suddenly it all made sense.
“Bettina and Evan were involved?” Celia asked.
Lucy colored slightly and looked abashed. “Oh, heavens, I’ve said too much. I always do have a problem with just prattling on. Do forgive me.”
Celia smiled. “It’s all right. Truly. It is one of those things women like to know. Men are so thick when it comes to these things, but if any awkwardness can be avoided, I would like to know.”
And she could go straight to hell for lying, too. She’d just make sure Evan got there first for his role in this debacle.
“It’s all in the past. Rest assured.”
“Naturally,” Celia said drily.
“Evan and Bettina were engaged. It was a long engagement. The truth of the matter is, I’m just not sure how much of Evan’s affections were engaged. Bettina and Mitchell fell in love, and well, it’s obvious to anyone that those two were meant for each other. Evan didn’t take it well, though, and if I hadn’t begged him to come to the wedding, I have no doubt he wouldn’t be here.”
Lucy smiled and reached out to touch Celia’s arm. “Bettina led me to believe that Evan was just going on about being involved because he wasn’t over her yet and didn’t want to worry me, but I can see that isn’t the case. You’re even more beautiful than Bettina. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he’s besotted. He never looked at Bettina that way.”
You are such a sucker, Celia . There should be a law about being so stupid when it came to men. But then she’d spend a lot of time behind bars if that were the case.
She felt Evan’s approach. It was hard to miss all that tension. Celia glanced up and met his gaze, and she didn’t at all try to disguise her fury. Let him stew. He was damn lucky she liked his mom so much or she would have denounced him in front of the entire hotel lobby.
The poor woman didn’t deserve to be humiliated just because her son was a first-rate ass.
Evan regarded her warily even as he turned to his mom. “We’ll catch up tomorrow, Mom, okay? Celia and I have had a long day and we’d like to go up and have dinner in the room.”
Lucy patted Evan on the cheek and then leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him. “Of course, dear. I’ll see you both tomorrow for rehearsal.”
She reached back and squeezed Celia’s hand. “It was so nice meeting you, Celia.”
She walked toward Evan’s father and the two went in the direction of the restaurant, leaving Celia and Evan standing in the middle of the lobby.
“We’re on the top level,” Evan said evenly. He gestured toward the elevator and Celia strode in that direction.
They rode up in silence, the tension so thick Celia felt like the entire elevator would explode before it stopped. It was all she could not to tap her foot in agitation as she waited for the doors to open.
When they finally did, Celia stepped out, glanced down the hall and then back at Evan.
“My key,” she said pointedly. “What room am I in?”
Evan sighed and pointed at the end. “We’re in the two-bedroom suite on the end.”
Her mouth fell open. She reached forward and snatched the key card from his grasp. Then she spun on her heel and stalked down the hall. The hell she’d share a room with him. He could go find other accommodations or he could bunk with his brother. They’d probably have a lot to talk about. Maybe they could compare notes on Bettina.
She jammed the card into the lock, listened for the snick and then shoved it open. She stepped inside and slammed the door in Evan’s face.
Her feet were killing her, she was angry as hell and she was hungry. And she needed to figure out how to get off this damn island.
She kicked off her shoes and then sat on the edge of the couch next to the table with the hotel directory and a telephone. Surely the front desk could make arrangements for her departure.
The sound of the door opening had her on her feet again, and she glared indignantly as Evan walked in and shut the door
“Bettina and Evan were involved?” Celia asked.
Lucy colored slightly and looked abashed. “Oh, heavens, I’ve said too much. I always do have a problem with just prattling on. Do forgive me.”
Celia smiled. “It’s all right. Truly. It is one of those things women like to know. Men are so thick when it comes to these things, but if any awkwardness can be avoided, I would like to know.”
And she could go straight to hell for lying, too. She’d just make sure Evan got there first for his role in this debacle.
“It’s all in the past. Rest assured.”
“Naturally,” Celia said drily.
“Evan and Bettina were engaged. It was a long engagement. The truth of the matter is, I’m just not sure how much of Evan’s affections were engaged. Bettina and Mitchell fell in love, and well, it’s obvious to anyone that those two were meant for each other. Evan didn’t take it well, though, and if I hadn’t begged him to come to the wedding, I have no doubt he wouldn’t be here.”
Lucy smiled and reached out to touch Celia’s arm. “Bettina led me to believe that Evan was just going on about being involved because he wasn’t over her yet and didn’t want to worry me, but I can see that isn’t the case. You’re even more beautiful than Bettina. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he’s besotted. He never looked at Bettina that way.”
You are such a sucker, Celia . There should be a law about being so stupid when it came to men. But then she’d spend a lot of time behind bars if that were the case.
She felt Evan’s approach. It was hard to miss all that tension. Celia glanced up and met his gaze, and she didn’t at all try to disguise her fury. Let him stew. He was damn lucky she liked his mom so much or she would have denounced him in front of the entire hotel lobby.
The poor woman didn’t deserve to be humiliated just because her son was a first-rate ass.
Evan regarded her warily even as he turned to his mom. “We’ll catch up tomorrow, Mom, okay? Celia and I have had a long day and we’d like to go up and have dinner in the room.”
Lucy patted Evan on the cheek and then leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him. “Of course, dear. I’ll see you both tomorrow for rehearsal.”
She reached back and squeezed Celia’s hand. “It was so nice meeting you, Celia.”
She walked toward Evan’s father and the two went in the direction of the restaurant, leaving Celia and Evan standing in the middle of the lobby.
“We’re on the top level,” Evan said evenly. He gestured toward the elevator and Celia strode in that direction.
They rode up in silence, the tension so thick Celia felt like the entire elevator would explode before it stopped. It was all she could not to tap her foot in agitation as she waited for the doors to open.
When they finally did, Celia stepped out, glanced down the hall and then back at Evan.
“My key,” she said pointedly. “What room am I in?”
Evan sighed and pointed at the end. “We’re in the two-bedroom suite on the end.”
Her mouth fell open. She reached forward and snatched the key card from his grasp. Then she spun on her heel and stalked down the hall. The hell she’d share a room with him. He could go find other accommodations or he could bunk with his brother. They’d probably have a lot to talk about. Maybe they could compare notes on Bettina.
She jammed the card into the lock, listened for the snick and then shoved it open. She stepped inside and slammed the door in Evan’s face.
Her feet were killing her, she was angry as hell and she was hungry. And she needed to figure out how to get off this damn island.
She kicked off her shoes and then sat on the edge of the couch next to the table with the hotel directory and a telephone. Surely the front desk could make arrangements for her departure.
The sound of the door opening had her on her feet again, and she glared indignantly as Evan walked in and shut the door
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