Page 21 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
He took her silence to mean something else.
“I apologize, I shouldn’t have asked you that.”
“Actually,” she said, “at the time we first met, I was seeing someone else. Someone in my department.” She sipped her drink. “I learned my lesson and have decided against dating men who work for Microsoft.”
“Even in a different department?” he pressed.
“Well . . . no. I think if I were to meet someone from a department that doesn’t work closely with mine, then it could possibly work.”
Reed’s grin was huge. “Great.”
“What about you? I mean, at the time we first met?” she asked.
“No one. Like I mentioned, I work long hours that take me out of town far more than is healthy for a long-term relationship. I had my twenty-eighth birthday a while back and it sort of hit me then that I needed to be thinking about the goals I have for the future.” He paused and looked away as though embarrassed. “I apologize. I didn’t mean for this conversation to go in that direction. We’ve only just met, and I doubt you want to hear about my life goals at our first lunch.”
Kellie relaxed. “It’s not a problem. I’m one of those people who appreciate honesty.” Especially someone who makes it known he isn’t one to lead a woman on for his own selfish reasons.
Again, her thoughts drifted back to Jude. She’d believed he had the same goals as she did—marriage, children, and a future together. After three years it seemed like it was time to move forward, only for Kellie to discover Jude had no intention of marrying her. How foolish she felt to have wasted those years on a man who’d misled and used her.
In retrospect, she realized Jude had manipulated her to get the promotion he wanted. She’d foolishly assumed that once he had advanced in his career to the point that they were equals in the workplace they would marry. Not so, she learned shortly after he got what he’d wanted. It was then that Kellie was forced to face the truth.
Thankfully, they’d never moved in together, so they were both able to go on with their lives with minimal fuss. Which is exactly what Jude had done.
The server collected their orders. Kellie went with the Cajun spiced rockfish and Reed ordered the coconut shrimp with a Caesar salad. They enjoyed their meal in a companionable silence.
“I wonder if there is any news,” Kellie said as she reached for her phone to check if Harrison had sent a text with an update.
“Anything?” Reed asked while she scrolled through her notifications.
Kellie nodded. “Not from my brother. However, from what’s being reported in the news, it’s an engine problem. Supposedly, it could be a simple fix once they can get the part to the ferry.”
“You mean the part has to be found and then delivered?”
“It looks that way,” Kellie murmured.
“Then it could take several more hours.”
Again, she agreed. “Unfortunately.” Looking up, she was surprised to find Reed smiling.
“Do you have plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
Under normal circumstances, she’d head back to her condo in Kirkland and wait for Harrison to catch an Uber. That had been the original plan. These, however, weren’t normal circumstances.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
“Have you ever taken a ride on Seattle’s Great Wheel?”
She shook her head. “No, but I’ve always wanted to someday.”
“Well, it looks like someday has arrived. We should be able to see the ferry from the top. You game?”
Kellie was intrigued. This sounded like a great way to kill time. “You bet.”
“Great. Let’s go.”
Kellie grabbed her coat, which she’d rested over the back of the empty chair next to her, and stood. What had looked to be along, miserable afternoon waiting for her brother had suddenly turned into what might be a grand adventure.
CHAPTER SEVEN
