An indescribable pain etched itself on her heart. Chaz might have been wrong about a lot of what he’d said, but he was right about one thing. She didn’t want to hurt Leo. And if there was even a sliver of a chance that she’d end up hating this place and hurting him in the process, she couldn’t follow through with any of her new dreams—the ones that included him.
“Get the information you need for my father, Chaz, then leave.” She gritted out the request with venom. Right now, she didn’t want to speak to him any further.
“I have a hotel in town for the night. Would you like to?—”
“No. I suggest you do what you have to with the time you have today and then leave early. I’m sure my father could use you back at the office.”
Chaz frowned. He looked tempted to say something more, but she wasn’t interested in what he might want to say. So she turned back to the mug on the table, grabbed it, then headed inside.
Later that day, Leo seemed distant. He was a shadow of his usual self. The problem was, she knew that feeling all too well. After Chaz had left, she’d closed herself off from everyone including Jane.
She couldn’t help but go over every single thing Chaz had said about them. About her father. And about Leo. The future wasn’t promised. It didn’t matter that she’d told Leo that they’d have to wait and see how her meeting with her father went when she sawhim in two weeks, she already knew what the outcome would be. Kat didn’t have to be a psychic to see her future.
Once she was back home, her father and Chaz would likely corner her and convince her that the best course of action would be to secure the future of the company by showing a strong, unified front. Then, and only then, would they consider her suggestion for a location closer to the west coast. Knowing her father, Kat figured he’d recommend a location in Washington or even California. But Montana? What would be the point?
She went to bed early, feigning not feeling well. And when Leo knocked on her door, she didn’t answer. Two more weeks before she visited home. Then a couple more weeks after that before the project was done and she’d leave here for good. Maybe it was time to put some distance between herself and Leo after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
It had takenevery ounce of control Leo had gained over the years not to march right up to that miscreant and clock him in the jaw. What was Chaz doing here? Had Kat invited him?
Did she miss him?
No. He couldn’t think like that.
If Chaz was here, it was because of his work, not because of Kat. He’d come to… what? Check up on her?
That almost felt worse.
But not for him. He felt awful for Kat. If Chaz was here to check up on her, it would gut her.
Leo shut his eyes, blocking out the memory of how Chaz had touched her. He hadn’t stuck around long enough to see how she reacted to him. He couldn’t. Perhaps that was his problem. If he’d stayed to see how the conversation had gone, he wouldn’t be sitting here on his bed staring up at the ceiling beating himself up over how he’d reacted to her when they’d sat down for dinner.
They’d both been quiet, brooding. The part of him that hated Chaz wanted to believe she was upset that the guy had shown up at all. But the terrified man who didn’t want to lose the love of his life couldn’t help going to the worst possible scenario.
She was pushing him away because she returned Chaz’s affection.
His hands balled into fists at his sides but then he pressed them into his eyes. Stars sparked behind his lids. He fought the instinct to lash out, to allow himself to fall into despair. He was better than this. If Kat was brave enough to fight for what she wanted with her father, then he’d do the same. There was nothing stopping him from flying out to New York and speaking to the man.
Well, except for Kat.
He sat up immediately and reached for his phone, dialing the number of the only person who could make that happen. Noah picked up on the second ring.
“Leo? What’s up? You realize you could just walk a couple yards and knock on my door, right?”
Refusing to comment on his cousin’s obvious statement, Leo trudged onward. “I need a favor.”
Noah was the wealthiest person in their extended family after he’d made several smart decisions with the money his parents had set aside for him to use for college. He’d quietly invested year after year until he made his first million and that wealth only continued to grow. He was also the only person with a private jet. Noah remained silent, waiting for Leo’s request.
“Can I borrow your plane?”
Noah laughed at that. “Where are you wanting to go? You’re not thinking of taking Kat to the Bahamas, are you?”
Leo practically choked on his surprise at Noah’s blunt question. So, his cousin did know there was romance brewing between himself and Kat. “No, of course not.” He chewed on his lower lip. “But this does have something to do with Kat in a way.”
“Leo…” Noah sighed. “What’s going on?”
“I need a flight to New York. It needs to remain a secret. There and back. I don’t want anyone knowing I’m leaving. I don’t care if I have to fly in the middle of the night.”
