by Wynn, Renee
Nicole opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. Sally was a true romantic and believed in fairytales, which could be infuriating.
“Now I know that you have certifiably lost your mind. Love is not a word to be associated Ashton. He’s too—”
“Gorgeous, hunky, a real man, sexy, brill—”
“He doesn’t need or want love in his life.” Why did saying the words cause her heart to ache? “Look, I need to get going before I miss my plane.”
“Running.”
She gritted her teeth but said nothing.
“Ashton is a man who gets what he goes after. He never loses.”
“He will this time around.”
“I’m just saying.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “Ashton has a short attention span when it comes to women. He has a habit of dropping them quickly. I just beat him to it.
“You got to dig deep to get to the real man.”
“This make-believe relationship you have created isn’t going to happen with us.”
Sally grinned. “You remember Natalie Blackstone?”
“Yes. Why?”
“She was at the cancer fundraiser I attended. Remember I went alone because you had a bad cold?”
Nicole nodded.
“Well, I heard her talking to one of her friends about Ashton.”
“You mean you eavesdropped.”
“Do you want to hear it or not?”
“No.”
“She wants him back into her bed.”
“They were lovers?”
“Yes. I would bet my favorite Christian Louboutin’s and my newest pair of Jimmy Choo’s that he’s a fabulous lover.” Sally watched her closely but Nicole ignored the curious glint. “Of course, the word on the streets is that once Ashton finishes with a woman he doesn’t go back.”
“I’ve never seen them together.” An odd pain tugged at her heart.
Nicole had never been formally introduced to Natalie Blackstone, but she’d seen her at events around Dallas through the years. She was money, beauty, and brains rolled into one perfect package. A lawyer, along with her brothers, at their father’s prestigious law firm, she was exactly Ashton’s type, tall, slender, blonde, brains and…oozing sex. How could she compete with that? Whoa! What in the hell was she thinking? There was no competition. Anyway, she and Ashton were oil and water. They don’t mix. You mixed very well last night. She squirmed at the thought.
“Everyone knows that Natalie has had her eye on Ashton for years. She’s never been able to rope him in until a few months ago. According to what I overheard, they were only an item for a very short period of time. The rumor is that he turned to her during a vulnerable moment.”
“Oh, please. Ashton has never been vulnerable a day in his life.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Sally said.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“I believe he’s been waiting for you to notice him.”
Nicole laughed harshly. “You’re crazy. Besides I don’t want to date, have a relationship with him or anything else.”
“But—”
“Sally, stop.” She shut the suitcase and set it alongside the other one. “I’m ready. I don’t want to miss my flight.”
Sally looked around the bedroom. “You sure you have everything?’
“Yes.” She picked up one of the suitcases and headed to the door. “Grab the other for me, Sal.”
Sally said, “I don’t care what you say, I know you like him.”
Nicole didn’t answer because she was afraid Sally might be right.
###
Ashton waited a couple hours after Nicole snuck out of his house that Sunday morning to contact her. He wanted to give her time to accept what had happened between them. It had been a huge mistake on his part, not one he would make again.
Now three weeks later, he still couldn’t reach her. He’d called her house, cellphone and it all went to voice mail.
Since Nicole wouldn’t respond to his texts, He’d driven to her small Cape Cod house, unannounced, but she hadn’t been there. And his arrival at her aunt’s house had been met with raised eyebrows.
He was informed by the housekeeper that the mistress of the house was on a cruise and wouldn’t return for three months. In an agitated state, he let the woman know he wasn’t looking for the owner of the house but Nicole.
The housekeeper’s look of surprise at his inquiry hadn’t been lost on him. He waited patiently, or as much as he could muster, before he again inquired as to Nicole whereabouts. Finally, stuttering, the woman had informed him Nicole was out of town taking care of some family business. Before the flustered woman continued he walked away.
She was running and he would be damned if he would let her.
He impatiently rang the doorbell. It was opened immediately. He stepped through the door not waiting for an invitation. “Sarah.”
“The name is Sally, Mr. Sinclair.”
She always called him Mr. Sinclair and he hated it. At least she did to his face. No telling what she called him behind his back.
Her bright green eyes flashed daggers at him. She looked like Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, with a sprinkle of freckles across her face and a riot of red curls on her head. “Sarah, you know my first name, use it.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. He almost smiled at her restraint. Keeping her mouth closed wasn’t one of her best attributes. The little chit loved to have the last word. As a young kid, Sally followed him and Brody around practically everywhere they went. Being teenagers, they found it to be pains in their asses. But, he’d been quietly partial to the little red-haired hellion.
Sally chuckled. “You’re one of the most arrogant men I know.”
“No more than your brother,” he said dryly.
“You’re right.” She shut the door and turned toward him. “What did I do to warrant the pleasure of your presence? You haven’t been here since Brody moved to Montana.”
