awaiting his answer. He bit back a curse. This wasn’t something he wanted to get into in front of Rita Paul. Though he’d be hard-pressed to say why that was so.
“Change of plans. I’ll be unaccompanied on this trip,” he told his sister, hoping beyond any real expectation that she’d let the matter drop.
She didn’t. Lizzie’s eyes grew wide and a huge grin spread across her lips. “I heard nothing of this change.”
“Things didn’t work out.” And that’s all he wanted to say on the matter.
His sister’s smile grew wider. “You don’t say!”
She’d never really taken to Maxie. Not that there’d been anyone he’d been with so far that she’d approved of. His sister kept telling him the women he dated were far too shallow.
Little did Lizzie know, at this point in his life, he wanted shallow. Particularly now, when he was no longer solely responsible for his sister.
Rita glanced from one of them to the other. Suddenly, Lizzie clamped a hand over her mouth; the smile completely disintegrated. “Oh, Rita, I don’t mean to be insensitive. I’m so sorry things didn’t work out between you and Jay.”
A flash of regret seemed to pass through Rita’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. “It wasn’t meant to be. Let’s just focus on celebrating you and Jonathon.”
“I missed you.” The two women linked arms, then slowly started to walk toward the front desk. Clint hovered behind, tipping the bell steward who loaded their luggage onto a cart. His gaze remained on Rita as she walked away. He didn’t know the woman from a passing acquaintance but he felt... He couldn’t even describe what he felt.
He’d met her years ago and had somehow forgotten her. Which seemed unbelievable given his reaction to her now.
She was one of his sister’s close friends. A bridesmaid in her wedding. Based on their conversation just now, she’d clearly just come out of what sounded like a serious relationship.
The last thing he wanted was any kind of meaningful relationship himself. Not for several years. He’d done all he could for his sister. She was a grown, educated, about-to-be-married woman. He intended this next period of his life to be all about his growing business and doing all the things he hadn’t been able to do after he and Lizzie had been orphaned when he was merely sixteen. His sister had only been fourteen.
Lizzie turned and gave him a questioning look. He read it as “Hurry up, already.” For the younger sibling, she could certainly be quite bossy, Clint thought as he strolled to where they now stood by the check-in desk.
“This is the man whose credit card is covering all these charges,” Lizzie told the desk clerk as she pointed at him. “Including the expanded catering menu we discussed earlier.”
The gentleman handed him a key card. “Mr. Fallon. Welcome. Your suite is ready and waiting for you. You’ll find a chilled bottle of champagne and a basket of fruit.”
Lizzie clapped her hands and turned to him. “Excellent, Rita and I will be snagging that champagne from you, big brother.”
“Is that so? And why should I relinquish it to you two?”
Lizzie huffed with impatience, as if the answer should be obvious. “Because us girls are celebrating. More than just my upcoming nuptials.”
“Fine. Consider it yours.” He knew he could be too indulgent with her sometimes. But this was her wedding. “What else will you two be celebrating then?”
She draped her arm around Rita’s shoulders. “We are also celebrating this young lady’s newly found freedom.”
Rita’s eyes flickered downward. She looked far from celebratory at the moment.
Clint signed the paperwork he’d been handed and watched as the two women slowly made their way down the hall.
So who exactly was Jay? And was there any chance Rita was still hung up on him?
But there was no denying the real, much bigger question—why did Clint want to know so badly?
HER DIVORCE WAS hardly a cause for celebration.
Rita was just getting used to the idea that she was single again. The breakup had been her idea. She’d been the one who wanted out of her marriage. Still, it wasn’t something she wanted to party over. Jay hadn’t been a bad person. He hadn’t even been a bad husband. In fact, he’d make someone else a fitting spouse one day. Just not her.
But Lizzie’s heart was in the right place. So Rita figured she’d drink Clint’s champagne with her. Speaking of, she hadn’t missed Clint’s curious glance in her direction when Lizzie had spoken of her breakup. Now, as they passed through the open-air lobby on the way to his suite, she could feel his intense gaze on her back. The knowledge sent a tingle of awareness along the surface of her skin.
Cut it out.
She was simply reacting to seeing her crush again after all these years. And that’s all Clint had ever been: a crush.
“And it all starts tonight!” Lizzie chimed with excitement.
Rita was paying just enough attention to know Lizzie was rambling on about the various sightseeing tours and excursions planned for the wedding party. Apparently, it all kicked off with a traditional Hawaiian luau this evening.
Good thing one of them was talking; God bless her old friend for never being at a loss for words, as Rita wasn’t feeling particularly chatty. Heaven knew she hadn’t said much to Clint on the plane ride over. But what would she have talked about? Her stalled career? Her failed marriage? And she certainly didn’t want to get into her currently very strained relationship with her parents.
At least she wasn’t the only one here alone. Clint was also without a plus-one. Looked like they both were leaving some part of their pasts behind.
They finally reached his door and Clint used his card to let them in. Rita had to bite down a gasp as she stepped inside. His suite was the size of a small apartment. A wall of glass stood opposite them, the view a spectacular one of the ocean and the island mountain in the distance. Pity the woman who was supposed to be here and was now missing out on all this.
Among the other things she was missing out on.
Rita couldn’t help but study Clint as he walked to the veranda and pulled the sliding door open. She’d certainly had good taste all those years ago when she’d first started crushing on the man. Tall and lean, he seemed to be quite fit. And he had the most striking facial features. Where his sister was fair with a patrician nose, Clint had more the look of a well-mixed genealogy. Lizzie had mentioned once that there was some Asian blood in their family ancestry. Though those genes hadn’t found his sister, Clint clearly had what would be described as such characteristics. Overall, it made for a dashing, exotic look that definitely made him stand out in a crowd.
“They gave you the good stuff,” Lizzie said as she pulled a green glass bottle out of the ice bucket.
“And
