North Dakota Weddings (51 page)

He backed from the office, looking into Rayne’s eyes. Though he shouldn’t attempt to read her reaction to his comment, there it was.

Disappointment
.

As he made his way to the conference room where the others finished up their lunch, Jack thought about what he’d seen in her eyes.

He had to be wrong, which meant he was losing his touch, unable to read people anymore. Or maybe he simply wasn’t able to read Rayne.

Later that afternoon, Jack was relieved to be alone in his office. The rest of the meeting did not go as planned, at least for him. Rayne gave her initial impressions of their newest client, as Jack had requested she do. But the energy present during the morning hours had dissipated.

Flowers. How could a bouquet of roses disrupt his thoughts? He could tell that Rayne had become distracted as well.

Hands jammed in his pockets, he tried to peer through the glass, but it had grown too dark outside, and all he could see was his own frayed reflection. He kicked over the wastebasket.

Rayne’s familiar laughter in the hallway penetrated his door. Who had given her the roses? Why should he care?

He scraped the paper back into the wastebasket and set it right, then blew out a frustrated breath. Opening his door, he peered down the hall. Rayne leaned against the wall outside her office, chatting with Heidi, one of the techies, if he remembered correctly.

He would have stepped back into his office, but Heidi spotted him.

“Hi, Jack. Are we making too much noise?” she asked with a smile.

“No, not at all. Just wondered who was working late, that’s all.” Jack meandered toward the women.

Rayne looked away from him.

Jack felt a wry grin slip into his lips. How was it that others in the company offered him warm smiles, but Rayne always seemed detached when he was around? Moments before, he’d heard her laughter. It was nice.

But he was done with love and relationships, so her reaction to him shouldn’t bother him in the least. He didn’t care about the roses either. Jack was back, all about the job.

Heidi cleared her throat. “I was just about to leave. Rayne is going ice-skating with me. Would you like to go?”

Rayne lifted her eyes to Jack. “Heidi’s going with her church group. It’s their couple’s night. So unless you have a significant other, you might feel uncomfortable.”

She studied him, a question in her gaze.

Jack’s throat constricted again. Rayne was probably going with her secret admirer.

Heidi squeezed Rayne’s arm. “It really makes no difference. Sure, we’re getting together, but anyone can come. Rayne’s coming, and she’s single. How about it, Jack?”

Jack grinned. “I’ve never been ice-skating.” He scratched his chin.

Heidi smiled. “Well, maybe it’s time to change that.”

R
ayne skated to the side of the outdoor rink—part of the new park in Fargo—and grabbed the wall, feeling winded. When she was younger, ice-skating had been a favorite pastime. That and snowmobiling.

Heidi skated over to her and put her hand on the rail. “There’s a good crowd here tonight.”

“Thank goodness. It’s easier to skate in a crowd—nobody pays attention to the clumsy skater.”

Heidi laughed. “You mean like Jack?” She gestured with her head.

On the other side of the rink, Jack tumbled on the ice.

Heidi laughed. “Poor guy.”

“Why on earth did you invite him?”

“Oh come on. I was trying to be friendly. You might try it sometime.”

Rayne yanked her gaze from Jack to give Heidi a questioning look.

She lifted her mouth in a huge grin. “You know I’m only kidding. But why don’t you go over and give the guy a hand?”

“I still can’t figure out why he came.” Rayne could hardly stand to watch him struggle. “He’s like a little kid out there.”

“Adorable.”

Rayne wouldn’t step up to the bait. “He’s not allowed to be adorable. He’s my boss.”

“So what? Look at Carissa and John. They met at work.”

Rayne wasn’t going to fall for what appeared to be another matchmaking scheme. Heidi was happily married and had a child. Married women with children wanted everyone else to know what they were missing. Heidi had made an attempt at matchmaking for Rayne a few months ago.

It didn’t work then.
And it won’t work now
.

Heidi’s husband, Jim, skated up and into her. She squealed and they laughed, pushing away from the wall together. “See you later, Rayne.”

As Rayne shoved off as well, deciding this would be her last go-around, she discovered she was next to Jack. “You’re doing much better,” she said.

He cautiously took his eyes from the ice to glance at her. “You think?”

She couldn’t help but smile. Heidi was right. He was adorable. And Barb was right; he was beautiful. “I think.”

“You should see me on the racquetball court. I’m much better.”

“Racquetball, huh? I don’t think I’ve ever played that.”

Jack opened his mouth; then…he was on his back.

Rayne stopped. “Ow! That had to hurt.”

Wincing, he sat on the ice and looked up at her. “I have no idea why I even came.”

Rayne pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She was actually beginning to feel sorry for the guy. “Here, let me help you up.” She offered her gloved hand.

He arched his left brow. “Are you sure about that?”

Rayne braced her legs and gripped the ice with her skates. “Of course.”

He thrust his hand into hers and tugged.

Rayne’s skates slipped as the wall seemed to fly past. Pain met her backside. She looked over at Jack. He smiled.

She erupted in laughter, and then Jack joined her. She smacked him on the arm. “You did that on purpose.”

“You think?”

Warmth spread through her despite the cold. “I think.”

“I needed your help. I didn’t think I could get up one more time.”

Skates scraped the ice. Heidi and Jim stood over them. “You two would look cozier if you were sitting in front of a fire.”

Rayne glared at Heidi. “Help me up, would you?”

