Page 11 of All I've Waited For

“Derek? Are you listening?” Claire’s voice broke through his thoughts.

He glanced up at both of the women, but his gaze was drawn to Ashley. Much as he tried, he couldn’t help the searing in his gut at the sight of her effortless beauty. Today her hair was tucked up in a sort of high bun, and long earrings dangled from her lobes, showing off the curve of her long neck.

Clearing his throat, Derek moved his eyes to Claire, who studied him with reserve. “Sorry. What did you say?”

Claire had the good grace to laugh, turning toward Ashley, who’d plastered a tight smile on her face. “This man is constantly thinking about work. Have you ever met such a … how do you say it?”

“Workaholic?”

“Oui, that’s it. Workaholic.” Claire nudged Derek. “But surely you know this about him since you are friends.”

He hadn’t come completely clean with Claire about Ashley and just what she’d meant to him. Derek grimaced. She deserved his full honesty, but he had no desire to plunge into the past. Besides, it didn’t matter. It was ancient history.

“Derek has always been really good at his job. Passionate.” Ashley’s fingers clenched around her pen. “But I don’t know if I’d call him a workaholic. Or at least, not the Derek I knew.” Her words had an edge to them.

“I guess people change, right?” Derek covered Claire’s hand that rested on the table. She looked up at him, eyebrows knit together. “But speaking of work, I should probably be getting back. Are we almost done here?”

Ashley snorted, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Sorry. It’s just …” She looked at Claire. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”

Claire moved her thumb along the edge of Derek’s, mirth in her expression. “I am sorry, Derek, but we have hours of planning left. Weddings don’t just materialize out of thin air.”

“They should.” He’d muttered the words under his breath but straightened when he saw he had Ashley’s attention. Claire, thankfully, was busy looking through her binder again.

Ashley fiddled with an earring. “It’s not unusual for a bride and groom to have different views of what they each want in a wedding, but it helps to talk through those. I have a questionnaire here that might be useful.”

“Whatever Claire wants is fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,mon cher. This is your wedding too.”

He knew Claire meant it, but come on. He’d wear a clown costume and eat oysters for their wedding feast if she wanted him to—anything to secure the future of Campbell Wines.

He squeezed her hand. “Really.”

But Claire could be just as stubborn as he was. She looked back at Ashley. “I’d like to go through the questionnaire, please. That way, we can both make sure we are getting out of this what we want.”

He drew in a sharp breath at her phrasing. At times, he almost felt guilty for using Claire. But then he remembered this was what she wanted too. And they’d be happy together. Comfortable. She was gorgeous and business savvy and kind. What else could he really want in a life partner?

“Okay, then.” Flipping to a new page on her clipboard, Ashley studied it. A grimace passed over her face, but she quickly recovered. “What is the moment you knew you loved your fiancé?”

“That one is quite deep to begin, isn’t it?” Claire’s voice remained strong.

“Yes, sorry,” Ashley said. “Guess it gets right to the heart of the matter. Literally speaking.”

Derek watched his fiancée, curious how she’d answer. It’s not like they were exactly telling people they weren’t really in love. But Claire wasn’t a liar either.

Claire met his gaze. “I was engaged to someone else for three years, and when things didn’t work out with him, I thought I’d never find someone else to share my life with.”

She was being way too generous in her tale. After the way the guy had left Claire on the eve of their wedding because he’d received his “dream job” in New York, her ex was lucky Derek didn’t know him or he’d be sporting a permanently broken nose.

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry.” And Ashley really looked it. How did she do that—care so deeply about everyone, even those she barely knew? It had always amazed him.

But he wasn’t thinking about Ashley right now. He wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

Claire continued. “It was a difficult season, but when I met Derek, I knew there was something different about him. He was steady, true. Someone I could count on. And that’s when I knew he was someone I could marry.”

Ah, he’d seen what she’d done there—avoided the idea of love altogether.

Ashley seemed to swallow hard. “And you, Derek? When did you know …” Her voice wavered.

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