“I don’t need to visit. Besides Brody didn’t move to Montana, he has a ranch there.”
“Which he visits a lot.”
“A vacation spot only. I was there a month ago.”
“Really?” Sally grabbed her chest in mock shock. “Such an honor. You traveled all that way to see my brother.”
“Don’t be a smartass. Brody is my best friend.”
“You mean your only friend.”
“Brat.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Where’s Nicole?” he said abruptly.
A flush attached itself to her pale skin. He watched intently as she regrouped before giving an answer. His appearance at the Beaumont mansion may have been a shock but she covered it quite well. The color continued to rise in her face. He surmised Nicole had discussed him with her little friend. Interesting.
“Sarah, I’ve been trying to reach her but she’s not answering her phone nor responding to my texts. If anyone knows where she is it would be you.”
“Really? Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you trying to reach Nicole?”
“It’s none of your business.”
She crossed her arms across her chest and glared. Big mistake. Damn. He’d forgotten that it didn’t take much to ignite her temper. She wasn’t a redhead for nothing. Sally was stubborn as a mule, something she had in common with her brother. Now he would need to tread lightly if he wanted to get any information about Nicole. Even as a little girl she wouldn’t be intimidated.
“Then it’s none of your business where she is.”
He spread his legs in a stance and stared hard, trying to break her. Anyone else would’ve relented by now. A battle of wills was being tested and he was determined to come out the winner.
“Sarah, this is important.”
“Really? How so?”
Shit. This was going to harder than he thought.
“Now I wonder why the great Ashton Sinclair is at my house l
ooking for my best friend.” She tilted her head. “Do tell.”
“Now you’re overstepping.”
“Hmm…so you do care about her?”
He didn’t say anything, his anger rising.
She pointed at him. “I see the tick in your jaw working overtime. The silent treatment edged with intimidation won’t work on me.” She laughed. “Did you forget Brody is my brother? The master of intimidation.”
“Brody and I could never break you.”
She dipped her head into a mock bow. “Thank you kindly, sir.”
“This is serious, Sarah. I need to talk to Nicole.”
“Then why come here?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You ladies are tighter than any crawl space.”
She giggled. “True.”
“She tells you everything—”
“Hmm.”
“You’re trying my patience.”
“Didn’t know you had any.”
He inhaled deeply and waited.
“She had some business to attend too.”
“I know that. Have you spoken to her?”
“Maybe.”
“Tell me where she is.”
“Whoa. Did you just issue a command? I’ll acknowledge that you’re distraught so I’ll let it pass…this time. Anyway, you don’t need to worry. She’s fine.”
“And?”
She stared at him, placing a finger across her cheek. “Interesting. You’re anxious to find her, aren’t you? I wonder why?” She held up her hand. “No need to answer. My intuition has never failed me.” She closed her eyes and sighed with dramatic effect. “Just let me absorb the fact that Mr. Commitment Phobe has fallen for a woman who happens to be my best friend.”
“Sarah, you are really trying my patience.”
“Good.” She rubbed her hands together and had the audacity to smile. “Would you like something to drink?’
“No.”
“How about a seat?”
“No.”
“Okay. What else do you want? Besides Nicole, that is.”
Frustrated, he strived to remain calm, which was hell to do around Sarah. She was irritating and pissing him off. He could tell she was enjoying herself at his expense. He gritted his teeth, fighting for restraint.
“She’s not like your other women.”
“There are no other women.” His voice held conviction.
“That’s good to hear.” She was silent as if waiting for him to say more.
He cursed under his breath. It was no one’s business what he felt for Nicole, and he certainly wasn’t discussing it with her nosey friend.
“You know you’re too old for her, right?”
He didn’t need someone to tell him what he already knew.
“Nicole thinks she’s in love with Brent,” she said.
“She’s not.”
“I agree. But the problem is that she believes it. Right now, Nicole is confused. She sees what happened between the two of you as betrayal.”
“She never belonged to my brother. Besides, what makes you think something happened?”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you really asking me the same thing that she did? I can see clearly, you know. I was the one who picked her up from your house.”
He remained silent.
“Guilt can cause a person to do foolish things. Give her time to work it out in her head.”
“Time isn’t on my side.”
She shrugged. “Okay. Do it your way. Don’t be mad when it blows up in your face.”
“Sarah, I don’t need advice from a young chirp—”
“Stop, right there. I’ve taken a lot with your bossy attitude but name calling won’t be one of them.”
“Okay. I retract.”
“Boy, it’s hard for you to say, I’m sorry.”
“You’re too old for your age. You got more mouth than…” A frown put creases in her forehead. She was perturbed but it didn’t stop him. “You’re mouthy. I can understand why. Being born during a woman’s late life creates a different breed.”
She threw him a quizzical look. “Thank you…I think. I have been told I act more mature than my age. Mom was forty-four and Brody was almost twelve when I came along.” She chuckled. “Brody didn’t like it much.”
