Eric’s every muscle went rigid with disbelief and a red haze seemed to dull his vision. He glanced toward Jess. She’d gone perfectly still and was staring at the back of her mother’s head.
Carol was silent for several seconds, presumably listening to her sister. Then she said, “Putting off the wedding until June also gives me longer to make certain everything’s perfect, and to hopefully get Jess more interested in planning all the little details. This should be a fun time for her yet it seems all she does is mope.” After another few seconds of silence, Carol nodded and said, “Maybe she isn’t sure. After all, their engagement happened so quickly-after only six months. I’m hoping the extra four months will give her time to know her mind. Maybe she’ll reconsider her unfortunate choice. God knows she could have any man she wanted.”
The surge of anger that roared through Eric seemed to implode inside his head. He couldn’t recall ever being so furious in his entire life. In the space of a single heartbeat, his life flashed before his eyes-not his past, but his future. A future with his life being manipulated, being the victim of behind-the-scenes machinations and scheming, his express desires being ignored and circumvented. It wasn’t a pretty picture. In fact, it was a really ugly picture. And the realization it left in its wake hit him so hard he nearly staggered.
He didn’t want it. None of it. He wasn’t going to let it happen.
And he knew what he had to do.
As if from far away he heard Jess gasp then say, “Mom?” in a voice that reflected both confusion and outrage. Saw Carol start then turn around. Her eyes widened at the sight of them and a flush suffused her face.
She mumbled, “I’ll call you back,” into the phone then flipped it closed. Then she stood and faced them.
“Good morning,” she said, offering a tentative smile, her gaze bouncing between them, clearly wondering what, if anything, they’d overheard. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here so early. You usually sleep in, Jess.”
“You and I need to talk, Mom.” Jess turned to him. “I’m sorry to cancel our breakfast, but would you give me some time alone with my mother?”
Eric looked at Jess, but felt as if he were looking through her. He had to swallow twice to locate his voice. “Sure.” He barely pushed the word through his tight throat. With a quick nod, he turned on his heel and strode away, not sure where he was going, but it didn’t matter. He just wanted to get away. Before he said something he’d regret. Good thing he was too furious to speak.
Sure, he’d give Jess time, all the time she wanted. Didn’t matter how long it took or even what she said. Because he was done. Finished. Couldn’t take any more. Carol’s words had snapped something inside him, something that he knew couldn’t be fixed. It was time he faced the truth-and the truth was that what he’d overheard was the final nail in the coffin. This weekend with Jess was supposed to be about them. Just them. Getting things back to normal. Instead it had turned into the very thing they’d been trying to escape-the viper’s nest their engagement had turned into.
He grabbed his coat from the rack, slammed his arms into the sleeves, then shoved open the door to walk outside, barely registering the cold and the snow that continued to lightly fall.
All she does is mope… It was time to be brutally honest with himself. Jess wasn’t happy. She hadn’t been for months. And neither was he. Not really. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it, not even to himself. But now, there was no way he could deny it any longer.
Perhaps she’ll reconsider her unfortunate choice. God knows she could have any man she wanted. Carol’s words echoed through his mind, and his hands clenched into tight fists. Yes, she could have any man she wanted. He’d known that from the first minute he’d laid eyes on her. Just as he’d known he wanted to be that man.
June is the perfect month for a wedding. Maybe it was. But that didn’t matter anymore, either. There wasn’t going to be a damn wedding in June. And there wasn’t going to be a damn wedding in February.
He was done.
When he arrived at the cabin a few minutes later, he went directly to the phone and punched the number for the front desk.
After Roland Krause identified himself with a cheery greeting, Eric asked without preamble, “Are the roads still closed?”
“I’m afraid so, Mr. Breslin,” Roland said. “Is there something you need?”
Yeah. To get the hell out of here as soon as possible. He knew there’d be a fallout. And tears. And hurt, but he couldn’t help that. The chips would just have to fall where they may. “Any word on when they’ll be clear?”
“Well, the snow’s still coming down, but I heard on the news that they’re working on the interstates. Once they’re plowed, they’ll start on the secondary roads. We’re pretty isolated here, so it’ll be a while. To be on the safe side, I’d plan on being snowed-in here until tomorrow morning. Good thing you were plannin’ to stay on till Tuesday.”
Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. “How about snowmobiles?”
“They’re all rented at the moment.”
“Dog sled?”
Roland chuckled. “Don’t have any of those. Why don’t you tell me what it is you need, Mr. Breslin? Chances are we’ll be able to accommodate you.”
Doubtful. But what the hell. Maybe the man had some cross-country skis or snowshoes-anything to get Eric the hell out of here. So he told Roland what he wanted. When he finished, Roland said in a solemn voice, “I see. Well, Mr. Breslin, as luck would have it, I believe I can help you.” They spoke for several more minutes, then Eric replaced the receiver. He glanced around the room, his gaze falling on his overnight bag. He’d come back for his stuff shortly, but right now there was someone he needed to talk to.
He closed the door behind him and trudged through the deep snow. When he reached cabin twelve, he banged on the door. “Kelley, it’s Eric. Open up.”
Knowing his sister slept like the dead, he kept pounding and repeating his summons. A full two minutes passed before the door opened a crack. Kelley, her hair tousled, clutching the collar of her robe closed, and looking none too pleased, peered out at him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“We need to talk.” He made to enter her cabin, but she blocked his way.
“At this ungodly hour? I don’t think so, Eric. Call me in a few hours.”
“Now,” he insisted, once again trying to enter, and once again her sidestepping to block him.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not something.” He briefly squeezed his eyes shut. “Everything is wrong.”
Worry instantly replaced her annoyed expression. “With you and Jess?”
A lump swelled in his throat. “Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll be happy to tell you as soon as you let me in-or am I supposed to stand out here freezing my ass off?”
When she hesitated, he rolled his eyes, his patience on a thin tether. “Good God, I don’t care if your girly stuff is all over the place, Kell. Like I’m not used to that after growing up with three sisters and one bathroom.”
She clutched her robe tighter. “Tell you what-I’ll get dressed and meet you at the lodge in fifteen minutes.”
“Forget it. It’ll take that long to hike up there. They haven’t shoveled the paths yet. Besides, the lodge is the last place I want to be. Jess and Carol are there.” Anxious to get out of the frigid air, he shouldered his way inside. While Kelley closed and locked the door behind him, he strode into the room.
While removing his snowy parka, his gaze absently circled the room, noting the rumpled bedcovers, the cheery fire burning in the hearth.
The pair of men’s snow boots next to the hearth.
He froze with his jacket halfway down his arms and narrowed his eyes. There was no mistake-those weren’t Kelley’s boots. Her feet were small and those boots weren’t. His gaze darted around the rest of room. No signs of a man’s clothing, but two wineglasses bearing traces of drinks rested on the night table. And it hit him that while he’d clearly rousted Kelley from bed, she hadn’t looked the least bit sleepy when she opened the door. And the fact that the guy’s boots were still here, meant he was still here.