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“I tried to leave…”
“Changed your mind?”
“May’ve had it changed for me.” Tielle raised her mug for a sip, decided against it. “Grae got here last night. Late.”
Laura’s gasp prefaced Grae’s arrival in the kitchen. The man seemed riveted on his ex-wife but quickly recalled his immense charm and slanted a grin toward Laura.
“Lookin’ good, miss,” he called, meeting Laura at the opposite end of the island for a hug.
“Good to see you again. Tielle just told me you got here late last night.” Laura’s light caramel-toned face flushed a rich burgundy when she smiled up at Grae.
“Yeah, it was pretty late,” he said. “Luckily, I got here in time to catch Tel before she ran off for the night.”
Laura nodded. “Hope you’re finding everything satisfactory?”
“Very satisfactory.”
“And you’ll let us know if there’s anything you need.”
“Count on it,” he said, eyes fixed on Tielle.
Tielle cleared her throat suddenly. “Um, guys, I need to grab something from my office. The cooks left some bagels. Help yourself.”
Rushing out, Tielle left Laura no reason to delicately make her exit. Smiling weakly, Laura looked to Grae, who waved a hand.
“Unnecessary,” he said.
* * *
“Okay, I’m about to repeat myself,” Laura said. “What happened last night?”
“I managed to make it through a full day with those people.” Tielle fidgeted with the stylishly frayed hem of her emerald-green sweater. Sipping her coffee, she looked lovingly toward the wall bar in the office. “I waited till they were in dreamland before I tried to make it out of here. I was almost there when Grae stopped me—tried to talk me out of it.”
“In the snow, how romantic…” Laura crooned.
“We didn’t stay outside.” Tielle’s smile was indulgent. “Grae took me back to my room.”
“Ah…where he tried to talk you out of it some more? Excuse me, not tried—succeeded. You are still here, after all.”
Tielle ruffled her hair out of agitation and began to walk the office. “I was this close.” She poised her thumb and forefinger centimeters apart. “I almost begged him. I—” She shook her head. “I was so lost in him and what he was…doing…”
“Oh, honey, don’t be so hard on yourself. This is Grae, the man you love.” She rolled her eyes dreamily. “A man any woman would love to have… Sorry—not much help, huh?”
“It’s all right. But, Laura, I can’t get caught up in him again.” She stopped pacing and flopped on the side of the desk corner. “I wouldn’t survive it. I’m hardly surviving it now. It—it’s too much.”
“Listen to me, Ti.” Laura came over to join Tielle on the desk. “You’re all over the place right now. This entire retreat hit you out of nowhere. You’re entitled to be a little scattered.”
“I’ve already told myself that.” Tielle hugged herself. “I know it’s true, but it is what it is. Grae being here is gonna make this week more insane than it already is.”
“Then get out of here. Go.” Laura nudged Tielle’s shoulder with her own. “No one can blame you or make you stay.”
“Grae’s already asked me to stay. He says something’s going on or about to happen and he needed me…” She slapped her knee. “Why’d I agree to it? Why can’t I ever say no to him? And please—” she raised a hand to Laura “—don’t say it’s because I love him.”
Laura gave a small smile. “Okay…”
Tielle dragged herself behind her desk and put her head down.
* * *
“As a man who can’t stand any of his ex-wives, I now know what it feels like to see an ex you still love.”
“I think I finally understand the phrase ‘pleasure and pain.’” Grae topped off his OJ while speaking to Leo Cartright over the phone in the retreat’s library.
“Do you realize this is the first time you haven’t snapped at me for claiming you still love her?” Leo asked after a measure of silence.
