.
* * *
Renee sighed, one hand going to her breast as she studied the text message from Carter. He’d canceled their meeting. She wouldn’t have to see him. Her shoulders dropped and she frowned. He hadn’t said why.
Her morning meeting was over. It had been long and productive. To keep from being interrupted, she’d put her phone on silent. It had buzzed several times, but she’d ignored it. People who knew her knew she wasn’t the type who instantly answered every call. With her brides, it was better to give them a little time before they reached her. By then, their crisis had been reduced to a minor problem or it had been resolved.
With nothing else to do, Renee returned to the Weddings by Diana guesthouse. The place was warm and inviting; however, it was not a place where anyone cooked. Renee had planned to have lunch before meeting Carter, and now she was hungry.
Opening the refrigerator she found only water and soft drinks. A few nonperishables were in the cabinets.
Carter had only said that something had come up. It must have been important, she thought, as she closed the refrigerator, or maybe he’d come to his senses and realized she couldn’t be persuaded to return to Hampshire Publications.
She felt deflated. She’d worked herself up for another meeting with Carter, and he’d canceled it without a reason. This was just like three years ago when he’d left with no real reason. At least today he’d sent her a text. Squaring her shoulders, Renee made a decision.
She picked her phone up from the kitchen counter. Most of the people she knew in New York also knew Carter. She wouldn’t call any of them. And Blair was out of the question. Then she had an idea. She sent a text message to her cousin Dana and invited her to dinner.
Often the two cousins shared a meal while they Skyped, but Renee wished she could see Dana face-to-face.
When? Dana’s reply came almost immediately. Unlike Renee, Dana was always on her phone. If she hadn’t answered immediately Renee would’ve wondered if something was wrong.
Six o’clock, Renee texted. It didn’t take long for them to work out the details. Dana loved New York and said she’d come in from Connecticut and meet Renee at Grand Central Terminal.
She spent the afternoon catching up on email, then met Dana’s train at the station. Taking a taxi, they got out of the tourist district and went to an Italian restaurant Renee was familiar with.
Dana smiled. “What’s up?” She popped a fork full of lettuce into her mouth. They usually ordered salads and wine when they had these talks. But tonight Renee had ordered fettuccine Alfredo and a sangria.
“Not much,” Renee said. “We haven’t talked in a while. I thought it was time.”
The two had grown up together and were closer than sisters. Renee had a twin brother, and she loved him, but there were things that only another woman would understand.
“So,” Dana dragged the word out. A conspiratorial smile curled her lips. “Did you see Carter?”
Just like Dana to cut right to the heart. “You know, every time I come to New York you ask me that same question.”
“And you evade it.” Dana took another bite from her salad.
“I’m not here to see him.”
“That wasn’t my question,” Dana said.
“He wasn’t at the wedding.”
“Again, not my question. Which means you saw him.”
“Dinner, last night.”
“Dinner! Do tell. Give me the details.”
“No details. Well, one. He offered me a job.”
“Back at Hampshire Publications?”
Renee heard the wonder in her cousin’s voice. She took a moment to eat part of her fettuccine before nodding.
“What did you tell him?”
“That I was happy where I was.”
“Are you?”
“Dana,” Renee admonished.
Dana smiled slowly. “How does he look?”
“Good enough to eat.”
“Well?” Dana prompted.
Renee said nothing.
Dana poked her bottom lip out like a child who wasn’t getting her way.
“You can’t want me to get involved with him again. After how he broke up with me. And what a basket case I was then.”
Dana’s face became very serious. Renee wondered if she was remembering her fiancé. He was a Marine who died in an explosion in the Middle East. Since then Dana had been alone, but she loved setting up her friends.
Dana leaned forward and said, “You wouldn’t be getting involved again. Because you’ve never gotten over him.”
“That’s no reason to put myself in harm’s way. I’ve survived the last three years. I can get through the rest.”
“But what about when you move back to New York? You’ll be in the same city and in the same profession. It’s inevitable that you’ll run into each other.”
“So, we’ll run into each other sometimes.” Renee thought it couldn’t be any worse than the meeting last night. Then she’d been ambushed. Next time she’d be prepared for his possible appearance, even expecting it.
“You can handle that?”
“Sure I can.” Renee’s voice was strong, but she wasn’t that sure of herself. She’d been tested last night, and she’d survived. It had to get easier as time went by. But even though it had been three years, her heart had jumped into her throat when she’d seen him.
She would have to weather whatever came.
“I’ll be fine,” Renee told Dana. “Besides, in the next few months, I’ll be too busy to think of anyone. Getting a new venture off the ground is a day-and-night proposition.” Renee hadn’t mentioned it to Diana and Teddy, but she wanted to launch in six months.
Dana gave her a long look, then dropped her eyes. “What’s happening with the new