EVEN BEFORE HER eyes were open, Sage had a smile on her face.
This was going to be the most wonderful day. How could it not be after such an amazing night? From the birthday party that topped all parties to Trey’s heartfelt apology to winding up in his arms all night long.
Her hand ran over the sheets and found the spot next to her empty and cold.
Sage’s eyes fluttered open. She scanned the room, finding herself all alone. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was Trey just anxious to get on with his day? Or did he regret their evening together?
She rushed through her shower and dressed. She was just putting on her makeup when the door swung open. There stood Trey with a tray of food in his arms.
“Hey, sleepyhead, I thought you’d still be in bed after being up most of the night.” He smiled at her.
At last, she could take an easy breath. Everything was going to be all right. They were going to be all right. She smiled back.
“I couldn’t sleep the day away. Tomorrow is the end of the festival.”
“And you want to get out there and line up more potential interviews?”
“Actually, thanks to you, the magazine’s calendar is filled. So I thought I would take these last two days to soak up the atmosphere and just relax. We could have a perfectly relaxing afternoon together.”
“That sounds very tempting, but I’m going to have to take a pass. I hope you have a good time.”
“Wait. What? Why aren’t you coming with me?” She was hoping they’d spend the day together.
“Because while we’ve been concentrating on lining up star-studded interviews, the work back at the office has been piling up. And I need to get to it.”
“Oh.” Disappointment welled up in her. “You mean your software business.”
“That, too. But I was referring to the magazine. Remember, as far as everyone knows, I’m still your assistant.”
“But you aren’t. You don’t have to do that stuff. I can handle it.”
“What you can do is walk this way.” He led her out to her own private balcony. He placed the food on the table and then turned to her. “Now, sit and eat. And then go have fun.”
“But without you?”
“I promise I’ll work as fast as I can and then catch up with you.”
“I could stay and help. We’d get it done twice as fast.”
He shook his head. “I’ve got this. But if you’d like, I could have Louise start lining up applicants for you to interview when you get back to California.”
“But won’t she find that strange, considering she doesn’t know who you really are?”
He lowered his gaze. “I was going to tell her. I figured that way by the time we get back to LA everyone in the office would know the truth.”
It would be best coming from him. “Go ahead and tell her. But I don’t know about lining up applicants. With the board meeting coming up, it might be a pointless endeavor.”
“Stop worrying. With all the progress you’ve made, there’s no way they’ll shut down the magazine. It’s going to be the crown jewel of QTR International.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss like it was something they did every morning.
And then he was gone. She sighed. She knew he was still trying to set things right between them and that just made her—what? The feeling was just bubbling beneath the surface. It was a word that she’d never used in connection with anyone—until now.
She loved Trey.
She smiled—truly smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she smiled this much. And it was thanks to him.
Now it was her turn to do something special for him. And she knew exactly what it would be. She grabbed her cell phone and scrolled down until she found the number for Quentin senior. Her finger hesitated over the send button. If Trey had been able to learn to appreciate his family’s magazine, maybe there was hope for him to forgive his father.
She pressed Send. The phone started to ring.
This was a chance for all of them to have a fresh start.
* * *
It was the final evening of the festival.
They were invited to the swankiest gala and Trey was anxious to escort Sage. Tonight would be their grand swan song. He knew when they returned to California that they’d have to contend with their jobs. His would take him back to San Francisco while her position kept her in LA.
Sure, they’d stay in close contact at first. There’d be phone calls every day and weekends together. But he knew from past experience that the phone calls would slowly trickle off and the weekend getaways would grow farther and farther apart.
It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was all he had to offer her. But for tonight, they could pretend their future together was rosy. Because try as he might, he’d come to care for Sage more than he’d ever cared for anyone. And he didn’t know what to do with all these new feelings.
He straightened the tie to his tux, buttoned his jacket and then headed for the bedroom door. It was time to pick up his date. He couldn’t wait to see what she was wearing this evening. Between the gowns he’d gotten for her and what she’d packed in all those suitcases, he didn’t think she’d worn the same outfit twice since they’d arrived in Cannes.
He rapped his knuckles on her bedroom door.
