The tips of Ryan’s fingers dug into her hips. He rested his forehead on hers and sighed heavily. “You drive me nuts.”
Jaci allowed a small laugh to escape. “Right back at you, bud. Are you coming to the family breakfast in the morning?”
“Yeah.” Ryan kissed her nose before stepping back. He tossed a warning glance in Clive’s direction. “Don’t let him snow you, Jace. He’s a politician and by all reports he’s a good one.”
“So?”
“So, don’t let him con you,” Ryan replied impatiently. “He cheated on you and lied to you and treated you badly. Don’t get sucked back in.”
Jaci looked at him, astounded. She wasn’t a child and she wasn’t an idiot and she knew, better than anybody, what a jerk Clive was. Did she come across that naive, that silly, that in need of protection? She was a grown woman and she knew her own mind. She wasn’t the weak-willed, wafty, soft person Ryan and her family saw her as. Sometimes she wondered if anyone would ever notice that she’d grown up, that she was bigger, stronger, bolder. Would they ever see her as she was now? Would anyone ever really know her?
She didn’t need a prince or a knight to run to her rescue anymore.
She’d slay her own dragons, thank you very much, and she’d look after herself while she did it.
* * *
The next morning Jaci, her mother and Merry sat on the terrace and watched as the people from the catering company dismantled the tent and cleared up the wedding detritus. When Ryan got there they would haul Archie out of his study and they’d rustle up some breakfast. The bride and groom would arrive when they did—they weren’t going to wait for them—but for now she was happy to sit on the terrace in the spring sunshine.
“One down, two to go,” Priscilla stated without looking up. Her mother, wearing an enormous floppy hat, sat next to her, a rough draft of her newest manuscript in her hands.
“Don’t look at me,” Merry categorically stated, placing her bare feet on the arm of Jaci’s chair.
“It should’ve been my marriage next,” Jaci quietly stated.
“Speaking of,” Merry said, “I saw you talking to Clive last night. You looked very civilized. Why weren’t you slapping his face and scratching his eyes out?”
Jaci rested her cup of coffee on her knee. “Because I don’t care about him anymore. He’s coming here today. I stored some things of his in my room that he needs to collect.” Jaci pushed her sunglasses up her nose. “Once that’s done I’ll be free of him, forever.”
Merry snorted her disbelief and Jaci wanted to tell her that it was true because she was in love with Ryan, but that was too new, too precious to share.
“So what did you talk about?” Merry asked. “Your relationship?”
“A little. He was very apologetic and sweet about it. He groveled a bit and that was nice.”
“I don’t buy it,” Merry stated, her eyes narrowed. “Clive isn’t the type to grovel.”
Merry was so damn cynical sometimes, Jaci thought. “Look, he tried to talk me into trying again but I told him about New York, about everything that happened there and how happy I was. He eventually gave up and said that he understood. He wished me well and we parted on good terms.”
“Clive doesn’t like hearing the word no,” Merry stated, her lips in a thin line. “I don’t trust him. Be careful of him.”
Merry really was overreacting, thought Jaci, bored with talking about her ex.
“And Ryan?” Merry asked.
Ryan? Jaci rested her head on the back of her chair. “I don’t know, Merry. He has his own issues to work through. I don’t know if we will ever be anything more than just friends.”
“He doesn’t look at you like you’re just friends,” Merry said.
“That’s just because we are really good in bed together,” Jaci retorted, and sent her mother a guilty look. “Sorry, Mum.”
“I know you had sex with him, child,” Priscilla drily replied. “I’m not that much of a prude or that oblivious. I have had, and for your information, still do have, a sex life.”
“God.” Jaci placed her hand over her eyes and Merry groaned. “Thanks for putting that thought into my head. Eeew. Anyway, coming back to Ryan...he’s a closed book in so many ways. I take one step forward with him and sixty back. I thought we took a couple of steps forward last night.”