“I’m still not following.” She felt like a daft two year old, but then again Aiden always did have that effect on her.
“You wouldn’t be ambushing them at this party. You’d be my date.”
She nearly spit out her wine but forced herself to swallow, choking on the liquid. She ducked her head to keep from making too much noise while her stem caught the edge of the serving plate in front of her.
Aiden reached out and steadied the glass to keep the wine from spilling over, his annoyance the first real emotion she’d seen on his face all night.
“I’m sorry,” she said, collecting herself. “You caught me completely off guard.”
“Is it that shocking, the thought of us as a couple?”
“Well, yeah.” She stared at him until she could accept that he was serious. “Why would you offer this? It’s not as if you need me, Mr. Vice President. You have everything to lose here and nothing to gain.”
“I gain you.”
“Aiden.”
“What? You’re beautiful, intelligent, independently wealthy, charming… when you want to be. Being with you isn’t exactly a hardship.”
She rolled her eyes. “Flattery aside, Dad will never buy us as a couple.”
“Don’t be too sure about that one.”
“How do you figure? I’m your childhood best friend’s little sister.” She hadn’t known when it happened, but she suddenly realized that she’d relaxed. Her muscles were no longer tense and she’d stopped trying to interpret every one of Aiden’s movements. It must have been the ridiculousness of his suggestion. The man was an Adonis with a hefty bank account. She’d been around long enough to see what women would willingly do to snag that combination.
“First, let me assure you, I’ve never seen you as a sister. Quite the opposite, actually. And second, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve mentioned us dating to your father.” Aiden picked at the tablecloth, and she couldn’t tell if he was truly insecure or trying to look that way. “We discussed it years ago, and he was all for the union. His only request was that I waited until after you were out of law school.” He sighed. “But then you went and fell in love. I didn’t stand much chance after that.”
Her head swam as if she’d consumed four glasses of wine and not four sips. “The night Sean proposed. You warned me. You were—”
“Feeling a bit territorial, yes.” His eyes locked on hers and they intensified into alarming blue lasers. “There was no scenario in my mind that made Sean Taylor right for you.”
“And you are?”
“Of course I am. We fit. You understand the demands of my job and you’re someone I would be proud to have next to me in any crowd. There’d be no drama, no unnecessary emotional baggage. We’d be a power couple.”
“You make it sound like a business deal.”
“Worlds have been conquered with less.” He didn’t blink. “Unless, of course, you want to do the love route again.”
“Never.” She wasn’t really the type of person to fall in love once, let alone twice. That experiment had come and failed.
“Good. That keeps things from getting messy.”
April surveyed the man in front of her with new perspective. The two of them would make an interesting alliance. There’d be no illusions or unrealistic expectations. And as far as quality men went, Aiden would certainly be considered a catch.
As the idea gained more and more appeal, she sat back. “You really think taking this step will open communication with Uncle Bradley?”
He relaxed, the deal nearly done. “I know absolutely it will. Especially since I’m the one managing the details of his release. Where he’ll live, what position in the company is appropriate considering his history, and even a say into who has access to him once he’s settled.”
If that were true, then it wasn’t just her father who trusted him, but her mother, too. They’d both let Aiden manage their greatest loves.
Suddenly his theory didn’t seem so ludicrous.
“Okay,” she said before she had time to second-guess her decision. She’d lost her family because she’d tried to combine two incompatible worlds. This time, there would be no question as to who held her loyalty. “How does this play out?”
“We go to the party and see how we work as a couple. If the night goes as well as I expect it will, then we both get what we want.” His voice vibrated in its assurance, not even a flicker of insecurity.
“And if it doesn’t?”
His lips quirked up. “I think you’ll find, April, that being with me isn’t such a hardship either. I treat the people I care about very well.”
That wasn’t really an answer, but then again, to a Duncan, failure was never an option.
Chapter 4
Sean entered the old two-story fire station and was greeted by Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” blasting through the vehicle bay’s speakers. He’d run three miles here from the field house at school and hoped they’d talk quickly so he could run back before the sun set for the evening.
On Monday, Sean had given his resignation to his principal at the junior high. The man’s disappointment with Sean for only serving one year was fair, especially since the guy had been a great boss. But he also seemed to understand Sean’s need to move back to his hometown and agreed to his final day being two weeks from Friday.
Sean pulled out the small towel tucked into the waist of his running shorts and wiped perspiration from his face.
Both ends of the vehicle bay were open, allowing a steady breeze to push through, but the temperature was still a good ten degrees hotter than outside. The guys working didn’t seem to mind. Five of them, including Andrew were counting equipment on the trucks. Their uniforms were dark blue, shirts tightly tucked, slacks ironed with a heavy crease over black polished boots.
Andrew waved at Sean from a crouched position near the storage compartment on the lower side of the fire engine and stretched as he stood. Unlike the other men on his crew, Andrew’s badge was adorned with a bugle signifying his promotion to Lieutenant a year ago. Captain wouldn’t be too far off. Like his sister, he was driven by that innate need to be the best, to stand out, and ultimately achieve the perfection they’d been raised to see as essential for survival.
