Saved by the Cross (Cross 3)

23 - Better

Doyle wanted to run through the house singing. She was in love. The way she felt for Gray was nothing like how she had felt about Mick.

On Sunday afternoon, she and Tate went shopping. Browsing through racks in Neiman Marcus at Copley Place, they talked about Tate's engagement.

"Was it a surprise?"

"I suspected. I think he wanted to make my birthday happy again."

"I say he succeeded."

She beamed. "He did. Doy, I was so wrong about him for so long."

"You're happy now. That's all that matters. How was Baxter's dinner party?"

"Fun. I like Sofia a lot."

"Me too." Doyle could acknowledge knowing her. "I took some beautiful pictures for her."

"Smug. Just kidding. She told us. So we met Gray."

Doyle's belly tightened. "And? He's nice, right?"

"Yes. He has a very different relationship with them than we have with Macintyre."

"They're friends. Driving is just one of his jobs." She almost said he was writing a book, but it was a secret.

"We thanked him. He's big. The jerk picked the wrong alley to attack you."

"That's true. Gray may be big, but he's a nice guy. He went to Old Navy to buy me clothes."

"That is sweet. Oh, I like this." Tate held up a dress she could wear to work.

"Does Mother want you to wear your wedding dress?"

Tate smiled. "Can't. Jimmy saw it. She wants you to wear it."

"Can't you're taller than me." Plus, if I marry Gray, we might need to elope. "I might elope."

"No, you won't. Don't you want Daddy to walk with you down the aisle?"

"You know he took me sailing a lot this summer."

Tate nodded. "Did he give you Sambuca?"

"Yeah. I think his cross-love drinks Sambuca."

Tate pulled her over to a rack where no one else was around. "You know about that?"

"We all know it's not mom. He still sees her."

Tate shook her head. "I didn't think you knew anything about it. Does Kasper?"

"I don't know. None of us talk about it. Do you know who she is?"

"No. Only that she was at Baxter's wedding."

"I didn't know that." Doyle knew who she was, but hadn't seen her at the wedding. There were too many people.

Tate's eyes darted around. "Yeah, Jimmy overheard her and Dad talking. He didn't see her."

"So Jimmy knows too." Tate blushed.

"It's okay." She had told Gray. "He loves mother too, doesn't he?"

"I think so. Just not the same. Like I loved Duncan." Doyle made a face. "I did and would have if he hadn't cheated. Now I'm glad that he did."

"How do you know when you love someone? I mean true love."

Tate sighed. "It's more than just the physical, but the connection in bed is better. It doesn't feel like just sex."

"I get it and Jimmy's amazing." Doyle made a face, as Tate blushed, but Doyle understood exactly what she described.

"With Jimmy, our friendship is strong and not because we've known each other for years. We just get each other. I want to be with him all the time and when I'm not I think about him."