Page 11 of The Guest

“She was old enough.”

“Mom was twenty-six, and you were almost forty when you got married.”

“That’s not the same thing, Kara.” Craig suddenly looks like he’s aged ten years, and I can’t help but feel bad for the man.

“How is it not the same? Kevin and I aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“I was in love with her,” Craig says, his voice low, his shoulders sagging, even as he throws murderous looks my way.

“So am I with your daughter, Craig,” I tell him, threading my fingers through Kara’s. It feels a little weird saying it out loud, but it’s the truth. Nothing but the bloody truth.

“You just met her yesterday.”

“You married Mom two weeks after meeting her, and your marriage lasted three decades,” Kara says, tears springing to her eyes.

“Yeah, and look where we are now.”

“You were happy, Dad.”

“Until we weren’t.” Craig slumps on the nearest chair and rubs his forehead. “Kara, listen.”

The silence stretches in the kitchen. We can hear the laughter and chatter of the guests outside, but the mood here is different, tense. One staff member walks toward the sink, sees our expressions, and spins on his heel, pretending he didn’t see anything.

Craig pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a long breath before swinging his gaze to me. “If you mess with her, I don’t care if Ellis and I have been partners for years. I will cut both of you off without a second thought.”

I nod solemnly. “Understood.”

He breathes deeply and stands, scratching his head as he walks out, probably to check on the other guests or take a moment to wrap his mind around what just happened. Well, at least he no longer seems angry. He’s more likely resigned to the fact that he can’t do anything about us now.

The moment he’s out of our view, Kara grabs my forearm and forces me to look at her. “You’re in love with me?”

I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding. “What do you think this is all about, Kara? I told you I’m not into hookups and flings, and I sure as hell wouldn’t face your father’s wrath if I wasn’t serious with you.”

She beams at me, and I smile back. “Then how about we discuss our travel plans for the next few months?”

6

KARA

Three Weeks Later

“Hi. Can I buy you a drink?”

I don’t even spare him a glance as I scroll at my phone. “No, thanks. I’m not interested.”

Maybe he’s deaf or an idiot, but he takes that as an invitation to slide into the seat across from me. “Let me guess. I bet you’re a Margarita kind of gal.”

I lift my eyes to him, his features not even registering on me because whatever he looks like, he pales in comparison to Kevin. Every man pales in comparison to him. “Let me guess. I bet you’re the kind who thinks ‘no’ means ‘yes’.”

He bursts out laughing. “Feisty. I like it.”

“Please leave. I’m meeting my boyfriend.” I go back to my phone to check some initial designs for the first bikini collection. Thanks to Kevin’s encouragement and advice, I’m now closer to realizing my dream.

“You shouldn’t be here if you’re gonna be this cold.”

Anger surges within me, and I give him the most sarcastic smile I can muster. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize any woman who came here was fair game to every asshole who wants to score.”

He leans forward and rests a hand on my shoulder, which I quickly brush off. “Come on, beautiful. You’re just playing hard to get. This game can get old real quick.”

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