The Mighty Quinns: Ryan (16 page)

“I figured I’d hit them while they were still reeling from their windfall.” He chuckled softly. “I can’t believe that just happened. It’s like winning the lottery.”

“I’m happy for you,” Lydie said. “I know you haven’t been entirely satisfied working for your brother. But now you have your own money to do with as you please.”

Ryan grabbed his mother’s hands. “Mum, I think you should hold off on meeting Serena for a bit. It’s not that I don’t want you to meet her, but we’re not quite at that point yet.”

“Are you in love, darling?”

Ryan didn’t even have to think before he answered her question. “Yes. I am.”

“Then don’t screw this up,” she warned. “I want all my sons married. I need grandchildren.”

“What about Dana?”

“She’s still young.”

Ryan bent and kissed her on the cheek. “Go buy yourself something new, Mum. You’re about to be a wealthy lady.”

He walked out of the office and hopped in the Range Rover. As he drove out of town, he couldn’t help but smile. Strange how life could turn on a dime. What would happen next?

He thought about his plans for a surf school and what he could do with a million dollars. He could make a life for himself and for Serena. He’d have something to offer her. But for now he’d keep his good fortune to himself. Until a check was in his hand, he couldn’t trust that it was true.

9

“
L
ADIES
AND
GENTLEMEN
, we’re beginning our final descent into Los Angeles International. Local time is 11:27 a.m. Please fasten your seat belts and return your seat backs and tray tables to their upright positions. Stow all carry-on in the overhead bins or beneath the seats. And thank you for flying Air New Zealand.”

Serena gave Ryan’s hand a squeeze and he smiled. He’d been reassuring her for most of the trip across the Pacific, but the closer they got to Los Angeles, the more anxious and frantic Serena became. He’d never witnessed such a change in character, and he was at a loss to explain how a woman so strong and confident could fall apart in such quick order.

“Everything is going to be fine,” she murmured. She had said the words over and over again, but Ryan knew she wasn’t convinced. He also knew she was more worried about him than about her own problems.

Ryan was surprised at how easily he could read her thoughts now that she was under stress. Serena was concerned that he would see or hear something that might alter his feelings for her.

He stared down at their linked hands. He loved her. Nothing would change that. But it was clear that his presence in Los Angeles was not going to help. If anything, he was adding to her distress. Gone was the bright, smiling beauty he’d spent the last week with, and in her place, a neurotic, whinging stranger.

The plane gently dropped out of the sky and she gave his hand another squeeze as the wheels touched down. Ryan looked out the window. He’d traveled through Los Angeles in the past, on his way to one exotic location or another. But he’d never thought it wise to stay and visit. He had to question his decision now.

Ryan helped Serena gather her things and they walked down the Jetway ramp, collected their luggage and headed toward Customs and Immigration. On top of everything else, Serena was jumpy and irritable after so many hours without sleep. She snapped at him when he offered to carry her bag, and when he suggested that he fetch them both a coffee, she shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together.

They headed out into the terminal and barely took ten steps before Ryan saw Thom Perry and Miles DuMont waiting for them. “Here we go,” he muttered.

Serena noticed them at the same moment and reached for him, her fingers clutching his forearm. “You can do this,” he said.

“We should have never come back.”

“Serena, darling,” Thom said, approaching with his arms held wide. “It’s so good to have you here.”

“Thom,” she said as he kissed both her cheeks. “What are you doing here? Airport transportation usually isn’t your responsibility.”

“I thought we could talk on the ride,” he said. He turned to Ryan. “Quinn. Great to see you again. And job well done. I knew I could count on you.”

Serena glanced over at Ryan, frowning. “What is he talking about?”

Ryan grasped her arms and moved her away from the two men. “Will you excuse us for just a moment,” he said.

“Miles, why don’t you take the luggage to the car and wait for us there,” Thom ordered. He reached in his suit jacket pocket and withdrew an envelope, then held it out to Ryan. “I expect that will cover it.”

“I don’t want your money,” Ryan said.

“But we had a deal.”

“What deal?” Serena said, her voice trembling.

“Excuse us,” Ryan said, ignoring the envelope that Perry held out. “I need to talk to Serena alone.”

Ryan pulled her along until he found a quiet spot, but Thom hovered nearby, watching them suspiciously.

“What deal?” Serena said.

“I told you about it,” Ryan said. “Double my fee if I get you back to L.A., and triple if you marry Ben.”

“But I thought you—”

“I’m not going to take it, Serena.” He paused. “And I’m not going to stay in L.A. with you. I got you here, safe and sound, and now I’m going to leave you to sort out your life.”

