Reunited with the Lassiter Bride Read online

  “I’m not heartbroken.” But Lex’s words had him wondering if this might not be such a bad idea.

  How amazing would it be to go into business with his two old friends? Lex and Deke were both brilliant. They were innovative and hard-working. Together, the three of them would have a real shot at building something successful.

  He could throw all of his energy into the venture, totally focusing on business for the foreseeable future.

  “Just how far have you thought this through?” he asked Lex.

  “I just spent fourteen hours on airplanes. So, fourteen hours, plus a three-hour layover.”

  “Is the Sagittarius even for sale?”

  “It will be,” said Lex. “The family who owns it is having some...challenges. That’s what kicked off my plan. Rita Loring just discovered her husband is sleeping with his assistant, putting the pre-nup in her favor. I know she’ll sell her share. The woman couldn’t care less about the hotel, and she’ll get a kick out of ruining Lewis Loring. Her daughter will support her. If I offer, both women will sell their shares of the business and go on a shopping spree. And Lewis will be left with a choice between staying on as a minor shareholder and cashing out. Since the place has lost money the past three years in a row, I’m betting he’ll cash out.”

  “How do you know all this?” Deke asked.

  “I talk to people,” said Lex. “I buy them drinks. Sometimes I sleep with them.”

  “You slept with Rita Loring?” Evan voiced the first thought that popped into his mind.

  Lex’s expression twisted into a grimace. “I slept with her daughter.”

  Deke coughed out a laugh. “I’m in.”

  “The daughter’s not ticked off?” asked Evan.

  “The daughter’s already moved on. She’s got bigger fish than me to reel in. It’ll take me a week or two to put the deal together. But we’ve got to move fast.”

  Both men stared at Evan.

  “I have to decide right now?” He glanced at the half-built shelves, thinking his evening plans had taken a huge left turn.

  “Yes, you have to decide right now,” Lex mocked. “What’s to decide?”

  It was a fair question. Of all of them, Evan was the guy in the best position to make a big change in his life. He had to make a change. The status quo had ceased being an option over a week ago.

  His mind shifted to Angie. He told himself, really truly told himself, that it was over. There was absolutely no going back. Forward was his only choice.

  “Okay,” he said, forming a plan in his mind as he spoke. “I’ve got some liquid investments and the cash from the Pasadena house. And J.D. left me several million dollars in his will. I was going to donate it to charity or maybe burn it in protest. But I suppose it’s honorable to contribute it to the cause.”

  “You’re in?” Lex asked with a grin.

  “I’m in,” Evan stated with conviction.

  “We need a very old bottle of scotch,” said Deke, fishing his car keys out of his pocket, “to toast our new venture.”

  * * *

  Angelica had dressed in an ultrafeminine outfit once again in an effort to impress Conrad. But she needn’t have bothered. He wasn’t at home, and it was Albert, the butler, who showed her and Evan inside. They were meeting with the catering manager and the florist to tour the house and settle some questions about the setup and décor for the wedding.

  Kayla and Matt had made it as far as Edinburgh on their way back home. They’d sent several texts while in the airport changing planes. They were thrilled with the wedding plans and reported that everything seemed set for the art exhibit. By now, they’d be over the Atlantic on their way to New York. Once they made it to California, the wedding planning was going to get a whole lot simpler for Angelica and Evan.

  Albert, who seemed exceedingly good at his job, had offered her a glass of chardonnay this time instead of the single malt. Evan had chosen a beer.

  The group worked their way through an impressive kitchen and dining area, agreeing that the bride should come down the grand staircase, and discussing how the great room should be set up for the ceremony. The guests could then mingle on the terrace and even on the beach at low tide, while staff replaced the folding chairs used for the ceremony and set up the tables for a sit-down dinner.

  The caterer seemed impressed with the kitchen, and had requested extra prep tables in the breakfast room. The florist took pictures and measurements, and went over photos of the arrangements Kayla had already chosen, ensuring they would still work with the new décor. Soon they had what they needed.

  While Albert showed the florist and caterer out, Angelica wandered across the terrace, trying to imagine Kayla’s smile and her mother’s delight at the amazing surroundings. She made her way to the lowest level of the terrace then gave in to temptation, taking the narrow staircase down to the beach level.

  The tide was out, leaving a wide strip of damp sand exposed beyond the rocky shore. She kicked off her shoes to pick her way to the shore.

  The sky was clear, and the half-moon illuminated an orange buoy about thirty yards out. She captured her hair in her hand, holding it against a gust of wind. Her aqua silk wraparound dress rustled against her legs. As she moved toward the water, she heard the sound of Evan’s footfalls behind her.

  “Reminds me of the opening scene in Jaws,” she observed.

  “Going skinny-dipping?”

  “Not on your life.”

  “Chicken,” he mocked softly.

  “Uh-huh,” she agreed, taking a sip of the crisp wine. “Do you think they’ll be happy?”

  “Matt and Kayla?”

