The Second Yes Page 8

  Sierra finally found her voice. “We live in different parts of a very large state and have different goals in life.”

  Edgar’s eyes dimmed. “Goals can change as we get older and wiser.”

  Agnieszka’s gaze flicked from Edgar to Sierra and to Edgar again. “Well, if you ever do decide to get married, how about coming for a honeymoon to Poland? Bartek and I will be happy to show you Warsaw, Krakow, and many other places.”

  “Dziękuję,” Edgar said again as he opened the door.

  “Dziękuję,” Sierra echoed as she stepped outside.

  Then she blinked rapidly at the bright sun. “I hope I wasn’t too blunt. We both know that, no matter what way we feel toward each other, all we have is this trip.” Holding her breath, she stared at him. This time, she wanted him to argue, to persuade her they could have a future together.

  An unreadable expression appeared in his eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  Okay, she was entering a dangerous territory again. She released her breath. Neutral topic. “We need to help Agnieszka’s sister.”

  “Already on it. If her story checks out, I’ll transfer some money for her wedding.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked to the vehicle.

  She felt so spent she didn’t have the strength to move away from him. Well, fine, neither did she want to. “Thank you. Behind all those great looks you do have a kind heart.” She pressed on the rental’s fob.

  “You think I have great looks, huh?” He opened the driver’s side door for her and winked at her.

  She coughed a little as she slipped inside the car. “Okay, not to flatter you, but isn’t it obvious?” She’d better change the topic—again. The thoughts about the disappointment she was about to cause to her aunt made her heart constrict. “I don’t know how I’ll break the news to Aunt Willow.”

  “I’m very sorry about the dress.” He closed the door after her, then rushed around the car, took the passenger seat, and locked in his seat belt.

  She turned the key in the ignition and clasped the steering wheel, the worn-out surface smooth under her fingers. “The trip was wasted.”

  “I wouldn’t call this trip wasted.” Strange notes appeared in his voice. “Despite an accident and a blowout tire, I loved spending time with you. I enjoyed rediscovering you.”

  Oh.

  The same longing as before filled her as she drove off.

  “Me, too.” Her voice was barely audible. What was the use to wish for impossible things?

  “You have no idea how much I missed you.” Somehow, the longing she felt infused his voice, too. “I can’t stand the idea of being apart from you again.”

  She swallowed the bitter taste as she navigated the rural road. “But you’ll have to.”

  “What if I move back to Rios Azules?” He shifted closer, as close as the seat belt probably allowed. The scent of his expensive cologne became stronger.

  He’d really do that for her? For a moment, she let hope expand her chest. Then she pursed her lips. “Your career, your life is in Houston. I agree with you. It’s what God meant for you do. From your uncle, I heard about all the charities you donate to. You won’t be able to do all that in a small town. Not on the same scale. I’d never cut your wings.”

  “But what if I want to—”

  “Don’t.” Her heart was aching, but she lifted her right hand to stop him, then returned it to the steering wheel. “Let’s simply enjoy the rest of this trip. We also need to choose a dress Aunt Willow might like.”

  “That’s going to be a tall order. I mean, getting your aunt the wedding dress she’ll like part, not enjoying the trip. By the way, would you mind if I try some of this bread? It smells delicious.”

  “Go ahead.” Her heart dipped. Did she just close the door to her own happiness?

  What had she done?

  He said grace. Then there was a pause as he probably munched on the bread. The mouthwatering scent intensified.

  “Tastes delicious, too. Would you like a bite?” Apparently, he’d made good on his decision to enjoy the trip part.

  She shook her head as she slowed around a curve. She didn’t want anything to distract her from driving.

  He loved his job. She wouldn’t take it away from him. She cared about him too much.

  She’d been hurt, not because he’d left. She’d expected that, even cheered him on all his successes. She’d been hurt because he hadn’t come back for her.

  How much she’d wanted him to return for her! Her throat constricted. She needed to find neutral ground before saying she changed her mind and she’d be thrilled for him to stay in Rios Azules.