“Come in.”
He opened the door to find Sage in a long, slinky silver dress. She was standing with her bare back to him. It was quite a tempting sight. And then there was the way the dress hugged her hips. It was perfect on her.
She turned to him. “You’re just in time.”
“I am?” He swallowed hard as he took in the front of the dress with its dipping neckline. The back was good but the front was amazing. “I mean, I am. You are a knockout.”
She smiled but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you. Are you sure this dress works? I could change into something else.” She moved to the wardrobe and swung open the doors. “What color would you like to see me in?”
“Slow down. That dress really suits you. Every guy at the gala will want to dance with you.” He walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. “But you’ll have to let them know that your dance card is full.”
“It is?”
He nodded. “Yes, it is. I intend to spend the evening with you in my arms.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were so soft and so willing. It would be so easy to just skip the event and stay in for the evening. In fact, the idea quite appealed to him.
But then Sage pulled back. “We can’t be late.”
“Sure we can.” He tried to pull her back to him but she was too fast for him.
She moved to the dresser and picked up a necklace. She held it out to him. “I can’t seem to get this on. Could you do it for me?”
“Sure.” When he went to take it from her, he noticed a slight tremor in her hands. “Is something wrong?”
She glanced away. “No.”
He put the necklace on her and then, putting his hand on her shoulder, propelled her around to face him. “I know there’s something wrong.”
“Why would something be wrong? It’s going to be a perfect night as I’m with the perfect man.”
“You’re jumpy and not acting like yourself. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” She said it too quickly and avoided his gaze.
“Sage—”
Chime. Chime.
He turned to the hallway and then back to her. “I wonder who that could be.”
She turned to the mirror and put on her earrings. “Why don’t you go see? I’ll be right there as soon as I grab my heels.”
There was an uneasy feeling churning in the pit of his stomach. He had that feeling before, right before a hacker had decimated his software prototype. He shook off the feeling. He assured himself that nothing was going to go wrong tonight. The worst was behind them. Sage knew the truth about him.
And she was probably just nervous about getting all dressed up and mingling with the rich and famous. It could be a lot of pressure, trying to figure out what to say and how to act.
He assured himself that he was reading too much into Sage’s actions as he walked down the steps. Maria had already answered the door. He could hear her speaking, but he couldn’t make out the other voice.
When he reached the bottom step, he paused. There was no one in the foyer. Maria must have showed their guest into the living room.
Maria exited the room and nearly ran into him. Her face was white like she’d seen a ghost. “Monsieur, I was coming to get you. I wasn’t sure what to do. I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing.”
“Calm down, Maria. Did someone hurt you?”
She shook her head but her eyes were filled with worry. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Me? But I’m fine.” And then he realized she was referring to the presence of their guest. “I’ve got this. You can go.”
“Are...are you sure?”
That uneasy feeling in his gut was now much more like a knot. “I’m sure.”
He turned to the doorway. He had a feeling he knew who was waiting for him, but he longed to be wrong. He would give anything for it to be someone else.
His feet felt as though they’d been cast in concrete. A steel band felt as though it was cinched around his chest, growing ever tighter. With determined effort, he put one foot in front of the other. And when he stepped into the entrance to the living room, his worst fears were confirmed.
A man stood facing the fireplace as though looking at the framed family photos. Apparently he hadn’t heard Trey’s arrival. That was fine with Trey. He needed a moment to figure out what to say to this unwanted visitor.
The man was about his height. He appeared to still have all of his hair, although it was silver now.
There was nothing outwardly striking about the man. Nothing to let on how mean he could really be. Any other person would probably think that he was a nice old man. They wouldn’t know the damage he’d caused or the life he’d destroyed.
And Trey knew why he was here. This was Sage’s doing. This was why she’d been so nervous upstairs. She knew he didn’t want this man in his house—in his life. And yet she’d brought him here anyway.
“You are not welcome.” Trey’s voice came firm and steady, even though he didn’t feel like it on the inside.
His father turned. He didn’t say a word at first. It was as though his father was taking in his appearance and sizing him up. “I can see some of your mother in you. That steely determination written all over your face is just like her.”
