The women were ecstatic about their new business adventure. Everyone was on board, even Sydney seemed to let down her uncertainty of the shop. They were officially in business...and Marc was shelling out the cash.
A lot of realities had transpired about Marc, one of them the same as his dad: he thought money could buy him anything, including a fiancé.
He made his way across to her. His tone was low. “I like Peyton’s plan, you at my side instead of her.” He winked at her. “We mesh better.”
“Marc this isn’t going to work.”
He took her hands in his rubbing his thumbs along the length of her fingers. “Kate, I’m sorry about what I said at the hotel up north. I was under a lot of stress with my uncle.”
“Your father,” she softly corrected.
He paused before speaking again. “Yes, my father. I snapped at you and there’s absolutely no excuse for my behavior. Maybe lack of sleep,” he offered referring to their time in the cabin. She couldn’t muster up a smile. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you ask Carl about our conversation?” She already knew the answer, he was still talking to her, he knew nothing.
“I don’t need confirmation to know when I’ve been an ass.”
Her lips curved upwards, and then the smile vanished. She couldn’t fall for this. She had to put some distance between them and now. “You should have asked him Marc.” Her tone was cold. “Because I’m sure starting your new relationship with him he would have told you that six years ago your father...Robert...offered me money to leave you. And I took it.”
The softness in his eyes cleared as his body stiffened, even the fingers around hers became rigid. “What?”
She swallowed hard. Spit it out and he will end this fake engagement quickly and you can both move on with your lives. This is your decision. “He offered me a large sum of money and all I had to do was stay out of your life.” She held her breath, surprised it all came out as easily as it had, unfortunately it didn’t make her conscience any lighter. That’s because it’s only half the story. “And I took it Marc. That’s why I left you and didn’t say a word. Because your dad offered me a new opportunity.”
“How much?” His stone cold tone and stare almost made her crumble.
She was reluctant.
“How much was my love worth Kate?” Your love is priceless, but that’s not what this was about.
She closed her eyes as she answered. “Half a million.”
He said nothing. She stole a glance through one eye and he was glowering down at her. “Where is it?” He looked furious.
“It’s gone.” After paying for all their schooling and setting her life up she never touched it again, and then at the hotel she wrote Carl a cheque for the remainder. He hadn’t cashed it yet, but he was in possession of it.
The room closed in around them. Kate felt like the air was being sucked away, making it hard to breathe.
“You have no money.” It was a statement but she shook her head regardless.
“You can’t pay for this business.”
Her heart jammed. Maybe she was too rash to fill him in and now her sisters might lose a dream that hadn’t formally began. “No.”
“So you need my money?”
“We need your investment.” Her voice was quiet but she tried to not slink away into the cracks of the walls like a frightened mouse.
“I need a fiancée.” No he didn’t. He leveled a cold look at her. “Well I guess we’re a pretty amazing forgiving couple.” Damn it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Who was the fool now? If he had ever suspected she had left with a push from Robert, he surely hadn’t been ready to hear it from her cold, emotionless lips.
First, Peyton had played him like a fiddle and succeeded. As ridiculous as the plan may have sounded to Kate, her sister had described it as an essential resolution required to eliminate the background noise in his life. He was drowning in the resort. The last few weeks had been a sea of wild emotion and all the Caliendo women were swimming around like piranha’s attacking him every second they spotted him. They couldn’t find it in themselves to acknowledge and accept that he was fine. He wasn’t some little emotional roller coaster that needed checking and oiling before every start up. He was fine.
He had also been fine with the new plan; in fact he had been thrilled since she hadn’t taken any of his calls. That was until Kate revealed her true self. She was just like the rest of them−after his money.
Half a million dollars! What a lifestyle she had lived for six years and now she’d run out. Gone, squandered it away and now he was her ticket back to the lavish lifestyle. After their first run in at the resort she must have known he still loved her. Loved her! How was that even possible! That was the reason behind seeking him out at the Crystal Hotel...it had been strategized. The cabin and the intimacy they shared was a means to get into his bank account.
The realization enraged him. What did she think he was going to do with that confession? Eliminate her part of the arrangement and again walk away leaving her with his money? Hell no! She could stick around and play the part he was promised and he was certainly going to make it unpleasant for her.
He was so damn mad he’d hardly been able to drag himself back to the suite to get ready. That’s why they were running well over a half hour late for supper with their families. As they reached the restaurant she slipped her hand around his, for the purpose of this sham but he felt a pang of cool anger slice through his body.
This was the worst idea ever. His breaking heart wanted to call it off now but retribution seemed to override his heart. But he still stole another glance at the mid-length black evening dress that wrapped unlined lace around her arms up and around her neckline revealing her silky skin playing peek-a-boo with her cascading curls. Beautiful. And she knew he thought so.
Everyone was in the restaurant waiting when they arrived; his family on the left and her family on the right. There were two seats left for them, smack dab in the middle across from his parents. His parents. That was still odd to put into one sentence and stare at a man he had been raised to believe was his uncle.
Izzy and Abby made a commotion when they arrived.
