Normally, she would have refrained from this whole evening, but she knew as soon as the wedding was over that he’d be flying back to New York—far away from her. And this whole experience would be just like a summer afternoon dream.
The car pulled to a stop, and the driver opened her door. She turned back to Andrew to thank him, but she found he had already exited the vehicle.
He met Clara on the sidewalk. Side-by-side they made their way to the front door of her apartment building. He stopped and turned to her.
Taking both of her hands into his own, he said, “Tonight was more than I had ever hoped for—more than I deserved. Thank you for giving me a second chance.”
His thumbs stroked the back of her hands, causing her heart to launch into her throat. Was this a second chance? But for what? Their romance? Their friendship? Or a little of both?
Before she could string words together and form a sentence, Andrew leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Oh, this definitely felt like so much more than friendship. She knew she should be cautious because he’d already broken her heart once, but as his mouth moved over hers, she was having a hard time thinking. The only thing she knew was that she’d missed this—she’d missed him.
And then much too soon, he pulled away. “Goodnight, Clara.”
It took a moment for her to gather her senses. By then Andrew was on the sidewalk. Not debating the right or wrong of it, she called out to him. “Andrew, wait.”
He paused and turned. “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “I just wanted to know if you’d like to come up to my place for some coffee.”
“It’s tempting but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Since when was he one to think about what was good or safe? He’d always enjoyed pushing boundaries. Maybe it was the exhilaration of playing cards, or the sugar rush from the banana flambe, or perhaps it was the thoughtful way Andrew had treated her. Whatever it was, her defenses had come tumbling down that evening. She wanted to push boundaries and explore the unknown. Tonight, she wasn’t about to take no for an answer.
“I have some pictures you might be interested in.”
Andrew arched a brow as he approached her. “Pictures of what?”
“My brother’s wedding. I was hoping I’d see you there.”
Andrew shrugged. “William sent me an invitation, but I didn’t feel right about going, not after what happened between you and me.”
“Nobody held it against you.”
Andrew arched a dark brow in disbelief. “I’m sure they did—they probably still do. Especially your father.”
Clara shrugged away the mention of her father, not wanting to ruin the moment. “It was no big deal.”
“Really? Because I know you thought it was a very big deal, and I’d be willing to bet your family thought the same thing.”
True enough. She glanced away. “I don’t talk to any of my family much these days.” The past and her hurt feelings came tumbling out. “After things between us, well, after they ended, my father looked at me and said, ‘I told you so.’ It was so cold, so…”
“Hurtful?” When she nodded, he continued. “I’m so sorry I caused you so much pain. That was never my intention.”
“You have no responsibility for what my father said. That’s totally on him. And so I had to get as far away as I could so I didn’t say something I’d regret.”
“San Francisco is a long way from DC.”
She nodded. “It is.”
“But you decided to return for your brother’s wedding?”
“Of course.” She hadn’t rejected her family. Her father had rejected her. “In fact, I was surprised when the invitation arrived. I knew it had to be my mother’s doing. My brother wouldn’t cross my father, but my mother is forever trying to be the peacemaker.”
Sympathy reflected in his eyes. “Do you think you and your father will ever patch things up?”
“I hope so.” She didn’t want to dwell on the subject and let it ruin the evening. “Enough about me and my family. Come inside and see the photos.” She tugged on his arm, but he didn’t budge. She had one last idea. “And I have pictures of William’s new baby—”
“Baby?” Andrew’s eyes lit up. “Wow. I have missed a lot.”