“Zoe, I’m sorry,” Colin said.
She looked out the window. “Don’t apologize for something that isn’t your fault.”
“It isn’t your fault, either.”
She turned her head toward him. “What do you mean?”
“Your fiancé didn’t have an accident because of what you were doing…with me.”
His patronizing words sparked anger in her chest. “It doesn’t matter, does it? He was hurt—he could’ve been killed—and I didn’t know about it because I was with you.”
His mouth tightened. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.”
“Well, I do feel guilty!” she shouted. “I should feel guilty! I’m going to be married in a few weeks and what I did to Kevin wasn’t right. And what you did to your girlfriend wasn’t right, either, Colin.”
He frowned. “My girlfriend?”
“I know about her. I looked you up online. I saw her picture at the ranch house. And I saw the ring box in your jacket on the plane. I didn’t mean to snoop—it fell out of your pocket when I went to get it for you.”
He was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “I see.”
“I convinced myself this was just a little fling for both of us before we took the plunge, but I wasn’t prepared for how it would make me feel. And if you don’t feel guilty about what we did, Colin, then I feel sorry for the woman you’re going to marry.”
His face darkened like a thundercloud, but he didn’t respond. Zoe didn’t care—she needed the anger between them. It helped her to distance herself from him.
“Zoe—”
“Red,” she cut in, falling back on their system of safe words to get her point across. “This stops now, Colin.”
She dozed until they reached Sydney. Her phone woke her up because when they entered her service cell, it went crazy beeping with unread messages.
* * *
Zoe, call me. Mom.
* * *
Zoe, you need to call me. Mom.
* * *
Zoe, your mom is looking for you. Call her. Erica.
* * *
Zoe, it’s urgent. Call me now. Mom.
* * *
Zoe, Kevin’s in the hospital. Where are you? Mom.
* * *
Zoe, it’s Kev. I took a little spill and I’m okay, but I’m worried about you.
* * *
Zoe, call me. Kev.
* * *
Zoe, I love you. Kev.
* * *
Zoe, where are you? Kev.
* * *
The pain and guilt washed over her anew. She glanced sideways at Colin, but he sat stoney-faced, looking straight ahead. When the hotel came into view, she was sure he was just as glad to get there as she was.
He pulled the SUV into the valet turnaround. Zoe unfastened her seat belt, remembering how excited she’d been when they’d left. An attendant opened her door and she climbed down. At the rear of the vehicle, Colin loaded her luggage onto a cart the bellman held.
“Follow Ms. Smythe to her room, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
Colin turned to her and gave her a flat smile. “I’m sorry things turned out the way they did, Zoe.” He extended his hand to her. “Have a safe flight home, and…good luck with your wedding.”
She’d needed things to end this way, but the dismissal in his face and body language hurt more than she thought it would. She swallowed the lump of emotion that clogged her throat and put her hand in his. A jolt of sexual energy lit up her arm, but she schooled her face into a passive mask. “Goodbye, Colin. Good luck with your wedding, too.”
She withdrew her hand and turned to follow the bellman, feeling Colin’s heated gaze on her back as she entered the hotel. Did he hate her? Feel sorry for her? Or did he even give a damn?
She walked through the lobby, her mind racing, her resolve wavering. She could go back…thank him for sharing himself with her…for opening her eyes to a glorious world of sensation she’d never experienced…for introducing her to the ranch…for the lovely opal…
Zoe turned and saw through the revolving door that he had handed the keys to a valet and was walking in with a bellman, his own luggage on a cart. Her heart skipped in her chest, and she took a half step toward him.
But as soon as he crossed the threshold, a tall woman between them turned and spotted him, then shouted, “Colin!”
Long blond hair, impeccable clothing, body and face to die for—it had to be Lauren Rook. Zoe watched as the woman strode toward Colin, her arms outstretched. She saw Colin’s look of surprise, then he mouthed, “Lauren,” and accepted her embrace.
Zoe’s heart squeezed painfully. And when Colin looked up and caught her gaze over Lauren’s shoulder, she forced herself to turn and walk away.
