Happy Ever After

Chapter 24

Matt stared at his inbox, mouse hovering over the unread message. It was close to midnight and he's just finished a conference call. With the time difference he had found himself working across three time zones. He'd been in Sydney for ten days now and was flying home tomorrow night. The flight in had been endless and he'd spent most of it buried in reports. He'd surfaced when they'd landed in Sydney. As soon he'd switched on his phone, the email from Alana had popped up in his inbox. He'd almost clicked on it, but the pain was too raw and he wasn't sure he could handle any more rejection.

From the moment he landed, he had drowned himself in work, taking in meetings, coordinating with his team back in New York, taking care of business, and preparing for the upcoming board meeting. He knew he was using work as an excuse to avoid thinking about anything personal, but his heart didn't care. The hollow feeling he'd been living with for the past week didn't lessen with time. Eventually he was forced to admit that it wouldn't go away until he knew the answer. One way or the other he wanted to be put out of his misery. He could survive, the way he had survived for the past ten years. He hadn't realized until now that he'd left a part of himself at the beach that day ten years ago, but he'd come through it and he needed to hold on to that.

Procrastinating any longer wasn't going to help. Bracing himself, he double clicked the icon and started to read the two-line email. By the end of it he had pushed himself away from the desk and was pacing the room. Damn it! Why had he waited so long to open the email? And what had she meant? Was it yes if it wasn't no? Was she still thinking about?

It's not over yet.

He wouldn't let it be. After everything they'd been through these past few months, she owed him an explanation in person. Nothing else would do. It was time to go home.

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The sun was shining and Alana let the warm sea breeze cool her down. She'd run one mile down this stretch of the beach and it was time to head back. She stretched her legs on an outcropping of rocks and stared at the grand mansion in front of her. She hadn't come this way at all in years. The memories of that long ago day kept her away, but there was a time when this place had been full of good memories, when she and Matt had met here, hiding behind them from prying eyes. The sound of crashing waves had drowned out their voices and the sound of their lovemaking. It was a secluded spot designed for young lovers. Rather than sad, it made her nostalgic for a love so strong that no amount of disapproving parents or grandmothers had made a difference.

Mimi had always liked Matt, but she'd disapproved of their relationship on principle. She'd always thought Alana was too young for what she and Matt had. Alana could look back and agree to a certain extent, but she could never regret what had been. As first loves went, hers had been a doozy. It was Matt's father who'd always tried to keep them apart and keep Matt focused on the family business. She wondered if old B.D. would have approved of the way Matt turned out. He certainly would never have approved of what went on at the beach when the lights were off and the adults far away in the distance.

She was still smiling when she jogged up the beach steps and stamped the sand off her running shoes. She noted the blue azaleas Mimi had planted by the deck, running her fingers over the velvety petals before entering the house from the mudroom in the back. Mimi was in the kitchen baking bread when Alana came in, her ear buds hanging around her neck.

Alana had arrived home a few days ago. She'd landed in New York after a long flight from Vienna which had seen delays at both ends. She'd gone to see Matt first, but his assistant had told her that he was away, and would Alana like to leave him a message?

Disheartened at the delay in reaching him, Alana had packed up again and headed off to the Hamptons for a break. The first night she'd shown up, Mimi had taken one look at her and took out the bottle of tequila she kept at the back of the pantry. In a haze, Alana remembered telling her grandmother about the boat ride, the proposal and Vienna. Mimi had listened and then told Alana to be patient and wait. They hadn't spoken of it since, but every day that went by without him getting in touch made her lose hope just a little bit more.