I’d move to the beach closer to my mother and join her and her friends for the poolside luaus. I’d get a golf cart and a job at a hotel.
Why not?
We dropped Grant off, making sure he closed his front door behind him. Colin said little on our way back to my place. I, however, filled the silence with unending chatter about the festival. When he parked in my driveway, I’d just finished going over the benefits of the way the festival organizers had arranged the parking lot.
I hadn’t known how many ways my fingers could twist together in agonizing tension, but I’m sure I tried every permutation during that drive. How was I supposed to carry out my mission? Would I really bring up Maggie? How was the night going to end?
I was still racking my brain with these thoughts as he opened the car door and helped me out, holding my hand all the way to my front door. The night air was cool, and I shivered as I faced Colin, ready to make an attempt at gathering information. But his next gesture stopped me. He dropped my hand and ran both his palms up and down my arms.
“Cold?” he asked, his hands resting warmly near my shoulders. I searched his eyes for deceit. For malice. Manipulation. I couldn’t find anything like that.
As I was about to ask him anyway, he kissed me.
It was as if a black hole swallowed me, pulling every thought straight out of my head. I forgot who I was, what I was doing, and what I’d intended to do. If it weren’t for him holding me still by my arms, I’d have fallen straight down and melted into a little Katelynn puddle.
I can’t say how long the kiss lasted. It may have been an hour or a second. Time didn’t make sense. But when he pulled his lips from mine, I took a breath in as if it was my life returning to me.
His eyes seemed to sparkle and dance, and I reveled in the notion that he’d enjoyed kissing me. Disappointment hit when his hands went back to his sides, meaning the kissing was truly over.
I was speechless. I felt ridiculous just staring up at him, but it was really all I could do. The surprise of the kiss, the magic of it, the want of more… it filled me so completely that it left my mind blank of anything else.
“I have something to ask, and I’m afraid it might be way too early to bring up something like this between us, but I’d rather do it than not. My brother is getting married next weekend, and I’d love it if you would accompany me as my plus one.”
Between the kiss and the unexpectedness of the question, my mind was a blur.
“What—Where are we going?” I asked
Colin’s face lit up. “I’m so glad you’ll come.”
He hugged me, and I realized my mistake. Instead of asking him to repeat his request, I’d asked where we were going,as if I’d agreed to go and wanted to know where it was.
When he released me from the hug, he said, “It’s at Brightwater Island, at our family’s summer home.”
Panic seeped in. The smile I’d plastered on my face must have scared him because his own smile disappeared and his forehead wrinkled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a small laugh. I swallowed and said, “I’m a little nervous to meet your family.”
This was absolutely true. His father, the CEO! His siblings! I’d been trying to get accustomed to hanging around one rich person, but spending a weekend surrounded by many?
“A little quick for us, but it’s when he’s getting married. It shouldn’t be a big deal. You’re my plus one. It’s not as if I’d be introducing you as my girlfriend or something of that nature?” The way he ended that as a hopeful question made me realize he might wish to introduce me as his girlfriend (or something of that nature).
I stopped breathing and fiddled with my key to open the door. It took a good half-minute for my body to remind me I needed oxygen, and I sucked in a large breath as I finally got the front door open.
“You don’t have to worry about a thing. Have your bag ready to go Friday after work, and I’ll have a helicopter waiting for us. No need to bother with a long drive and traffic.”
Every new thing he said brought up fresh horrors.Me in a helicopter?!
“I’ve never been in one,” I said. My armpits were already sweating.
“It’s quick and easy. You’ll love it. You’ll see.” His phone rang then. He looked at it, silenced it, and leaned in. “That’s someone from the board. I’ve got to go call them back. I expect it will take a while, so I’m going to go. If I don’t see you throughout the week, I’ll meet you on Friday at the building lobby. Five o’clock!” He said all of this with a kiss on my cheek and as he walked backwards off my front porch and all the way to his car.
Suddenly, I was alone, my front door still half open. I walked inside, threw my purse on the nearest chair, and wandered into the bedroom where I launched myself onto the bed to go over everything that had happened that evening.
“What the fuck?!” I yelled out loud.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