17
ZOE DREW THE DRAPES in her room and slept until it was time for her to leave for the airport. She repacked her suitcase, now more crowded with the ranch clothes Colin had bought for her. She was tempted to leave them in the room, but it just seemed like such a waste to have them discarded. When she got back to Atlanta, she would take them to Goodwill.
She donned her flight attendant uniform, then shouldered her bag and left the room wheeling her suitcase behind her. As she rode the elevator down, she held her breath, eyeing the number for Colin’s penthouse floor. Were he and Lauren in his room right now, having makeup sex? Had he given her the engagement ring, or was he waiting for a dramatic moment?
When the elevator doors opened to the lobby, Zoe exhaled and stepped out. She stopped at the desk to settle her bill and smiled at the clerk.
“Checking out, ma’am?”
“Yes, I arranged for a late checkout.” She gave her room number and pulled her room key out of her purse.
The woman checked the computer screen and smiled. “You’re all set.”
“You can settle my account with the credit card I gave when I checked in,” Zoe said, “but I need a receipt, please.”
“There’s no charge, ma’am.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”
The woman looked back to the screen. “Your room was paid by the house account, ma’am. I hope you enjoyed your stay.”
“I did,” Zoe murmured, biting her lip. Colin had either arranged for her room to be comped, or he’d paid for it himself. Either way, if she refused, she might have to face him again. “Will you please do me a favor?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Zoe reached into her purse and removed the drawstring bag that held the large red opal. She clasped it in her hand for a few seconds, then swallowed and handed it to the clerk. “Could you make sure this gets to Colin Cannon, please?”
“Mr. Cannon? Of course, ma’am.”
She thanked the clerk, walked through the lobby and exited the hotel.
“May I get you a cab?” a bellman asked.
“No, thank you,” Zoe said. “I have a stop to make first.”
She walked the couple of blocks to Sydney Harbour, inhaling the salty air for the last time, she realized sadly. Fog was rolling into Sydney Cove, but the pier was crowded with bodies. She walked down to a corner railing and looked out over the blue, blue water. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out the purple envelope containing her letter.
The letter that had set all these reckless events into motion and turned her heart upside down.
She drew her arm back and winged the envelope as far out over the mist-covered water as she could. It skipped along the surface twice, then landed to float for a few seconds before sinking and disappearing into the depths of the bay.
“Good riddance,” she whispered.
Then she backtracked down the pier and to the street to wave down a taxi.
“Where to, miss?”
“Airport,” she said and swung inside. She took in the lights of the city as they were leaving, remembering the view from the rooftop garden—it was a beautiful place.
By the time she checked in at the departure gate, she was wearing her work face, determined to push all thoughts of Colin as far from her mind as possible. Between airport security and customs, she didn’t have a lot of time to spare. They began prepping the plane and boarding first-class passengers soon after she arrived. To her chagrin, Jill and Jeremy Osbourne, the miserable married couple, boarded in her section.
She greeted them pleasantly, expecting to have her head bitten off, but the second honeymoon seemed to have worked because the couple was not only agreeable, but downright lovey-dovey as they settled into their seats, holding hands and making eyes at each other.
There were all kinds of marriages, she realized. She’d been wrong to think that just because she and Kevin weren’t heating up the sheets, they couldn’t be happy together. They would make it work. Kevin never had to know about her indiscretion with Colin. And she’d work very hard to make sure that she put it out of her mind, too.
In fact, once the plane lifted off, she closed her eyes and imagined flying away from Colin and flying toward Kevin. She invoked the imagery throughout the marathon flight as they progressed across the Pacific Ocean, landing in San Francisco to refuel and change crews, then flying on to Atlanta.
When she walked back to coach to find her assigned seat, she was happy to see Lillian, the woman with the jet-black, pink-streaked hair, sitting on the aisle. Zoe stopped to chat. “Did you enjoy your visit?”
Lillian smiled wide. “Very much. How was your trip?”