“Aren’t I always?” I tease, hoping I’ve covered my tracks. It’s at this moment I register that my hand is still wrapped around Ryan’s biceps. There’s a layer of fabric between us, but it’s not difficult to feel the tension in his muscles and…
I snatch my hand back and dig in my purse for my keys.
“I’ll drive,” Ryan says. “You relax.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I got this.” He pulls his keys from his pocket and unlocks his car, then walks to the passenger side to hold open my door.
“Thank you, kind sir,” I say in a silly voice.
He bows and heads around the car. I wonder when Zach last opened the door for me. On our last date when he picked me up for the surprise party, he just texted from the car, and I let myself in. Maybe it’s just one of those things that comes from years of being together.
I watch Ryan walk to his side and wonder if he’s been this courteous to all the women he’s been dating. Who am I kidding? Of course he is. He’s a gentleman. And something about that, combined with my certainty that Grace was flirting with him, fills me with an irritation I don’t want to explore.
He slides into his seat and closes his door, and I ask, “How was your date this weekend?” Scratch that. I guess I do want to explore this irritation.
He turns his head to look at me, as if he’s studying my expression and trying to understand what the motivation behind my question is.Your guess is as good as mine, buddy.
“Not good,” he finally says. He starts the car and backs up, and I feel a strange sense of relief.
“I’m sure there’s always next time, right?” The words are bitter, but I say them anyway.
“Nah. I think I’m done trying.”
“Oh?” I can’t hide my surprise, but I try once more. “Grace was giving you ‘come hither’ eyes. You could always ask her out.”
Ryan laughs out loud. “That’s a new one. But, no. I’m done dating.”
“Why’s that?”
He pulls up to a red light and looks me straight in the eyes. “Because none of those women are the right one.”
I swallow hard under his intense gaze. “How would you know unless you try?”
“Trust me.” His blue eyes pierce mine, but I can’t look away. “I know.”
There’s meaning and emotion laced in his words. But I don’t read into them. Ican’tread into them. He can’t mean what I think he means. It’s just…Ryan being picky.
Right?
A horn blares behind us, breaking the moment, and Ryan just grins and waves an apology to the driver behind us for sitting too long after the light turned green.
And I fight the urge to fan myself.
CHAPTER 23
Ryan
I’mworried I’m coming on too strong. Claire and I had a really nice Pi Day lunch, where I asked her about her classes and what she’s doing for fun these days. Unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with wedding planning: flowers and venues and all those things I don’t want to hear about.
But now it’s time for pie, and we order our slices and wait semi-impatiently in the sticky red leather booth. The restaurant, Prudy’s Pies, isn’t the swankiest restaurant, but they offer free slices of pie on Pi Day. It’s completely packed, and I think the people around us have no idea what pi really means, but they’re all excited to get a sweet treat for free.
“So, about the dress,” Claire begins.
I was wondering if she was going to bring up the picture she sent me. The one that sent me down this spiral and led me to the place where I’m determined to fight for her. “Yeah, that dress was perfect. Did you buy it?”
She shakes her head and looks down at her hands. “I don’t know if it’s the one.” Her eyes find mine, and I wonder if she’s telling me the same thing I’ve been implying to her. That the dress is a metaphor for her relationship, and she doesn’t know if he’s the right one.
