by Nina Singh
“Those are all things that should matter to you, Angel. Because this isn’t going to work between us. We don’t have a chance.”
No, she certainly didn’t feel like laughing anymore. Maybe she wouldn’t ever again, in fact. “What do you mean?”
“Simple. I’m not husband material. My move to the West Coast was just a start. I haven’t stayed in one place for more than a couple months since I left Boston. Don’t you see?” He turned from the railing to fully face her. “I don’t want to be tied down. Not to any one place. Not to any one person.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
WHY THE HELL hadn’t he stayed away from her last night? Because he was a selfish bastard who’d ignored everything but his own needs.
R.J. reached down to adjust the shower knob. Turning it, he braced himself for the punishing pulse of hot water.
What a mistake. He’d had to hurt her. She would never understand why they couldn’t get back together. Angel could claim all she wanted that her relationship with her father had been strained for years, but the fact was they’d had a relationship until he entered the picture.
He couldn’t bear the responsibility of being the final knife that ultimately severed their bond, tenuous as it may have been.
Nothing he’d told her had been a lie. It was truth that he was gone for several months at a time. Often not even in the country. What kind of a husband could he be given his lifestyle? Certainly not someone worthy of causing the kind of loss that Angeline had to endure because she’d married him. The best thing he could do for her would be to sever all contact. And move forward with the divorce once and for all.
At least this fiasco of a trip had opened his eyes to what he needed to do. Best thing now would be to wrap it up.
He had to leave. As soon as he could.
He turned the shower knob even farther, the water almost at scalding now. He would just tell her that a business matter had come up that needed his immediate attention. Hell, that would actually prove the point he’d just made. She couldn’t count on him or depend on him to follow through.
And she would see right through it.
No matter. For her own good, he couldn’t be around her any longer.
* * *
Angeline couldn’t seem to make herself move off the balcony. She had no idea how long she’d been standing there listening to the running of R.J.’s shower. She’d barely noticed when the water had shut off and he’d moved about the suite getting dressed.
She couldn’t speak to him. She didn’t know what to say.
She’d been his wife, but she’d never known about the horrors he’d lived through growing up. He hadn’t trusted her enough to share any of it with her. Just like he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about her father’s attempted bribe.
She had to take him at his word now. He just declared to her that he wasn’t one to feel close to anybody. He had no interest in being tied down. R.J. had clearly never felt about her the way she had felt toward him.
She certainly wasn’t going to beg him to reconsider. He’d done enough by agreeing to this trip.
Shutting her eyes, she inhaled deeply. This wasn’t the end of the world. She’d find a way to live her life. She’d throw herself in her responsibilities at TeaLC and with the Works program, and soon, hopefully, this wretched pain in her chest would turn to a dull ache that she might even be able to ignore.
She could do it. She could learn to somehow love him yet live without him.
She finally turned around and stepped back into the gloomy darkness of the suite. Her eyes fell on the unmade bed. Walking over to it, she ran her hands over the tangled sheets. Memories assaulted her, further stretching her already tight emotions. Her gaze shifted to the floor, where the casual white shirt R.J. had been wearing lay crumpled on the floor. Without thinking, she reached for it and put it on. The fabric smelled of him. She rubbed her arms and hugged the material close.
She couldn’t bear to take it off. She’d hide it with a spring sweater. She needed to feel near him. And if the best she could settle for was to wear his shirt for the day, then she’d take what she could get.
After all, healing didn’t happen overnight, did it?
* * *
Angel spent the morning roaming the grounds, trying to clear her scrambled mind. It didn’t help. But one thing was certain—she had to tell Mila and Tavov the truth: that TeaLC wasn’t going to be run by a family operation after all. It would just be her. They had a right to know. The farce had gone far enough. And she was just tired. Tired of pretending, tired of the half-truths she’d been sprouting to get this deal. Maybe Mila and Tavov had grown to care for her enough that it wouldn’t matter and they would hopefully give her the deal anyway. If not, well, she would have to figure out how to grow the business some other way.
As for the prospect she didn’t want to think about—if she had to sell, she’d make sure to negotiate the best deal she could for her employees. But she would exhaust every other option first. Every possible loan, every potential investor. None of the choices were ideal. More investors meant more decision-makers who might want to phase out the expensive Works program.
She vowed not to let that happen.
R.J. was already in the suite when she made her way back. There was no missing his closed suitcase in the corner of the room.
“You’re back,” she announced as she entered the room, careful to keep all emotion out of her voice.
“Just got in.”
“Tavov and Mila are expecting us for lunch.”
He drew in a breath and looked away. “Actually, I need to talk to you. I’m not going to make it for lunch. Or dinner.”
“I don’t understand,” she lied. She understood all too well, and her heart sank to her stomach.
“I’m leaving.”
Her chest felt as if she’d just gone over a steep drop. “The plan was that we would leave in three days.”
