Ten
Smiling, Grace nodded at the bartender when he delivered her drink, then she picked up the crystal flute and took a sip. “Ah. That’s better.”
Might’ve been better for her, but Debbie was feeling a little antsy. After all, what could she possibly say to the fiancee of the man she was in love with? Debbie groaned and winced inwardly. She could hardly believe herself that she was still in love with a man who was virtually holding her prisoner. Could there be a more awful moment?
Grace sat on her bar stool, crossed her legs and took another sip of champagne while watching Debbie over the rim of her glass. There was something very like amusement flickering in the woman’s dark eyes and Debbie took a slightly less flustered breath before speaking.
“So, this is awkward.”
“Not as much as you might think,” Grace said, still holding her champagne flute in one graceful hand. “I understand that you and Gabriel have become quite the item.”
“I didn’t know about you,” Debbie told her.
Grace shrugged. “Nor I you. But I did speak with Gabriel.”
“Really?” Debbie watched the other woman and wondered out loud, “What’d he have to say?”
“That you two are old…friends.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Debbie sipped at her martini, paused a moment and said, “I want you to know something. Before I came here, I hadn’t seen Gabe in ten years. I don’t want you thinking that we’ve been having an affair or something right under your nose.” She took a deep breath, then a long drink of her raspberry-flavored liquor. “A. I would never do something like that, I’m just not that kind of person, though I guess from your perspective, you might not believe me on that. But Gabe wouldn’t do it, either, and you probably know him well enough to believe that, because you are going to marry him, so of course you know him, though not me, at all, I mean. I’m a stranger who can’t seem to stop talking…”
“Is there a ‘B’?” Grace asked when she paused for breath.
“I can’t remember.”
“Doesn’t matter, really. I only came to see you to let you know I’m leaving.”
“Because of me?”
“Please.” The woman chuckled and shook her head. “No. While Gabriel is certainly a diverting man…”
Oh, diverting was a good word for it.
“I’ve decided to marry someone else. I only came here because I wanted to tell him my decision in person.”
Yikes. “How’d he take it?”
“Quite well.” She gave Debbie a quick but thorough up and down look. “With you here, he’s obviously otherwise occupied, anyway.”
“Look, Gabe and I…”
“Are none of my business,” Grace said, taking another sip of her drink. “I’m going to be married in three months.”
“Congratulations.” Debbie had one fleeting thought, wondering what kind of man would be interested in tying himself forever to a woman who seemed chillingly cold. And then wondered if Gabe realized what a lucky escape he’d had.
She couldn’t imagine Gabe married to this woman. He was so easygoing, so, enjoy-life-every-minute. Well, he used to be. As she’d found out all too recently, she really didn’t know this new Gabe very well at all. From what she’d seen of the man Gabe had become over the last few days, maybe Grace was exactly the kind of woman he wanted.
“Thank you.” Sliding off her bar stool, Grace stood, smoothed one hand down the front of her gown and gave Debbie a brief smile. “Now, I’ll say good-night. Oh,” she added as she turned to leave, “good luck with Gabriel.”
While the crowded casino hummed with activity and sound, it was as if a small bubble of silence had been erected around the two women. Neither of them was aware of anything going on in the background. Each of them was instead focused on the odd situation they found themselves in.
“I don’t have Gabe,” Debbie pointed out.
Grace quirked her head to one side and said, “Well, good heavens. You love him, don’t you?”
Debbie stiffened. “Oh, let’s not go there.”
“This is surprising.”
“You’re telling me.” Seriously, could there be a weirder conversation? How hideous it was to be in love alone. Even with all she and Gabe had said to each other in the last few days, she knew that a part of her would always miss him. Ten years ago, she’d walked away, thinking she had known what was best-for both of them.
Leaving Gabe then had nearly killed her-but now it was going to be so much worse. She was older now. Knew more about herself and what she wanted-needed. And she knew that losing Gabe this time was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. Yet there was nothing to be done about it.
“You got a gorgeous women you’re holding captive on this island and you’re sitting here having a drink with me,” Victor said on a short laugh. “What’s wrong with this picture?”
Gabe scowled at his friend, tossed back the last of the Scotch in his glass and asked, “Don’t like my company?”
Victor leaned back into the sofa in his suite of rooms and stared at his boss. “Didn’t say I was complaining, just wondering why you’re here instead of with your blonde?”
“She’s not my blonde.”
“What about Ms. Madison?”
“Gone,” Gabe said, and didn’t want to admit even to himself that he was relieved about Grace leaving the island. Hell, until he’d found Debbie again, he’d been willing to settle for a loveless “arrangement” of a marriage. But once he’d felt the fire again, the thought of marrying Grace had become an impossible one.
Just as well she’d found another man.
Gabe reached for the bottle of Scotch sitting atop a coffee table and splashed more of the amber liquid into the crystal tumbler. How his pal could be confused as to why Gabe would rather be here, drinking with a friend, rather than talking to the woman currently making him insane, was beyond him.
Studying the Scotch like a man looking for answers in all the wrong places, Gabe was remembering the look on Debbie’s face as she’d walked out of his office. He could still clearly see the hurt, and it shocked him that he wasn’t enjoying this more.
Hey, mission accomplished. He’d set her up and knocked her down. So why the hell wasn’t he celebrating? Damn woman never should have come back into his life. He’d had it all a few short weeks ago. He’d been happy.
He took a long drink before saying, “To answer your question, the reason the blonde came to mind first is, she’s the one irritating me at the moment.”
“Uh-huh, and how’s she doing that?” Victor asked. “Complaining about being held prisoner, is she?”
Flashing the other man a dark look, Gabe demanded, “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Yours, boss.” Victor held up both hands in mock surrender.
“Damn straight. Somebody sure should be.” Gabe kicked his legs out in front of him, crossed his feet at the ankles and glowered into his glass of Scotch. Didn’t seem to matter how much he drank. He couldn’t wipe Debbie’s image out of his mind. And he wanted to, for God’s sake.
He didn’t owe her a blasted thing.
“Saw Grace heading into the casino a bit ago,” Victor said.
“Yeah?” Jesus, he was being a miserable bastard.
“Your blonde’s in there, too. Thought you should know the two of them looked like they were going to be comparing some notes.”
“Great.” With the two women talking, God only knew what would happen next. Lifting his gaze to his friend’s, Gabe asked, “Just how did my life go down the toilet so fast?”
“Man,” Victor mused, setting his own glass of Scotch onto the table, “what makes you think your life was so
