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Vanessa left out a huge sigh as she stood alone outside the hotel, a chill running through her. She registered the sound of the door opening and closing behind her, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk to any of her family right now. She knew she didn’t have much longer out here to process her thoughts. Dinner would be served in the next few minutes.
“We need to talk.”
Vanessa closed her eyes as she inhaled a shaky breath. When she opened them, Heather was standing in front of her, her blue eyes even more captivating than she had remembered.
“Do we?” Vanessa asked, her voice giving away her. She could hear the anger, the disappointment, the disbelief in just those two words.
Vanessa shook her head and turned to go back inside when she felt the warmth of Heather’s hand as she grabbed a hold of her wrist.
“Yes,” Heather said with a sigh. “We do.”
When Vanessa didn’t try to pull her arm away, Heather released her grip, and Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek as she turned back to face her. “What’s there to say? Maybe it’s my fault for assuming that you were single. I should have asked, straight away, at the wine bar, before anything happened. I hate cheating. I don’t get it. But for your girlfriend to be my niece?” Vanessa shook her head again. “I can’t. There’s nothing to talk about. Forget that night ever happened, and I hope you’re not going to break Megan’s heart. She is so kind, caring. And I can’t believe you would do that to her.”
Vanessa turned and left without giving a chance for Heather to respond. She couldn’t listen to whatever excuse Heather was going to give her.
“Vanessa…”
She didn’t look back as she headed inside, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She went into the restroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
A month ago, she thought she might be having some kind of mid-life crisis, spending the night with someone so much younger than her, but it turns out that their age difference was the least of her problems.
When Heather kissed her goodbye that morning, when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, Vanessa had felt alive for the first time in years. This breathtaking woman wanted her.
And there Vanessa was just two hours later, telling her niece that she had met someone, but that she didn’t think it would work out.
“Got that right,” Vanessa said with a wry smile as she left the restroom and tried to but on a brave face.
Not only did she have to get through this dinner with Heather in her line of sight, but she’d have to get through this entire weekend, completely torn. She wanted to be happy for Megan. She had been since her niece had mentioned that she’d met someone, but it was impossible to now.
And as she sat down, accidentally catching Heather’s gaze again, Vanessa hated to admit it, but there was no point denying it.
However wrong it was, she was still attracted to this woman.
15
Heather cradled her second cup of coffee. She was the last one up, and Megan’s parents were already getting ready to go skiing.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Heather asked after she finished her cream cheese bagel.
“No. Are you kidding? I know you’re not a huge fan of skiing. It’s a family tradition. Any time some of us are together, and we can still get on the slopes, we’re gone.”
“I can ski. I’m just not very good at it,” Heather said, taking a sip of coffee. “And I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of your family. Plus, I’m exhausted.”
“Hm. I actually went back up to check on you.”
“Sleeping til ten-thirty on a Saturday is not that late. Come on.”
Heather didn’t tell her that she’d spent all night tossing and turning, replaying her conversation with Vanessa over and over in her head, wondering how she’d managed to let Vanessa go without explaining what was going on.
“It’s fine. All of it,” Megan said as she got up. “I’m just glad you’re here.” She lowered her voice. “Seriously. You have no idea how much easier this weekend is for me, already.”
Heather nodded, giving her friend a hint of a smile. “It almost feels like you might owe me after this.”
“Oh definitely. Start making your list of demands.”
“Plural?” Heather’s smile turned into a grin.
“Don’t get too crazy. But yes, I am aware of how big of an ask this whole weekend is.” She glanced towards the door. “I better get going.”