“And end up on the ice with you? No thanks.” Heidi and Jim skated away, holding hands.

“Of all the—”

Jack scrambled to his feet, and before Rayne could do the same, he gripped her arms and lifted her up with hardly any effort. The man was strong. He brushed the snow off her shoulders.

A few snowflakes stuck in his dark hair. Rayne wanted to brush them off, as he’d done for her, but she feared she’d end up running her fingers through. Of course, to get the full effect, she’d have to remove her gloves. Her eyes widened. What was she thinking?

Jack stared at her expectantly; then with a half grin, he said, “I think I’m done. Good night, Rayne.”

“Good night,” she said. As she watched him skate over to the exit door, Rayne didn’t want him to leave. Not yet.

She’d just welcomed the fact that he was here. Skating around the rink, she stepped off the ice and saw Jack enter a warming hut. She followed him and, once inside, spotted him tugging off his skates.

“Hi there,” she said.

He pulled off a skate and peered up at her.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked.

After tugging off his other skate, he sat tall. “Not at all. I’m about to leave though.”

“Why did you come to skate when you don’t know how? It must have been torture.”
What are you doing, girl?

“You mean embarrassing.” He hung his head then looked up at her.

He had the most amazing eyes. “True.” She giggled.

“I don’t know. I guess I wanted to get to know a few people. I’m new to Fargo, you know?”

“Heidi attends a great church. You should try it sometime. You’ll get to know people there. Make friends.”

“Is that where you attend?”

Rayne stared at him. Why did he want to know?

“She’s invited me, and I’ve visited a few times, but I’m just so accustomed to the church I grew up in, it’s tough finding someplace new, fitting in.”

Jack studied Rayne. She shivered. For a moment, she wished he would tug her to him, warming her.

“Listen, I noticed an ice sculpture on display in the park. Thought I’d go check it out. Want to come with me?” he asked.

Two men came into the warming hut, followed by several kids. “It’s getting crowded in here. Sounds like a good idea. I have to get my shoes first.”

After putting her shoes on and returning her skates, Rayne found Jack waiting for her next to the ice rink. “There you are,” she said.

He pointed to the other side of the rink. “The sculpture is over there.”

Rayne tugged her coat tighter. “The snow is beginning to fall heavier now.”

As they trudged side by side through the snow, couples and families walked nearby, many heading to their cars, ending their fun evening. For some reason, Rayne felt self-conscious that so many held hands. She almost felt as though she and Jack should hold hands if they wanted to fit in. But how many others were walking in the park with their boss?

Rayne stopped. Heidi and Jim stood next to their car in a romantic hug. Then Heidi tilted her head up, and Jim met her with a kiss.

Shaking off the scene, Rayne continued to walk. She glanced over at Jack.

He was watching her. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” What could she say?
“ You’re my boss, and I can’t hold your hand”?

“Here it is.” Jack put his gloved hands under his arms, shivering.

The ice sculpture appeared to be an abstract of a flock of geese.

Rayne sent him a sympathetic smile. “You look so miserable.”

“I’m from Florida. But I ended up in Southern Cal when I went to work for Disney. I prefer it hot—what do you expect?”

Rayne nodded her head in an exaggerated manner. “Right.”

Jack laughed. “Tell me what you see.”

“What? In this sculpture?”

“Yes.”

“I think you’ve got me wrong. I only do fluid water sculptures.”

Jack threw his head back and laughed. Rayne thought it was the most delightful thing she’d ever heard.

Rayne was…Jack shook his head. There was just something about her. “So, she has a sense of humor, after all.”

She grinned—a beautiful grin—and shook her head. “Listen, it’s been a long day. I’m tired and cold to the bone. Do I really have to turn on the creativity right now?”

“You don’t have to. This isn’t work.”

Rayne circled the sculpture. “I’m standing next to a water sculpture, ice sculpture, rather, with my boss who wants to know my impression. How is that not work?”

Jack wanted to run his hand down the sculpture, but the sign warned people from touching it. How to answer her question…? He rubbed his gloved fingers over his face. His lips must be blue by now.

“I don’t know, Rayne. It doesn’t feel like work to me.” From across the circle, he stared at her, trying to read her expression.
Maybe because you fascinate me
.

“I’m sorry if I didn’t seem focused enough this afternoon during the brainstorming meeting.”

“Well, you did just receive a bouquet of roses. I’m sure any woman would be starry-eyed after that. What can a boss expect?” Ugh. Had he actually brought up the roses? He thought he’d convinced himself he didn’t care who had sent them.

Rayne reached toward the ice sculpture as if she planned to touch it, then drew back. “The flowers…it’s not like that. I mean, the guy who sent the roses is someone from back home who can’t let go.”

At her news, pressure seemed to ease from Jack’s chest. Had he really held on to hope that the flowers had meant nothing to her?

He shouldn’t even care. His stomach soured when thoughts of his previous broken engagement deposited a snowdrift of unwanted memories in his mind. “Go easy on the guy, okay? I know what it feels like to be hurt in love.” Jack shivered. Why had he revealed that to her?

He chuckled, embarrassed. When he glanced up at Rayne again, a soft smile caressed her lips. Maybe she was just too easy to talk to and he’d allowed himself to get too comfortable with her.

“I think the cold is getting to you.” Rayne trotted around the sculpture and grabbed Jack’s arm. “Come on.”

“What are you doing? Where are we going?”