White Lace and Promises Read Free

nature.”
    “What happened?”
    “It’s a long story.”
    “Didn’t you just get done telling me that we had three hours before the rehearsal?”
    For a moment, Maggie was tempted to spill her frustrations out. To tell Glenn about the desperate pleas for money she got from people who sensed her soft heart. The ones who were looking for someone to invest in a sure thing. And the users, who pretended friendship or love in the hopes of a lucrative relationship. “You must be exhausted. I’ll cry on your shoulder another time.”
    “I’ll hold you to that.” He leaned forward and reached for her hand. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”
    “Great times.”
    “Ah, the good old days.” Glenn relaxed with a bittersweet sigh. “Who was it that said youth was wasted on the young?”
    “Mark Twain,” Maggie offered.
    “No, I think it was Madonna.”
    They both laughed and Maggie stood, reaching for her purse. “Well, I suppose I should think about heading home and changing my clothes. Steve will be here in an hour. That’ll give you time to relax.” She fanned her fingers through her hair in a careless gesture. “I’ll see you tonight at the rehearsal.”
    “Thanks for meeting me,” Glenn said, coming to his feet.
    “I was glad to do it.” Her hand was on the doorknob.
    “It’s great to see you again.”
    The door made a clicking sound as it closed, and Glenn turned to wipe a hand over his tired eyes. It was good to be with Maggie again, but frankly, he was glad she’d decided to leave. He needed a few minutes to compose his thoughts before facing Steve. The first thing his friend was bound to ask him about was Angie.
    Glenn stiffened as her name sent an instant flash of pain through him. She had married Simon two months earlier, and Glenn had thought that acceptance would become easier withtime. It had, but it was far more difficult than he’d expected. He had loved Angie with a reverence; eventually, he had loved her enough to step aside when she wanted to marry Simon. He’d been a fool, Glenn realized. If he had acted on his instincts, he’d have had a new bride on his arm for this trip. Now he was alone, more alone than he could ever remember. The last place he wanted to be was at a wedding. Every part of it would only be a reminder of what could have been his and what he’d allowed to slip through his fingers. He didn’t begrudge Steve any happiness; he just didn’t want to have to stand by and smile serenely when part of him was riddled with regrets.

    Maggie shifted into a higher gear as she rounded the curve in the highway at twenty miles above the speed limit. Deliberately, she slowed down, hating the urgency that forced her to rush home. The beach house had become her gilded cage. The world outside its door had taken on a steel edge that she avoided.
    Although she had joked with Glenn about not being married, the tense muscles of her stomach reminded her of how much she envied Janelle. She would smile for the wedding pictures and be awed at all the right moments, but she was going to hate every minute of it. The worst part was she was genuinely happy for Janelle and Steve. Oh, Janelle had promised that they’d continue to get together as they always had. They’d been best friends since childhood, and for a time they probably would see each other regularly. But Janelle wanted to start a family right away, and once she had a baby, Maggie thought, everything would change. It had to.
    Automatically, Maggie took the road that veered from the highway, and a few minutes later turned onto the long circular driveway that led to her waterfront house. The huge structure loomed before her, impressive, elegant, and imposing. Maggie had bought it for none of those reasons. She wasn’t even sure she liked it. The two-story single-family dwelling on Eastwood Drive where she had grown up was far more appealing. Sometimes during the darkest hour of a sleepless night, Maggie would mull over the idea