“You’ll have to miss it.”
Oh, no, I won’t. “I’d rather not. One of the joys of being a professor is watching your students walk during commencement.”
“What about Irene and Carlson? After all they’ve done for you over the years, all they’re asking in return is that you spend Christmas with them. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to spend Christmas in the Caribbean?”
Irene and Bruce seemed to work from the same playbook when it came to pressuring Peyton. If bullying didn’t work, try guilt. Had Bruce picked that up on his own, or had Irene made the suggestion?
Peyton remained silent.
Bruce continued. “Don’t tell me you’d rather spend Christmas in that boring little town.”
That comment rubbed Peyton the wrong way. “You can’t judge Trinity Falls when you’ve never even been here.”
“Before you decided to spend a semester there, I’d never even heard of it.”
“Well, you’ve heard of it now.” Unconsciously, Peyton had clenched her free hand into a fist. She forced herself to relax.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting fond of that place. You’ve only been there a couple of months.”
It had been five months. But it was good to know her fiancé wasn’t missing her. “I enjoy it here. It’s a lovely town with a welcoming community.”
“Well, don’t enjoy it too much. You’re returning to New York next month. Hold on.” He moved the phone from his mouth again and called to Leila.
Peyton had had more than enough. “Listen, Bruce, it sounds as though you have a lot of work to do. I need to get ready for my next class. Let’s wait until I come home before we confirm our Christmas arrangements.”
“The arrangements can’t wait, Peyton.” Bruce seemed to have dismissed her as he directed Leila to move his next day’s meetings around to accommodate a business luncheon.
“Why not?” Desperation sharpened Peyton’s tone.
“Today’s November third. Thanksgiving is another three weeks away. Irene’s already confirmed the trip with her travel agent.”
Peyton spun back to her desk. The muscles in her shoulders knotted. “Has she confirmed the dates and the number of tickets?”
“Yes.” Bruce’s keyboard clacked in the background. “Everything’s set. All you have to do is show up.”
Peyton swallowed a scream of frustration. “Bruce—”
“I’ve got to go, Peyton. When you get home, we’ll set the wedding date.”
Peyton listened to the dial tone in disbelief. Despite her objections, her mother and fiancé had booked her on a Christmas cruise to Aruba. They’d disregarded her wishes. Again.
And Bruce wanted to set a wedding date. Won’t he be surprised when she returns his engagement ring instead?
“Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed.” Darius’s warm baritone strummed the muscles in Peyton’s lower abdomen as the reporter followed her farther into her university office Monday afternoon.
“As long as the article’s not about me, I’m glad to give the Monitor an interview.” She was impressed by his manners as he waited for her to take her seat before folding his long, lean body into one of her two gray visitor’s chairs.
“You still don’t trust me.”
Peyton tensed at his accusation. “I’m just verifying that the article you’re interviewing me for is about Dr. Hartford’s retirement.”
“That’s what I told you on the phone when we scheduled this interview.” Darius propped his right ankle on his left knee. He spread open his reporter’s notebook on his well-muscled right thigh. “What makes you think that’s changed?”
Peyton considered opening the window behind her desk just a bit. Her office had become very warm.
She lifted her gaze to meet the challenge in Darius’s eyes. His evasive answer didn’t put her at ease. “So it’s still
your intent to write a tribute article on Dr. Hartford?”