“You have no right to talk about my mother. You lost that right a long time ago.”
His father nodded and said in an even tone, “I understand.”
Trey couldn’t take his father’s ambivalence. He wanted his father to be as worked up as he was. He wanted his father to show some sort of emotion.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. I thought it was past time.”
Trey vehemently shook his head. It was never a good time for this man to intrude in his life. “I told you at my mother’s funeral that I never wanted to see you again. Why would you think that has changed?”
“I asked him to come.” Sage’s voice came from behind him.
Trey turned. “You shouldn’t have done it. You are meddling in something that you don’t understand.”
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “You only get one go-around in this life. When it’s over, you don’t get any do-overs. No second chances. Don’t miss an opportunity to get back your family.”
Trey shook his head. “Sage, you can’t make this into the happy family you so desperately want.”
“Don’t be mad at her, son. She was only doing what she thought was best for you.”
He swung back around to face his father. “I’m not your son. You gave up that privilege a long time ago.”
Trey turned and started to walk away when Sage reached out and caught his arm with her hand. “Please, just hear him out and then you can go.”
“I can’t. He has nothing I want to hear. He had almost thirty years to say it. Now it’s too late.”
His father’s voice filled with emotion. “I did try to say it, but your mother...she refused to let me see you.”
Trey swung around. “That’s a lie. She never would have turned you away. She told me how you wouldn’t even take her phone calls.”
“You only heard her side of the story. But I have one, too. I came back for you, but she wouldn’t let me inside. She said you were at school. Another time she said you were at a friend’s house. She always had an excuse to keep us apart. We argued. It seemed like that’s all we ever did in the end. And then she threatened to take you away so that I would never find you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“She did it. She took you and it took me almost a year to find you. You must have been about six at the time. She moved to Paris and stayed in a small apartment.”
Trey was about to deny it but then the memories started to come back to him. He’d hated the tiny apartment. It was nothing like the château. It stunk and he wasn’t allowed outside to play. He’d missed his bedroom, his friends and, most of all, Maria.
“See, you do remember the move. Your mother wanted to punish me. And her greatest weapon was keeping you from me.” His father’s eyes grew shiny with unshed tears. And his voice grew gruff. “When I found the apartment, we had a terrible row. The police were called. In the end, I agreed to keep my distance if she would take you back to the château where I knew there would be people around to see to your safety.”
Trey remembered awaking to a ruckus. His mother had told him it was a problem with the neighbors. He had no reason not to believe her at the time. But his father’s words were starting to answer some questions.
Was it possible his father wasn’t the villain that his mother had painted? Trey’s head started to pound. It was just too much.
“I can’t do this.” Trey turned and walked out of the room.
Sage followed him to the front steps. “Trey, don’t go. I’m sorry I invited your father here. I shouldn’t have done it. Let’s just forget this happened and go to the gala. It’ll be the perfect end—”
“Stop.” He just couldn’t take any more of her looking at him like he was the answer to her dreams. “Ever since the birthday party, you keep saying that everything is perfect now. It’s not. I’m not.”
“I know you’re upset, but we’ll get through this together. That’s what couples do. They work through the thick and thin.”
He shook his head. “We’re not a couple.”
Her mouth gaped as though his words had stabbed her. He hated to see the pain reflected in her eyes, but it was time to bring her back down to earth before she got in any deeper.
“Sage, I do care about you, how could I not? You are sweet, kind and thoughtful. You would make any man the perfect wife, but not me. I don’t fit into your plan for a perfect family.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? Didn’t you bring my father here in order to bring us back together? You want that perfect family that was stolen from you. And you deserve the perfect life. But I can’t be part of that perfect picture.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “You can if you want to be.”
He shook his head. “I am broken. You just heard me with my father. With those two as my role models, I’d have no chance of making the perfect husband or father. I’m too damaged on the inside. I would never make you happy. You are better off without me.”
It took every bit of willpower to turn his back on her and walk away.
“But you do make me happy.” The whisper of her voice was carried by the breeze.
He assured himself that he was doing what was best for her.
But it sure didn’t feel like it.