That’s what she was. She was overwhelmed with pride.
Her phone rang, and Tamryn was surprised that she was able to tear herself away from the pages of the diary long enough to check it. A small part of her thought—hoped—that it was Matt calling to apologize. It would take a lot to rectify the pain he’d caused her, but now that she’d had some time to come to grips with her emotions, she would be more receptive to an apology than she had been just a few hours ago.
But it wasn’t Matt on the other end of the line, it was Victoria. Tamryn felt the blood drain from her face as she listened to her colleague. When she ended the call, she quickly pulled up a travel website and booked the first flight back to Boston.
Chapter 12
Mattwasn’t eventhinking as he got in his car and started for Belle Maison. He just knew he needed to get there. He needed to get to Tamryn. Before he did anything else, he needed to explain to her why he’d deliberately kept the diary from her.
But he’d done that already. There wasn’t much more he could add to the reasons he’d given her before she stormed out of his family’s library.
He’d kept the thing she’d spent years searching for from her to save his own ass, even though he knew how much it meant to her. Maybe if he’d asked her to keep the other stories hidden within the pages of the diary a secret, she would have honored his request. He hadn’t given her the chance.
Matt briefly shut his eyes. He was so overwhelmed with self-disgust that he could hardly stand to be around himself.
He pulled up to Belle Maison and climbed out of the car, taking the four porch steps in two strides. He knocked once before opening the door he knew Phil kept unlocked most of the day. He bounded up the stairs, but Phil’s yell stopped him halfway to the top.
“Hey, where are you going?” she called from the base of the stairs. She had a dish towel slung over her shoulder and a juice glass in her hand.
“I need to talk to Tamryn,” he said.
“She isn’t here,” she replied.
Her words sucked all the wind from his sails. Matt trudged down the stairs and stopped in front of Phil. “Where is she?”
“I’m not sure I should say anything. It would be bad business practice.”
He eyed her. “Don’t do that to me, Phil. I need to know where she is.”
“She went to Boston.”
Matt’s chest felt as if it was caving in. “Boston?” he choked out.
“About an hour ago. She left most of her things, so she’ll be back.”
“Did she say how long she would be gone?”
She shook her head. “Sorry.”
Matt dragged both hands down his face.
“You messed up, didn’t you?” Phil asked.
“More than I’ve ever messed up before,” he admitted.
“Well, you probably have a few days to figure out a way to make up for it. I suggest you start working on it right now.” She patted him on the arm and headed toward the back of the Victorian, where the kitchen was located.
Having no reason to linger at Belle Maison, Matt got into his car and started back toward his house. He took the scenic route home, driving through downtown Gauthier, past Heritage Park and his law firm. As he meandered through the residential neighborhood south of Main Street, he thought about all the chances he’d had to tell Tamryn about the diary. He should have trusted her with the information.
But he’d chosen to lie instead. Even though he knew how much it would hurt her. Even though he knew how much that diary had meant to her. He’d deliberately kept it from her. He felt like the world’s worst bastard.
The deception reminded him too much of his father. So much that Matt could feel the nausea building in his belly.
The thought of being no better than Leroy Gauthier was enough to suffocate him. He would give anything not to turn out like the man who’d fathered him.
Even if it meant giving up his shot at state senate.
A sharp ache pierced his chest, but Matt did his best to ignore it.