As always, the impact of seeing his once future brother-in-law never failed to make his blood run cold. Apart from a ten-inch height differential, Andrew and April could pass for twins. They had the same dark hair, same sea green eyes, and both stood with a posture that dared others to get in their way.
Sean waited for his approach and accepted the stiff handshake he offered. Another Duncan trait—the complete absence of genuine affection.
“The small conference room is open.” He said, his hand reaching for the thick metal handle that opened up to the interior. “Did you get my text?”
“No.” Sean pulled his phone from the hidden pocked in his gym shorts and sure enough Andrew had confirmed the last detail they’d been waiting on. His former neighbor at the condo, Mr. Trapp, finally faxed over the signed rental agreement. “I guess there’s no turning back now.”
“Was that ever an option?”
“No.” He’d already let too much time pass. He should have forced her to deal with him months ago.
Andrew led him down the hallway. The building wasn’t new, but they’d done upgrades recently, leaving a fresh paint smell lingering in the air. He pushed open another door and the laminate floor transitioned to new blue commercial carpet, an oval conference table with ten chairs, and a wide wall-mounted projector screen.
“This is nice. Wasn’t this room torn up the last time I came?”
“Yep.” Hands on his hips, Andrew glanced around the room with proud ownership. “This renovation has cost me every free moment I’ve had for two months.”
“Time well spent.” Sean lowered himself into the chair, its gears protesting from his weight. “I’m sure your crew appreciates it, too.”
“They better. I already told th
em I would skin the first person who brought coffee in here.”
The flash of temper was another reminder of the girl who’d haunted his thoughts all week. To the rest of the world, April was fire and ice. Only he had gotten to see her gentler side; the side she desperately kept hidden.
Andrew pulled out the chair next to his and sat at the head of the table. A yellow folder waited in front of him. He flipped it open and pulled a lease agreement from the left pocket. “Six months, utilities included. You can move in today.”
Sean took the paperwork with trembling fingers. Next to his messy and barely legible signature was Mr. Trapp’s. He’d originally planned to stay out of the negotiations, let Andrew do all the legwork in case the job fell through or Sean changed his mind, which he’d been tempted to do many times during long, sleepless nights. It wasn’t until Mr. Trapp’s third emphatic no that Sean finally sent a groveling email, exposing himself as the tenant and explaining why the rental was so critical to his plan. His anonymity was lost, but it had been worth it, especially when the yes came a day later.
“I still think the price is robbery,” Andrew said.
“Doesn’t matter.” He’d have paid any sum for this particular condo.
“We should probably go over strategy again.”
“Yeah, sure.” They’d already been through the details twice. Andrew would make a toast and Sean would appear from whatever corner he’d find to hide in. “What else do we need to iron out?”
“Well, for starters, what’s the deal with Beck? I’ve been to brunch often enough in the last ten months to pick up on some serious animosity between him and my sister.”
Heat, fiery and hot flew through his veins. Beck had been his best friend throughout his entire life, the two of them spending most of their formative years together either in school or playing sports on the weekends. And while their friendship was an unlikely pairing with him being the thrill-seeker, rule breaker, and Beck working tirelessly to please everyone around him, they’d understood each other. Balanced each other in a lot of ways.
Yet one night permanently scarred years of loyalty. The same night Sean’s world had been ripped from his fingers. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated as in I should be prepared to break up a fight?”
Andrew paused, waiting for him to answer, but since Sean’s last conversation with Beck had involved fists, he had no clue what to expect from his former best friend.
“I honestly don’t know. We left things in a pretty bad place.” Sean raked both hands through his short hair. “But Beck isn’t really the type for public outbursts. If anything, it’s the silence I dread most.” Anxiety wove up his legs and into his churning stomach. He cleared his throat to gain some control. “Did Mr. Trapp mention where he was sending the keys?”
“He said he’d leave the apartment key, the parking pass, and the amenities key card with security.”
“Good.” He stood and Andrew did as well. “Anything else?” The itchy feeling he’d get as a kid when he needed to move and blow off excess energy barreled through him now.
“April usually shows up around ten. I’m thinking ten thirty would give us a buffer.” Concern etched across Andrew’s brow. “You sure you want to do it this way?”
Sean wasn’t sure about anything anymore except that in three days he’d be face to face with the two people who’d trampled his heart. “Surprising her is the only way I’ll know if we still have a chance.” She was too good at hiding her feelings. Too good at shutting out every single emotion she didn’t want to feel.
“Okay. But know this. If a blow up occurs, I will take her side.” Andrew had abandoned the Duncan kingdom and had admitted more than once that he didn’t understand his sister’s choices. Still, his loyalty was unwavering.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less, but it won’t come from me.” Sean had no plans on causing a scene; he only wanted her to listen. To look into his eyes and take responsibility for the trauma she’d put him through.
“Okay. I’ll see you Sunday, then.” Andrew’s nod was apologetic, as if he could see the way this conversation was breaking Sean down, ripping at his defenses faster than he could fortify them.
