The group approached. Krista smiled at everyone then asked how they were. What else could she do? They all seemed so excited to see her, and whatever adventure they’d been on to find her was making them all laugh and whoop.
“I can’t believe our detective work actually paid off,” Darren said, throwing his arm around her too. Engulfed in this group of people she had to see every day at work, Krista plastered a smile on her face. “Ryan’s been calling the shots, haven’t you, Ry? He wouldn’t let us rest until he found you.”
But if they’d put so much effort into finding her, they must’ve missed out on so much of their vacation!
“Really, guys, you shouldn’t have...” But where was Zoey? “Where’s everyone else?”
“In Banff.”
“Sergeant Ryan wanted us to form a splinter group...”
“He’s been on a mission...”
“It’s been a quest, for sure!”
They were all speaking at once now, all laughing, bantering and congratulating each other. Krista laughed along with them too. She was so steamrolled and bamboozled and embarrassed, she didn’t know what else to do.
Ryan put his arm around her again, but just like his kiss a few seconds go, it felt so wrong. So unnatural. All she wanted to do was get to Shane and figure out why he was leaving in such a hurry.
Easing Ryan’s arm away from her shoulders, she scanned the service station for Shane.
Then, as if Ryan had read her mind, he asked, “Where’s McDermit?”
“I’m here.”
Krista’s heart jumped. Shane was standing behind her, holding her bags.
He placed them at her feet. A statement that said loud and clear—in front ofeveryone—that he didn’t want her with him.
“Thanks for the good time, Krista,” he said, all chirpy and jolly and not the least bit bothered by this outrageous surprise out of the blue that was making her heart beat so fast she felt like passing out.
“Shane—”
“See you around.” Then with a quick nod to the others, he strode to his car, slid in behind the wheel, and drove away.
***
It took all of Shane’sstrength not to shoot down the Icefields Parkway, honking at anyone who’d get in his way.
He should’ve known that the minute bloody Ryan showed up, Krista would be back at his feet. As she’d stared at her phone, he’d seen how her face had lit up. Her smile was dazzling, her eyes sparkly, and he knew—just fucking knew—that she was reading messages from Ryan.
So that dweeb finally had the spine to fess up and tell her he loved her?
And not only that—just as Shane had predicted—he’d also literally swept her off her feet. Shane could’ve lived without seeing Krista being kissed by another man—a man she’d always wanted—and from the looks of how they were kissing on the forecourt, they belonged together. Surrounded by their cheering friends.And they lived happily ever after...
Well, it’s what Krista had wanted all along, wasn’t it? Ryan confessing his undying love for her. So, who was Shane to get in the way of that? She’d planned this whole trip to the Rockies so she could be with that pretty boy.
Strewth almighty.
Did Krista really think someone like Ryan would make her happy?
Shane wasn’t going to hang around to find out because—Boom!—another minefield had just blown up in his face.
Poor Shane, missing out...
He’d fallen short again.
The Nearly Man.
