Desert Secrets

by Lisa Harris

  “Wow…that’s great. For you.”

  “It is. I’m actually going to make it to Micah’s wedding a couple days early.”

  A shadow crossed his face, causing her to pause.

  “Here’s the thing,” he said. “I’d like to see you again, Lexi. I’d like to see if there’s a chance for something to happen between us. I know that the last few days have been intense, but you’re the kind of woman I’ve been looking for. Actually, I haven’t really been looking, but the kind of woman I’d like to take a chance on getting to know.”

  Lexi forced herself to ignore the battle going on inside her. “I won’t try and deny the fact that I do feel something, but, Colton, we live two very different lives and most of the time not even in the same country. And if I don’t come back, we won’t be living on the same continent.”

  “There are ways to make things work.” He shot her a wide grin. “I’m a pilot, remember. I can always come see you.”

  She laughed, but her smile quickly faded. There was no way she was going to try another long-distance relationship. Best efforts and promises didn’t work. And she didn’t want another broken heart.

  “I am grateful for everything,” she said. “And maybe we’ll run into each other again one day.”

  Though she knew the chances of that were slim. Which was why she needed to leave now and put everything about these past few days behind her.

  She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, ignoring the pounding of her pulse at his nearness. “Goodbye, Colton.”

  But as she walked out the door, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was already too late to avoid a broken heart.

  EIGHTEEN

  The restored castle in eastern Ireland with its lush green lawns couldn’t be further from the hot desert sands of the Sahara. Lexi looked out of the window from the lavish bedroom with its Italian furniture and deep red walls to the stunning view of the lake surrounded by green lawns. It was yet another tangible reminder that she was finally safe.

  Though safety was relative. While she’d been able to sleep fairly well since leaving Morocco, when she did dream, her dreams had been filled with frightening images of men with weapons chasing her through the desert.

  Micah stood in front of a full-length mirror and adjusted the veil she was trying on with her jeans and a T-shirt. “I still can’t believe you just said goodbye, then got on that plane.”

  Lexi sighed. “I barely know him.”

  It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. And knowing Micah, it wouldn’t be the last. With only two days until her wedding, Micah had somehow become convinced that it was also her job to ensure everyone around her was living in the same blissful romantic fairy tale she was.

  Yet as stunning as the setting was, Lexi’s mind seemed unable to stop replaying the events of the past week. And if she were honest, yes, she was also finding it impossible to forget Colton.

  Micah carefully pulled off the veil and set it back on the four-poster bed. “You might have only spent a few days with him, but from everything you’ve told me about what you went through, you had time to get to know him better than most people get to know someone over a matter of weeks…maybe months.”

  Lexi picked up the veil off the bed and put it neatly back in the hanging bag it had come in.

  “If you don’t care about him, then why do you look so glum?” Micah asked.

  “I don’t look glum.”

  “You do, and you need to call him. You need to see him again.”

  Lexi sighed. She should have remembered how stubborn Micah could be when she got her mind wrapped around something. But nothing she said was going to make a difference. Colton might have managed to wrap his way around her heart, but that didn’t mean she shouldn’t let him go. Everything she’d said had been true. Their lives were headed in different directions. They lived too far apart. And she had no intentions of taking a risk.

  “You don’t see it, do you?” Micah asked.

  Lexi glanced up at Micah “See what?”

  “You’ve been moody and distracted ever since you arrived.”

  She shook her head. “Did you ever stop to consider that maybe it’s because I went through a traumatic experience? Not because of a man?”

  “Maybe it’s both.”

  Lexi sat down on the edge of the bed. “Listen, I know you want me to find someone like you. And while I’m thrilled you’re happy, I’m okay. Really. What Colton and I went through together did bond us together in a unique way, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump into a relationship with him.”

  “Why not? From everything I’ve heard about him—from you—he’s perfect.”

  “I never said he was perfect, and besides…I thought Evan was perfect and look how that turned out.”

  Micah sat down beside her. “So that’s what this is about. Evan.”

  Great. Here they went again. “Of course not.”

  “Look. Maybe Colton’s the guy for you—maybe he isn’t. But if you run way you’re never going to know if he could have been the one. I just think you should give this guy a chance. Because if he is the one, trust me, it will be worth it.”

  Lexi frowned. She wasn’t running away from anything. She was just being practical. And even more importantly, she was guarding her heart.

  *

  Colton grabbed the trash bag from under the kitchen sink in Bret and Becca’s house, then secured the top. He was irritated. Distracted. And he was certain he knew the reason why. Forgetting Lexi had become impossible. He thought about her while he was awake, and she visited his dreams at night. Because the problem was she’d managed to steal his heart, then leave.

  “Doctor just gave me a clean bill of health,” Bret said, walking into the kitchen with a huge smile on his face.

  Colton dropped the trash and gave his brother-in-law a big hug. They’d been worried about a few possible side effects from his time in captivity. Hearing this was a huge answer to his prayer.

