the defensive. She’d driven him away.
Watching him sitting stiffly in the saddle, tears misted her eyes. They’d had such fun, enjoyed each other, particularly in bed. She’d started to think she’d finally met someone she could really care for, someone who might really care for her. She sniffed back the threat of tears. No. She hadn’t met the man of her dreams. It was clear now she just couldn’t hang onto a man. It was time to accept that fact.
* * *
Several hours and many tears later, Valentine sat in the back pew of the small Baptist church and watched the wedding party rehearse for tomorrow’s wedding. She had begged off attending the rehearsal dinner, claiming a bad headache. It had been a bad heartache in reality. She shouldn’t have come here either. It shouldn’t, but it hurt her to observe Shelby and see how radiant she looked, how happy.
Sitting all alone in the shadowy part of the sanctuary, memories of her own wedding day swamped her. Now that she thought about it, she realized she hadn’t been nearly so excited at the time. She couldn’t remember ever looking at Jonathan with the same obvious love in her eyes that Shelby looked at Dale with. Had she subconsciously sensed even then that their marriage was doomed? Had Jonathan felt as forced into going through with the wedding as she’d felt? They’d met via their parents and gotten along easily enough. Somehow they just kept seeing each other after the initial meeting, until finally they’d found themselves planning a wedding.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, trying to relieve the tension thrumming through her. Her head really did throb now. It might have helped if she’d eaten something since the ruined picnic and coming here. But her stomach was too upset to handle food. Her whole body was too upset to handle anything. Again, she wondered why she’d come here tonight. She didn’t want to put any kind of damper on Shelby’s happiness.
She was about to get up and leave when someone came and sat down beside her. Even before she opened her eyes she knew it wasn’t Sam. The scent was different, yet familiar.
Her heart raced even as she opened her eyes and gasped, “Jonathan!”
The handsome man—make that pretty man—she’d been married to for three years smiled gently. Why hadn’t she noticed how “pretty” he was before now?
“I didn’t mean to startle you, Val. But I saw you sitting here, saw how… I don’t know… stressed and sad you looked. Are you all right?” he asked.
Although his phone call the other day had upset her, now she was glad of his presence. Maybe she’d finally gotten over what she’d thought to be his betrayal of her. Because now all she saw was the man beyond his gender preference, the man she had once enjoyed talking with and going places with. They could talk for hours on so many subjects. They just hadn’t been able to have a romantic relationship, and now she knew why.
“My life is a mess. I’m a mess,” she admitted, blinking back tears. She really hated constantly being on the verge of crying. It was all Sam’s fault.
Jonathan scooted closer and settled an arm around her shoulders. She moved easily into his comforting embrace. “You know I never meant to hurt you, don’t you? I just… we just…”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m sorry for verbally going at you the other day. I’m really okay with what happened, with the divorce. And with you having a new relationship.” She smiled again. “You’re a good man, just not the man for me.”
She felt the tension leave his body. She glanced toward the front of the church where the wedding party was listening to directions from the minister. Sam looked in her direction, and then he frowned before turning abruptly away. The same aching disappointment she’d felt ever since he’d told her he was leaving tomorrow filled her.
“I don’t think there is a right man for me. In fact, I’m going to stop
Watching him sitting stiffly in the saddle, tears misted her eyes. They’d had such fun, enjoyed each other, particularly in bed. She’d started to think she’d finally met someone she could really care for, someone who might really care for her. She sniffed back the threat of tears. No. She hadn’t met the man of her dreams. It was clear now she just couldn’t hang onto a man. It was time to accept that fact.
* * *
Several hours and many tears later, Valentine sat in the back pew of the small Baptist church and watched the wedding party rehearse for tomorrow’s wedding. She had begged off attending the rehearsal dinner, claiming a bad headache. It had been a bad heartache in reality. She shouldn’t have come here either. It shouldn’t, but it hurt her to observe Shelby and see how radiant she looked, how happy.
Sitting all alone in the shadowy part of the sanctuary, memories of her own wedding day swamped her. Now that she thought about it, she realized she hadn’t been nearly so excited at the time. She couldn’t remember ever looking at Jonathan with the same obvious love in her eyes that Shelby looked at Dale with. Had she subconsciously sensed even then that their marriage was doomed? Had Jonathan felt as forced into going through with the wedding as she’d felt? They’d met via their parents and gotten along easily enough. Somehow they just kept seeing each other after the initial meeting, until finally they’d found themselves planning a wedding.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, trying to relieve the tension thrumming through her. Her head really did throb now. It might have helped if she’d eaten something since the ruined picnic and coming here. But her stomach was too upset to handle food. Her whole body was too upset to handle anything. Again, she wondered why she’d come here tonight. She didn’t want to put any kind of damper on Shelby’s happiness.
She was about to get up and leave when someone came and sat down beside her. Even before she opened her eyes she knew it wasn’t Sam. The scent was different, yet familiar.
Her heart raced even as she opened her eyes and gasped, “Jonathan!”
The handsome man—make that pretty man—she’d been married to for three years smiled gently. Why hadn’t she noticed how “pretty” he was before now?
“I didn’t mean to startle you, Val. But I saw you sitting here, saw how… I don’t know… stressed and sad you looked. Are you all right?” he asked.
Although his phone call the other day had upset her, now she was glad of his presence. Maybe she’d finally gotten over what she’d thought to be his betrayal of her. Because now all she saw was the man beyond his gender preference, the man she had once enjoyed talking with and going places with. They could talk for hours on so many subjects. They just hadn’t been able to have a romantic relationship, and now she knew why.
“My life is a mess. I’m a mess,” she admitted, blinking back tears. She really hated constantly being on the verge of crying. It was all Sam’s fault.
Jonathan scooted closer and settled an arm around her shoulders. She moved easily into his comforting embrace. “You know I never meant to hurt you, don’t you? I just… we just…”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m sorry for verbally going at you the other day. I’m really okay with what happened, with the divorce. And with you having a new relationship.” She smiled again. “You’re a good man, just not the man for me.”
She felt the tension leave his body. She glanced toward the front of the church where the wedding party was listening to directions from the minister. Sam looked in her direction, and then he frowned before turning abruptly away. The same aching disappointment she’d felt ever since he’d told her he was leaving tomorrow filled her.
“I don’t think there is a right man for me. In fact, I’m going to stop
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