Page 81 of Wild Promise

“I need to talk to someone in his family. Someone who can actually do something.”

“Talk to Eric. He’s been trying to figure out what’s going on since he heard the news.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “He’ll want to help.”

I stood, legs still unsteady. “Before he left—did he say anything else?”

“He asked me to look after things here. To look after the people he usually takes care of.” Nate’s voice was quieter now. “He wanted to make sure they’d be all right without him.”

Of course he had. Because even walking away from everything he loved, Zane Alexander’s last thought was for the people he was leaving behind.

And I’d told him his help wasn’t wanted. That I was worth more than his pity.

God, I really was the ice queen. Colder than fucking cold.

“Thank you, Nate.” I headed for the door, wiping the last of the tears from my face. “For everything.”

“Don’t thank me. Just bring him home.”

Eric’s office was at the end of the same hall as Wyatt’s. It was a neat, organized space that looked nothing like the rest of the resort’s chaotic back-of-house. His door was closed, and I could hear his muffled voice through the wood.

I stood in front of it, my heart hammering, my hands clenched at my sides. I had no plan. No script. No carefully organized talking points.

All I had was the truth.

And the stubborn hope that it wasn’t too late.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Melina

My whole body ached. Not just the usual pain from overuse or lack of sleep, either. It felt like I’d gone down Green Mountain without skis, with my heart worn as a shield.

But I had a dance to run. And no matter how things turned out tonight—whether the plan I’d put in motion with Eric and Glenn Alexander actually worked—I owed it to myself and everyone involved with this event to make it perfect.

I’d built this. Every detail, every late night, every crisis averted. This was mine, and no one could take it from me.

Last night’s Noma dinner had gone off without a hitch. The clients were happy, Wyatt was pleased, and I’d managed to hold it all together without falling apart in front of anyone.

One event down. One to go.

As I walked through the lobby toward the ballroom for the final check, my phone buzzed with a text from Eric.

Nate confirmed Zane will be there. My dad’s handling the rest. See you tonight.

My hands trembled as I stared at the screen. Eric and I had spent almost an hour on the phone with Glenn, laying out what Zane had done and why, and making the case for a different solution.

Glenn had been quiet through most of it. Then he’d said, “Give me until tomorrow. You just get my nephew to the dance.”

Now all I could do was trust that it would be enough.

I tucked my phone away and threw myself into the final preparations.

The ballroom looked exactly as I’d imagined. The swashes of silk covering the tables were just the right shade of blue, matching Noma’s logo. The gold and blue decor complemented it all perfectly. The dance floor was surrounded by tables spaced precisely apart, the refreshment area was ready to be stocked, and the DJ booth and speakers were set.

And the Christmas tree. Oh, the beautiful, beautiful tree.

I still had no idea where it had come from. When I’d asked maintenance to pull our tree out of storage, this was what they’d delivered. It certainly wasn’t the same old fake one we’d used every other year. This one was live, lush, and huge. And with all the decorations, it was simply stunning. The final piece of a puzzle I hadn’t known I needed.

Everything was ready. Well, everything except me.