* * *
JENNA WAS ONCE again by herself. Payton had gone off with a fraternity brother to grab a final drink, and she had no expectations of seeing him until just before midnight.
If Jenna had had it her way, she and Payton would have left with Mindy and Zane. They’d very rationally decided to go home so they wouldn’t be caught up in the mess of drunken crazy people trying to get on the train for the suburbs.
Instead, Jenna had walked too far in heels that were too high, and somehow managed to end up right in front of the dessert table again. She’d never fit in her wedding dress if she kept this up.
Oh, screw it.
She chose a chocolate-stacked, delicious-looking thing. For God’s sake, it had a brownie bottom, a cheesecake center and chocolate-mousse top. It would take a stronger woman than herself to walk away.
She’d just taken her second bite when Danger Bond entered the room. His gaze swept directly over to where she was standing. Of course.
Faith joined him seconds later and Jenna spun around. Now she was facing a blank wall. Nothing suspicious there.
Good grief, why had Payton left her here? Why hadn’t they gone home already? She was tired and cranky. And she needed to put down her plate. Walk away from temptation. There was still coffee left, decaf even. But, naturally, there was no convenient tray nearby. The closest was by Faith and Rick, and since she wasn’t going anywhere near them, Jenna walked all the way across the suite, where she found a big tray next to a pretty decent unpopulated corner.
All was well until she looked over at her favorite couple...
But they weren’t where she’d last seen them. Instead, they were right in front of her. Well, not directly, but close enough to prevent a casual escape.
A deep cleansing breath made it possible to scan the room for Payton, but she couldn’t seem to cut off her thoughts about Rick. Or Faith, if she was honest. She wasn’t wearing an engagement ring. She’d called Rick her boyfriend. Those came and went, as she well knew, but surely Rick was a keeper. A beautiful woman like Faith could have anyone she wanted. A hunky storm chaser was far more in her league than an accountant.
Damn. Jenna was worried about Faith, but that was idiotic because Payton would never leave her. The two of them had their whole future planned out. They already had names picked out for their first child.
What was wrong with her? It had to be the alcohol. She’d had two White Russians, and Payton was bringing her a third. Even in college she was always on the hunt for caffeine, not booze. At least they were taking a train back home, but by the time they reached their stop, one of them had to be sober to drive Payton’s car to their place.
Faith was on the move, and Jenna watched her until she left the suite. Then Rick headed for the buffet so Jenna was free to move out of the corner. When her gaze caught on a clock near the door, she stopped in her tracks. Payton had been gone more than a while. Maybe drinking on an empty stomach had caught up with him? How awful to feel sick when this place was packed to the rafters. She hoped he was okay. And wasn’t still at the bar.
That thought made her queasy... Double damn it, because her first thought had been that Faith might be going to the bar and the two of them would run into each other. This night needed to end already. She didn’t give one damn about New Year’s. Or First Night. Next year, she wasn’t coming close to this hotel. Maybe she’d stay home and watch a movie and eat popcorn. Yeah, that sounded great.
She kept her eye on the door for the next five minutes, but the only thing of interest was Rick leaving the suite. Two more minutes of pacing, and then she was really worried. She called Payton’s cell phone. Again. And again, but it went straight to voice mail.
She’d have to go find him. The suite was packed but she made it out the door quickly. And then she saw Rick. Alone. Staring down the hallway with a rapt expression.
Jenna followed his gaze. The hallway was busy with people, so at first, she only had a terrible feeling about what had made him stop in his tracks, but then she got the confirmation. A space in the crowd had opened up. As if to frame the last thing on earth she wanted to see. Payton and Faith were hugging so tightly Jenna forgot how to breathe.
But it got worse. Jesus, how could it get so much worse?
When they parted, it was only to take a half step back. Just enough room for Jenna to notice that Payton looked...happy. A different kind of happy. Nothing she’d seen in all their years together.
So happy he’d forgotten her.
