The Wedding Wish

said, handing him back his paper. “And think up something better to do than obsess about your only daughter.”
    “Only child,” he corrected as she walked away.
    Trudy waved one hand in the air and strode out the door, leaving Kip alone with his thoughts, and— oh no, not that —a totally torn sports section.

    Isabel lowered her menu in front of her after having perused the delicious selections. She and Robert were out on yet another date. They’d seen each other every Saturday for the past several weeks and lots of weekdays in between. Most nights, they both were studying, and on Fridays, Robert worked late at the lab. “Everything looks so good,” she told him. “I’m having trouble making up my mind.”
    “I’ll probably have the porter house steak,” he told her. “With an order of jalapeño fries on the side.” That sounded great, and Isabel was tempted, but there was also a lovely sounding salmon.
    “I’m thinking of the fish.”
    “Then why not go for it? If you want to do surf and turf, we can share.”
    The solution sounded perfect, but before she could say so, Robert’s cell rang.
    “I’m sorry, Isabel,” he said, checking the number. “I’d better take this.”
    She used the opportunity to excuse herself to the rest room. She needed to avail herself of the facilities and wanted to check her makeup besides. She’d taken care to look good, and Robert seemed to appreciate her. But it was odd that he’d still not tried to make a move. He’d certainly been much more forward as a kid. Then again, she probably had been too. Now it seemed they were being adults about it. Taking their time to get to know one another, although Isabel couldn’t help but feel their getting-to-know-each-other period was well past done. They’d been on at least half a dozen nighttime dates, and Robert always insisted on paying. And yet, each time he’d driven her home, he’d played the perfect gentleman. Isabel worried over why he was keeping his distance. Could it be he was so caught up in school, he wasn’t prepared to become intimately involved? Or maybe it was her, and he didn’t feel romantically inclined. Perhaps he merely thought of them as good friends, with a fond past as childhood sweethearts? The only other explanation was that he was seeing someone else, but that certainly seemed impossible. Robert appeared to have very limited time, and what free time he had he seemed to want to spend with her. Besides, he’d pretty clearly indicated to her dad there was no one else . At least that there hadn’t been for quite some time.
    Isabel entered the rest room to find two young women chatting busily while applying lipstick before the mirror. “That’s what I’m telling you,” the first one said to the other, clearly upset. “When a guy’s got something to hide, he always says that.”
    “That’s not true,” the other protested. “He could have meant anything by it.”
    “ You too? ” the first one said with emphasis. “I don’t think so, girlfriend. He was talking to another woman. He just didn’t want you to know it.”
    “So maybe it was his mother?”
    The second girl firmly shook her head. “And he wasn’t talking about the rock band either.” She capped her lipstick and tucked it back in her purse, fluffing her hair. “Trust me on this. Whoever it was on the other end of that line, she’s your very worst nightmare.”
    “And why’s that?” her friend asked defensively.
    “Because she’s already got her hooks in your man.”
    Both girls suddenly wheeled on Isabel, noticing she’d been eavesdropping.
    “Uh,” she began uncertainly, “are you two in line?”
    “No, uh-huh,” they said, scooting out of her way. They huddled together in a whisper while walking toward the door, but Isabel overheard them anyway.
    “Did you see how she was listening to us?” the second one said.
    “Yeah,” the first girl agreed. “I’ll bet she’s got the same problem.”

    Isabel returned to the table, feeling disconcerted. She didn’t know why some random conversation in the ladies’ room had bothered her, but it had. As she drew near the table, Robert was finishing his call. He spied her approaching, then quickly wrapped it up. “Yeah,” he said into the mouthpiece with a hasty glance in Isabel’s direction. “You too.”
    He hit End Call, and Isabel’s heart rose in her throat. “Everything all right?” she asked, taking her seat as casually as possible.
    “Just