Page 22 of Say You Will

I stare at her in open-mouthed shock. “How could she do that?”

“I suppose she felt insecure because you appeared to be more attached to me than to her. Guinevere never seemed able to stand other people’s happiness.” She cringes. “I shouldn’t have said that. The truth is, I don’t know why she did it.”

The original shock of her statement fades quickly. The only thing truly surprising about what she said is that she managed to stay employed as my nanny for eight years. Mom cycles through employees faster than the recommended time between dental cleanings.“Difficult to get along with”is an understatement. She’s very good at convincing herself that she’s been wronged, like the way she accused me of stealing from her. “I’m so sorry she took out her insecurities on you.”

“I’m not worried about me. That phase of my life is over. How’ve you been? That’s the important part.”

“I’m”—I shake my head—“great. I’m great. Just moved back and excited to find a new job and a place to stay.”

Lisa smiles. “You look good.”

I glance down at myself ruefully. She’s being kind. When Henry left last night after his horrible marriage proposal, I moped around for half an hour. Then I went downstairs to the gift shop, bought twenty dollars worth of chocolate, which was, sadly, hardly any chocolate at all, took it up to my room, and ate every last bit of it while watching a documentary on the Tudors. After which, I tossed and turned and rehashed every word Henry said in my head all night long.

He’s changed, and it breaks my heart. All his enthusiasm, his idealism, his softness….It’s all gone, buried under the weight of living for other people. Does his family recognize what’s happened to him? He’s given up every one of his dreamsfor them. Do they even appreciate the sacrifices he’s made? Did it occur so gradually they didn’t notice? Bronwyn never said a word.

Henry’s grandmother demanded a marriage, and he disliked the idea so much that he put it off for eleven months, as he attempted to find a way out of it. He’s as trapped by his family’s expectations as I was with my mother. Marrying me….Marryinganyoneisn’t the answer.

I understand his thought process. He’s attempting to control his situation with logic. But the old Henry wanted so much more for his life, and he wanted more for me.

I woke with dark circles under my eyes this morning, and, too exhausted to bother with makeup, I didn’t put a single swipe of mascara on, let alone concealer. I covered my head in a Yankees ball cap and put tortoiseshell frame glasses on my nose. My clothing today is baggy and comfortable: Black drawstring pants and a soft long-sleeved white T-shirt with an oatmeal-colored cardigan thrown on top. A pair of sneakers with my two-inch lift tucked inside are on my feet. A simple compression brace hugs my left knee, out of sight but providing support.

I glance at my phone. “I’m so sorry, but my ride is going to bring his car around any minute. I need to check out, but I would love to keep in touch. If you’d rather put everything behind you and forget about me, I totally under—”

“Don’t be silly. Franki, I grieved over you. Worried over you. Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in, and you call me.”

“I’m taking running into you like this as a sign of all the good things that are in store. If I were still in California, this wouldn’t have happened. If I hadn’t said yes to being a bridesmaid, I wouldn’t have been in this hotel this morning.”

She smiles. “Always my sunshine girl. I’m glad to see you’ve held onto your optimism.”

I pass her my phone. Oliver twists in a circle, and the leash tangles with his legs, so I bend to help him while Lisa adds her information to my contacts. When I straighten, she passes it back with a smile. “Call me or text me anytime. We could have dinner? I’ll cook your favorite.”

The corners of my mouth lift. “Mac and cheese with dino nuggets?”

She laughs. “I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs, but I could pick up a bag of frozen nuggets.”

“I’ll be in touch soon. It was great to see you.”

“You too.” She looks behind me down the corridor. “You better go now while there’s not much of a wait for the elevators.”

She’s right that I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry. Traffic on Park Avenue is always a nightmare. It would be beyond rude to keep anyone who took the time to pick me up waiting, but I hug her one more time anyway.

By the time Oliver and I make it to the lobby and complete checkout, I have less than ten minutes until Henry’s scheduled arrival. Oliver and I move to stand near the far wall with a clear view of the revolving doors as I wait. The usual Sunday morning crowd mills around the lobby, perfumed air clogging my nose.I’m anxious to head back toward Long Island, but butterflies dance in my belly too.

This first meeting with Henry is going to be awkward, without a doubt. Last night, I finally managed to drift off to sleep around three in the morning, then woke to our photos plastered all over the internet. Someone took pictures of us at the wedding. In one of them, Henry is looking at me in exactly the way that had me convinced he wanted me. Seeing it and the comments about “Henry McRae in love” was vindicating, at least. I’m not the only person who thought he was giving me heart eyes. But nope. He was giving me “I want a company, and you’re just the woman who’ll help me get it” eyes.

There were other photos as well. One with his arm around me. Several of him escorting me with a hand on my hip to the elevators to go up to my room. I wasn’t the big news. It was Henry, the so-called “Prince of New York,” who has never been seen in a relationship. It took no time at all for people to figure out who I was, though.

Oliver, on a leash and wearing a black bow tie, sits patiently between my feet and our luggage, and I bend to give him a treat from my pocket for behaving so nicely in public.

If Bronwyn, Janessa, Sydney, or Clarissa see any of those photos before I text them about it, they’ll start a group chat with questions, but I wasn’t ready to talk last night, and I haven’t had time to give them a heads up this morning. When my phone vibrates, I straighten to take it from my pocket. I may have no choice in the matter.

On the other hand, it’s a far better option than if it’s my mother calling. She’s the last person I want to talk to right now. If it’s her and I don’t answer before Henry gets here, she’ll call me over and over, until I pick up. I won’t mention seeing Lisa to her. The last thing I need is to give her one more thing to rant about.

When the contact shows my father’s name, rather than my mother’s, I blow out a breath in relief.Finally.

I lift the phone to my ear and move further against the wall, turning to give my back to the lobby. “Jonny, how are you?”

He chuckles. “I’m fine, sweetheart. I’ve been really busy. You know how it is. I’m sure you’ve heard that I’ve added a home decor line to my brand.”

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