the entrance to the hotel bar.
“Kate, please, let me explain.” Reid grabbed her arm. “I don’t know how it happened but I swear I didn’t—”
She jerked her arm away and rushed toward Sterling. As Kate hurried out into the lobby to join him, she paused and turned to look at Reid one last time.
But he was gone.
And with him the dreams and love they could have shared.
She was alone now.
So alone for the first time in her life.
CHAPTER TEN
Sterling drove as if he were the lead car in a cross-country race. He took back roads and shortcuts so he could drive at any speed he wanted and avoided the highway patrol. Jeff and Bridget shared a big bottle of peach-flavored vodka in the back seat and carried on like a couple drunk teenagers on a joyride.
Although scared at first, Kate settled into the thrill of flying along with the wind away from everything and everyone. She had insisted they leave the city and Sterling’s summer home seemed the best choice.
After calling her father to apologize again, Kate felt a little less guilty when he said he wasn’t angry. Was that because he assumed she was with Sterling now so there still might be a chance he could reach a compromise with Mr. Hallman? Kate didn’t know but there was enough blame to go around and Dad sounded resigned to what he had to do next.
It was just before one in the morning and they had been driving toward Sterling’s summer home on Chesapeake for almost four hours. Exhausted and depressed, Kate stared out the window.
Since her father was going to back down on his proposal, she didn’t need to stay at the hotel to witness his final embarrassment in front of the board. The last meeting was on Thursday so she could return with Sterling then and finally go home to Westport.
Kate reclined her seat and closed her eyes. She tried to remember the last time she had been at the Sterling summer home. It must have been just after her mother passed. In her mind she saw the beach road stretching ahead, smooth and white, intersected by a series of small bridges whose stone guard walls rioted with wild rambler roses.
The road wound its way down the middle of the upscale tourist town of Parson’s Beach lined with smart, freshly painted shops and ended at the boardwalk leading to the Sterling’s magnificent beachfront home.
But the memory offered Kate only fleeting comfort as her heart returned to its tortured feelings about Reid. Angry and hurt as she was, she suffered more from the dull ache of desire at the mere thought of never seeing him again.
She felt the car slowing.
“How about passing that bottle up front?”
Kate opened her eyes. “Sterling, don’t be stupid. We’re almost there.”
“I know. That’s why it’s not a problem.” He took the bottle from Jeff and gulped a mouthful. Sterling scrunched his face. “Oh yeah! That’s it. Let’s get this party started!” With one hand on the wheel, he accelerated as he took another drink from the bottle. He offered it over to Kate. “C’mon, have a drink. Looks like you could sure use it.”
She shook her head. “Later, okay? I don’t feel like it.”
Bridget giggled in the back seat. “I hope you’re not going to be like that the whole time we’re here.”
Jeff drank from the bottle and belched. “Sterling told me about what that lying prick did.” He slurred his words. “Your friends would never do something like that. Seriously, Kate. What were you thinking?”
“I . . . I don’t know but can we just drop it?” She turned around to face Bridget. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Kate heard her voice sound as cold and stiff as her heart felt.
Bridget laughed out loud and grabbed the bottle from Jeff.
Sterling leaned across and peered at her out of sharp, dark eyes. “And don’t tell me that Liz bitch wasn’t part of it too. They’re more than just friends , Kate. You know that, right?”
Yes, she did now but she felt stupid for not listening to
“Kate, please, let me explain.” Reid grabbed her arm. “I don’t know how it happened but I swear I didn’t—”
She jerked her arm away and rushed toward Sterling. As Kate hurried out into the lobby to join him, she paused and turned to look at Reid one last time.
But he was gone.
And with him the dreams and love they could have shared.
She was alone now.
So alone for the first time in her life.
CHAPTER TEN
Sterling drove as if he were the lead car in a cross-country race. He took back roads and shortcuts so he could drive at any speed he wanted and avoided the highway patrol. Jeff and Bridget shared a big bottle of peach-flavored vodka in the back seat and carried on like a couple drunk teenagers on a joyride.
Although scared at first, Kate settled into the thrill of flying along with the wind away from everything and everyone. She had insisted they leave the city and Sterling’s summer home seemed the best choice.
After calling her father to apologize again, Kate felt a little less guilty when he said he wasn’t angry. Was that because he assumed she was with Sterling now so there still might be a chance he could reach a compromise with Mr. Hallman? Kate didn’t know but there was enough blame to go around and Dad sounded resigned to what he had to do next.
It was just before one in the morning and they had been driving toward Sterling’s summer home on Chesapeake for almost four hours. Exhausted and depressed, Kate stared out the window.
Since her father was going to back down on his proposal, she didn’t need to stay at the hotel to witness his final embarrassment in front of the board. The last meeting was on Thursday so she could return with Sterling then and finally go home to Westport.
Kate reclined her seat and closed her eyes. She tried to remember the last time she had been at the Sterling summer home. It must have been just after her mother passed. In her mind she saw the beach road stretching ahead, smooth and white, intersected by a series of small bridges whose stone guard walls rioted with wild rambler roses.
The road wound its way down the middle of the upscale tourist town of Parson’s Beach lined with smart, freshly painted shops and ended at the boardwalk leading to the Sterling’s magnificent beachfront home.
But the memory offered Kate only fleeting comfort as her heart returned to its tortured feelings about Reid. Angry and hurt as she was, she suffered more from the dull ache of desire at the mere thought of never seeing him again.
She felt the car slowing.
“How about passing that bottle up front?”
Kate opened her eyes. “Sterling, don’t be stupid. We’re almost there.”
“I know. That’s why it’s not a problem.” He took the bottle from Jeff and gulped a mouthful. Sterling scrunched his face. “Oh yeah! That’s it. Let’s get this party started!” With one hand on the wheel, he accelerated as he took another drink from the bottle. He offered it over to Kate. “C’mon, have a drink. Looks like you could sure use it.”
She shook her head. “Later, okay? I don’t feel like it.”
Bridget giggled in the back seat. “I hope you’re not going to be like that the whole time we’re here.”
Jeff drank from the bottle and belched. “Sterling told me about what that lying prick did.” He slurred his words. “Your friends would never do something like that. Seriously, Kate. What were you thinking?”
“I . . . I don’t know but can we just drop it?” She turned around to face Bridget. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Kate heard her voice sound as cold and stiff as her heart felt.
Bridget laughed out loud and grabbed the bottle from Jeff.
Sterling leaned across and peered at her out of sharp, dark eyes. “And don’t tell me that Liz bitch wasn’t part of it too. They’re more than just friends , Kate. You know that, right?”
Yes, she did now but she felt stupid for not listening to
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