  “Yes. Not with each other. That’s a given. I mean with the arrangements we’re making. I know we’ve done our best, but it’s hard to second-guess people.” It was shaping up to be a wedding that Angelica would love. But what bride wanted someone else to do the planning for her?

  “It was their decision to go to Scotland,” said Evan. He was standing beside but slightly behind her as she gazed out at the dark water.

  “They didn’t expect the storm.”

  “Or the need for the extra approval.”

  “At least they got the exhibit.” Kayla had come across as very excited in her texts to Angelica.

  “It’s all coming together for them.” There was a wistful note in Evan’s voice.

  Angelica could relate to that emotion. When they’d first introduced Matt and Kayla to each other, she and Evan had been the stable couple, happy, in love and newly engaged. Back then, it had been Matt and Kayla helping with preparation for Angelica and Evan’s wedding. A lump formed in her throat at the memories.

  “You okay?” Evan asked.

  “Fine,” she lied, gathering her emotions. “How about you?”

  “It’s all good.”

  She forced herself to carry on with small talk. “Are you getting settled in Santa Monica?”

  “I am.”

  “How’s the business?” She knew leaving Lassiter Media had to have been a professional setback for him, and she truly wished him well.

  “Deke and I might start working together. Lex, too.”

  She turned to him. “I thought you were going out on your own.”

  “I was planning on it. But we’re looking at a possible deal that involves all three of us.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not in a position to say.”

  Of course he wasn’t. And even if he was, it was certainly none of her business. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Everything going okay for you?” he asked.

  “I’m moving my office. I didn’t...” She stumbled a bit, realizing she was about to share the truth with him. “I mean, I couldn’t...well, bring myself to take over Dad’s office. So I’m converting the top floor boardroom into an office for me.”

  Evan was quiet for a moment. “That seems like a good idea, differentiating yourself for your father.”

  “That’s my plan.”


  The sound of the waves filled in the silence between them.

  “So, did Conrad really bring you an idea for a television series?” Evan asked.

  “He’s been in contact. He hasn’t sent us anything yet, but it looks like he’s serious.”

  “I thought he was just testing you.”

  “I did too. But he actually gave me an idea for a new direction for LBS.”

  “I’m glad you have some new ideas.”

  “I’ve always had ideas,” she said defensively.

  “I wasn’t criticizing you, Angie.”

  She hated it when he used that nickname. Okay, she liked it when he used that nickname. But she hated that she liked it. It was endearing and intimate, strumming her memories. How many times had he said it while they’d made love?

  I love you, Angie, he’d whisper in her ear. No matter how often he said the words, her breath would catch, and her heart would sing, and her world would settle into a perfect dome of contentment. Even now, she was fighting an urge to lean back against him.

  “Angie?”

  She shook herself and headed toward the waves, letting the cold water shock her to reality. She waded to her ankles, her knees, her thighs.

  “Whoa,” Evan caught her arm.

  She shook him off.

  “I thought we’d decided against skinny-dipping.”

  “I don’t need your help.” She didn’t need it here or anywhere else.

  “I honestly wasn’t criticizing you. I have nothing but respect for your abilities at Lassiter Media.”

  “Is that why you fought so hard to keep me out?”

  “Is that how you remember it?”

  “I remember.” She paused, gathering her thoughts as the waves pushed against her legs, washing the sand from beneath her feet. “I remember being abandoned by everyone I ever loved.”

  “Yeah?” There was a funny note to his voice. “How did that make you feel?”

  The question struck her as absurd. “How do you think it made me feel? Terrible. I felt terrible.”

  There was a lengthy silence, and then his tone was hollow. “Do you know how many people in this world loved me?”

  For some reason, each of his words felt like a punch to her stomach.

  “You,” he continued. “You were the only one, Angie. So, yeah, I know exactly how that makes a person feel.”

  Her chest contracted with pain. She turned, and a wave splashed up, dampening her dress.

  “Evan...” She didn’t know what to say. She knew his parents had died when he was a teenager, knew he had no brothers or sisters. Her family might be scattered and unorthodox, but it was definitely a family in every sense of the word.

  “You were supposed to be my other half.” He spoke softly into the night. “You were supposed to have my babies and turn this solitary existence into a big, rambunctious, loving family.”

  Her chest turned into one big ache, and tears threatened behind her eyes. Then a big wave pushed against her side. She staggered, then fell, gasping as the cold water engulfed her, the wave swirling over her head.

  In a split second, his hand was on her arm, yanking her upright.

  “What the hell?”

  “I tripped,” she sputtered.

  He scooped the wineglass full of seawater from her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She trotted miserably toward the shore, his hand firmly on her upper arm, tugging her along. Her heart ached with regret. She’d made some terrible mistakes these past months. She’d been angry, disappointed and despondent.

  But in all that time, with all those disputes and maneuvers, she’d never felt as heartsick as she did in this moment.

