“I’m sensing that I’ll be trading in my work addiction for something new. Orsomeonenew,” he replied in the same hushed voice.
I was still reveling in the way he gazed at me when applause suddenly swept through the tent and across the sand. I joined in to the best of my ability, a glass in my hand, and stretched my neck to see what I assumed was the soon-to-be-married couple.
The crowd started parting behind us, and we moved out of the way too, finally seeing a beautiful blond in a pale yellow dress and Colin’s older brother, Stephen. They walked toward the clearing in the center of the tent.
As they passed right next to us, Stephen came up close to Colin and said in a low voice (but still loud enough for me to hear), “Make sure she doesn’t get in,” and continued on his way.
I looked at Colin, who was clenching his jaw muscles. He stared away from me toward the house.
Without warning, he took my wrist and led me away.
“Come with me,” he said. It was the boardroom voice. The one he used in meetings. The unemotional side of him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“What’s going on?” I asked once we were far enough away from the cheering crowd where he could finally hear me. He was still leading me by the wrist. I stopped walking, which pulled him back toward me for a second. He looked back and let go.
“Sorry, I have to deal with something,” he said.
Very cryptic. Again. I remembered then the real purpose of my being there.
“Care to tell me what that is? Why you’re dragging me out of the party? I assume it’s not to go cuddle in your room.” I had my arms crossed at this point.
“No, I don’t particularly want to tell you, because it further exposes me and my family to you. But I suppose I will. When I’m finished making sure she’s not here.” He turned and continued toward the house.
“Who?!” I called out. When he didn’t stop, I shouted, “Maggie?”
He turned to ask, “Margaret Flame?” His drawn eyebrows together and lack of understanding made me even more perplexed.
“I saw that she called you the other night. You made up an excuse about it being a board member!” I said, catching up with him.
“Itwasa board member. It was… well, it was Maggie’s father. He’s a member of our board.”
I drew in a quick breath, accompanied by a stinging sense of foolishness. “Does his first name start with an M?”
“Martin.”
I hung my head and sighed. I cycled from embarrassment to lingering doubt, back to humiliation, to the fear I was losing my mind, and finally settled on relief. Why had I jumped to conclusions? If only I’d brought it up when it first happened…
I put my hands together as if in prayer. “I’m so sorry. Can we pretend I didn’t say anything?”
“What exactly have you been thinking this whole time? That Maggie and I have something going on?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure what I thought. Let’s just forget it.”
“Forgotten,” he said way too fast. “For now. Let me just make sure Andrea doesn’t ruin this wedding.”
Again, he was off like a shot.Who was Andrea?And why was it Colin’s job to make sure she didn’t ruin the wedding?
I followed Colin, tracing his steps through the pool area and into the house. My poor little feet weren’t going to take this much longer with the very high heels I’d chosen.
“Colin, what is going on?” I asked again to no avail as we zig-zagged through the house to the front door, where Malia was standing with an iPad.
She showed it to Colin. “She’s at the gate. We closed it in time, but there’s a party guest who can’t get through. Should I call the police?”
Colin took the iPad from her. “No. That’s what she’ll want. A scene to film and post online. Not to mention word spreading through the party that the police have been called.”
Malia’s face showed she disagreed, but she didn’t say a word.
