True believer - Nicholas Sparks [64]
Looking back, she supposed that was the moment she realized that her feelings for Rodney had changed. It wasn’t that she fell in love with him right then and there, but it was the moment when she realized that she’d stopped believing the possibility to be nil. Not that it was likely, though. Rodney was over the moon for Lexie. Always had been, always would be, and Rachel had long since come to the conclusion that nothing would ever change the way he felt about her. There were times when it wasn’t easy, and there were times when it didn’t bother her at all, but lately, she admitted that the times it didn’t bother her were fewer and further between.
Pushing through the crowd, she wished she hadn’t brought up the subject of Jeremy Marsh at lunch. She should have known what was bothering Rodney. By now, it seemed, the entire town was talking about Lexie and Jeremy, starting with the grocer who had sold them their lunch and spreading like fire once the mayor made his announcement. She would still like to go to New York, but as she’d mentally replayed her conversation with Jeremy, she’d gradually come to the realization that he might have simply been making conversation and not extending an invitation. Sometimes she read too much into situations like that.
But Jeremy Marsh was just so . . . perfect.
Cultured, intelligent, charming, famous, and, best of all, not from here. There was no way Rodney could compete with that, and she had the sinking suspicion that Rodney knew it, too. But Rodney, on the other hand, was here and didn’t plan to leave, which was a different sort of an advantage, if one chose to see it that way. And, she had to admit, he was responsible and good-looking, too, in his own way.
“Hey, Rodney,” she said, smiling.
Rodney glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, hey, Rach. How are you?”
“Good, thanks. Some party, huh?”
“It’s great,” he said, not hiding the sarcasm in his voice. “How’s it going inside?”
“Pretty good. They just got the banner up.”
“Banner?’
“Sure. The one welcoming him to town. His name is in big blue letters and everything.”
Rodney exhaled, his chest collapsing slightly. “Great,” he said again.
“You should see what else the mayor has in store for him. Not only the banner and the food, but he had a key to the city made.”
“I heard,” Rodney said.
“And the Mahi-Mahis are here, too,” she continued, referring to a barbershop quartet. Local citizens, they’d been singing together for forty-three years, and even though two of the members had to use walkers and one had a nervous twitch that forced him to sing with his eyes closed, they were nonetheless the most famous entertainers within a hundred miles.
“Swell,” Rodney said again.
His tone gave her pause for the first time. “I guess you don’t want to hear about any of that, though, huh?”
“No, not really.”
“Why did you come, then?”
“Tom talked me into it. One day I’m going to figure out where he’s coming from before he opens his mouth.”
“It won’t be so bad,” she said. “I mean, you’ve seen how people are tonight. Everyone wants to talk to him. It’s not like he and Lexie can hole up in some corner somewhere. I’ll bet you ten to one they won’t even be able to say more than ten words to each other all night. And, just to let you know, I saved a plate of food for you, if you don’t have a chance to get anything to eat.”
Rodney hesitated for a moment before smiling. Rachel always looked out for him.
“Thanks, Rach.” For the first time, he noticed what she was wearing, his eyes alighting on the little gold hoops in her ears. He added, “You look nice tonight.”
“Thank you.”
“You want to keep me company for a while?”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
Jeremy and Lexie wove through the mass of parked cars, their breaths coming out in little puffs as they neared the mansion. On the steps up ahead, Jeremy saw one couple after another pausing at the door before