Holly pulled her sweater tighter around her and picked at the smooth stones on the beach. She tossed a few into the gently lapping waters of the lake. She’d been home at her parents’ house for only two days, and so far everyone had mercifully left her alone. Even her sister, who was normally so meddlesome, allowed Holly room to grieve.
When she first pulled up to the farmhouse in one of Mackinac Island’s golf carts, her parents came out smiling, expecting to see her with their future son-in-law in tow. Instead, they saw a lonely, sniveling daughter and mounds of luggage. Holly didn’t have to say a word before her mother enveloped her in a soft hug and her father asked her cheerfully if she was interested in some dinner. They hadn’t asked a single question of her since.
Now, she was unsure of what to do. She was back where she started in her parents’ home without any prospects for the future and a thoroughly broken heart. She thought things had changed between her and her boss. He was so tender and made her feel like the most desirable woman in the world. They shared deep feelings and a final, perfect night together. The next morning, he was strictly business without any care for her feelings. Holly felt a sharp pain in her chest as she remembered how his usually kind eyes glared at her with distain as he left for work. Where she thought they were officially lovers with a future, he decided that they were merely coworkers and she was just another conquest.
Angrily, she picked up another handful of rocks and threw them into the water before stomping back to the house. When she opened the back door, she saw a familiar young man sitting at the kitchen table with her parents. In a rush, she remembered all the times she’d held his hand, ran her fingers over his chest, and kissed his face—which she now fought the urge to punch.
“Brian, what are you doing here?”
Her high school boyfriend, Brian, rose to his feet as he smoothed back his light-colored hair and grinned at her. That playful smile had made her melt once, but she was a different person then. “I heard you moved back to Mackinac and I thought it would be nice to stop by.”
“Okay.” Holly crossed her arms over her chest and waited for more as Brian shifted nervously where he stood. Holly’s parents slowly slipped out of the kitchen to give them some privacy. “What do you want?”
“I can’t just come and see you?”
“Not after you were such a jerk to me.”
He sighed. “I know I have no right to be here or even talk to you, but I just needed to do this. Seeing you in all those magazine looking so happy with that other guy made me jealous.”
“You came all the way here to say that you were jealous?”
“Yes, I did.” He took a step closer to her. “I hated seeing you with him, knowing that I officially lost you.”
Holly scoffed, thoroughly annoyed that Brian had decided to try to squirm into her good graces. “You officially lost me when you slept with that other girl. I would say that totally ended our relationship.”
“I know, and I’m really sorry about that. It was a stupid mistake.”
“Whatever, Brian. I think it’s time you leave.” She turned to the fridge and opened it, pulling out a bottle of water. “Bye, now.”
Brian held out his arms, his face contorted in an exaggerated pout that made him look ridiculous to her, rather than sympathetic. “Just hear me out. I know I did something terrible and I deserved to lose you, but when I heard that you broke up with that guy in New York, I saw it as the universe giving me another chance at happiness with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I seriously doubt the universe wants you anywhere near me.”
“Ew!” A voice behind them let out a terrible gagging noise. “What’s he doing here?”
Holly turned to see her little sister, Kara, walking into the kitchen with her faithful cat, Bo, trotting behind her. “I was trying to find out the same thing.”
“Hello, Kara,” Brian muttered, dropping his arms to his side.
“Brian. It’s so good to see you again.” Her voice oozed sarcasm. “Are you here for tea? To pick up a catering order from my parents? Or to screw with my sister’s life a little more?”
Brian sighed again, playing the part of the victim. “I just came to apologize to Holly and try to make her see that I’m really sorry. I was young and selfish. I’ve had time to grow and change over the past year, and I want to fix things.” Despite her reluctance, he took Holly’s hands in his and gazed at her with his chocolate-colored eyes. “Please, Holly, give me another shot? Just one date to see if you feel anything at all for me.”
“You can’t be serious,” Kara spat. “Why can’t you just leave her alone?”
“Because I think we have a real chance.”
“Ugh. Whatever.” Kara rolled her eyes and disappeared around the corner, fed up with his dramatic display.
“If you actually came back here with the intentions of getting back together, you’re seriously deranged,” Holly told him, pulling her hands from his sweaty palms.
“Just one night. That’s all I’m asking. Think about all the plans we had. Taking over your parents’ restaurant one day, having a couple of kids, maybe going to Europe. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
She frowned, remembering the long nights they’d spent out on the beach talking about a future that seemed perfect in every way at the time. “It was,” she admitted.
