Page 19 of The Keeper

Derek: Got a last-minute order, and Terri called in sick. I need you to come in this afternoon. You know how it is.

Frustration simmered beneath my skin, a slow burn that threatened to ignite into a full-blown inferno. I requested the day off six months in advance and had already put in nearly fifty hours this week.

My thumbs hovered over the screen, itching to unleash a scathing reply to tell Derek exactly where he could shove his last-minute summons. But I resisted, knowing it was a battle I couldn’t win.

Not if I wanted to keep my job anyway. I desperately needed to keep my job.

With a growl, I dropped the phone back into my purse and smoothed a hand over my long-sleeved dress.

The entire hotel bustled with activity, the sounds of book carts being wheeled toward the ballrooms echoing off the marble floors.

I scanned the crowded lobby, searching for familiar faces while simultaneously hoping to avoid them. My pulse kicked up a notch at every glimpse of dark hair or broad shoulders, and I was convinced it was him.

“Piper!” Ivy’s voice cut through the chaos, and I turned to see her waving frantically near the back of a growing line.

I forced my lips into what I hoped was a convincing smile and made my way to her, my pulse racing. Every step closer to the ballroom felt like it was bringing me closer to my doom.

What if Dane was already inside?

What if he saw me first?

Or worse, what if he didn’t come at all?

As I approached, I noticed Ivy didn’t look much better than I did. A slight tremor ran through her body, and her wide blue eyes seemed to dart nervously around the room.

“Hey,” I said, feeling the tension in her shoulders as I pulled her into a quick hug. “Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was?—”

“Don’t apologize!” she interjected a little too loudly. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

We pulled apart, and I peered into her overly bright eyes with a frown. “You okay?”

“Me? I’m fine!” She let out a startled shriek and spun around, startling the poor woman in line behind us.

“Sorry!” the woman exclaimed, jerking her hand back. “I was just trying to let you know the line was moving.”

“Thank you,” I told her. After inching forward to close the gap, I turned to Ivy with a raised brow. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem…on edge.”

“Just excited and maybe a tad bit overcaffeinated,” she insisted, squaring her shoulders with a brittle laugh. “This is fun. I can’t remember the last time we had a weekend with just us.”

Before I could press further, a familiar figure emerged from the ballroom, and my stomach dropped.

GQ moved with the casual grace of a man used to commanding the attention of women everywhere. But now, the sight of him sent a jolt of panic through my veins because where he was, Dane couldn’t be far behind.

Panic clawed its way up my throat, bitter and sharp. Without thinking, I grabbed Ivy’s hand and squeezed.

“Piper, what?—”

“We have to go,” I hissed, my voice trembling. “I can’t—I can’t do this. I can’t be here.”

She searched my face, her eyes softening with understanding. “Okay, sweetie. Why don’t you wait for me by the entrance, and I’ll be right there.”

I nodded gratefully and made my way back through the crowded lobby, my heart pounding in my ears.

Once I reached the relative safety of the hotel entrance, I pulled out my phone with shaking hands. I needed a distraction, something to ground me before I completely lost it.

Me: Just checking in. How are y’all doing?

The reply came through almost immediately.

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