  “So what are your plans for now?” Colton asked, quickly setting the trash in the bin just inside the garage.

  “To get back to work as soon as I can.”

  “I was thinking more like a Caribbean cruise with your family,” Colton said, shutting the door.

  “Don’t worry. Becca’s already brought that up. And maybe we will. For the moment, being home with my family is enough for me.”

  “As long as you go easy on yourself. You’ve been through quite a lot.”

  Colton’s phone rang and he pulled it out of his back pocket. No number came up for the caller ID, but he excused himself to step into the living room and answered it anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “Colton? This is Micah Young, Lexi’s best friend. I’m here with her in Ireland right now.”

  “Micah…of course. She mentioned you.” Colton hesitated. “Is she all right?”

  “Physically, yes, but there’s this heart issue I can’t get her to admit to.”

  A heart issue?

  “I don’t understand,” he said. “You mean some kind of medical issue?”

  “Can I be perfectly frank?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you have feelings for her?”

  Colton sat down on a leather recliner. That was not the question he’d been expecting.

  “Yes, but I don’t think that really matters,” he said. “She made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested in pursuing any kind of relationship.”

  “Maybe you already know this, but Lexi can be a bit…stubborn. And she’d kill me if she knew I was talking to you, but I’m positive she feels the same way you do.”

  His heart raced at the admission. Suddenly he was there with her again, in his mind, kissing her in the middle of the Sahara. “Okay so…did you have something in mind?”

  “I do, actually. How soon can you get on a plane?”

  “I’m sorry. A plane?”

  “Think you could get on a flight to Ireland and be here in t
he next thirty-six hours and make it in time for my wedding?”

  “And you wouldn’t mind my showing up?” Colton asked.

  “I called you, didn’t I? You’re like a real knight in shining armor. You swooped in and saved Lexi. I want you to come, but I also want you to surprise her.”

  Colton frowned. Somehow he’d assumed Lexi had been in on at least part of this. Like the part about him showing up at the wedding.

  “Wait a minute. So she doesn’t know about any of this? The phone call…your invitation to your wedding—”

  “No.”

  Colton stared at the hardwood floor and shook his head. “Then we have a problem, because like I said, the last time I saw Lexi she was leaving and made it quite clear she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship.”

  “I’m in the process of convincing her otherwise.”

  “You can’t convince her to feel differently.”

  “Oh, I’m not. And trust me. You should see her. She’s moody and down and spends half of her time staring out the window. This is all your fault, which means I need you to fix the situation.”

  His fault? Even if it was true, he could already think of a dozen things going wrong at his showing up. But he also knew how much he wanted to see Lexi again.

  “Are you still there?” Micah asked.

  “Yes, I’m just not sure your plan is going to work.”

  “Listen, I’ve known Lexi since we were in college. I’ve heard her talk about you, and I know she’s crazy about you. She’s just afraid to admit that she’s already lost her heart. But she has. Trust me.”

  Colton rubbed the back of his neck, still not completely convinced. He’d already sent Lexi an email. Just a brief note, checking on how she was doing. Her response had been short. She was doing well. Busy preparing for the wedding. No emotion. No hint that she had any desire to see him again. Clearly anything that he’d thought had passed between them had been only in his head and nothing more. Wasn’t it?

  If he walked away now, he’d never know for sure.

  “Okay. I’ll be there.” The words were out before he had time to fully process what he was agreeing to.

  “Perfect. You find something to wear, and I’ll have someone pick you up at the airport and make sure you have a place to stay with the wedding party.”

  “You don’t have to do all of this.”

  “Lexi’s my best friend. She deserves to be as happy as I do. And something tells me that despite all the horrible things that happened to the two of you, this is going to be another happy-ever-after ending after all.”

  *

  Lexi adjusted Micah’s veil for the final time, then checked her watch. There was still forty-five minutes until the wedding was to start and everything on Lexi’s list was finally checked off.

  She smiled at her best friend. The veil was perfect. The dress was perfect. Even the weather had cooperated and was perfect.

  “You look beautiful,” she said.

  Micah’s smile widened. “Thank you. I can’t believe my wedding day is finally here.”

  This could be me and Colton one day.

  The thought surfaced unexpectedly. Lexi’s gaze shifted back to the intricate beading on Micah’s dress. How many times as a little girl had she imagined herself in a beautiful white wedding dress marrying her own knight in shining armor?

  What if she’d found that knight and let him go?

  Lexi pressed her lips together as she grabbed Micah’s white ballet slippers out of their box and started helping her slip them on. Lexi had a legitimate reason for walking away. She had to protect her heart from getting hurt again.

  Except Colton was nothing like Evan.

  Their experience together in North Africa had proved that to her, and showed her that he was the kind of man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. No, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

  And yet she’d pushed Colton away, and now…what if it was too late? Because no matter how hard she tried to fight it, she loved him.

  “Lexi, what’s wrong?” Micah asked, putting on the second shoe.

  She tossed the box back on the bed. “Nothing.”

  “I know you better than that. What’s going on?”