  Hmmm, neutral ground… Food!

  “There’s still time before our flight. You seem to like that bread. How about stopping somewhere and trying Polish cuisine?” She threw him a quick glance.

  “Sure. Especially if other Polish dishes are as wonderful as the bread Agnieszka gave us. My treat, of course.” He smiled at her.

  His smile still made her swoon. It probably always would. Well, what she was to do? Even if she had a chance of meeting a great guy, no way she could develop the feelings she had for Edgar. “Why your treat? I can pay my way.”

  “I know you can. But I want to treat you to dinners.” His voice softened. “I want to tell you how much your smile lights up your face or how I love running my fingers through your silky hair or the way your auburn hair glistens in the sunlight. I want to tell you the scent of your coconut shampoo makes my head spin. I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”

  Her heart nearly stopped beating, and then resumed with a wild force. She wanted to kiss him more than she wanted her next breath.

  “I don’t know what to do about it.” His hand found hers.

  “I might have an idea.” She tapped on the brake and pulled into the restaurant parking lot alongside the road. She’d lived by old memories enough. Time to make the new ones, for the time when… No, best not to think about that.

  “Is it what I think you’re doing?” A twinkle appeared in Edgar’s eye.

  Sierra parked in a vacant spot and turned off the engine. “Yes. Because I can’t stop thinking about kissing you, too.” Breathing fast, she clicked her seat belt open.

  A clicking sound signified he did the same.

  For a few precious moments, they stared in each other’s eyes, the air around them charged with awareness. Then he leaned toward her, and she met him halfway.

  Incredible sensations swept her up into the familiar and still a new world. Maybe it was because so much time had passed since the last time they’d seen each other, but the kiss felt even better than the ones they’d shared in high school. Maybe because now she knew this kiss could be the last one. She savored every moment, every sensation as butterflies fluttered tender wings in her stomach.

  Delicious waves rippled through her, every new one more exciting than the previous one. She didn’t want the kiss to stop. She didn’t know who pulled away first, but she immediately missed the feeling of his lips on hers.

  It filtered through her mental fog that it wasn’t a good idea to put on a public display. That thought prevented her from leaning toward him again.

  Her heart squeezed inside her chest. The trip wasn’t over yet, and she missed him already. She couldn’t lie to herself. She fell for him again. Once again, he’d take her heart with him to Houston.

  Lord, what should I do?

  The longing inside Sierra intensified.

  Edgar’s face reflected the daze she felt. “Sierra, I wanted to tell you—”

  She lifted her hand to stop him. “No need to say anything.” She’d never ask him to leave all he’d accomplished. She still believed God gave people talents and abilities to realize them and use them to serve others, and Edgar had done it well. “Let’s treasure our time together, shall we? Hopefully, this restaurant has a good choice of Polish cuisine.”

  Her stomach rumbled as if agreeing with her.

  His eye
s dimmed somewhat. “I want you to know you mean so much to me.”

  “Ditto,” she said as she left the car.

  As he opened the restaurant door for her and she stepped inside, delicious scents of sausage and soups met her. Snow-white embroidered tablecloths covered oak tables while glass vases with wildflowers she couldn’t name seemed rooted to their centers.

  A waitress who looked like a younger version of Agnieszka, but with her hair pinned in a bun, showed them to their table.

  As they sat and Sierra skimmed the menu, she zoomed in on relatively familiar words. “I’ll have zupa pomidorowa, then polędwiczki wołowe with kartofle. And sernik for dessert.” In case her pronunciation wasn’t great, she pointed at the words in the menu. “Kvass to drink.”

  Edgar’s eyes widened. “Okay, I’m impressed.”

  “With my knowledge of Polish or my appetite?” Sierra chuckled. “Okay, don’t answer. I heard it’s common in Polish restaurants to serve a three-course meal. Zupa pomidorowa is a tomato soup. Kvass is a drink made from rye bread. It’s nonalcoholic.”

