Somewhat wistful now, she concentrated on finishing the preparations for the party that would show James just how much his friends—including Shannon—cared about him.
James parked in the circular driveway in front of Dr. Henry Easton’s estate without a great deal of enthusiasm. To be honest, he wasn’t in the mood for socializing on this last Saturday evening in September. There had been a lot of social events during the past month and he wouldn’t have minded just crashing at home with a pizza and a good book that evening. Or better yet, spending a cozy, intimate evening with Shannon. He was too keenly aware of how little time remained for him to spend with Shannon before he had to leave for his away rotation.
But Anne’s parents had decided to throw an impromptu send-off party for all of her friends who were leaving town for the next month and as frivolous an excuse as that seemed to be for a party, he hadn’t been able to say no when Anne had practically begged him to attend. She had reminded him unnecessarily that there wouldn’t be many more chances for them to all be together. She’d made it sound as though graduation was only days, rather than months, away—but she’d had a point that everything would be different for them after those degrees were awarded. So, he had accepted, hiding his reluctance with the skill of experience.
He might not have minded so badly if Shannon were at least attending this party with him. Anne had encouraged him to ask her. “We all liked Shannon,” she’d added. “Feel free to bring her, if you want to.”
Of course he had wanted to. It unnerved him considerably to think about how much he wanted Shannon with him—at this party and just about any other time. But she had declined his invitation, explaining that she had a party that evening. If she’d been particularly disappointed, he couldn’t tell, he thought glumly.
It wasn’t that he resented Shannon’s work exactly. After all, his own was certainly demanding enough. While it was true he had more free time during his fourth year than he’d had before, or would have afterward, he still understood all too well how difficult it was for two people to balance their work obligations. Hadn’t he seen it firsthand among his classmates, so many of whom had not been able to reconcile their hectic schedules with those of former partners?
It wasn’t even as if he and Shannon had made that sort of commitment to each other, he reminded himself as he climbed out of his
car and locked the door before stashing his keys in the pocket of his navy pants. She’d made it clear enough that she wasn’t interested in tying herself down or sacrificing any of the independence she’d carved out for herself during the past year. She saw them as simply having fun together before James had to leave for the next couple of months—those were her words exactly, for that matter.
He’d barely seen her during the past week, though they’d spoken by phone and managed to have dinner together Wednesday night. He could almost feel the minutes he could spend with her ticking away.
At least he would be seeing her tomorrow, he cheered himself as he walked toward the side gate he’d been instructed to take to the Easton’s back lawn. His parents were going to be in Little Rock tomorrow for an academic meeting at the university there and he’d talked Shannon into joining him for lunch with them. She hadn’t been overly enthusiastic about it—and he could hardly blame her—but he had wanted her to meet them, maybe as a way of understanding him better. Perhaps she had accepted for the same reason.
Though the week that had just passed had been rainy, it was a beautiful evening for an outdoor party. The days were getting shorter now that fall had officially arrived. Long shadows stretched across the front lawn of the stately home as the setting sun painted the sky orange and pink. It was still warm enough that he didn’t need a jacket, but he was glad he’d donned a long-sleeve cotton shirt with his chinos. There was just a hint of coolness in the air as the sun made its descent.
It occurred to him suddenly that he was the only person on the walkway toward the side gate. Quite a few cars were parked in the drive, many of which he recognized as his friends’, but apparently he was one of the last to show up. He checked his watch with a frown. He was practically on the dot of the time he’d been told to arrive. Usually there were a few stragglers behind him. Ron was notorious for running late, but even his battered car was parked out front.
Odd, he thought with a frown. This whole evening had a sort of strange vibe for him, actually.
He pushed open the elaborately curved wrought iron gate and rounded the side of the house to the back lawn where he’d attended a few other events in the past couple of years. The guests certainly seemed to be quiet tonight—he didn’t hear talking or laughter or music or…
“Surprise!”
He almost jumped out of his loafers. The moment he’d appeared on the lawn, a group of his friends and classmates descended upon him with the synchronized shout. With a blink of shock, he noted the white tent, the sparkling decorations, the massive cake topped with burning candles, the glittering banner that spelled out Happy 30th Birthday, James. The affectionate smiles all turned in his direction as the guests awaited his reaction. And Shannon, standing beside the cake, her red hair flaming as brightly as the candles, her brilliant smile warmer than the setting red sun.
He released the breath he had caught when they’d shouted at him in a gusty exclamation. “Holy kamoley.”
Chapter Ten
“You really were surprised, weren’t you?”
“I really was surprised.”
“And you had a good time?”
“I had a great time. The best time of my life, perhaps.”
Shannon smiled contentedly. James had assured her several times that he’d loved the surprise birthday party his friends had thrown for him, but she still liked hearing it.
She would remember all her life the look on his face when he had realized the party was on his behalf. That the shiny decorations and the beautiful cake and the balloons and gifts had all been provided for him. That his friends and classmates cared enough about him to go to that much trouble to make sure his thirtieth birthday was celebrated in proper fashion.
They had just walked into his place—the first time she’d actually seen the roomy, upscale condo. In the daylight, she knew he would have a lovely view of the red bluffs of the Arkansas River from the large balcony on the other side of spotless glass doors. Now, in darkness, the river looked like rippling black satin studded with the diamond reflections of city lights.
His decor was understated but elegant, undoubtedly styled by a professional. The colors were a bit muted for her taste, but the effect was peaceful rather than sterile. The big-screen TV and video-game systems prominently displayed in the otherwise rather formal residence should have been jarring—instead, they made her smile. Remembering the things Anne and Haley had told her about their study sessions, she could easily picture the friends relieving their stress with rowdy, shoot-’em-up games.
“Where do you want these things?” she asked, her hands filled with the gifts she’d helped him carry in.
“Just dump them on the table.” He nodded toward the big dining table at one end of the open space that flowed from kitchen to dining area to living room. “I still can’t believe everyone did this,” he added, setting the boxes he’d carried beside the ones she deposited on the table.
She smiled at him. “They wanted to.”
He searched her face with narrowed eyes. “Whose idea was it originally?”