Page 69 of The Route to You

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Don’t look now, yeah?” Tomas said, sitting beside Kyle at the swim-up bar in the pool. “Those women have been eyeing you for the past ten minutes. One of them is quite fit.”

Kyle didn’t bother to glance their way, his fingers tightening around the bottom of his glass. He stared at the wet circle on the coaster below it. “They’re probably wondering if they’re going to be kidnapped, too.”

“Ah, mate, you have to let that go,” Tomas said, throwing him a sympathetic glance.

Let it go?

Tomas wasn’t trying to be unhelpful. He’d stuck around in Cabo for a week extra with Kyle—long after Helixnet had fired Kyle, canceled Pathways, and shut down the production. Finally, all those accumulated travel points had come in handy because they could both extend the reservations and check out from “real life” for a little longer. Kyle knew Tomas meant well.

But how could he let it go?

He’d been arrested. Brought in. His name splashed all over international news outlets and tabloids with scandal written all over it—scandal that wasn’t easily erased. No matter what the truth was, strangers had made up their minds about him or now harbored some doubt.

Not that he was a kidnapper. The police had quickly dropped the charges. Quinn, resourceful brother-in-law that he was, had flown out to Wyoming immediately with a lawyer and gotten him out of jail before sunrise the night after he’d been arrested.

By that time, Sloan was impossible for him to contact, and he’d rushed to the airport to get on a plane for Cabo, trying to keep the crumbling pieces of his life together before they all fell apart.

Of course, it had all fallen apart anyway.

Because sources had told the media that he was Sloan’s ex-boyfriend. So, he’d suddenly gone from being a kidnapper to the home-wrecking affair partner to a poor, aggrieved congressman’s cheating ex-fiancée. An even better story than kidnapping, really, because sex and sordid affairs were always juicier tabloid fodder.

The media circus had continued, trying to beat the story to death until they found the next splashy headline to focus on.

Helixnet had balked at the scandal.

Sloan hadn’t reached out once. Maybe it had taken a bit to get a new phone, but not two weeks, though. He seriously doubted she’d go that long without one.

And, maybe worst of all, Granny had ended up somewhere in a police impound lot and was missing— something he still couldn’t bring himself to share with his family, who would be furious with him.

She’d probably find it hilarious, the crazy old bat.

Maybe the only good thing that had come of it was that Davy knew Evan wasn’t the person she believed. She’d been beyond apologetic and explained that, after Sloan had called Evan, Davy had mentioned Kyle. Evan hadn’t even shown his true face then, but he hadn’t told the police that he knew where Sloan was. Then he’d waited until Davy had left the next day to fly to Cabo to release everything he’d dug up about Kyle to the police and the media.

Davy hadn’t even learned Kyle had been arrested until after she’d landed.

Either way, no , Kyle couldn’t let it go.

Kyle sighed slowly, propping one elbow on the bar as he palmed his forehead. “I wish it were that simple.”

Tomas rubbed his jaw. “Still no word from Sloan?”

Kyle eyed Tomas for a moment and sat straighter. “It’s not about that.”

“Isn’t it, though? You went to a lot of trouble for her. The very least she could have done is send a text. Said thank you.”

Don’t I know it. Kyle forced the bitter thought away. “She didn’t have a phone when we last parted,” he said weakly. Why am I defending her?

“Yeah, but I’m sure she has one by now.” Tomas drummed his fingertips against the bar. “You don’t think she’s gotten back together with her ex, do you?”

God, I hope not. After everything? “I don’t think so.” He dragged his hand down his face, sat straighter, and swallowed some beer. “Anyway, it’s none of my business. We’re not dating. We’re barely friends.”

Tomas stretched out, his dark brown skin glistening with coconut-scented tanning oil. “I’d say she made it your business when she involved you. But if you want to let her off the hook so easily, that’s all you.” He nodded toward the distant shoreline. “Fancy renting some Jet Skis? It might help lift your spirits.”

“Will it stop you from asking me more questions about Sloan?” Kyle asked with a grim smile.

Tomas chuckled. “Sure.”