It Started at Christmas...

Relief washed over him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

* * *

February the thirteenth fell on a Friday and McKenzie was convinced that the day truly was a bad-luck day.

Today was it. The end of her two months with Lance.

She’d promised herself there would be no fuss, no muss, just a quick and painless goodbye. He had his dance tomorrow night and no doubt by next week he’d have a new love interest.

But she couldn’t quite convince herself of that.

Something in the way Lance looked at her made her think he wouldn’t quickly replace her but might instead take some time to get over her.

Unfortunately, she might require that time, too.

Lots and lots of recovery time, though perhaps not the three decades’ worth her mother had taken to blossom into a woman in love.

Her mother was in love. And loved.

Over the past several days McKenzie had been fitted for a maid-of-honor dress and had met Yves’s best friend for his tux fitting. Her mother was getting married at a local church in a small, simple ceremony the following day.

“You’re not planning to see me at all tonight?” Lance asked.

She shook her head. “My mother’s wedding-rehearsal dinner is tonight.”

“I could go with you.”

“That would be a bad idea.”

“Why?”

“Our last night together and we go to a wedding rehearsal? Think about it. That’s just all kinds of wrong. Plus, I don’t want you there, Lance.”

He winced and she almost retracted her words. Part of her did want him there. Another part knew the sooner they parted the sooner she could get back to the regularly scheduled program of her life. Her time with Lance had been a nice interlude from reality.

“I should tell you that Yves invited me to the wedding.”

“I don’t want you there,” she said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Without another word, he left her office.

McKenzie’s heart shuddered at the soft closing of her office door as if the noise had echoed throughout the building.

She went to her mother’s rehearsal dinner, smiled and performed her role as maid of honor. Truth was, watching her mother and Yves left her heart aching.

Feeling a little bereft at the thought she was soon to be single again.

Which was ridiculous.

She liked being single.

She thrived on being single.

She didn’t want to be like her parents.

Only watching her mother glow, hearing her happy laughter, maybe she wouldn’t mind being a little like her mother.

McKenzie got home a little after eleven. She’d not heard from Lance all evening. She’d half expected him to be waiting in her driveway.