  “And Pole—Pole—”

  “Polędwiczki wołowe?” She returned her menu to the waitress.

  “Yes, that one.” Edgar nodded.

  “Beef sirloin. Kartofle is boiled potatoes. Sernik is sort of a cheesecake.”

  “That all sounds good to me. Except for tomato soup.” He handed his menu to the girl, as well.

  Sierra repeated the words from the menu to her best ability. “There are a lot of other things here to try.”

  He shook his head. “I’m good.”

  The food arrived surprisingly fast. Portions were smaller than Sierra was used to, but it all looked and smelled great. They both also received a plate with something resembling a coleslaw, probably as a substitution for the salad.

  “Dziękuję,” they said to the waitress.

  When the girl left, Sierra gestured to the coleslaw. “I think it’s called surówka z białej kapusty. It’s shredded cabbage and carrots, mixed with mayonnaise. I hope you’ll like it. Do you want me to say grace?”

  There was a pause. Then… “I’ll say it.”

  Her heart warmed. She had a feeling Edgar had drifted away from God while in Houston. Seeing him come back was more than she could ask for. He did say something was stopping him from being a better servant to God, and she asked the Lord in her thoughts to draw Edgar closer to Him.

  “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this food and please bless it. Please keep Sierra safe in Your care and make her happy. Please help my uncle and her aunt get married and live a long and happy life together, though we didn’t bring the dress. Please help Brock get courage and tell Miranda how he feels. And please help Agata mentally recover from the fire in her house and Bartek and Agnieszka be together if You meant them for each other. I ask this in the holy name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.”

  “Amen,” she echoed.

  She was quiet after he was done. Edgar was attentive to other people, eager to help them. He was ambitious, yes, but it didn’t affect his kindness. He was a good man.

  He was also a good man who’d be leaving her soon.

  As he indulged in his beef sirloin, she hurried to take a few spoons of her tomato soup. One glance at the clock showed they didn’t have much time before the flight. Okay, more than three hours, but they still needed to make it to Warsaw, go through customs, and board the plane.

  She took a bite of the rye bread accompanying the meal. Like Agnieszka’s bread, it had an amazing aroma and was fresh and soft. “If you missed me so much, why didn’t you come back for me?” The words slipped free before she could stop them.

  His hand with kartofle stilled halfway to his mouth. “When I talked to you on the phone, you mentioned all the reasons you couldn’t leave Rios Azules. I couldn’t force you to go with me. Just your voice wreaked havoc on my senses. I knew, if I saw you, I wouldn’t be able to leave again.”

  Oh.

  The spoon dropped from her hand, splattering the red liquid. “I… had no idea. I thought you forgot about me. About the things we wanted.” She blotted the bright spots on the tablecloth with a napkin.

  “I’ll never forget you. Or the things we wanted.” He sipped his kvass.

  “Where do we go from here?” She finished her soup and moved on to the polędwiczki wołowe.

  “I have some ideas, but you don’t want to hear them.” He munched on a piece of kartofle.

  “No.” She had to find a different way for them to be together than one of them forgoing their happiness.

  She had to.

  Would she dare to turn her established life upside down? She could apply for a college in Houston, grab her pets, and move to the city, right? But the sad story of her older sister stayed imprinted in her memory, as well as in the minds of her parents, who’d been against her move.

  Besides, getting the profession she’d chosen was going to take years. Years! What if she didn’t succeed?

  After Edgar paid the bill, they hurried to the car. As she drove to Warsaw, the same thought kept appearing in her mind.

  What was she to do?

  Sierra was so tired that she’d slept most of the flight on Edgar’s shoulder. After they landed and cleared the customs in Houston, they checked the tableau for the flight to McAllen. Compared to the long transatlantic flight, the hour it took to land in south Texas was a breather.

  As they exited the plane and the carpet muffled their steps inside the airport, she turned to him. “Well, at least, we don’t have to pick up luggage or learn a language.”

  Her phone rang. Walking, she fished it out of her jeans back pocket and frowned at the screen.

