“I’m sorry,” he whispered into the crown of her hair.
Her body was stiff, her muscles tight. After several minutes, she relaxed. The emotion that had been swirling within her subsided, he could feel it slip away.
Melting into him, Lena let him take the weight of her body. His own muscles relaxed, the tension that had whipped through him easing as he realized she wouldn’t hold his careless comments against him.
After several minutes she pulled away and Colt let her. She looked up at him again, calm and collected, the Lena he recognized and remembered. He was glad to see the sadness gone.
“It’s not your fault,” she said.
“Maybe not, but I didn’t help.”
Lena’s lips twisted. “No, but I can’t fault you for telling the truth. I knew something was wrong. Deep down, I knew. I just didn’t want to admit it. Everyone was so excited. Jealous. Everyone told me how perfect Wyn was. What a wonderful husband he’d be. How lucky I was to find a great man who just happened to be heir to a fortune.”
“But it didn’t feel right.”
Lena turned away. Reaching down, she flicked off the sandals protecting her feet. They fell to the sand with a muted plop. She walked a few steps barefoot. Colt did the same, letting his own shoes topple crookedly beside hers.
The sound of crashing waves shushed gently between them. In the distance Colt could hear the rumblings of laughter and dance music from somewhere on the island. Sometimes, like now, it was hard to remember they weren’t the only people here.
“It felt right at first,” she finally responded. “Wyn was sweet. We worked together for at least six months before he asked me out. I’d look up from my notes during company meetings to find him watching me instead of paying attention.”
“You don’t have to toe the line when daddy’s in charge.”
Lena reached over and shoved him. The unexpected reaction had him teetering sideways for a moment before regaining his balance.
“That isn’t nice, Colt. Wyn’s very good at his job.”
“Yeah, so good he managed to weasel his way into a free vacation with a client.”
“I was flattered.”
“You were hunted, like a lion stalks an antelope. I only met the man a few times, but it was enough to realize he was charming and focused and untrustworthy.”
Lena twisted, the heel of her foot grinding into the sand with the force of her motion. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”
“Because it wasn’t my place.” Colt had thought about it, once, but realized he had nothing to back up his gut instinct. “I thought maybe you’d just think I was being overprotective. Playing the big-brother card or something.”
A strangled sound that could have been anything from incredulity to embarrassment burst from Lena’s mouth. “You’re hardly my big brother.”
“True. You were serious about Wyn though, and I figured he must have some qualities I couldn’t see. If he’d loved you, I could have lived with it.”
“But, obviously, he didn’t.”
The question he still had was whether she’d ever loved Wyn. Colt didn’t think so, but he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice, so he wouldn’t ask again.
“So, yes, in the beginning it felt right. And by the time it didn’t I was in too deep. The wedding was months away and I convinced myself that it was just jitters.”
Silence stretched between them. Colt had no idea what the right response was and he was afraid to say the wrong thing again.
After a few minutes Lena said, “Jeez, we’re a pair. I stay in a relationship I shouldn’t, and you can’t stay in one more than five minutes.”
“Hey, I last a hell of a lot longer than five minutes,” he joked. “But I don’t want to have a relationship longer than two weeks,” he argued. “Too much work. Besides, I like variety in my life.”
Lena grimaced. “So try a different cereal in the morning. Seriously, Colt, you need to grow up.”
“When did this turn into a discussion of my shortcomings?”
“I like talking about yours better than analyzing mine.”
Colt laughed.
Silence stretched between them, only this time there was comfort and familiarity to it. Colt reached for her again, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his body. Together they stared out across the Caribbean Sea.
The jungle far behind them rustled. An animal howled in the distance. And Lena groaned quietly. “What does it say about me that I’m more upset at losing my job than my fiancé?”
“It says that you’re practical,” Colt said, unable to hold back a smile. Because that described Lena to a T.
“I actually think it says I’m a coward. But, dammit, I liked my job. I was good at it and I put several hard years in at Rand Marketing.”
“You are good at your job, which is why you’ll be able to find something else. Graphic designers are in demand. You’ll land on your feet.”
“I’m pissed that I have to land at all.”
“Think of it as an opportunity then. To find something better. Or maybe to work on your jewelry for a while.”
He’d been upset when she’d told him she’d given up her craft. Especially because that decision had come months after she’d started dating Wyn, and Colt couldn’t help but think the man was partly responsible for Lena’s decision. He couldn’t remember how many nights he’d watched her string together beads, bend gold wire and produce the most breathtaking and original pieces.
“You know, my sister-in-law still tells me that the earrings I gave her are the best birthday present she’s ever gotten. She wears them all the time.”
“I’m glad she likes them.”
Colt stared up into the night sky. Stars twinkled down on them, so bright and yet too far away to touch. This conversation was beginning to feel the same way. They’d had it before, but nothing ever changed. “You’re an artist, Lena, don’t you long for an outlet?”
“I have an outlet. Graphic design is art.”
Colt held in a snort. Maybe, but it wasn’t her passion. He dropped the subject though because he knew it wouldn’t get him anywhere.
“The sand’s still warm.” Lena looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes in deeper. Her dark red toenails peeked out, making him want to join her in the childish gesture. Playing in the sand was something he hadn’t done in a very long time. Not since his parents had died five years ago and he’d stopped joining his brother’s family at the beach house.
At first, the memories had been too painful. And then it had just gotten easier to make excuses. He was out of the country. Working. Tired. Standing there with his feet pressed deep into the sand, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually seen his brother, sister-in-law and niece. He talked to them on the phone occasionally, but he was slowly coming to realize that might not be enough.
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