  * * *

  Angelica arrived at the Lassiter mansion still soaking wet. Albert had given her a fluffy, white robe to cover her ruined dress, and she’d combed out her hair and washed off the worst of her smudged makeup in Conrad’s powder room. But she still looked like a drowned rat.

  The last thing she needed was to find her two brothers waiting for her in the front foyer. She’d known they were both in town with their wives, but they’d fallen out of the habit of staying at the mansion.

  “Explain this to us so that we understand,” Dylan began, as they came to their feet.

  “I fell in the ocean.” She shut the door behind her. She was too tired for this, so she slipped past them into the study, helping herself to a brandy snifter and uncapping a bottle of cognac.

  They both followed on her heels.

  “We’re talking about you and Evan,” said Sage.

  “That’s a l—” She stopped herself mid-word.

  She’d been about to confess that it was all a lie. But she knew that Evan was right. If she told her brothers the truth, she’d have to ask them to lie to their loved ones. She couldn’t do that. But she also couldn’t risk an accidental leak before Kayla’s wedding.

  “It’s a long shot,” she said instead, her back to them as she poured a measure of the cognac into the blown crystal glass.

  “What the hell happened?” Dylan demanded. “One minute you can’t even contemplate forgiveness, the next the newspaper has you reuniting.”

  “It’s complicated,” she said, turning to face them. “You’ll have to leave it at that for now.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Dylan, advancing on her.

  “We talked,” said Angelica, looking her brother square in the eyes. “We reminisced.” She inwardly winced as she recalled tonight’s hurtful conversation. “We agreed that we’d both made some mistakes. And we’ve decided to spend a little time together.”

  There. Everything she’d just said was true. She took a sip of the cognac.

  Sage moved to stand beside Dylan. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “What I’m not telling you, is how this all ends. Because I don’t know how it all ends.”

  They both peered at her with obvious suspicion.

  “We were very much in love,” she told them. “What we went through was painful and emotional. We’re both battered and bruised, and we don’t know where that leaves us.”

  Her brothers’ gazes softened in sympathy.

  She realized they were buying it.

  She also realized that the reason they were buying it was because she was buying it. Because it was true. It was all so frighteningly true that she wanted to weep.

  “Oh, Angie,” Dylan sighed, drawing her into his arms.

  She held her drink out to one side and accepted his hug.

  “I wish I could explain better than that,” she whispered.

  “We understand that you can’t,” said Sage, giving her a rub on the arm. “We can wait.”

  She drew back, wishing she could be completely open with them. “Thank you. Thank you for being patient with me.”

  “You’re freezing,” said Dylan, tightening his hug and rubbing his hands up and down her back.

  “I am. And I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to take a bath and go straight to bed.”

  “That’s a good idea,” said Sage. “Do you want me to get Colleen to come over?”

  Angelica managed a smile. “I don’t need a nurse. What I really need is a good night’s sleep.”

  “Okay,” Sage agreed.

  Dylan plunked a kiss on her head. “Call us if you need anything.”

  She hiccupped out a laugh. “I’m not used to you guys being this way.”

  “I suppose not,” Dylan agreed. “But I like it better when we’re not fighting.”

  “So do I,” said Angelica, battling a surge of guilt. She stepped away from Dylan, feeling as though she was accepting their affection under false pretenses. “Now, you two get out of here so I can warm up.”

  They both wished her good-night and headed down the hall to the front foyer and out the door.

  Angelica sipped at the brandy as she made her way up the main staircase to her bedroom. She was chilled to her bones, aching and shivering uncontrollably as she stripped off her w
et dress and clinging underwear, tossing them into the sink to rinse off the saltwater, wondering if there was anything she could do to save the patterned silk. Then she turned the taps in the oversized tub, and hot bathwater churned from the big faucet to fill it.

  Leaving the dress to soak, she dumped some scented oil into the bathwater, lit a few candles, and then finally sank into the deep water. She laid her head back and let the warmth seep into her skin.

  Evan’s image immediately bloomed in her mind. His anger and disappointment hurt as much now as it had in those moments on the beach. She’d known all along that he wanted a big family. She’d wanted one, too. She’d also known he was alone in the world. But she’d never imagined him being lonely.

  She felt a ridiculous urge to reach out to him, comfort him, help him somehow. But she knew there was nothing she could do. She’d made her choice five long months ago when she’d decided to mistrust him, to team up with Jack Reed and fight Evan for Lassiter Media. She reminded herself for what seemed like the hundredth time that there was absolutely nothing she could do to fix things now.

  Five

  As he and Deke made their way across the ten-story atrium lobby of the Sagittarius Resort, Evan considered the possibility that Deke could be right about the danger of spending time with Angie. Last night, when he’d pulled her dripping and vulnerable from the surf, protectiveness had welled up inside him. He’d wanted to hoist her into his arms and carry her off. He’d been forced to slam a lid on the urge before he could figure out where he’d carry her and what he’d do when he got there.

  “Maybe we should spend a couple of days here incognito,” Deke suggested. “Get rooms, check out the facilities, see how things are run.”