A Reunion And A Ring (Proposals & Promises 1)

He disconnected before she could respond, though she didn’t know what she’d have said. Why had she not noticed before how empty the words sounded from him?

She was ready an hour early, dressed in a tasteful black, knee-length dress with an unexpected pop of hot pink in glimpses of lining at the swirling hem. The dress came from her boutique, as she would be sure to tell anyone who complimented her.

Thad wore an apologetic smile when she opened her door to him. Despite his hectic hours of travel, he was impeccably groomed, as always.

“I’m so sorry to rush you this way, Jenny,” he said, brushing a careful kiss close to her mouth so as not to smudge her lipstick. “You look beautiful, as you always do. Did you have dinner?”

She hadn’t been able to eat a bite, but she merely nodded. “I’m fine, thanks. And again, the delays weren’t your fault.”

“We should go, then.”

She buckled herself into the soft leather seat of his sports car while he rounded the hood after closing her door for her. Climbing behind the wheel, he shot her a smile as he started the powerful engine. “We’ll have a good time tonight, I’m sure. We’ve gotten off to a harried start because of the inefficiency of modern air travel. I’m thinking about investing in a private jet, perhaps shared with a couple of partners. Some of my associates do that, and it’s so much more convenient for them.”

“I can see where it would be.”

Private jets, she thought with a tiny shake of her head. She rarely even traveled first class.

He didn’t speed as he drove them toward downtown, but he hovered right at the limit. “You have to admit it will be easier after we’re married when we have only one home from which to operate. No more hasty pickups and drop-offs. Won’t that be better?”

She almost bit her lip, but remembered at the last moment to guard her makeup. Instead, she looked out the window at the familiar landscape they passed. Though she sensed Thad glancing her way, probably wondering what was going on with her tonight, he seemed to understand this wasn’t the time or the place to ask.

A small crowd of student-age demonstrators carrying signs and chanting circled outside the hotel entrance, blocking traffic and generally causing a disruption. Jenny saw several uniformed police officers trying to corral the group off the street, but it looked as though they were trying to herd cats. Defiant cats.

Thad pulled into the portico, where a slightly harried parking valet hurried to open the door and take the keys. Someone snapped a photo using a bright flash as Thad helped Jenny out of the car. Local press covering the event, most likely. Thad would have been instantly recognized. She could already imagine the cutline: Prominent Attorney Thad Simonson and Guest.

Shouts broke out from the street an

d she turned curiously, as did Thad and everyone else waiting to enter the fund-raiser. Some of the protesters had turned violent in their resistance to being restrained. Fists flew as more uniformed officers converged on the scene. One particularly large demonstrator threw a hard punch, sending an officer flying backward to land with a grunt of pain on the street only a couple feet from where Jenny stood.

Instinctively she took a step forward, thinking she recognized something about the man in the uniform, her heart skipping a beat in dread. It started again with a jolt when he climbed angrily to his feet and she realized it wasn’t Gavin. Of course it wasn’t. He hadn’t even returned to work yet, she thought with an exasperated shake of her head.

Thad followed her gaze, then gave her a searching look. “Someone you know?”

She shook her head. “No.”

An ambitious public defender Jenny had met a couple times before, and disliked considerably, glared at the melee and motioned dramatically to her companions as they waited impatiently to be admitted to the high-security event. “That’ll just get the other uniforms riled up,” she said with a long-suffering sigh. “They’ll be breaking out the riot gear. I certainly hope they don’t resort to excessive force just because a few protestors get out of hand. We’ve all seen how cops can behave.”

Jenny spun on one heel to face the woman, incensed on behalf of the officers who were already succeeding in calming the scene, though several angry youths were being led away in restraints. “Protecting us, you mean? Getting punched in the face so that we can go into our thousand-dollar-a-plate gala without being harassed by people who are obviously unhappy about something? Helping women and children in distress, protecting property, keeping criminals off the streets?”

She realized belatedly that her disdainful comments would not be appreciated by this conservative crowd of politicos who at least gave lip service to supporting men and women in uniform.

The other woman gave a quick, strained laugh and apologized insincerely. “I guess I didn’t word that very well. I certainly wasn’t casting a bad light on all officers, merely expressing concern that this protest doesn’t get out of hand on either side. Oh, look, the line’s finally moving. We should go inside.”

A little embarrassed now by her own vehemence, Jenny looked apologetically at Thad as he rested a hand on her back to accompany her inside. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”

He chuckled. “Far be it from me to criticize you for taking a stand on a subject that’s important to you. You’ve heard me get wound up over a few issues myself, right? I can’t consider going into politics without being aware that I’ll be called on frequently to defend my beliefs.”

He was such a nice guy, she thought wistfully. A great catch, as her grandmother had insisted so often. And yet...his hand on her back didn’t make her pulse race or her hands tremble. She wasn’t in love with him—not in the way her mother had described loving her dad, or the way Jenny had loved Gavin all those years ago. The way she still loved him now.

Both men had strong convictions and noble causes. But only one of them held a permanent place in her heart. Now if only she could find the courage to open that wary heart to him, despite the risks of loving without reservation.

Fortunately, they weren’t required to stay long at the fund-raiser. Satisfied to have made an appearance, and connections, Thad made excuses early, blaming weariness from travel and early appointments the next day. He offered to take her someplace for a late dinner after they made their escape, but Jenny politely declined. They made the drive back to her place in near silence.

No one had ever accused Thad of being oblivious. He waited only until they were inside her apartment before asking quietly, “You’ve made your decision, haven’t you? About my proposal, I mean.”

She moistened her lips. “I have.”

He nodded in resignation. “You’re turning me down.”