Let Me Love You by Linda Walters

Author:Linda Walters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

As the afternoon progressed, the photo album was put away with the wedding pictures having served the purpose of bringing a reminiscent moment for all time to the surface. The photographer had captured the pure essence of Branch and Nita. Everyone agreed they were incredibly lucky to have found one another. Everyone exclaimed over and over again how beautiful the photos were. But not everyone wanted to be in the same position and yet, no one wanted to let that fact be known.

By half past five, most bags had been packed, hugs exchanged, kisses planted. The weekend guests all had luggage in the foyer and were ready to be driven to the Fort Lauderdale airport by Branch in the seven-passenger Escalade.

Goodbyes were exchanges which came easier for some than for others. Roger watched as Simone hugged Nita and he wondered what had possessed him to bring her in the first place. He wondered about the interaction between the two women who had been strangers before the weekend.

“I want you to know that I had a wonderful time. Your home is lovely, the hospitality was great and you and Branch are the best,” Simone gushed emphatically.

Nita hugged her even tighter, aware that Roger looked on from across the room.

“If there’s anything I can ever do, don’t hesitate to give me a call. Men aren’t always as sensitive as we’d like them to be,” she added under her breath, winking at Simone.

Simone nodded quickly, the conspiracy at once confirmed and concealed, both women acknowledging that there were circumstances which were sometimes beyond control. Simone instinctively knew that Nita realized the weekend had been stress-filled at times, even though Roger was a longtime friend of both Nita and Branch’s. The fact that their friendship superseded her arrival on the scene made it sticky when it became clear that she and Roger had probably agreed on spending the weekend together prematurely. Now that the weekend was drawing to a close, she only wanted to make it clear that she’d enjoyed herself and the hospitality offered.

“Thanks—I mean, for everything,” Simone added meaningfully.

In another part of the room, Branch was speaking to Lorenzo, something he’d been unable to do the entire weekend. His brother’s absence had gone unnoticed by many of the guests, but it had been blatantly obvious to Branch. It, in fact, angered him immensely.

Branch wondered if he’d disappeared out of contempt or to just plain create a mystery and he intended to find out. It wouldn’t be the first time that Lorenzo had shown himself to be unpredictable and unreliable. Branch did his best to push those thoughts from his mind, not wanting to prejudice his next words in any way.

“Man, you were here one minute, then the next, you were gone. I tried you on your cell, at your crib, even at the job. What exactly is your problem?” Branch’s voice had risen with each successive sentence as his frustration became apparent to everyone in the immediate vicinity.

“Look, Branch, this was your thing—yours and Nita’s.

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