“Being an only kid for as long as he was, hell, it took some getting used to.”
She grinned. “Well, I’m here now.”
“Yeah. Back to Nicole.”
“You have a one track mind.”
“Sarah…” He silently cursed.
“Since you’re being so nice about it,” she retorted, sarcastically. “She’s out of town.”
“I surmised as much since she’s not at her aunt’s house or hers. The question is where?”
“New England.”
“Where in New England?”
“I believe Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Vermont. I don’t really know. Her parents left her businesses in those states and a house in Boston.”
He frowned. “Weren’t the two of you supposed to leave for Europe?”
“Well, things changed. Once she takes care of her business, she’ll meet Danielle and me over there. I had planned to leave a couple of days ago but gams is in the hospital.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong with your grandmother?”
“Her dog, a bichon frise, saw a male collie she liked and went running after him. Gams got tangled up in the leash and took a stumble. She received a few bruises and a severe sprained ankle. Because of her age, the hospital is keeping her a couple of days for observation. Mom and Dad are with her now. I just arrived back this morning from seeing her.”
“Does Brody know?”
“Yeah, he’s there with the parents.”
“Good. I never could understand why you and Brody don’t call your grandmother Grandma or Granny like normal people. Whoever heard of calling someone gams? Your mother should’ve moved her to Dallas a long time ago. Los Angeles is too fast a pace for a woman of your grandmother’s age.”
“First of all, she likes us calling her Gams. She said all those other names for grandmother made her feel old. She’s eighty-six but acts fifty. No one tells her what to do. And she lives in Beverly Hills, which is a far cry from inner city Los Angeles.”
“Doesn’t matter. Your family need to handle the situation,” he said off-handedly. “Now give me the address to where Nicole is staying.”
“Nope.”
“Why the hell not?” he snapped.
“I don’t take kindly to cursing.”
He took a deep breath, silently counted to ten, and reached for control. “Sarah…Again, I retract the words.”
“No need to contact Nicole in New England. She left a couple of days ago. She’s probably on her way to Europe, or there by now.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Which hotel in Europe?”
“We aren’t booked into a hotel. We’re doing bed and breakfast or hostels along the way.”
“You’re kidding?”
She had the nerve to grin. “Nope.”
“Have you lost your damn minds! What the hell could you two be thinking? You’re heiresses. You don’t travel around the world sleeping in dumps,” he shouted.
Sally glared. “If you keep shouting and cursing, you’re going to burst a blood vessel.”
He gritted his teeth. This red-haired piston was stringing his last nerve. “What’s wrong with the Ritz? Hel—” He caught himself. “You can stay in one of my properties. I have enough of them around the world.”
“No thank you. We decided this is the way we want to do it.”
He pinched the end of his nose to defuse the angry words struggling to roll off his tongue. Young ladies, rich or not, traveling alone could be dangerous, but to be roughing it is something entirely different. He wouldn’t allow.
“Where is the first city on this trip?”
“London, Paris, Rome, or maybe Amsterdam for the first leg of the trip.”
�
��Make up your mind. Which is it?” he said impatiently.
“We’d planned to meet in London.” She spoke slowly as if she was talking to a child. “The itinerary is subject to change.”
“Who else is on this adventure?”
“Besides, Danielle, a few friends from college. We’re experiencing Europe in its truest form. It’s going to be so much fun.”
“It’s a bunch of bullshit…crap.”
“Only you would think so. Is there anything else you need?” Sally looked innocent but could be a barracuda when pushed.
She might be wacky with her new age beliefs and yoga meditations but she was devotedly loyal to Nicole and vice versus.
Ashton thought about probing for more information but decided against it. Sarah Beaumont wasn’t buckling. He withdrew a card from his pocket and gave it to her. “Call me when you’ve heard from her,” he said and reached for the doorknob.
Sally stopped him. “You never did tell me what you wanted with Nicole.”
“No, I didn’t.” He walked out the door and closed it with a thump.
Chapter Four
Frustrated, Ashton slammed the phone down, curbing the urge to throw it across his office. Where the hell is she?
He’d hired a private investigation team to track her in New England and Europe. There was no evidence of her ever being in Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island or anywhere else in the New England states, period. No commercial airlines tickets, ship passengers, or private charter flights listed her name. He’d checked for aliases and came up empty. It was damn frustrating, but he refused to give up.
He’d tried to contact Sarah again but had gotten nowhere. The thought of enlisting his mother’s help to get in touch with Nicole’s aunt on the cruise ship crossed his mind but he decided against. For one thing his mother would ask questions and he didn’t want that. What happened between Nicole and him was something that was not up for discussion.
Nicole’s aunt and his mother were nosey. They felt it was their right to be entrenched in their children lives. Friends since college, it was unusual during those days for a modest black woman and a well-to-do white woman to become friends, but they had. Now, forty-five years later they were still very close.