“No,” Serena said. “You can’t leave. I won’t let you.”

“Darling, I don’t belong here.”

“Neither do I. You made me see that. If you leave, I’m coming with you.”

“No.”

“You don’t want me?”

“Of course I do,” Ryan said. “I want you so much it aches inside. But you’re the one who has to put this life behind you. You need to make the choice on your own.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her, her body molding to his, her limbs limp with exhaustion.

Ryan drew away, smoothing his fingertips over her soft cheek. “I love you, Elly Sheridan. That is the only thing you need to remember. And when you are finished with this life, come back to me and we’ll start
our
life together.”

“And what if I’m not finished with this life?”

“I’ll wait for you, for as long as it takes. There’s no one else I’ll love. You’re the only one for me.”

Ryan gently set her away from him, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “She’s ready,” he said to Thom Perry.

Thom slowly approached. Serena’s gaze darted between the two of them, and for a moment, Ryan thought she was about to bolt. Then she took a ragged breath and closed her eyes, as if gathering her strength.

When she opened them again, she met his gaze. “I love you, too,” she said. She walked over to Thom and took the envelope from his hand, then returned to Ryan. Rising up on her toes, Serena gently kissed his cheek. “See you later, Ryan,” she murmured, pressing the envelope into his palm.

He held her hands for a long time, gazing into her eyes, afraid to break the contact. But then she did, spinning to face Thom. “You, I barely tolerate,” she muttered.

And with that, Serena Hightower walked away from him. Ryan watched her, hoping she’d turn back so he could get one last look at her. But she didn’t. Serena was swallowed up by the crush of people on the concourse, and a minute later, it was as if she’d never existed at all, as if this whole romance had been a dream.

“I hope you didn’t just make the biggest mistake of your life,” he murmured to himself. He glanced around, searching for his bag, before realizing that Miles had taken it to the car. But then he saw the publicist, weaving his way through the crowd, Ryan’s duffle thrown over his shoulder.

He rushed up and held out the bag. “You did the right thing,” Miles said, breathless. “It never would have worked out between the two of you. Best to end it now.”

And with that Miles left Ryan standing in the middle of the concourse, assaulted by self-doubt and regret. His only hope was that Serena was as strong as he thought she was. And that she truly did love him.

He picked up his bag and searched the signs for directions to the Air New Zealand ticket counter. When he found it, he got in line. He realized that he was still holding the envelope from Thom Perry.

Ryan tore it open and looked at the check. As promised, Thom had doubled his fee and added a substantial tip. Cursing softly, Ryan ripped the check into tiny bits, and when he reached the ticket clerk, he handed her the scraps.

“I’ll need a ticket to Auckland,” he said.

“When would you like to travel?” she asked, sending him a flirtatious smile.

“Now,” Ryan said.

“We have a flight out at 10:15 tonight, nonstop. You’ll be in Auckland the day after tomorrow at 7:15 a.m. Should I book that for you?”

“How much?” Ryan asked.

“Twelve hundred and eighty-one, U.S.,” she said. “And how would you like to pay for that?”

Ryan pulled out his wallet and searched through his company bank cards, trying to find one that wasn’t maxed out. Mal was going to kill him, especially if he found out that he’d ripped up a check that would have paid for ten tickets to Auckland.

Then, as the clerk ran his card through the reader, Ryan remembered that he was about to become a millionaire. Some distant relative, Aunt Aileen Quinn, had left him over a million dollars. He’d have enough money to live comfortably, to start his surf school.

But no amount of money could buy back the woman he loved if she decided not to return to New Zealand.

* * *

“
M
ISS
H
IGHTOWER
?
D
O
YOU
have a preference on this point?”

“What?” Serena moved her eyes away from the window and glanced around the group that had gathered in her Malibu beach house. “I don’t care. Do what you think is best.”

“Mr. Thayer won’t agree to that,” Adele Reston said. “Any statement that puts even a hint of the blame on him is something that we won’t accept. Miss Hightower is the one who wants to cancel the wedding, not Mr. Thayer.”

An argument broke out between her camp and Ben’s, and Serena felt her irritation rise. She’d wanted to be a part of the discussion, but now that she was, she realized that she truly didn’t care who said what about her. She just wanted out.

Her thoughts spun back to that moment in the airport. Even now she couldn’t figure out why Ryan had left her.

He never ran from a challenge. The man climbed mountains for a living. He wouldn’t be afraid to face a few angry publicists. So why throw her to the wolves?

