“Doing okay. You guys get a lot accomplished?”
“Much more than anticipated,” Zander replied, throwing Savannah a smile. “What’s going on?”
As Savannah followed the airport signs, her throat constricted, the emotion threatening to spill out of her.
“Call me after you check in,” Kent said.“It’s about Esteem University.”
Zander took Kent off speaker. “Can you fill me in now?” As he listened, he rubbed his forehead. “Arrested? I can’t believe this. I just spoke with the president yesterday.”
Savannah could hear Kent, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“This is the worst news,” Zander said. “They screwed their students, their investors and theytotallyscrewed us.” While listening, he cracked the window. “Where does that leave us?”
She could feel the tension rolling off him as he continued listening. His brow glistened with a light sheen of perspiration.
“We’ll have to file for bankruptcy and regroup.” Zander couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.
Oh, no. What happened?Savannah’s stomach dropped as she pulled up to the curb for departures. Despite the early hour, the airport bustled with activity.
Zander flung open the door, but remained rooted in the seat. “Let’s keep this between us until we can figure out what to tell the team. I’ll swing by as soon as I land.”
After hanging up, he pushed out. Savannah waited on the sidewalk while he collected his overnight bag from the back.
“That call didn’t sound good,” she said.
She didn’t buy his forced smile. “Just a work issue. Will you be okay scouting those remaining locations on your own today?”
“Zander, I’ll be fine. Please tell me.”
“This has been a wonderful—no, aperfectweekend.” He drew her into his arms and hugged her. “Text me and let me know how the shoot goes.”
Their kiss was tender, filled with a gentleness that lingered on her lips. Her feelings for this man were a dangerous elixir that conjured up more emotions than she knew how to process.
He whispered a goodbye and, then, he was gone. Her heart broke as he walked inside and vanished in a sea of travelers. She shuddered in a breath, tears filling her eyes. She had always believed K-Dad was the best man she’d ever known.
But now she knew the truth. His son was.
* * *
Powering toward the ticketcounter, Zander wiped the sweat from his brow. How could such an extraordinary weekend have ended this miserably?The universe wants to keep things in check, A-hole. One minute, I’ve got a company and no woman. The next, I’ve got no company and I’m staring into the eyes of an amazing woman. Maybe that’ll teach me not to screw my stepsister.
According to Kent, their Esteem project was dead. The president and CFO had been lying to everyone about the organization’s finances, and several hundred million dollars was missing and unaccounted for. They’d cooked their books to show a profit, but they were running in the red. Instead of having a hundred thousand students, the online university had a mere forty-five hundred. They’d defrauded their investors and business partners, King Development being one of them. The government had frozen their assets and key executives had been arrested.We’re finished.
With no other opportunities of this magnitude on the docket, they couldn’t bounce back. And in light of Kent’s health issue, he doubted his business partner would be in a position to start up another venture. Nausea clouded his thoughts. He closed his eyes hoping to stave off the whopper of a headache barreling toward him.
The check-in line snaked back and forth so many times he questioned whether he’d get to his gate in time.Figures. I won’t make my flight. But I’d get to spend the day with Savannah.
The line plodded along. His fingers twitched to call Kent back and ask him to repeat himself. But he didn’t need confirmation. He needed to wake from this hellish nightmare. His phone buzzed. Despite wanting to ignore it, he pulled it from his pocket.
“Where are you?” texted Savannah. “I’m in the airport.”
When he didn’t see her, he texted back, “Standing in the long line that’s weaving…”
Someone touched his arm and he pivoted. As soon as Savannah threaded her arms around his waist, calmness blanketed him.
“Hey,” she murmured.
“What are you doing here? What happened to capturing that sunrise?”
