Kate and Walter arrived back in the States the day before Ginny and Eric’s rehearsal dinner. They would all have to leave very early the next morning to drive to the Davenports’ estate in the Hudson River Valley.
As soon as Kate’s phone connected to a tower when they landed, she got a series of messages from Alan. She wished she had told someone about what was happening. She thought she could handle it herself, but it wasn’t going to work. Now it was too late.
“Is everything okay?” Walter asked her with concern when they arrived at the estate.
She nodded and tried to smile.
“Let’s finish up going over the things we need to follow up on,” he said, motioning her to his study.
Grant was sitting at the desk, talking on the phone.
Sorry,he mouthed. Walter waved him to stay put, and he and Kate went onto the terrace.
“Probably better to stand after that long flight,” Walter said.
They were wrapping up their discussion as Grant came out.
“We’re about to start moving forward on the mining project in Ethiopia and Eritrea,” he said with a grin.
“Wow,” Walter replied. “That’s impressive.”
“And I have another contract up my sleeve, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise in case it doesn’t work out.”
Walter shook his head, laughing, then grabbed Grant and pulled him into a hug. Grant wrinkled his face and pretended to struggle out of his father’s grasp.
“Kate!” Grant said, coming over to her and sweeping her up. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” He broke out into an old song about getting married in a wedding chapel and danced her around the terrace.
Kate felt her heart melt. She was like a teenager pining after her crush. But between her feelings for Grant, the grueling travel schedule, and the problems with Alan, it was all too much.
She held it together until she arrived back at her grandmother’s house, where she ran upstairs to her room and collapsed on her bed.
Kate was sobbing in her room as her grandmother came in.
“What is the matter, dear?” her grandmother asked as she rocked her and stroked her hair. “Come now. Let me fetch you an ice pack for your face. We need to make sure you have everything you need for the wedding.”
“I don’t want to go,” Kate said.
“Of course you do!” her grandmother replied. “Ginny is a good friend of yours, and you’re in the wedding. Take a nap, and you’ll feel better.”
Kate did not feel much better when she woke up. She slowly packed, and Maria helped her steam her dress.
She received another text from Alan requesting yet more money. What was he spending it on? Wasn’t he getting a paycheck?
Kate didn’t know how she was going to give him the money and make it to the rehearsal on time. Exhausted, she lay down to sleep, then she woke up the next morning several hours later than she had planned.
She raced downstairs and demanded, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
Her grandmother was taken aback. “You needed the sleep.”
“I’m going to be late for the wedding rehearsal.”
“No, you won’t,” said Margaret. “You have plenty of time.”
Kate silently fumed. It was her own fault. She couldn’t tell her grandmother she had to make a detour because of Alan. She threw her suitcase into the car and sped off.
Chapter 54
Grant