There was something deeper at work here. Was this a test of her resolve? Serena took a ragged breath. These men and women weren’t wolves, they were people, with problems to solve. And those problems had been caused by something she’d done.

“Stop!” she cried.

The room grew silent and she glanced around, all eyes fixed on her. She felt tears well in her eyes, but she refused to surrender. This was her life they were talking about, her mistakes and her regrets. She would control how they were handled.

“Here is what you’ll release to the press,” Serena began. “You’ll say that Ben and I remain good friends and that we realized how difficult it would be to make a marriage work with our busy schedules. You’ll say we still have the utmost respect for each other and wish each other the best.”

The group nodded. “That sounds acceptable,” Ben’s publicist said. “And plausible.”

“It’s plausible because it’s how I feel,” Serena said softy. “And I hope it’s how Ben feels, too.”

“And this other man,” Miles DuMont said. “What statement would you like us to release about him?”

Serena directed her attention to the studio publicist. “You won’t mention him at all.”

“They’re going to want to know if you’re together,” Miles said.

Serena considered the question, a question she couldn’t answer. Were they together? If they were, he’d be here at her side, trying to sort out this mess with her. She fought another wave of tears. He should be holding her hand and giving her advice and—

She drew a sharp breath, then turned away from the group, her gaze fixing on the horizon outside the wide glass windows again. No. Closing her eyes, she scolded herself silently. No! He’d been right to leave her. This was her life; these were her mistakes. Ryan had nothing to do with them, beyond providing a safe harbor in a storm when she’d needed it.

“If the subject of Mr. Quinn comes up, you will simply say that he was supportive during a very difficult time in my life and—”

“But they’re going to want to know if—”

She spun around again. “You will not bring him into this. He had nothing to do with my decision to end the engagement or call off the wedding. That was entirely between me and Ben.”

“They’re going to want a reason,” Adele, Ben’s publicist insisted. “My client was blindsided and he will not—”

“Your client is not being entirely truthful with you,” she said, turning her full attention on Adele. “If you want details, you can ask him. There are two rather...large details that I’m sure he’ll be happy to provide.” She saw the woman squirm in her seat and the color rise in her cheeks. “Or maybe three,” Serena added. “But those are for him to reveal if he chooses, not for me.”

Adele nodded nervously, and Serena decided to spare her any further distress and move on. “Next problem?”

“The wedding,” Miles said. “The expense. Many of your fans are going to find the waste a bit difficult to rationalize. You were spending over a million on the ceremony and reception.”

“Anything that was purchased, including my wedding dress, will be auctioned online and the proceeds will go to help the Los Angeles Humane Society. It’s a charity both Ben and I support. Gifts will be returned. Vendors will be paid. My wedding planner will be taking care of those details. Any other questions on that subject?”

“The media tour for the movie,” Miles said. “And the tour for the European release.”

“I plan to fulfill all my commitments to the studio and abide by all my contract obligations. Since the wedding has been canceled, I will be available for appearances starting tomorrow.”

Craig Zimmer, Serena’s agent, raised his hand. “Don’t you think it’s a bit soon to—”

“No,” Serena said. “I’m not an emotional wreck. I’m choosing to look at these events as a positive step forward. I’m happy that I’ve been able to prevent Ben and I untold heartache later.”

“Do you love him?”

Serena opened her mouth, ready to declare her feelings for Ryan, unafraid to say what she felt. But then she realized that the question had to do with Ben, not Ryan. “I will always love Ben,” she said. “We’ve been very close for the past two years, and he is a dear friend. I know he’ll find happiness.” She forced a smile. “I think we’ve taken care of all the questions. This is nothing that can’t be handled with the truth. I’m not trying to hide anything or spin the situation to my benefit. And I will be happy to answer further questions from the media.”

“Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to ask the media to respect your privacy?” Pauline Fredericks, Serena’s publicist, asked.

“I can handle their questions, Pauline. The sooner they’re addressed, the sooner the speculation will stop.”

“Well, my client will be satisfied,” Adele said. She snapped her notebook shut.

“There is one more subject that might come up,” Miles said. “The studio’s
Roman Holiday
remake has been green-lighted. Rumor is that Thom Perry wants you to reprise the Audrey Hepburn role. What’s your position on that?”

A month ago, she’d have been thrilled to be considered for the role. She’d have actively sought it by making her interest clear to Miles and to the media. But Serena wasn’t going to play the game anymore. “If I were offered the role, I’d consider it. But there’s been no offer.” She paused. “And in my opinion, Hollywood shouldn’t tamper with perfection. There’s no need to remake a classic.”