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His hold on her tightened, which made her cry even harder. She felt stupid, standing there, wet with the rain, crying into Derek’s chest. There was no reason to cry. Yet, she couldn’t stop. And he simply let her cry until there were no tears left.
When her sobs turned into hiccups, he finally let her go. Embarrassed, she pulled back and wiped at her cheeks. “Well, that was stupid. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”
“Because.” Derek didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. She knew what he meant.
“He probably doesn’t even have cancer,” she said, but even to her own ears it sounded lame. She’d seen the difference in how her father looked when she got off the plane. She’d noticed, she just hadn’t thought that maybe he was ill. She didn’t know what she was thinking. Only that she was mad at him for forcing this marriage.
This marriage that, ironically, she didn’t mind so much anymore.
“He might not.” Derek’s voice was low. Kind.
“It could just be an infection.” An infection that made her father fall and break his wrist. Did she just get stupider in the last ten minutes?
“Could be.”
She combed a hand through her long hair, trying to untangle it from the rain. It wasn’t going to do any good to fret about her father. She was miles and miles away. And he wasn’t even telling her anything. If he knew he had cancer, he should have told her before now.
Wait, was that why he wanted her to marry Derek? So the company would pass to him if he died?
The thought gave her a chill, and she pressed her lips together. Things were starting to make sense. Her father was sick, and he needed to pressure her into this marriage right now, before the stockholders found out.
She swallowed, her insides feeling weak. She wasn’t ready for this. For the possibilities. Even if her father was going to be fine, she wasn’t ready to face anything like this.
Derek leaned against a wooden beam. “Do you want to leave?” he asked, softly.
She nodded and stepped in the direction of the resort. “The rain has lightened up. Now is a good time to go.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Derek ran his hand down her arm and grasped her hand. The warmth of it surprised her. “Do you want to go home?”
Chapter 19
Having access to a private jet was one perk to being Richard Claymore’s successor. It didn’t take long to change their travel plans. By the next morning they were on the flight back to L.A. Derek leaned back in the leather seat as Nara stared out the window, her twisted fingers belying her calm exterior.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
She answered too quickly, and he stared at her, trying to get her to admit she wasn’t fine. Nara let out a breath and shook her head. “I really am fine. There’s nothing to be worried about. I don’t even know why you’re making us leave early. Seems like a huge over-reaction to me.”
He broke eye contact. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was over-reacting. But his gut told him otherwise. Something was going on with Richard Claymore, and he wanted to get Nara there so she could deal with it.
The flight attendant approached them. “Would you like—”
“Diet Coke,” Nara said, cutting her off. A sheepish smile spread across her face. “Please?”
“Yes. I have Diet Coke.” She turned to Derek. “Anything for you?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
The flight attendant nodded. “I’ll be right back with your Coke.”
“Thank you,” Nara said.
It didn’t take the attendant long to come back with a can of soda and a cup of ice. Nara waved away the cup, and took the can. “This is fine, thanks. I like my carbonation straight.”
The woman handed her the silver can, and Nara grabbed onto it like it was a lifeline. “Bless you. You’re a saint.” Nara popped the top and it hissed. She chugged half the soda.
“Better save some of that. It’s a three-hour flight.”
