Page 26 of For Better or Hearse
Fuck. She’s even prettier when she’s stunned. If he had to guess, she doesn’t give her emotions away easily.
“Who hired you to break up my wedding?”
Those full red lips part. “I don’t give away my sources.”
He snorts. “Who are you, Lois Lane?”
“It’s called client confidentiality. A concept you should understand.” Her sharp tone wards off further questioning.
But it doesn’t stop him from persisting. “That’s cute. Pretending you give a damn about someone else’s feelings.”
Her cheeks flush. But Ash recovers quickly, turning to meet his accusing gaze. “I’m not the one who cheated on my fiancée.”
He clenches his jaw. Derision and anger pinprick his skin. “Right. Because you automatically assume you know everything about me based on a bullshit rumor.”
“It wasn’t a rumor; it was true.”
“Was it?”
He holds eye contact. Looking away from her feels like a dare.
When she says nothing, he laughs bitterly. “You like this too much.” He lifts his drink to his lips, only then realizing it’s empty. “Breaking hearts. Hurting people.”
Ash pales. “I made it better.” Her voice is small, distant. Like she’s trying to convince herself. “People should know before—”
She cuts off abruptly, bites her lip.
“Before what?” he demands.
After the briefest hesitation, she licks her lips, says, “Before they get hurt.”
Silence.
Ash rises from her stool. Smooths her damp dress. “Anyway,” she says softly. Almost sad. “I don’t do that anymore.”
Arms crossed, he nods at the windows. “Rain’s stopped.”
He’s riled her on purpose, told her what he thinks of her, made it clear he wants her to go. But now that she’s watching him with that hard stare of hers, he’s more uncomfortable than he anticipated.
Dropping her gaze, Ash curls her hands around her arms like she’s protecting herself.
Her expression—fragile, sad—causes a strange herky-jerky kick to his heart.
Then, without another word, she turns and goes.
Nathaniel eyes the trail of sand she leaves in her wake, winces at the hard clop of her boots.
Why, suddenly, is he not so sure he’s glad he chased her off?
The next morning, the Whitfords plus Ash make the short trip to Makalapua Palms.
What used to be the headquarters of the Fox Hotel Group is now an authentic working coconut farm nestled in the verdant green hills of Hawaii. Augustus insisted a visit here was the way to kick off their vacation.
For twenty minutes, the older man leads the pack, detailing exactly where on the property his company used to sit. They stroll through the lush farm and past the quaint shack where coconuts and snacks are sold while Ash holds up the photos she pulled together before they left the resort, comparing the black-and-white snaps to the current scenery.
“Back in the seventies, when we opened our very first resort in Maui, this is where our office was located. Of course, now the head office is in Los Angeles, but this is where Fox Hotels began.”
Augustus spreads his arms out as if he can scoop up the land and hug it. Pride shines in his eyes. Ash smiles, but when she notices the fond way Nathaniel watches his grandfather, her mood quickly sours.