The Forbidden Twin(24)

She planned to head to Une Nuit at lunchtime and talk to him, had  already called to make sure he would be there. Not only would he keep  her confidences, she could count on him for good advice.

All morning long she reached for the desk-drawer handle then jerked her  hand away and focused on work again. Every time footsteps approached her  cubicle she hoped it was Summer. Scarlet had called her office,  thinking maybe she'd come back to work today, but her voice-mail message  still said she was out of town.

Finally it was time to leave for Une Nuit. Gray skies and a cool spring  shower dampened her hair and matched her mood as she grabbed a cab. When  she walked into the restaurant her cell phone rang. She didn't want to  step back out into the rain to talk, but she didn't want to miss a call  from Summer, either, so she answered it.

"Hey. I hope I caught you in time." Not Summer but Bryan. It could only be bad news.

"In time for what?" She looked around, saw Stash, who headed toward her. "I'm standing inside Une Nuit."

"Damn. I'm sorry, Scarlet. I had to leave. I'm on my way to the airport."

"Something that couldn't have waited until after you saw me?" She was on  the verge of panic. She'd needed to talk to someone, and Bryan was her  only hope. "What could be so important it can't wait for an hour?"

A few beats passed, then he said, "I got a good line on a saffron plantation in Turkey."                       
       
           



       

Scarlet sighed. "Okay, I got it. It's none of my business."

"I'll call as soon as I get home, I promise. Or talk to me now, while I'm driving."

Stash stood patiently in front of her.

"I can't. It's too complicated. And too personal."

"I'll make it up to you. I'll call you from the road, if I have time. In the meantime, have lunch on me."

Like she could eat. "Sure. Thanks."

"Later, Scar." He hung up.

She tucked the phone in her pocket, exchanged greetings with Stash, then looked around blindly, wondering what to do next.

"You do not look well," Stash said, concern in his eyes.

"I'm okay. Just not sure what to do, since Bryan's gone." Eating alone  was not an option. Eating wasn't even an option this time.

"Your cousin Cullen is in the Elliott booth. You could join him." He  touched her arm. "At least have some soup. Ginger carrot, one of your  favorites."

She nodded, too tired to make conversation. She hoped Cullen was in a  talkative mood. She wouldn't mind just listening, being distracted.

"Can I join you?" she asked Cullen, forcing a smile.

"Um." He looked past her, then at her again. "I'm expecting-"

"Me."

From behind her, Scarlet heard John's voice, even imagined that she could feel his body heat.

"So? Three for lunch, eh?" Stash asked cheerfully.

"No." Scarlet stumbled back a step, bumped into John.

Cullen's cell phone rang. He opened the phone then frowned at whatever  number was displayed on the screen. He said hello tentatively.

"I … I won't interrupt your plans," she said over her shoulder, feeling  John's hand on her back, keeping her steady. She just wanted to fall  into his arms. She wanted to be held, and comforted and taken care of  and soothed. She'd never wanted that before, never needed to be treated  like such a … girl. She even forgot Summer for a moment. She wanted John.

"What?" Cullen asked, his voice rising. "How is she?"

Scarlet focused on Cullen, on the alarm in his voice.

"Where'd they take her? … I'll be there as soon as I can." He snapped his phone shut and stood. "I can't stay."

"What's wrong?" Scarlet asked. Cullen was always in a good mood. Nothing ever seemed to faze him-until now. "Who's hurt?"

"No one you know." He dropped his napkin onto the table. His gaze sought  John. "Sorry. I appreciate you coming, but I need to get to Las Vegas."

"No problem. Anything I can do?"

"I'll let you know. Thanks."

He didn't even say goodbye.

John, Scarlet and Stash watched Cullen jog out of the restaurant.

"I wonder if he and Bryan will run into each other at the airport,"  Scarlet said, feeling sorry for Cullen without knowing why. She'd just  never seen him as upset as that.

"Join me for lunch," John said to Scarlet.

She shook her head.

Stash made a quiet retreat.

"We need to talk," John said.

"I can't." She took a few steps, then returned, getting close enough so  that others around them couldn't hear her. "And don't send me any more  presents."

He looked surprised. "I didn't send you a present."

Then who had? Summer? Scarlet needed to get back to the office. Open the box.

"Goodbye, John," she said, hoping he heard the finality in her voice.

If he said anything, she didn't hear it. She made her way back to her  office, pulled out the box, yanked off the ribbon, lifted the lid.  Nestled inside was a hinged jeweler's box, which creaked a little as she  opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold choker in a modern serpentine  design with red enamel accents.

She scrambled to find the card, found it tucked underneath the necklace.

Just a little something to show you how proud I am for what you're doing-with your life and your work.

Love, Granddad

Scarlet put her head on her desk and cried.





Fourteen


S ummer stood framed in the hotel doorway, looking only slightly more  rested than Scarlet had two days ago at Une Nuit. John was prepared to  prevent Summer from shutting the door in his face, but she crossed her  arms instead and glared at him.

"How did you find me?" she asked, belligerence coating her words.

It was the first time John thought the sisters seemed alike, the first time he'd seen real fire in Summer.

"May I come in?" he said, not answering her question. He'd pulled  strings and greased palms to track down Zeke's Waldorf-Astoria suite.                       
       
           



       

"I don't think we have anything to say to one another," she said.

"Yeah, we do. It's not like you to jump to conclusions."

"Oh? I have concluded that you and my sister slept together the night we  broke our engagement, and have continued a relationship ever since. Is  there some other conclusion?"

"The night you broke our engagement," he said quietly.

Her face flushed. She started to close the door.

He stopped it. "Look, Summer, I didn't come here to rehash the past-our  past-but because I'm worried about Scarlet. I would prefer not to have  this conversation in the hall, but if I need to yell it through your  closed door, I will. I figure if there were security people in your  suite, they would've been all over me by now, so let's just be civilized  and talk in private."

After a few moments she stepped back in silent invitation. The enormous  suite provided an unparalleled view. He waited for her to be seated,  then sat across from her. "Where's Zeke?"

"Out."

"You know, you're acting pretty self-righteous for someone who slept with another man while you were engaged."

"It isn't anything I'm proud of, and you know it. And I also didn't  carry on for two months in secret. I told you right away. I also tried  to explain. As soon as I met Zeke … You know all this, John."

"You know why Scarlet couldn't tell you about us."

"And you're looking for what from me? Acceptance? Approval?"

"I don't give a damn how you feel about me. I don't want anything for  myself." He leaned toward her. "But you need to talk to your sister.  She's falling apart. She's not sleeping. She looks … haunted."

Summer pushed herself out of her chair and walked stiffly to the window, but not before he saw concern in her eyes.

"Do you plan to continue your relationship with her?" she asked.

"All I want is for you to reconcile with her."

"Do you love her or were you using her to get back at me?"

He came up beside her. What he felt for Scarlet was more real and  powerful than what he'd felt for Summer, but he wouldn't tell her that.  "I've learned a lot about myself recently," he said instead, "and I've  come to understand what must have happened to you when you met Zeke. I  now know I wasn't as engaged emotionally as I should have been or I  probably wouldn't have been content with your insistence on abstinence  before the wedding."

"And my sister more than made up for that. A good substitute, was she?"

"None of this had anything to do with you." It ticked him off that  Summer wasn't seeing the whole picture, but he didn't rise to the bait,  knowing it was the only way for her to understand what was  happening-that Scarlet needed her. "You learned a few truths yourself  when you met Zeke. Do you regret anything?"