  “Hmmm, unknown number.” She slowed her step, letting people pass. “Who could that be?”

  “I guess there’s one way to figure it out.” He gestured for her to sit at one of the chairs they were passing.

  She claimed a plastic chair and swiped the screen to answer. “Hello.”

  Edgar took a seat near her.

  “May I speak to Sierra Knightley?” a young female voice asked. The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

  She tensed somewhat. “Sierra Knightley speaking.”

  “This is London Hutchins. I did alterations for your aunt’s dress.”

  “I’m sure you’ve done a great job. Sadly, the house of the woman who got it caught on fire, and the dress was destroyed.” Sierra sighed. “Thank you for all your hard work, though. Aunt Willow loved your designs. I really hope she might choose a new one she’ll love as much as her dress.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m calling. Apparently, there was a mistake.” London Hutchins’s voice rose.

  “Yes, we know.” Sierra suppressed a grimace. “Aunt Willow’s dress was sold in error, and we did our best to trace it in Poland. We’re not going to hold you responsible for what happened.”

  “No, I meant a different mistake.” Excitement bubbled in the woman’s voice. “There was a different vintage dress I altered according to one of my designs. That one was put on display and sold to the bride from Poland. When you called, from the description the owner thought that was the dress you meant.”

  Sierra’s eyes widened, and she gripped the phone tighter so it wouldn’t slip from her fingers. “Then my aunt’s dress…?”

  “I did alterations and mailed it to your aunt, as discussed.”

  “Oh, Ms. Hutchins, you have no idea how much this means to me.” Sierra heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if a mountain was lifted off her chest. “Thank you so much.”

  After disconnecting, she relayed the conversation to Edgar.

  His face brightened, but then his eyes narrowed. “If this lady sent the dress back to your aunt as she says, wouldn’t Aunt Willow have received it by now?”

  Her hope deflated. “Let’s find out.” She scrolled down to her aunt’s number.

  After a few long beeps, Aunt Willow came on the line. “Sierra! I’m so glad you finally called!”

&n
bsp; A sting of guilt made Sierra wince. “Sorry. I should’ve called earlier. We were in Poland trying to find your dress. We just landed in McAllen and will take a taxi to Rios Azules.”

  “Happy you arrived safely. I have news for you. I appreciate your efforts to recover the dress, but it arrived today. The box looks dented, but the content is intact. Not sure what the holdup was, but the dress is worth it.” Aunt Willow actually giggled. “It’s gorgeous. It fits perfectly, too!”

  “Glad you got the dress. I’m thrilled for you.” A wave of gratitude spread through Sierra.

  “Well, for you, too. Because after I wear this dress to my wedding, I’ll pass it down to you.” Aunt Willow paused. “Okay, we’re not the same size. But I’m sure Ms. Hutchins will do wonderful alterations for you.”

  Sierra suppressed a cough. “If I’m ever to get married, I think I might do alterations myself. See you soon.” She disconnected.

  She wouldn’t want to go through this chase again. Though… Something warmed inside her. To think about it, this trip was one of the most wonderful things that had ever happened to her. She’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  Edgar looked at her expectantly. “I guess your aunt received the wedding dress, didn’t she?”

  “Yes!”

  He grinned. “I’m glad it all worked out. I know her happiness is important to you. My uncle will be happy.”

  While joy for her aunt filled her, regret squeezed her heart at the same time. “I guess this is it then.”

  He took her hand. “What if I don’t want it to be? I want to keep seeing you.”

  As always, his touch made her pulse skyrocket. She had difficulty thinking straight when he touched her. “Until Aunt Willow’s wedding?”

  He leaned toward her. “Longer. What if—”

  After spending so much time with him, his proximity shouldn’t affect her. Yet it did. As her pulse spiked, she raised her hand to stop him. “Let’s take it one day at a time. We need to work on the rest of the wedding details. We’ll see each other a lot.”

  “I look forward to it. Though, frankly, selecting wedding invitations or decorations isn’t exactly my forte.”