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It was everything he’d dreamed of when he went into consulting. It was the perfect culmination of his effort to make it on his own over the past decade. The perfect job. He could do his thing and move on; no roots, no relationships with employees...or anyone else.
Temporary ruled his life for a reason. It was what he did best. He didn’t know how to do anything but temporary. He yearned for the next challenge, the next job that would take him someplace new, and balked at the kind of “more” Cara deserved. What could a man like that really offer her?
Nothing. He couldn’t ask her to take an extended vacation. Or even a short one. He couldn’t be there for her as she needed, emotionally or physically. And he hadn’t even been very good at it in the first place, despite the pass she’d given him. If he’d had more practice at developing relationships, or even the skill set to try, that would be one thing. But he preferred being alone because it was easier than figuring out how to tap into an emotional center he probably couldn’t ever reach.
It was a good thing he’d planned for their liaison to be finite from the beginning.
A good thing, he repeated, and wished it actually felt that way.
Eleven
Cara watched frisky sandpipers chase each other on the beach and smiled when the lead bird let herself be caught. It was worth it sometimes to slow down long enough to notice something unexpected and wonderful in the one chasing you.
Keith had revealed some pretty spectacular depths over the past few days, climaxing in the midnight soul-baring conversation. She’d had no idea he was capable of such understanding and strength—and maybe he hadn’t been the first time. But he certainly was now.
Maybe the events of two years ago, and everything since, needed to happen in order to get them both to a better place. Which wasn’t necessarily together. This was supposed to be a burn-off-the-excess-heat fling in the background of their real lives. The expo should be the most significant thing on both their minds.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t, at least not in her case.
Turning her gaze back to the statuesque models in white parading down the makeshift runaway, Cara nodded in response to Meredith’s question, though she hadn’t actually heard it. The original canvas tent pavilion had been dismantled in advance of Tropical Storm Mark, but unfortunately it had been stored in a nonwaterproof shed. It had suffered severe water damage, forcing the fashion show to take place on the beach.
As long as tomorrow’s weather mirrored the calm, balmy conditions of today, the show would still be the centerpiece of the expo.
Meredith noted something on her legal pad and shot Cara a smirk. “Do me a favor and smack me if I ever walk around with such a dreamy smile on my face.”
“That’ll never happen,” Cara promised without missing a beat. “Because only Keith could produce such a smile and you can’t have him.”
Her sister lifted a brow. “Oh my. I thought you were all dopey-faced over the meeting with the Ever After guy and planned to rib you about it mercilessly. But this is a much more fun development.”
The meeting with Nick Anderson was slated for tomorrow, after the fashion show, and if all went according to plan, her design business would leap ahead of everything she’d ever hoped for. It should have been the reason for a dopey smile. Not that she was agreeing there was anything dopey about her expression.
Cara’s cheeks heated. “Shut up. You’re the one who encouraged me to get Keith naked. What did you think was going to happen?”
“I thought you were going to achieve some much-needed stress relief.” Meredith yelled at one of the models to watch her train and tilted her head toward Cara as if about to impart a secret. “Maybe some closure. I did not think you were going to fall head over heels again for he-who-must-not-be-named.”
“Head over heels is a bit of an overstatement.” Wasn’t it? Just because she’d slept in his bed didn’t mean she’d gone off the deep end and started imagining a future where none existed. “He’s different this time, that’s all.”
She wished it was easier to articulate how she felt about Keith. If she could say it to anyone, it would be Meredith, regardless of her sister’s inclination to give her grief. But the only certainty in this situation was that Keith still confused her...and she still couldn’t imagine trusting him enough to put his engagement ring on her finger again. He’d done very little to regain that trust.