“I’m afraid I’m needed back for an emergency a major client is having.”
Right.
“I see,” was all she could manage.
Don’t beg him, whatever you do, don’t plead for him to stay.
He’d made his decision very clear. No point in telling him now that she was about to admit to the Bays the entire truth. What did it matter? He wasn’t even going to stay.
“But I didn’t want you traveling back alone.”
A small spark of hope ignited deep within her heart. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ve made arrangements to fly Shanna here. She should be arriving tomorrow. The two of you can fly back to Boston when you’re ready.”
“I guess you’ve thought of everything.”
“We said we’d come together, and we did. Mila and Tavov aren’t suspicious. You’ll get what you need.”
If she was lucky. And even if everything he said proved true, she knew she’d still feel like her world had fallen apart.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SHE WAS SUCH a pansy. She couldn’t even watch him leave. Angeline stopped in the middle of the rows of tea plants and breathed in the spicy aroma.
He’d be on his way off the plantation now. An overwhelming cloud of sadness shrouded her. Her emotions were all her fault. R.J. had been more than fair with her. He’d gone along with the plan, helped her with the deception, and he’d been honest with her from the beginning. Yep, he’d stuck to his part of the deal perfectly. She’d been the one to let the closeness of it all go to her head. She’d been the one who’d let daydreams cloud her visions.
And now he was leaving. He probably hated himself for letting things go as far as they had. He’d said all along that he wanted nothing to do with her. Pretty soon, the whole business deal would likely go bust, too, as soon as she sat down with Mila and Tavov this
afternoon.
She had to tell them.
It was past time to come clean about everything. Past time to let them know that she and R.J. had been pretending all along. Given how much she’d lost, the least she could do was be honest with the people she had grown to care for.
Mila and Tavov had a right to know who exactly they were doing business with. Or not doing business with.
No herbal tea supply, no expansion, no growth in sales.
No R.J.
She closed her eyes against the pain. This time hurt almost more than the first time she’d lost him. Almost.
She’d let him walk out of her life then, too. It had settled nothing. And here she was, years later, experiencing it all over again.
She hugged her arms across her chest, bracing against the tightness in her heart. A small object in the pocket of the shirt she was wearing pressed against her wrist. R.J.’s shirt. She still hadn’t taken it off.
Curious, she took off the sweater to look inside the shirt pocket. A shimmer of bright gold reflected out at her. She took the object out.
A thin rope chain with a gold band dangled from her fingers. Her mind went numb when she realized what it was. R.J.’s wedding band, the original one she’d given him five years ago. The one he’d told her he’d gotten rid of.
He had kept his ring.
The implications were almost too much to fathom. He hadn’t been able to forget her. Not only had he kept his wedding ring, he still wore it around his neck. All this time, all these years. He’d wanted a token of their love with him always.
Her vision blurred as she stared at the gold. He’d been so good at keeping his feelings from her. Maybe he didn’t even want to truly face them himself. It appeared neither one of them was over their breakup.
What was she going to do about it?
Stand by and let the worst loss in her life repeat itself? Without so much as a true answer? Didn’t she owe it to herself to at least try to find out exactly what R.J.’s feelings were? Didn’t she owe it to both of them? He insisted on being stubborn and distant. But he cared enough to drop everything to participate in a farce of such grand proportions. And he cared enough to want to keep his old wedding ring with him at all times.
She clutched the chain in her palm. Maybe, despite all that, he truly wanted to forget her and go on with his life. Maybe it didn’t go any deeper than a genuine affection. But one thing was certain. This time she was going to find out. Her whole future depended on it, and she refused to leave it up to chance or pride. R.J. wasn’t the only one intent on not letting history repeat itself.
She owed it to both of them to tell him straight out—ask him not to let her father, or anyone else, come between them this time.
She turned on her heel to find R.J. and get an answer once and for all. She turned to make her way back to the house. It was time to end the doubts. Time to get to the bottom of everything once and for all.
She hadn’t taken more than two steps when the putrid smell of smoke hit her nostrils. Then she noticed the flash of deep orange light just a few feet away.
Before the fear even registered, she turned to try to run through the thick and heavy foliage. A fire.
The Mila’s Bloom fields were ablaze. And the flames would reach her at any moment.
* * *
He had no reason to feel guilty. R.J. grabbed the last of his things from the room he and Angel had shared for the past several days. Zipping up his overnight bag, he paused to look around once more at the room. The same room they had spent days in as man and wife.
The phoniness of it all sent a wave of bitterness through him. He knew Angel would get the deal she had come down here for. He’d played his part well.
Aside from falling for his wife again, that is. There was that one small glitch.
He swore out loud. Whom was he kidding? He’d never fallen out of love with her. Still, he could leave now with a clear conscience. The contracts were about to be signed, and Shanna was on her way to escort Angel back.
