Garth saw them and held his ground. Izzy released Skye, walked up to Garth, threw both arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
“Finally,” she said, sounding relieved. “I thought we’d never meet. Why is that? You’ve known about us forever. But do you call or write? Nothing. I’m waiting for a desperately clever excuse. You’ve had long enough to think up one.”
Garth raised his eyebrows as he disentangled himself. “Izzy,” he said, easing her away. “Have you been drinking?”
“Not yet, but I will. My time off is nearly over.”
“Time off?” he asked.
“Oh, please. Don’t pretend you don’t know everything about us.” She winked. “But I’ll go along with it for now. I work on an oil rig. I’m an underwater welder. I work long hours with no time off for weeks at a time. When we’re finally cut loose, we get all our days off in a row. I’ve been enjoying myself. Kind of like you.”
Skye watched the exchange, not sure where Izzy was going.
She leaned against Garth. “So tell us,” she murmured. “What’s your end game? Total annihilation of all Titans?”
Garth’s expression didn’t change. “No. Just the gradual disintegration of wealth and privilege that has made all of the Titans entitled sons of bitches.”
Skye’s breath got caught in her chest but Izzy didn’t blink. “Sort of the opposite of those bombs that kill people but not buildings? You want to leave the people standing.”
“As long as they have nothing.”
That was clear, Skye thought, losing her fear in her anger. “Why?” she demanded. “What did my sisters and I ever do to you?”
“You’ll have to take that up with your father.”
“So this is about Jed?”
“It’s about all of you.”
“How much of it is about your mother?”
Garth’s dark eyes hardened. “Please excuse me. I see someone I need to talk to.”
He walked away before they could stop him.
Izzy fanned herself with her fingers. “If looks could kill, we’d both be stains on the carpet right now. So it
“I don’t know, but we’re going to have to find out.” Even though there was a part of Skye that didn’t want to know.
“I need a drink,” Izzy said. “Want one?”
“Go ahead. I need to circulate.”
Skye walked into the crowd, careful to keep track of Garth as she went. She greeted guests, made sure everyone was eating the food, and tried to ignore the sense of dread inside. Fifteen minutes later she saw Mitch and felt her knees go weak with relief.
“You’re here,” she said as she rushed over. “I’m so glad.”
He smiled at her. “Do you welcome all your guests that way? Because if you do, I can see why you get such a crowd.”
“I probably should, but I don’t. Tonight has been stressful.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s only seven-thirty.”
“I know. We peaked early. It’s been a mess. Jed and I had our usual fight about the foundation.”
“What fight?”
“He thinks it’s a waste of time and money.”
“What do you think?”
She looked at him. He’d always had the power to take her breath away and that hadn’t changed. She wanted to touch the new scar on his jaw, trace the line of his mouth, kiss him until they both forgot everything but each other. Maybe not the best plan in the middle of a party at her father’s house.
“I think I can make a difference,” she said.
“Then screw Jed Titan.”
That made her laugh. “I think there’s a club by that name. Garth would be the president.”
Mitch glanced around. “He’s here?”
Skye found him and pointed him out. “Izzy decided on direct confrontation. He basically said he was going to destroy everything we had and leave us with nothing. It was a tense few minutes that pretty much confirmed everything we’d been thinking.” She touched her stomach. “Too much stress. Let’s talk about something else. You pick the topic.”
“I have my leg back.”
She glanced down. “You’re right. You’re not on crutches. Sorry, I should have noticed.”
He looked at her curiously.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m missing a leg.”
“I know that.”
He gave her a slow, heart-stopping smile. “Maybe I’m the only one defining myself in those terms.”
“Maybe you are.” She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server. “Okay, second subject change. We have the weather, a perennial favorite, and politics, which can be dangerous. Are you enjoying being back home.” She tilted her head. “I know. Where did you live while you were gone? Were you stationed somewhere?”
“San Diego.”
“It’s supposed to be lovely there.”
“It is. Great weather.”
“Beautiful women,” Skye teased. “So was there someone special?”
Mitch hesitated just long enough for her to realize she didn’t want him to answer the question.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” she said quickly, wishing she’d stuck to politics as a conversational topic. “Of course you got involved. You were gone nearly nine years. So, what was she like? Did you…” Her brain froze. “Were you married?”
He could have married someone and then gotten a divorce. Or maybe she’d died horribly, leaving him with perfect memories of a young woman who would never screw up and abandon him.
“You’re taking things a little far,” Mitch told her. “I dated. There was someone I was seeing for a while. She wanted to take things to the next level and I didn’t.”
Meaning she loved him and he didn’t love her back? Or he didn’t love her enough? So many questions and Skye wasn’t sure she could handle the answers.
Lexi and Cruz walked up, providing a welcome diversion.
“Hi,” she said. “Lexi, you remember Mitch.”
“Of course.” Lexi smiled at him, then turned to Cruz. “A guy I knew in high school. You should be worried.”
“I am,” Cruz teased, their love an obvious and welcome third party.
“Hey, Lexi,” Mitch said as he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You look beautiful.”
Lexi was perfect, as always, her long blond hair flowing down her back. She wore navy, which brought out her blue eyes and she glowed, as every woman with her first baby should.
Cruz reached for Skye’s hand. “May I have this dance?”
The invitation surprised her, but then she realized Lexi had probably seen her distress and, without knowing the cause, had arranged a rescue.
“Of course,” she said, and allowed Cruz to lead her away.
Mitch watched Skye go.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Lexi said. She nudged him to the dance floor.
“I can’t,” he said, still focused on Skye.
“How do you know?”
That he couldn’t dance? “I don’t,” he admitted. He’d just assumed. But the music was slow. “Keep your expectations low,” he said as he took Lexi’s hand and they joined the crowd.