  Lexi blinked back the tears, wishing she could stomp down all the what if questions that kept popping up. She was being emotional. She knew no one would blame her after everything she’d just been through, but today was Micah’s day. Not hers.

  “Really, it’s nothing.” She stood up and forced a smile. “Seeing you as a bride and knowing you’re about to get married must be rubbing off on me. That whole romantic notion of falling in love and living happily ever after.”

  Micah rested her hands against her hips. “It’s Colton, isn’t it?”

  “Of course not.” She shook her head, but knew she couldn’t avoid the truth. Not with Micah. “Okay. Maybe. It’s just that I can’t help but wonder if I made a mistake? I told him goodbye and walked away, but what if I was wrong.” She drew in a sharp breath. “What if I love him?”

  Micah’s smile was back.“If you love him, then I think you should tell him.”

  A knock on the door of the changing room, interrupted their conversation.

  “Miss Shannon?”

  Lexi opened the door. “Yes.”

  “There’s someone on the balcony downstairs who would like to see you. They said it’s urgent.”

  “Are you sure they want me?” she asked.

  “If you’re Lexi Shannon, then yes.”

  Who in the world would be here to see her?

  “Just hurry down there, will you?” Micah said. “I’ll go find my bouquet.”

  “It was in my room the last time I saw it. I could go now—”

  “No. I’ll get it. Go.”

  Lexi frowned, then hurried into the hallway. She could see the green lawns from the windows as she made her way downstairs. Such a contrast from the harsh terrain and dull colors of the desert. The crazy thing was that she still felt this strange urge to return despite everything she’d experienced. Because as well as the evils she’d seen, she’d seen the beauty of both the landscape and the people. And it was something she could never forget.

  She just needed time. Time to figure out what she wanted to do next. Go back to Africa or find somewhere else to use her skills. And more importantly, figure out what to do about the man who’d managed to steal her heart.

  Lexi stepped out onto the balcony, then froze. He was standing with the sun on his back. The same sandy-haired pilot she’d met all those months ago. Black suit with a white shirt and a thin black tie. Perfect for a wedding. Her heart pounded and she couldn’t breathe.

  “Colton.”

  He shot her a smile. “Hey. Wow. You look stunning.”

  She glanced down at the purple dress. For a bridesmaid dress, Micah had chosen well. But she couldn’t think about that. Not now.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I was invited to a wedding.”

  Micah.

  “I… I don’t know what to say. I just… They told me someone wanted to see me, but I never thought…” She was babbling. But her racing pulse and pounding heart, confirmed everything she’d just said to Micah.

  She loved him.

  He took a step forward, still smiling at her. “You could start with ‘Thanks for the compliment, and it’s great to see you.’ At least I hope it is.”

  She smiled back, certain this was some crazy dream. There was no way Colton was actually here standing in front of her. He was supposed to have gone to see his family. How was he here beside her in a five-hundred-year-old castle in Ireland?

  “It is great to see you,” she said, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne while trying to convince herself he was really here. “I just didn’t expect it.”

  “The surprise part was Micah’s idea. I hope she was right. She was pretty convincing.”

  “She’s always been stubborn. And a roma
ntic.”

  “Here’s the thing.” He moved closer and ran his fingers across her arm sending shivers down her spine. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. About us. I know you said you weren’t interested in a long-distance relationship, but I’m not ready to just walk away. I believe we can make this work. Because the bottom line is, Lexi, I’m in love with you.”

  Her mind spun. Five minutes ago she’d wondered if she’d made the biggest mistake of her life walking away from him, and now Colton was standing in front of her telling her he loved her.

  “I was talking to the director of our team,” he continued before she could respond. “They’re looking for someone to head up a new station. It’s a bit remote, though of course with a plane you’re never that far from civilization. In another six months they’re hoping to add a water project. There’s a huge need for clean water in this area. You’d be done with your assignment in Timbuktu, and if you felt like sticking around, I know for a fact they’d welcome you on board.”

  “Colton, wait—”

  “I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “This is all too fast, isn’t it? I told Micah I couldn’t just show up and convince you to feel something you didn’t feel.”

  “No.” She reached out to straighten his tie, then let her hands linger on his chest, still feeling breathless. “I was going to say you don’t have to convince me of anything, Colton.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No, you don’t.”

  She might have gotten hurt when Evan walked out on her, but her heart knew that this was different. That Colton was different. He’d proved he was willing to risk his own life for the lives of those he cared about. Risk his life for people he didn’t even know. He was loyal and trustworthy.

  And she had been foolish to believe she could simply walk away and forget him. Because she did love him, and he was the one she wanted to be with the rest of her life.

  “I know I’m not making sense, but I’m still trying to take in the fact that you’re standing in front of me. And in a suit and tie no less,.”

  She drew in a deep breath. “The truth is I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either. I tried to convince myself that what I feel toward you is nothing more than what any girl would feel about the handsome hero who swooped in and rescued her, but that isn’t true. I want this to work between us.”