Page 49 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

CHAPTER 19

Gage stared at the closed door before him, willing Carly to come answer the thing. He doubted that she was still sleeping; she’d told him herself that she never slept in past seven. It was more likely that Carly hopped into the shower, especially since she wasn’t answering her phone.

He pulled the ball cap lower on his head and adjusted his sunglasses. The last thing he wanted to do was expose Carly’s location at a time like this. He tucked his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the elevators. Once safe behind the closed doors, Gage grabbed his phone once more and pulled up the image his father had sent him.

Daggers shot through his center at the sight. A young and obviously heartbroken Carly cradled a small bundle in her arms. Beside her, arm wrapped lovingly around both, was Jimmy the Cowboy Poet; the kid looked as young and broken as Carly. What that time must have been like, he could only imagine. Gage only knew that he was furious that the press chose to air the tragedy in such a heartless manner. Posting the photo itself was unfathomable, but to suggest that there was something untoward behind the infant’s death…there wasn’t a term low enough for a person capable of that.

Leave it to Mark Craven to add insult to injury by bringing up Diana McCarthy among the chaos, insisting that she was the ticket to freeing Gage from the bad press. He’d insisted the two stage a meet up once he got to Maui, let the press have their way with the pictures, and the “surfing instructor would be all but forgotten.”

“What a jerk,” he mumbled under his breath.

Gage ducked his chin as the elevator arrived at the parking garage. Perhaps he’d sit in his car while he waited, recline the seat and take a nap until Carly called him back. The garage was underground, after all. There probably wasn’t a safer spot.

Still, as he settled in behind the wheel and reclined the seat, Gage knew he wouldn’t catch so much of a wink. What he’d do instead—he decided as the thought came to mind—is seek retaliation.

Yes, that was perfect. He had to find a way to set things straight. To clear Carly’s name and make the press regret daring to spread the half-truths in the first place.

His dad may not help him with the issue at hand, but Gage knew someone who would; the producer who’d taken a liking to him. The same man who, from what Gage understood, owned a certain network.

A rush of adrenaline surged through him as a plan formed in his mind. His father wouldn’t be happy about it. But Gage had long been through caring about that. All that mattered now was clearing Carly’s name. And he’d do everything he could to make that happen.

CHAPTER 20

Carly kept her eyes pasted on Gage’s text as the rest of the passengers boarded. She wasn’t a fan of the whole running-away-from-your-problems type of solution, but what else was there to do? Stick around and let Gage talk her into being his on-the-side girlfriend? Thingson the sidewere set in that place for a reason; they were optional. Not the main event. Often dismissed or forgotten completely.

Please call me as soon as you’re up. It’s important. Love you.

Did he, though? She couldn’t figure out why he’d bother saying it if he didn’t. But that was just it, wasn’t it? What good would it do if Gage loved her? Jimmy loved her too. A lot of good that had done over the years. Love wasn’t the end all—it’s what a person did with that love that mattered. She’d learned that now. The irony was, Gage had been the very person to teach her.

She had to answer him back. If she didn’t, he’d be waiting at the hotel forever. “It’s important, huh?” she mumbled under her breath. He must have seen it too.It,being the image portraying the most poignant, painful, and private moment of her life. Her hand shot to her throat at the mere thought of the sweet infant in her arms. When she felt only the collar of her shirt, Carly looked down in a panic, patting further at her neck and chest.

Gone.Ava’s necklace was gone!

Carly checked her lap with hurried fingers. She shoved her hands into the cracks lining her seat next, one side against the plane itself, the other separating the empty neighboring seat.

Please, God. Please. It’s all I have left of her.

She lifted her feet to check the floor around her, then stood to retrace her steps. They’d announced seconds ago that the flight was only half-full, a fact Carly had been thrilled about, but even still there were too many people. She spun to see a toddler-aged child inspecting something in his small hands. She stretched her neck and leaned into the aisle to see if perhaps he’d picked it up. When she saw that it was a small trinket instead, Carly shuffled into the aisle, gaze darting from the open space down the center, to the floor surrounding the aisle seats.

“Ma’am, if we could have you take a seat and buckle up, we’re getting set to take off.”

“Just a minute,” Carly mumbled. Her hands were going numb. Her head was too. She was breathing too fast. “I just…I need help, please.” She moved her gaze from the tan carpet strip, up to the rounded shape of the flight attendant.

A woman in her early fifties perhaps met her gaze. Her green eyes were kind and concerned. “What did you lose, dear?”

“It’s a pendant. A necklace. It’s on a leather string but…it means everything to me. Please.” Carly scanned over the aisle once more as the woman gained the passengers’ attention. She overheard her asking the passengers to look around for the pendant on a leather strand while Carly made her way to the jet way. It was obvious they meant to close it up now and pull away, but Carly spoke up.

“Wait, please, I have to see if it’s out here.” At once she jumped over the gap and hurried into the corridor. The carpet was flat, beige, and dented with the traffic that had just come through.Please, please, please.

Carly was well aware that they were calling after her, but she didn’t care. If they hadn’t found Ava’s charm then it didn’t matter.

When the jet way showed no sign of it, Carly slowed for two or three steps, wondering what she should do next.Keep looking. You need it.

She broke into a run suddenly, eyes set on the area just beyond the corridor.

“Ma’am, if you don’t come back and get into your seat, we’ll have to leave you here and let you board a different flight.”

Carly continued to run until she realized that her purse was on the plane. All of her luggage too. Reluctantly, she spun to look over her shoulder. It was a different attendant. Not the plump middle-aged one, but a tall brunette with poised shoulders and high heels.