Her fine brows drew together. “You knew I’d be here? But how?”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
When he’d flown to California, his first stop had been to visit his half-brother, Hugh, in hopes of mending some fences. It was only then that he’d learned of Hugh’s upcoming wedding. And much to Andrew’s surprise, his brother had asked him to be his best man. How could Andrew refuse? This was a real chance to create a relationship with his sibling where none had existed before.
It was then that Andrew had decided to recommend Clara’s wedding services. At the time, he thought it was a sign—an open doorway just waiting for him to step back into Clara’s life. Now, he wondered if it had just been a bunch of wishful thinking.
“Now isn’t a good time for me.” Clara glanced down at the stack of magazines in her arms. “Excuse me, I have to be going.”
She dashed past him and down the steps to the parking lot. He started after her, but his steps were slow and lumbered. It had taken him more than a year of surgeries and intensive therapy to get him this far. But he was on his way to being his old self, or rather a modest resemblance of the man he used to be.
After all he’d gone through to be there, he wasn’t about to let her get away so easily. “Clara, please wait.”
He ignored the searing pain in his leg as he hurried down the steps. By the time he reached the bottom step, his injured muscles were in total rebellion. It was all he could do to keep moving.
Clara crossed the parking lot, headed for a little pink convertible. He willed her to wait for him. Still, she kept moving. He sighed, knowing he’d never catch up to her.
“Clara.” He kept moving toward her. “Please.”
At last, she stopped next to the car. Her shoulders were held in a rigid line when she turned, waiting for him. “Why are you here now? Do you know how long I waited for you to come to your senses after our wedding fell apart? But you didn’t. No visit. No phone call. No nothing.”
The warm day suddenly grew chilly. “I thought about it. Honestly, I did.”
“But you were too busy with work, weren’t you?”
He glanced down at the pavement. “It was easier to work than to think about what had happened with us.”
He deserved her anger, but he still hoped they could work their way past the pain and at least make peace between them. “I know things between us ended badly, but I’m here now. Can we make a fresh start?”
Her eyes momentarily widened as though she’d realized she’d forgotten her well-groomed manners. The tip of her tongue moistened her pink glossy lips. “I’m sorry. You just caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
He approached her. “I understand. How are you, really? A lot of time has passed.” When her brows arched and her eyes reflected her disbelief, he added, “Am I not allowed to be curious? Until the end, we’d been able to talk to each other about anything. I remember—”
She shook her head. “Don’t do that. Don’t meander any further down memory lane. I don’t want to remember.” Her voice brooked no argument. She turned her back to him as she placed an armload of magazines on her car seat.
He knew if they were to get past their breakup, they’d have to hash out some of the past. But she was right; now wasn’t the time to push the subject. “Am I at least allowed to know how you’re getting on?”
She turned back to him. “I’m great. I have my own wedding planning business here in San Francisco. It’s really taking off, and now that I’m getting some well-known clients, the sky’s the limit.”
“I’m happy for you. I always knew you could achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
She glanced away. “Not everyone would agree with you.”
He knew she was referring to her father. Andrew would guess her father was none too happy about Clara’s move to the West Coast or her intention to stick with her wedding-planning business.
She glanced at a delicate wristwatch with gold trim that was more like a fancy bracelet. “I should be going. I have a meeting soon.”
The lines bracketing Clara’s expressive eyes and the shadows lurking beneath told him she was working herself too hard. Worry settled over him. What was driving her to work so hard? Was it her pursuit of success? Or something more?
Clara definitely wasn’t the same person he’d once known. Funnily enough, she used to be the one trying to persuade him to lighten up on his workload. He’d always brushed off her concerns, assuring her that he would one day, when things slowed down and he was more established.
In the end, he’d never slowed down. He’d missed all of those opportunities to make happy memories with Clara. And when the accident forced him to slow down, he found himself all alone. He didn’t want to see Clara follow in his footsteps and have to learn that life lesson the hard way.
What was he thinking?
Clara could see the wheels in his mind turn. She pressed her lips together, holding back her string of questions. The truth of the matter was that she wanted to know everything about what had happened to him since they’d been apart. What had caused the scar on his jaw—no, it was none of her business.
It was best to make a hasty exit. She opened the car door. Nothing good would come of visiting the past. And though it was just as easy to walk to Mabel’s house next door, driving there would put a distinct end to this very uncomfortable reunion.