“I can give you all those things, Holly. I know I made a huge mistake, but I want to make things right and see if there’s anything left for us.”
Jackson’s face flashed in her mind, but Holly pushed it aside. “I just got out of a relationship. I don’t think I’m ready to get into something serious right now. And I really don’t think I’d ever want to get into anything with you.”
Brian sighed and grabbed his jacket from where it hung, draped over the back of a chair. “I understand. I just wanted you to know that you I’m here for you if you ever want to go out or just be friends.” He reached into his pocket and pulled a business card for his accounting practice from his wallet. “Here, my cell number is on the back. Call me if you ever want to get together.”
***
When Holly came home from work the next afternoon, she found Kara sprawled on the living room couch, a tabloid magazine open in front of her. Her brow was creased and she seemed to be studying something intently.
“Anything good?” Holly asked, peeking over the top of Kara’s head.
Kara shot up, crumpling the magazine in her hand. “No!” she shouted, putting the tabloid behind her back.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, never better,” Kara said with a short, unnatural laugh.
Holly narrowed her eyes and inspected her jumpy sister. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing!”
“Is there something in that magazine that I need to see?”
Kara averted her gaze. “No.”
She felt her chest tighten. Kara certainly wouldn’t be acting so strangely for no reason. “It’s him, isn’t it? Just tell me.”
Her little sister paused as if unsure of what to do before flipping through the crinkled pages and stopping at a spread of pictures. “I just saw it and I wasn’t sure if I should show you or not. I wanted you to see it before anyone else had the chance to, but I didn’t know how.”
Holly’s mouth went dry as she took the magazine. There, in full color, was a picture of Jackson looking dapper in a tuxedo. At his side was a gorgeous brunette with full red lips and a matching couture gown. His arm was around the brunette’s waist and he was leaning over to whisper something in her bejeweled ear. It looked quite intimate. Holly could barely force herself to read the short article that followed.
Masterful mogul Jackson Cantrell is single and ready to mingle! After a quiet break up from fiancée Holly McIntyre, it looks like New York City’s most eligible bachelor has his sights set on actress Jennifer Good. The two were seen getting cozy at the premier of Good’s new movie, “The Stranger’s Kiss.” Sources close to Good say that the two lovebirds are getting serious and are already talking marriage and babies. Billionaire hottie Jackson certainly got over that small town girl fast!
Holly shut the magazine and passed it back to Kara before sitting down slowly next to her on the couch. It felt as if a great lump had settled into her chest and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry, scream, disappear, or all of the above. “He’s got a new girlfriend?”
“It might not be true.” Kara bit her lip and placed a hand on Holly’s knee. “They print stuff that isn’t true in these magazines all the time.”
“It probably is. I spent the first few weeks working for him dodging calls from models and actresses he was involved with. This girl is just his type.” Holly fought back nausea as her brain began replaying images of Jackson and Jennifer before her eyes.
She’d seen Jennifer Good in several movies and magazines, and the woman was classically stunning. She also spent her free time in Africa building schools and donated money to children’s hospitals all down the east coast of the United States. Beautiful, rich, and a philanthropist—Jennifer Good was everything Holly wasn’t and she hated her for it.
“I’m sorry, Holly.” Kara looked at her sorrowfully. “I shouldn’t have let you see it.”
“No. You did the right thing. I needed to see it.” She rose from her seat. “I’m going upstairs. I’ll talk to you later.”
She went up to her room and closed the door behind her before letting the tears fall freely. The hot, frustrated tears embarrassed her. She felt as if she had no right to cry over a taken man, no matter how intimate they had once been. After all, he had made it clear from the beginning that it was all just business. It was her who had gotten caught up in things.
She stalked around her room, looking at all the moving boxes she hadn’t unpacked yet. They were full to the brim with designer shoes and expensive dresses, gifts from a man who didn’t love her and never would.
Seeing those things that Jackson had given her made her angry. He’d tried to buy her off and now he was talking about getting serious with another woman. Holly wiped the wetness from her cheeks with the back of her hand and went to her desk. Brian’s business card lay on the edge. Sure, Brian hadn’t been the best boyfriend, but he had never broken her heart as deeply as Jackson did. He seemed honestly sorry for ruining their relationship and didn’t even push for her forgiveness as hard as she thought he might. Brian was also here waiting for her while Jackson was dating a leggy actress with a killer smile.
Fighting back spiteful tears, Holly picked up the business card and pulled her cellphone from her pocket. The phone only rang once before she heard Brian’s voice on the other line.