“Here are the love birds finally,” Izzy teased. “What took you two so long?”
“Oh, you know what took them so long,” Abby chimed in.
Laughter erupted around the table. It was better they pictured them wrestling in the sheets then the reality: she was after his money.
“Make your announcement already so it is official,” Izzy demanded and they were in the spotlight.
Marc was just about to sit down, paused and stood back up. He grabbed Kate’s fidgeting hand and pulled her to her feet wrapping his arm around her waist and noticing her muscles tensed under his touch. “Kate and I bumped into each other in the sauna over a month ago, which I am sure you all remember.” He flashed a bashful grin. “The part we left out of the story was that our hearts bumped together again in that small space after all these years of being apart.” The women at the table awed loudly with romance twinkling in their eyes. “And after our snowstorm stay in the cabin we rekindled what we both thought was long gone.” He paused in case Kate wanted to add anything to the story. She didn’t. That won’t look suspicious. “We couldn’t live our lives apart another second so I proposed to Kate and she said yes.”
The table erupted with noise, all the Caliendo’s unable to sit still jumped to their feet and came rushing around the table to hug the bride and groom to be. The McAdams joining in on the charade that left only Peyton roll-playing.
“Oh, my gosh!” Izzy cried as if this was the first time she had heard the news. “I knew it! I knew you were still in love with her,” she insisted at her turn. Kate’s eyes found his and beyond that fake smile he saw a sadness he couldn’t explain. He wouldn’t let her see his sadness so between his fake smiles he shot her looks filled with the resentment she would understand. “Thank goodness you didn’t li
sten to me and hide in your office!”
“I’m so happy for you my pining brother,” Violet teased squeezing his shoulders extra-long.
“Congrats son,” Carl said, throwing him off a bit with the term but he liked the sound of it.
“I’m very surprised,” Emma whispered for only him to hear. “But congrats,” she said louder with a smile.
“That means we are getting another Aunt,” Violet’s kids were saying. He heard them introduce themselves formally and politely to Kate. She smiled and shook each of their tiny little hands until Violet encouraged hugs.
His mother held him the tightest. “There was a click between you two. I figured it was just a matter of time. I’m honestly the happiest mother right now.” Her blue eyes were brimming with tears. Wait until this game was over, the tears would roll like wild dice.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” Izzy squealed as everyone was finding their seats.
Kate glanced at him looking overwhelmed. He smiled down at her, a goofy grin for everyone else as he reached with his hand and cupped the side of her face pulling her lips to his. It was short and yet the tiny touch sent heat straight to his groin. How irritating. Remember she deserted you for money, cold hard cash in her pocket.
“I want to throw the two of you an engagement party,” he mother said just as he knew she would. “Immediately.” That sounded like a perfect idea to him. “Kate we could start planning with Violet and have this event thrown together in a couple weeks.”
“Mom, you’re overwhelming her,” Violet said. “Why don’t us girls just have lunch tomorrow, when I have my schedule book,” she shot a glance to her mom. “And we will discuss it.” That was also exactly what he had counted on.
“This is girl stuff,” his mom clarified being just as she claimed, the happiest mother. He couldn’t agree more.
“The McAdams girls have another announcement to make,” he said loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. “Peyton has all the details,” he turned the announcement over to Peyton who dived into their well-planned business adventure and he could breathe without speculating eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Another supper passed without Marc and Kate was stuck making more pitiful excuses for him. So it was December, so it was his first year running the resort, he wasn’t the only Caliendo working in the resort and they all managed to gather for supper, every single night. His family was becoming wary, not of her presence but of what might be bothering Marc, which ironically was in fact her.
It had been over a week since she had told him about the deal she had struck with Robert and he was angry. She knew he would be that was why she felt it necessary to inform him. His anger was required to keep him at a distance so not to rationalize the relationship between them. A relationship between them would never work, she could see that now.
Only she hadn’t anticipated he would lock himself away from his entire family, after putting her in this idiotic situation.
After her goodbyes with his family, she stormed away from the restaurant in the opposite direction of their laughter echoing the halls with a takeout container in her hand heading directly toward Marc’s office.
They both officially skipped breakfast after the second morning when she realized his presence was absent and figured if they were both missing his family may presume they were spending the mornings together catching up on lost times in the silk sheets. When in reality, she wasn’t even sure if he was coming back to the suite at all in the evenings. He wasn’t there when she went to bed and he wasn’t there when she awoke.
Melissa was already gone for the evening and she didn’t bother knocking on his office door...apparently who in his family actually did?
He was sitting behind the large carved desk, deep thinking etches on his face matching the walnut wood. She wondered briefly if she caused those awful lines across his wonderful face. It didn’t matter anyway, the truth was necessary. He looked up, probably expecting to see a member of his family by the surprised look on his face when he saw her instead.
She dropped the round foil container on his desk with a thud. “Supper,” she announced.
He glanced down at it then back up to her. “You didn’t have too.”
She crossed her hands over her chest. “Oh, I know. Trust me this isn’t to make sure you’re eating. It’s an excuse to come in here and tell you I didn’t agree to this charade so you could completely cut yourself off from your family and hideaway all day and night.”