A handshake and backslap later, Sean finally got the escape he needed. Fresh air rushed through his lungs as soon as he made it past the building doors, his chest constricting with the onslaught of memories he needed to outrun. There’d been no blow up when things had ended with April.
No words at all, just an envelope and his best friend.
Sprinting across the parking lot, Sean ignored the honking car that was forced to slam on its brakes. He ran two more blocks before that horrible night caught up with him, before his chest burned and the ground under his feet grew shaky. Stumbling over a root, he caught himself against the bark of a wide oak tree just in time to feel the first dry heave rise in his chest.
A lifetime together, erased without ever saying goodbye.
“April, open the door!” He banged repeatedly on their shared condo door. The dead bolt was only accessible from the inside. “I’m not leaving until you do. I’ll sit out here all night!” He kicked the wood and collapsed against the hallway wall, hair fisted in his hands. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to listen, to understand.
Finally the lock turned and Sean bolted from the wall. Only it wasn’t her petite frame in the doorway; it was Beck’s. Dressed in a dark blue suit and red tie, he stood across the threshold as if he were now the owner of the place.
“What are you doing here?” Sean asked trying to clear the sting from his throat.
“April said your things are in a storage unit off Clover Rd.” Beck lifted a small five by seven manila envelope. “The keys are in here. Along with her ring.”
Sean stared at the man who’d helped him pick the diamond out, too stunned and betrayed to speak. When the words finally sank in, he pushed past Beck into his home, stopping short when he came to the living room. It was all gone. His favorite leather recliner, the sixty-five inch flat screen TV he insisted on mounting, their framed engagement photo on the mantle. “Where is she?” he whispered, fear gnawing at his throat. She wouldn’t do this. Not this way. Not without letting him explain.
Beck remained quiet, and Sean stormed into each of the bedrooms. Anything that once implied he’d ever lived there was gone. Erased. It was like waking up and realizing your life never existed.
He turned around and walked slowly back to the entrance where his best friend stood, face expressionless, void of any remorse. “How could you let her do this to me?”
“No one lets April do anything.” Finally a sliver of compassion. Beck placed his palm on his shoulder and squeezed. “I’ve already tried to reason with her and she isn’t backing down. Crash at my place for a while. We’ll give her time and figure this out.” Though the words were delivered carefully, as if to soothe a feral dog, they only incited his fury.
“You think time is going to change anything?” He’d been living on borrowed time for months. Sneaking away when he could, feeding information he was never supposed to have. He’d wanted to tell her before the arrest, but they’d picked her uncle up without a warning. “If I leave, we’ll never talk again.”
His chest began to ache, as if a hole was forming now and he had no hope of closing it.
“If you don’t leave, Chester will make you. He’s already on his way.” Chester was the condo’s security guard and a former Army ranger. Even with his build, Sean knew he was over matched.
“He won’t throw me out of my own house.”
“It’s not your house!” Beck’s voice rose and Sean felt his own temper spike. “April owns the condo and has made it clear she wants you gone. You should make this easy on all of us and just… go.” He pointed to the door with an exaggerated swing of his arm. “What did you expect after what you’ve done?”
Hand fisted, Sean delivered the punch in one agonizing shot. Beck stumbled, but didn’t fall, nor did
he drop the cursed envelope in his hand.
Sean’s body shook, regret coming as soon at his knuckles made contact. “Get out of my house,” he demanded. “You should never have let her manipulate you into coming here.”
Straightening to full height, Beck wiped at the split in his lip. “Coming here was my idea. She was too shaken up and afraid to do it herself. I can see why.”
April afraid? Sean nearly laughed. This wasn’t fear. It was cold-hearted calculation. This was her counter attack. He’d taken away her uncle, and she was going to destroy his relationship with Beck.
But there was only one way her plan could work. He stared harder at his best friend. He knew him well enough to see the guilt lining his expression, the determination in his brow. And worse, the unbidden truth he’d missed all these years—Beck was in love with April. Sean hadn’t seen the signs, but she must have known the depth of Beck’s buried feelings for her, and used them to annihilate the last shred of hope Sean had that her mind could be changed.
“You’re a damn fool.” And so was he, it seemed.
A dog barking from the front window pulled him out of the nightmare. He forced his legs to keep moving, down the sidewalk, past the elementary building on the corner. What would he do if she truly didn’t care anymore? If the girl he’d loved his entire life had actually succeeded in turning into the cold, heartless woman she aspired to be?
His dread went beyond the silence and the forced confrontation. In three days, there would be no more pretending that his future was simply on pause.
In three days, he’d know if it still existed at all.
Chapter 5
Chandeliers sparkled from the painted coffered ceiling, dazzling the crowd beneath them, while the smell of bacon and seared steak delighted every corner of the room. Glassware clinked as people navigated the tables and muted voices ebbed and flowed along the hand-scraped wood floors. Everything about the Sunday brunch atmosphere was joyous and vibrant, yet April felt an innate sense of doom.
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