Page 22 of Falling for Mr. Wright

Sarah took a long drink.Oh, for fuck’s sake.Couldn’t Ryan’s ex at least wait for the main course before dropping that bomb? Had Melanie purposely sat them together so she could gloat that she was pregnant?

Sarah glanced over at Ryan who didn’t seem to be fazed by the news. “Congratulations, to you both.” He raised his glass. “Cheers.”

“Thank you,” Melanie said and took a sip of her water.

Jeff reached over and patted her belly. “We’ve got a future football player incubating in there.”

“Is it a boy?” Ryan asked.

Jeff nodded.

“Oh, honey. We don’t know the sex yet.”

“Yeah, but we both ate red meat the whole time we were trying to get pregnant.”

Sarah shot Melanie a quizzical look.

“Jeff’s mother swears it worked for her.” She turned to her husband. “Honey, it’s probably an old wives’ tale.”

Sarah downed the rest of her glass.Oh, Ryan. Anyone who would choose this guy over you was never worth your time.

Before the night was over, she’d make sure he knew that.

A server set a beautifully bright salad in front of Sarah as the dining portion of the evening began. After an hour seated next to the couple, Sarah confidently stood behind her earlier thought about Jeff not being the smartest bulb, even switched on.

How did he get into this academy? His family probably had money. Sarah was starting to feel less intimidated the more the night went on.

Though she tried to engage in small talk, Melanie didn’t seem to have any interest in having much of a conversation with the woman Ryan had brought to the gala.

Needless to say, Sarah was thankful when they were finished with their main courses and Melanie got up to begin the awards ceremony before dessert.

Ryan’s ex-fiancée was just as Sarah had imagined—annoyingly cheery, yet poised. She made a few introductory remarks, then launched into the long history of the award and shared some of Logan’s accomplishments.

Sarah couldn’t help feel both excitement and pride. Sure, she knew about Logan’s achievements, mainly from his impressive bio and the many industry awards hanging up in his office, but being recognized by his school and peers was certainly a special moment. She wished he could have been here for it.

Melanie did a nice job, sharing a cute story about how Logan tutored her in algebra class and encouraged her to get up the nerve to ask the senior quarterback out.

Sarah glanced over at Ryan, who sat with what she knew was a forced smile. She leaned in, hoping to derail the trip down memory lane. “So, Mr. Quarterback, it’s Logan’s fault that you and Melanie got together.”

“Yep.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you took the award for yourself and ran.”

That got a hearty chuckle as Melanie introduced Ryan to come up and accept the award on Logan’s behalf.

Sarah watched as her friend took the stage.

“Thanks, Melanie.” Ryan adjusted the gooseneck microphone, bringing it up to his considerable height. “Being a perfectionist, Logan had his remarks done earlier in the week. When he showed me what he’d written, I teased him that he didn’t lead with the infamous skinny-dipping incident in the pool that half of table eight took part in.”

That got a huge laugh from the crowd, and someone at the table called out that she was pleading the Fifth.

Ryan continued. “In Logan’s remarks, he thanked his teachers for encouraging, challenging, and inspiring him. He thanked his parents, too, for their love and support.” He pointed up to the ceiling. “I’m sure Mr. Scott is celebrating right now—hopefully with a nice bottle of Scotch.

“What Logan wouldn’t have said, but what I can say as his best friend, is that this place and many of you in the room made a huge impression on him. It’s the time he spent here that carried him and sparked his drive to not only be an architect, but to make a difference in the materials being used to design corporate offices. Logan is…”

Ryan made eye contact with Sarah. “He’s the right man.” After a pregnant pause, leaving Sarah holding her breath, he broke eye contact. “He’s the right man for this award. Thank you on his behalf.”

Sarah joined the audience in clapping. “That was beautiful,” she said as Ryan returned to his seat and set the award on the table.

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