He looked back down at his laptop without a word.
What was so important on that damn laptop? She made her way around his desk and leaned over his shoulder to look. The wonderful smell of him drifted around her like caressing hands, and made her own hands want to massage his shoulder before dipping straight down the front of his shirt. Get it together! Laptop screen. Pictures of antique cutter sleighs stared at her from the screen.
“Oh, you’re back to that idea.” He snapped it shut and glared at her. “When were you planning to mention that to your family? After it arrived?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we couldn’t incorporate them this year.”
She crossed her arms again. “Marc, this has to stop. I’m finished making excuses for you. You can begin attending at least supper every day or I’m going to encourage their curiosity.” And, that would mean he would never get a free moment. “The depression, the distance, anything they say I will push her.” She was referring to his mother and that seemed to get him agitated, which was better than the alternative; his solemn pouting.
“It’s December,” he snapped. “I’m busy. There are overbooked rooms, cancellations, parties and events. You couldn’t possibly understand.”
“Cut the crap Marc.” He glared at her. “Everyone’s busy and everyone can pull away for one meal.”
“I don’t need this,” He grumbled dismissing her.
“I don’t need this.”
“You don’t have a choice now do you?”
Her mouth snapped shut and she swallowed her next words. Damn it, she hated that she was in his debt! She almost regretted handing Carl that cheque, which still wasn’t cashed. She couldn’t believe Marc was being so cold to her, so heartless and angry, exactly what they needed to keep them apart.
She softened her voice. “Marc, you can’t change the outcome,” she told him. “No matter how many times you play it in your head, I will still have left you for money.”
“Don’t act like you know me because of a young romance. I don’t know you, how could you possibly know me?”
She supposed she didn’t know the man he was now, just as he didn’t know the woman she was. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
His stare was like a scanner, trying to read barcodes, clues in her eyes, her facial expressions or body language. “Why did you even tell me? Now after all these years, after we were plopped together and engaged? Why?”
She sighed. Talk your way out of this one. “You deserved to know who I am.”
“Who you are or who you were?”
“It’s two in the same Marc, and besides, look where I am now and again it’s about money.”
“So you’re a self-centered selfish bitch?” The way he said it was although he was asking her to verify. As if there was the tiniest part in him that still hoped she wasn’t that person.
She took a slow breath. “Now that you’ve labeled me accordingly, let’s move on so we can split, on decent terms,” she added hoping it wasn’t too much but leaving out the friends forever that he had once promised her. “We are having brunch tomorrow, and then we are going tobogganing with Parker and Sophia. I’m leaving a list on Melissa’s desk of your schedule with your family.”
He held his hand out. “Give it to me.”
She pulled it out of her pocket gladly. She didn’t really want Melissa questioning why Marc couldn’t remember family events. “You know your mom is worried about you because she loves you. You’re lucky to have her.” She wished her mom was still
around. “She wants to make sure you’re dealing with Carl and Corbin.”
“I know.”
“Maybe you could schedule a lunch with only the two of you. She would enjoy that.”
“I didn’t pay you to be my therapist. How about you stick to distracting my family and I won’t pull the money away from your sister’s business, alright?”
Ouch. The truth hurt. And the threats were evidence she was doing the right thing. She nodded and quickly left. He was punishing her, making her suffer. She walked the halls at a quick pace, no matter how logical her reasoning was and how understanding of his feelings she was, the words cut deep and she felt tears forming. You’re doing the right thing! It didn’t feel like the right thing, but what choice did she have now?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Large thick snowflakes fell from the sky as they trudged through deep, loose and untouched white fluff from the snowmobiles to the bottom of the hill. Marc dropped the old wooden toboggan and snow rider he’d been carrying beside him.
Parker and Sofia started straight up the hill with their crazy carpets. Violet and Emma were right behind them spouting off rules to avoid accidents.
The resort had a public snow hill where they could have spent the afternoon riding lifts to the top, but the resort didn’t give them much privacy so they enjoyed jumping on the sleds and driving across the property, through the bush to a private hill, only for them.
He had discovered since returning home, although the youngest, Izzy always had better things to do than take the time out to play with her niece and nephew while Emma and Violet had grown closer together.
Kate stopped beside him. “Wow. It looks exactly the same as when we were kids.” She pulled her hat down further over her loose curls.
He glanced over. They were dressed more appropriately for the snowy weather than they’d been at the cabin. He was adorned in everything needed from the snowboarding shop they had on site and he suspected although didn’t ask, that the pristine designer white and pink snow pants, jacket and matching hat and gloves she’d picked up were from there as well. Still, her porcelain skin brought about rosy cheeks and nose. There was that betrayal he felt every time he looked at her that he couldn’t shake. “Some things never change.” He said grabbing the string attached to the rider and walking past her. He had done as she asked, and had brunch with a smile and laughter treating her like the love of his life. He was even having lunch with just his mother the following day, as she had suggested. But standing here reminiscing about a life she threw away for money...he didn’t want to fake.
Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) Page 17
