Page 43 of More Than A Boss

Dejectedly, Will sat in a chair and stared off in space. He felt hopelessly out of his depth here. He wanted to understand where Camilla was coming from, but as he watched his innocent children playing, he could not. This was all a result of the betrayal by the man she had just spent several minutes trying to defend. He knew he would never understand, but he loved this woman with all of his heart. Getting up, he followed her into the bedroom where she was sitting hunched forward on the bed crying.

Sitting down next to her, he tried pulling her into his arms, but she stiffened in response to his touch. “Camilla, I know how much you love your brother. Darling, I love you and only want what is best for you and our children. Can’t you see that? I know he is your brother, and I am sorry that he has betrayed you. I only know that I couldn’t bear to lose you, or our babies, and Christian is responsible for putting you all in harm’s way. I don’t know how to reach you. I don’t want this to come between us on top of everything else. We should be a team here, us against the world. Instead, we are arguing with each other.”

Softening, Camilla turned to Will and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big hug and whispering into his shirt, her words muffled, “Te amo y lo siento.”

She continued to cry softly as he rocked her in his arms. Will wanted to believe that her apology and assurance that she loved him meant that they were now on the same page about her brother. If not completely convinced, he acknowledged it was at least a start.

—

Zane had felt a deep loneliness after watching Allie depart at the airport. He knew it was the best decision, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Well, Kit Kat, it’s you and me now.” She jumped onto his lap and began kneading his thighs before lying down and curling up. “Your mama won’t be gone forever. She gets to laze around on the beach while we’re stuck here with the bad guys and snow!”

He randomly flipped through the television stations, trying to find a distraction. He decided on a college basketball game but watched it half-heartedly at best. His cell rang, and he saw that it was Allie phoning. He quickly answered. “Hi, Allie,” he said forlornly.

“Hi, is this Zane or Eeyore?” she laughed, referring to the Winnie-the-Pooh’s pessimistic and depressed old donkey friend. “I’m calling to check in and let you know that we made it. The weather is perfect here, the sun is shining, and we’re headed out for a seafood dinner. So why am I still miserable?” she asked him.

“I miss you, Allie!” he said dejectedly in response.

“I miss you, too,” she said. “How’s Kit?”

“Sitting curled up in my lap looking at me with her love lights on,” he teased Allie.

“That little tramp. No sense of loyalty! She could at least have a moment of missing me,” she complained jokingly.

“Well, I miss you enough for the both of us,” he said seriously.

“Honestly, I can’t say I mind,” Allie admitted.

“When this is all over, we are going to take a vacation together!” he promised.

“Sounds like an excellent plan. Casey is here chomping at the bit. Her mouth is watering for coconut shrimp. I better get off the phone or she might leave me here,” she said, laughing at her friend’s pacing.

“OK. Don’t forget about me, Allie,” Zane said pitifully.

“As if I could!” she said. “Bye. I’ll be in touch.”

“Bye,” Zane said

“What! No ‘I love you’?” Casey asked.

“Nope! I made that mistake once and felt utterly humiliated. Zane definitely has feelings for me, but I saw his ex-wife in action and she still has designs on him. I’m just not sure he isn’t still holding on to a little something for her as well. He is loaning Helen his lake house while her house is being remodeled. That’s a little suspect to me,” Allie said.

“Maybe not. They were married, after all. There’s nothing to say you can’t have some sort of a relationship with an ex,” Casey said logically.

“Yeah,” Allie answered, “but their divorce was so dirty I can’t imagine why he would want to have anything to do with her.”

“Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he’s just a nice guy who has a hard time saying no to someone he once cared about,” Casey said.

“Maybe you’re right, but it just seems a little strange to me. Anyway, let’s go eat!” Allie said.

They decided to walk since it was such a beautiful evening, and they greeted other travelers and locals as they strolled along. Both women were already beginning to relax. Allie was thankful that Zane had insisted she take this time away.

They arrived at the restaurant and were seated immediately. The ambiance was casual, as were most places on Anna Maria Island. That casual, Southern, laid-back vibe was just what they needed, Allie thought, as she glanced around. As they perused the menu, neither of them paid attention to the admiring glances they were receiving from a few interested males sitting at the bar. They made quite a striking pair, Allie in her shorts and tank top, displaying beautiful long legs and toned arms, with her hair loose and flowing down her back, and Casey in a short sundress with flip-flops, her curly brown hair wild from the humidity. They placed their orders and, when the food arrived, they devoured every morsel on their plates.

Later, on the way back to the condo, they decided to take a short stroll on the beach. They slipped off their shoes and walked barefoot on the soft sand. The sound of the ocean waves moving in and out in their mysterious timeless rhythm was comforting to Allie. It reminded her that her life was just a blink of the eye. This would pass. The sun would rise and set, and the waves would continue to churn and roll in and out.

The stars were bright in the sky, which reminded her of her night at the lake with Zane after they had returned from boating and of what had followed. She almost blushed thinking about how erotic it had been. She knew that Zane had stolen her heart. She was in love with him. She didn’t know anything beyond that simple, irrefutable fact, but she didn’t need to. The future would take care of itself. The ocean reminded her that she had no control anyway.

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