RSVP with Love. Sandra Kitt

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ in her memory. By circumstances, she knew she shouldn’t even be there graduating from Hollington. She quietly squared off with Kevin, their gazes meeting and holding. His darkening gaze told her he got it—no further explanation was needed. With an imperceptible nod of his head Kevin lifted a corner of his mouth.

      “She’s going to go far,” he said to the Fields. “I can tell she’s going to have a great future. Most likely to succeed.”

      “Thanks. Nice of you to say so,” Chloe murmured.

      As the four of them faced each other with nothing more to say, Kevin heard his name being called behind him. They all turned to the female voice and saw a young woman attempting to trot across the grass, unsteady in high heels. Her graduation robe hung open, and they could see her body swaying unsteadily but seductively in a pretty spring dress. The show was all for Kevin.

      “That’s my cue,” Kevin said to them all, backing away toward the woman.

      Chloe could not see how he could have mistaken the advancing alluring sight with her. Curve for curve, attribute for attribute, there was no contest. Like her, however, the young woman was tall and thin. Her hair was upswept in the back, while Chloe’s was short and only seemed to be longer because of the way it was combed. Chloe could see that their complexions were similar. Medium-brown. Plus from behind, all you could see was their robes.

      Kevin had made an honest mistake.

      “Seems like a nice young man,” Mrs. Fields said quietly. “Is he a good friend?”

      Chloe shook her head, watching the couple walk away, their arms around one another. “This is the second time we’ve ever spoken.”

      Her foster mother looked incredulous. “In four years?”

      “He seemed to have a lot to say when we walked up on you. Sure there’s nothin’ going on?” Mr. Fields cackled good-naturedly.

      “Not a chance,” Chloe responded caustically, despite an infuriating flash recall of Kevin kissing her.

      “I’m so sorry we’re late,” Mrs. Fields said sincerely. “Harold got lost.”

      “Well, tell her how we got started late. Nettie couldn’t find her good purse. It ain’t all my fault,” he groused.

      “I’m glad you got here,” Chloe said.

      Mrs. Fields looked around. “Did we miss everything?”

      “Just a lot of talking,” Chloe answered kindly, not wanting to blame them or make them feel bad. The truth of the matter was the couple didn’t have to come at all. It wasn’t part of their agreement.

      Mrs. Fields sighed, remorseful.

      Chloe realized that she would have to rescue the afternoon and protect the memory of the day. She’d have to take responsibility for it to end on an up note.

      “You’ve never been here before. Would you like to look around?”

      “Sure is pretty,” Mr. Fields commented as they fell into step together and headed back toward the quad, around which all the buildings were laid out. “Not like where we live, right, Nettie?”

      “Well, we can’t always help where we’re born and raised,” Mrs. Fields sighed. “But Chloe got lucky, thank the good Lord.”

      Chloe smiled warmly at Mrs. Fields. “I also got lucky and had you and Mr. Fields.”

      Nettie Fields brushed the compliment aside with an airy wave of her hand. “We didn’t do much. Why, look at her now. Don’t she look grown up, Harold?”

      “Sure do.”

      Mrs. Fields gasped and stopped walking. “Honey, we didn’t take you away from anything, did we? You know, maybe meeting friends later. Was that young man about to ask you to join him?”

      Chloe shook her head, looking down at her feet and inexpensive pumps.

      She wished.

      “No, he wasn’t. Kevin Stayton and I never hung out together. He’s not really a friend.”

      She hoped that the longing and schoolgirl crush weren’t obvious. It was one thing to hold out hope with such a ridiculous thought. It was another for anyone to know and only make fun of her.

      Chloe knew exactly the direction Kevin and his girlfriend had walked. Covertly she let her eyes find them, standing in the shadows of a tree near the entrance to the student lounge. They were embracing and kissing, unmindful of anyone else walking by making comments about their open display of affection.

      She hardly thought Kevin Stayton was going to remember her, let alone give her a second thought.

      Chapter 1

      “Hey, girl! It’s good to see you.”

      Chloe was in midstride to shake hands with the gregarious petite young woman who greeted her but was never given the chance. Kyra Dixon ignored her outstretched hand and, instead, reached out her arms. She was expecting a hug that Chloe found herself obliged to give.

      “Oh…okay. Hi,” Chloe managed awkwardly, as she hugged Kyra back and found herself engulfed in the whiff of floral perfume.

      Kyra laughed. “You forgot the Hollington Hello? What’s this shaking hands stuff? I want some sugar, girl.”

      Chloe tried to glance around the other guests having lunch in the faculty dining room and was relieved to see that no one was paying attention to this dramatic greeting. Not at all used to this from someone she hadn’t seen in ten years, Chloe nonetheless gave in and followed Kyra’s lead. Even as she would have withdrawn after they touched cheek to cheek and air-kissed, Chloe found Kyra’s hello more suited to a favorite girlfriend or a beloved relative. They had not really been friends as undergraduates and certainly hadn’t moved in the same circles.

      With a gentle push Kyra directed Chloe to the empty chair opposite her at the large square table. Chloe settled herself in the comfortable high-back chair and, in the thirty seconds it took Kyra to take her own seat again, she closely observed the other woman.

      Kyra was dressed in an eye-catching broad floral-print black-and-red silk blouse, worn with a black skirt. She wore black two-inch heels, probably in the hope that they would add height to her petite frame. She managed to look professional, feminine and cheerful. Her hair was worn straight to chin level and was parted off center so that it curved gently to frame her pretty face. As if on cue Kyra was making her own observations of Chloe.

      “Your hair used to be short.”

      Chloe sat back and spread her napkin over her lap.

      “Actually, I wore it mostly cornrowed. It was easier to take care of and cost less than going to the beauty parlor every two weeks. I stopped wearing the cornrows when I got my first job. I wanted to look—”

      “More mainstream.” Kyra nodded, knowingly. She eyed Chloe thoughtfully. “Is it all yours or a weave?”

      “Mine,” Chloe said with a small, satisfied smile. “Every strand.”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