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His grin was an unexpected flash of white. “Nah. I didn’t see the point.”
Of course he didn’t. The man was impervious to typical human weaknesses. “Sometimes I hate you, you know.”
He blinked. “Oh, really?”
“All the rest of us mortals struggle day to day, and yet whatever you touch turns to gold. Everything you’ve ever wanted in life has dropped into your lap.”
Something flashed in his eyes. Something dark and dangerous and frightening. His jaw tightened. “I’m going to let that one slide. Go to sleep, Cate. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
Two
It was six in the evening when she woke up. She knew the time because Harry’s fancy mantel clock chimed the hour.Oh, God. The memories came rushing back. It hadn’t been a dream...or a terrible nightmare...
Jason had walked out on their wedding.
Instead of being a joyous newlywed, Cate was that most pitiful of stock characters, the jilted bride. She pulled her hand from beneath the covers and stared at her engagement ring. She and Jason had selected it together. He had studied the four Cs of diamonds, and Cate had scoured Pinterest for settings she liked.
In the end, they had gone with a modest center stone and two smaller sapphires on the sides, all set in platinum. Yesterday she had adored her ring. Now she hated it.
Her fingers were slightly swollen from the summer heat and humidity. It took several minutes, but she wrenched and pulled until she finally got the ring off. Reaching over toward the coffee table, she dropped what had been her prized piece of jewelry into a shallow pewter dish. Then she pressed her forehead against the back of the sofa and sobbed.
When someone turned on a lamp, she froze, not wanting Harry to see her tearstained face. But fate was not on her side.
He sat down on the coffee table and sighed. “Jason wants to come up and make sure you’re all right,” he said quietly.
She sat up in shock, no longer caring that her cheeks were splotchy, and her makeup was a mess. “How did he know I was here?”
Harry cocked his head, frowning. “I sent him and your parents a text as soon as we got home. I didn’t want them to worry.”
“Oh.” In her utter desolation, she had been unable to think about anything but fleeing the church. What did it say about her that she hadn’t considered the ramifications of disappearing? She had always been agood girl.Never a misstep. Never rocking the boat. Always keeping up appearances. But she was done with that. “I don’t want to see him.” Panic fluttered in her chest.
“I figured you would say that. I told him you were napping and that I was going to feed you. I said he could try again in a couple of hours. You might as well get it over with, Catie-girl. The confrontation will only get worse the longer you put it off.”
She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. “What makes you such an authority on interpersonal relationships?”
His smile was wry. “Can I tempt you with carryout? The restaurant downstairs has Angus burgers and shoestring fries that would make a grandma weep, they’re so good. Or I could order you a salad if you don’t feel like tackling a big meal yet.”
Cate’s stomach growled on cue. “I’ve been eating kale smoothies, yogurt and lettuce salads for three months, so I could fit into my dress. A burger sounds amazing.” Suddenly, she was ravenous. A person could only sustain a nervous breakdown for so long before needing caloric sustenance.
Harry pulled out his cell phone and placed the order. Then he disappeared for five minutes and returned carrying a long-sleeved button-up shirt in pale blue. “I’m half a foot taller than you are,” he said. “This should come down to your knees. I don’t have any bottoms or shoes that will come close to fitting you, but I adjusted the AC, so you won’t get too cold.”
She took the shirt. “Thank you.”
“Bathroom is down the hall in the guest room. First door on the left.”
“Um...” The hole in her chest opened up again. Maybe this was going to be a permanent fixture of her new persona.
Harry frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Her face flamed. “I need help getting out of the dress.”
For a split second, he actually seemed disconcerted. But the moment passed, and she was certain she was wrong.
He grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows. “Lucky for you I have plenty of experience in that area.”
“Hilarious,” she said, glaring at him. “I’m not in the mood to hear about all your sexual conquests. Jason says Apple had to get you a special iPhone with extra gigs just to hold all the contacts in your little black book.”
“Now who’s the smart-ass? Turn around, Cate. Let’s get this over with.”
