Page 20 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
She didn’t want to go down this uncomfortable path, so she blew it off. “No more than usual, I guess. You know, life in general.” Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to Jude again. She’d been convinced he was the one. The summer before their breakup, Jude had met her parents. She’d assumed the weekend had gone well. Not until after they’d split did her mother mention she was relieved they’d parted. From the moment she’d met Jude, her mom felt he wasn’t the right man for Kellie. In retrospect, Kellie wished her mother had said something then, although she had to wonder if she would have listened.
“I see.” It was apparent Reed had read through her words and knew it was much more. She was grateful he didn’t press for details.
They reached Anthony’s and Reed announced his name to the hostess.
“I’m pleased you were able to make it,” the young woman said. “In another five minutes we would have had to release the reservation.”
“I’m glad we made it, too,” Reed told her.
“Weren’t you the one who was waiting for the Bremerton ferry?” the pretty young woman asked.
“Yes, I called earlier.”
“I thought so. That stalled ferry is big news. Everyone is talking about it. I can’t remember anything like this happening before, and right before Christmas, too.”
“For sure the timing is bad, but I doubt anyone wants to be trapped on a ferry any time of the year.”
The hostess agreed and led them to a table by the window. “I saved this table for you so you can keep watch in case the ferry docks.”
“That was thoughtful,” Kellie said, appreciating the kind gesture.
They sat and opened their menus. A server appeared and took their drink order. Needing something to chase away the chill from the short walk, Kellie asked for a hot buttered rum. Reed ordered the same.
The drinks were promptly delivered, and they delayed placing their meal order, wanting to enjoy them. The hot alcoholic beverage instantly went to Kellie’s head. She should have known better than to drink it on an empty stomach. Brushing her shoulder-length auburn hair around her ear, she took in a deep, brain-clearing breath.
“Thank you. This is a lovely respite from waiting in the ferry terminal.”
“My pleasure.” Reed relaxed against the back of his cushioned chair.
The server delivered warm sourdough bread with herb butter to the table. They both took a slice.
Not wanting to talk about herself, Kellie said, “Tell me about your sister.”
Reed’s eyes sparkled with affection. “Avery is the best. We were raised by our grandparents. Gramps died my first year of college and Avery stayed with our grandmother until she graduated from college. Grams wanted her to have a life of her own, so Avery rented a cozy apartment until it became apparent Grandma’s health was steadily declining. My sister moved back home and cared for her until her death. As far as I’m concerned, Avery is a saint.”
He took a breath and waited until she waved him on, wanting him to continue.
“I did what I could to help. Unfortunately, I travel a lot for work, and so my sister handled the brunt of the caregiving. As a result, she’s twenty-five and doesn’t have much of a social life.
“I tried introducing her to a few of my friends. Big mistake. In fact, I’d arranged for a friend to join us here today. As soonas she heard of my latest matchmaking attempt, she point-blank refused.”
“I was thinking I would introduce my brother to a couple of women from the office. Guessing it won’t be appreciated if he feels the way Avery does.”
“What about you?” Reed asked, holding her gaze. “Are you currently involved with someone?”
“No. Are you?”
“No,” he said, as if this was exactly what he wanted to hear and hoped she felt the same.
Although skeptical that this would lead to more than a pleasant lunch, Kellie smiled, pleased that their mutual single status was established.
Grinning, Reed briefly glanced down at his drink before making eye contact. “I have a confession. You should know, I recognized you right away. I debated awhile about how best to approach you and decided to pretend. I admired you the first time we met at that presentation and considered asking you out.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He looked away. “With all the traveling I do, it’s hard to maintain a relationship. And I figured you were probably already involved. I have a sense that you were?” His words were more a question than a statement.
For a moment, Kellie was too surprised to answer.