There was no reason for him to stick around. He’d only hurt her further if he stayed. All he’d ever managed to do was confuse her, and hurt her in the process.
She was a Scott. A true Boston Brahmin. She had certain obligations. People had expectations of her. None of which involved marriage to a hood from the projects of South Boston.
He’d contact Richard Scott as soon as he returned to the States. To let him know he was moving forward with the divorce and that Richard should make plans to contact his estranged daughter. The rift between them had gone on long enough. It was time for Angel to resume her rightful place in the world she’d been born into.
What a mess. He was deeply in love with a woman from one of New England’s most prominent dynasties. But he wouldn’t allow that love to cost her everything she’d known her whole life.
That’s why he had to leave now.
He debated conducting another search for an object that seemed to have disappeared.
You’ve lost it. It’s gone.
If he delayed much longer he’d miss his flight. Besides, maybe it was a telling sign that he’d misplaced his original wedding band. Still, to have lost it after all this time. But he had to let it go. There was no more time left to look for it. He had to let her go, too.
He’d already bidden farewell to the Bays and had packed everything else. Angel had disappeared. It was better this way. This time she was the one being logical about things. There was no reason to prolong their leave-taking.
Rubbing a palm down his face, he walked over to the phone. It was time to call for his ride to the airport. He picked up the receiver, then dropped it back into the cradle at the sound of a knock on the door.
Damn. Not right now. He just needed to get out of here. The sooner, the better.
“Yeah?” He knew he sounded curt.
“It’s Mila. May I come in?”
What did she want? They’d already said their goodbyes.
“Sure,” he answered, despite what he was thinking. “But I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”
“I see you’re packed,” Mila said as she breezed into the room.
“Yep. Just about to leave.” He threw his toiletries case in the carry-on bag.
“It’s too bad you got called back to your office. The four of us could have celebrated signing the contracts tonight.” She moved over to the bed and sat down, watching him with probing eyes.
“Angel will have to do enough celebrating for both of us. I’ve been away long enough,” he said, somewhat terse. He didn’t want to be rude. He just wanted to get as far away from here as possible.
Mila seemed intent on delaying that.
“I hardly think that’s possible,” she said. “It’s clear from the way she looks at you how much she enjoys your company. She seems to light up when the two of you are together.”
Apparently, he and Angel were pretty good actors after all. They had Mila believing wholeheartedly they were a happy young couple still in love. Then again, they weren’t acting 100 percent of the time, were they?
“That sounds a little exaggerated,” he said and zipped up his garment bag.
“I don’t think so. You get a little spark in your eye as well when you look at her, you know.”
Man, this was the last thing he needed to be hearing right now. “She is my wife,” he managed to say.
“I think it’s marvelous.”
“What’s that?” he asked. Where was all this leading?
“Well, between all of us, we seem to cover the whole range of happy couples.”
“Not sure what you mean, Mila.”
“Well, there’s Reid and Kaya, representing the newest of the group. They’ve just started the dawn of their life together. You and Angel are in the middle of the
spectrum, so to speak.” She paused a moment. “How long did you say you’ve been married?”
There didn’t seem to be any way to avoid answering her question. “About six years,” he told her. But we’ve been apart for three, he added silently in his head.
Mila nodded. “Then there’s me and Tavov. We’re clearly the most seasoned of the group. Do you know we’ve been married twenty-three years?”
He had to give that the credit it was due. “That’s amazing, Mila. And impressive.”
She smiled wide. “Yes, and to think no one thought it would last.”
His curiosity stirred. “Yeah?”
“Oh, yes. Everyone was convinced we didn’t have enough in common. You see, when we met, Tavov had nothing but his dreams. My parents had worked hard all their lives to give me a safe, secure life. They didn’t think I should risk my future with someone who had nothing.”
R.J. had stopped packing, fully interested in the story now.
Mila continued, a faraway look in her eyes. “But I knew exactly how happy he could make me. I believed in him. We invested every penny of my trust fund toward these orchards. I had every faith that no matter how the investment turned out, Tavov was meant for me. And I was right. Even if he hadn’t discovered and cultivated such a popular product, all I really needed from him was the love he’s shown me all these years. Of course, we’ve had our problems, everyone does.”
R.J. was starting to get the distinct feeling there was a message intended for him. But why?
Mila stood up off the bed. “Well, that’s enough useless musing from an old woman.” She walked over to him and placed a motherly palm on his cheek. “I wish you could stay a little longer.”
She moved to the door and left before he could respond.
His thoughts shifted to Angel. He had to see her once more. He honestly didn’t know if it had anything to do with what Mila just said. But he couldn’t leave just yet, not with things as they were.
Hell, he just had to look into her eyes one more time. All logic aside.
He walked over to the balcony to see if he could spot her on the grounds. A small glow coming from the fields caught his eye.
