Page 36 of An Unexpected Love

Jordan grimaced, but quickly rearranged his features into a cool mask. “I wish you and… Ralph every happiness.”

With that, he turned and walked out of her life. Just as she’d wanted him to…

* * *

Early the next morning, after an almost sleepless night, Jill put the infamous wedding dress in her car and drove directly to Shelly and Mark’s. The curtains were open so she assumed they were up and about. Even if they weren’t, she didn’t care.

Keeping the wedding dress a second longer was intolerable. The sooner she was rid of it, the sooner her life would return to normal.

Jill locked her car and carried the box to the Bradys’ front door. Her steps were impatient. If Shelly wasn’t home, Jill swore she’d leave the wedding gown on the front steps rather than take it back to her apartment.

A few minutes passed before the door opened. Shelly stood on the other side, dressed in a long robe, her hair in disarray and one hand covering her mouth to hide a huge yawn.

“I got you out of bed?” That much was obvious, but Jill was in no state for intelligent conversation.

“I was awake,” Shelly said, yawning again. “Mark had to go into the office early, but I couldn’t make myself get up.” She gestured Jill inside. “Come on in. I’m sure Mark made a pot of coffee. He knows I need a cup first thing in the morning.”

Jill set the box down on the sofa and followed Shelly into the kitchen. Clearly her friend wasn’t fully awake yet, so Jill walked over to the cupboards and collected two mugs, filling each with coffee, then bringing them to the table where Shelly was sitting.

“Oh, thanks,” she mumbled. “I’m impossible until I’ve had my first cup.”

“I seem to remember that from our college days.”

“Right,” Shelly said, managing a half smile. “You know all my faults. Can you believe Mark loves me in spite of the fact that I can’t cook, can’t tolerate mornings and am totally disorganized?”

Having seen the love in Mark’s eyes when he looked at his wife, Jill could well believe it. “Yes.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Shelly said, resting her head on her arm, which was stretched across the kitchen table.

“You are?” It was apparent that Shelly hadn’t guessed the reason for this unexpected visit, hadn’t realized Jill was returning the wedding dress. Half-asleep as she was, she obviously hadn’t noticed the box.

“Yes, I’mdelightedyou’re here,” Shelly said as hereyes drifted shut. “Mark and I had a long talk about you and Ralph. He seems to think I’m overreacting to this engagement thing. But you aren’t going to marry Ralph—you know it and I know it. This engagement is a farce, even if you don’t recognize that yet. Getting Ralph to propose is the only way you can deal with what’s happening between you and Jordan. But you’d never go through with it. You’re too honest. You won’t let yourself cheat Ralph—because if you marry him, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.”

“He knows I’m not in love with him.”

“I’m sure he does, but I’m also sure he believes that in time you’ll feel differently. What he doesn’t understand is that you’re already in love with someone else.”

A few hours earlier, Jill would have adamantly denied loving Jordan, but she couldn’t any longer. Her heart burned with the intensity of her feelings. Still, it didn’t change anything, didn’t alter the path she’d chosen.

“Ralph doesn’t know about Jordan, does he?”

“No,” Jill said reluctantly. If she was forced to, she’d tell Ralph about him. Difficult as it was to admit, Shelly was right about one thing. Jill would never be able to marry Ralph unless she was completely honest with him.

Shelly straightened and took her first sip of coffee. It seemed to revive her somewhat. “I should apologize for what I said last night. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t,” Jill was quick to tell her.

“You frightened me.”

“Why?”

“I was afraid for you, afraid you were going to ruinyour life. I don’t think I could stand idly by and let you do it.”

“I fully intend to marry Ralph.” Jill didn’t know for whose benefit she was saying this—Shelly’s or her own. The doubts were back, but she did her best to ignore them.

“Oh, I believe you intend to marry Ralph…now,” Shelly said, “but when the time comes, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Neither does Mark.”

“That isn’t what he said when we talked.” Mark had been the cool voice of reason in their impassioned discussion the night before. He’d reassured her and comforted her, and for that Jill would always be grateful.

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