“What the...?” She jumped and found Rick was inches away from her. He glanced at her, and then his gaze went back to the couple down the hall. He looked stunned.
“They’re just friends,” she said to him. “He said that several times. Friends.”
He seemed surprised to see himself next to her, but he was quick to go back to watching Faith and Payton. “That’s what she told me, too.”
Payton continued to beam, even as he put their drinks on the closest surface, which happened to be a railing too narrow to properly hold the glasses, but he obviously didn’t give a shit about the drinks or her because he was talking a mile a minute, making another woman laugh, making her put her hand—both hands—over her heart. He spoke extravagantly, with lots of arm waving, although none of it in Jenna’s direction.
She’d known him five years, and not at all.
“Who the hell does he think he is?”
Rather than watch the train wreck down the hall she turned to Rick. He looked ready to pound Payton into a puddle, and she thought that was a fine idea.
“For one thing, he’s my fiancé.”
He turned to her, and took a moment. “Look, I don’t want to cause a scene or anything, but I swear to God if he touches her again...”
“I know. I mean, I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this. Normally, he’s...nice. He hasn’t spared me a glance since your...girlfriend tried to absorb him into her skin.”
Rick shook his head. “You saw that, too, huh?” He sighed, loudly. “I have a goddamn ring in my pocket. I feel like the world’s biggest idiot.”
As tight as her stomach was, the implication of what he’d just said made it tighter. “We need to do something. Now. There are only a couple of minutes left.”
“Do something? Like knock his block off?”
She shrugged. “It’s too crowded to take a swing up here. You could hit anyone.”
“My aim’s really good.”
“Umm, has she ever done this before?” Jenna asked.
“Hell, no. Goddamn it, she’d been so casual asking to come to this reunion . Like it was no big deal.”
“I know. I mean, maybe they discovered they’re long lost...siblings?”
Rick gave her a look that made her last hope vanish. “You ever touched your brother like that?” He was practically growling in a very Danger Bond way. It was sexy as hell.
Oh, God.
Something had to be wrong with her brain. Had she really just gotten weak-kneed over the man who wanted to beat up her fiancé? Alcohol was the only answer, even though she felt as sober as a...sober person. “I don’t know. Maybe you could hit him one time. One time wouldn’t be too much.”
Rick retrieved something from his pocket, and for a moment Jenna was afraid it would be a gun or a knife. It wasn’t either, although she had the feeling he would have been handy with both. It turned out to be the ring, of course, and it was stunning. “It’s beautiful,” she said.
“I thought so. I thought she’d think so, too. But then she met... Is he famous or something? Faith never said what he did for a living.”
She sighed. “He’s an accountant.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I can’t seem to turn away. They just keep doing...” She moved her hand in a vague gesture.
Rick wasn’t looking at her, though. He was tall enough to see over people’s heads. “Shit. She’s a well-respected journalist. She’s won awards. She specializes in covering natural disasters.”
“Like the one we’re having now?” Jenna asked. The shock was wearing off a bit. More precisely, the shock was being shoved aside by a hurt that might be fatal.
“Yeah, except there’s nothing natural about it,” he said, as he put the ring back in his pocket. “Great way to bring in the New Year, huh?”
“I’m trying to think of one thing he could say right now that would fix this.” If only they’d left with Mindy and Zane...
“Hey...” Rick put his hand on her arm. “You okay? You’re looking awfully pale.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” she said, trying to breathe. “And by that I mean I’m not fine in any way. Although I doubt I’m going to faint.”
“Ten...”
The number filled the air, so loud it hushed the huge crowd.
“Nine...”
“Shit,” Rick said again. He took a step closer to Jenna. “If they—”
“Eight...”
“—even try to come back at the last second.” He faced Jenna. “She hasn’t even looked down this corridor. Not one look.”
“Five, four...”
People shifted, the crowd seemed to part, giving her another clear shot of the happy couple for a few seconds. If Payton glanced to his right, he would see her standing next to Rick. But he only had eyes for Faith.