Chapter 62
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Inside the lodge, Matthew led her upstairs, but instead of going into their bedroom, he ushered her into the meeting room. “Before we do anything else tonight, I want to explain a couple of things. Just so we are clear. Is that okay?”
Rachel worried her bottom lip as she took in the sight of Matthew’s laptop and the thick manila folder which sat on the table. “Um. Okay.”
He let go of her hand and moved toward the computer. “You might want to take a seat for this sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. She held his words to her own heart which was beating fast.
Matthew flipped open his laptop and began to tap away on the keyboard. He hit the enter key then spun it round to face her. “This is the report I got the Royal Security team to put together early this morning. I asked them to do it after I took that call from your father.”
Had it only been this morning that all of this had gone down? Less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been asleep in their bed on the island. But while she’d slept, Matthew had been busily pulling her life apart .
Humor was her only defense.
“I bet it makes fun reading. Any idea what happens in the next book?”
She didn’t need to read this part of the story a second time—she’d already lived it. Turns out being a good character in a dark novel wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Her only consolation was that she hadn’t been killed off in chapter three.
Matthew sighed. “It’s a tough read. I can’t begin to imagine how hard this past year must have been for you.”
Begin to imagine? I still find it hard to understand.
He clicked on another tab and a legal looking document opened. Matthew pointed to one particular line. “Everything in the report lines up with what you told me, but did you know about this?”
From this distance it was hard to make out. It appeared to be a scanned letter from an insurance company whose registered address was is that Chicago? She didn’t recognize the company name or the logo.
“What is this?” Rachel took a hold of the laptop and pulled it closer. She read the letter. Once. Twice. By the time she was half way through the third reading, her hands were shaking. Her gaze filled with the sheen of tears, and she sobbed. “By why? Why would he try and get Kellie and then me to find the money when the insurance company has already settled. I don’t understand.”
Matthew scowled. “What do you mean from Kellie?”
He didn’t know about her sister’s divorce or the settlement money. “My father tried to get Kellie to divorce Dan so he could get his hands on some of the Brock’s money. Kellie and Dan split a year ago, but they recently got back together. Their reunion meant he no longer had that cash cow to look forward to, so when my mom mentioned the Royal family to him, my father turned his attention to me. I still don’t understand why he kept quiet about the settlement.”
“I think I do. Imagine being in prison knowing that when you get out in a few years there will be four‐million dollars waiting for you. Money that no one else will come looking for since they’ve all been paid.”
“And the fact that the money would have had to come at the cost of either his eldest daughter’s marriage or what’s left of my pride, wouldn’t have figured in his thoughts for one minute.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “That’s why he kept calling. You and I were his backup insurance policy.”
“I assume it was your father who called you the day after we arrived. The person who you said was a lying asshole.”
Rachel nodded. “Yep. That’s him.”
Matthew rose from his chair and came around to where Rachel sat, taking the seat next to hers. He brushed his fingertips on her arm, through the layers of her coat it still sent shivers down her spine. It was all Rachel could do not to bury her face in her hands. Her father was a liar and a thief.
And the man she loved had thought her a con artist.
“Sorry sounds such an empty word, but I am sorry, Rachel. Sorry for everything. I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt after I took that call, and I jumped to my own conclusions.” He pointed to the scanned document. “The Royal security team dug that up late this afternoon, after you’d left. They assure me, it had been well and truly buried.”
The money and her father’s continuing betrayal meant little to her. Matthew’s condemnation of her had been the real kicker.
But I still love him. Still want him.
She closed the laptop, and let her hand rest on the top, her fingers tracing the outline of the apple logo. She didn’t need to look at any more of Matthew’s documents, everything else was irrelevant .
Where do we go to from here? Or do we not?
“Was that the thing that finally made you change your mind about me? I mean only this morning, you were ready to let me find my own way back to Aspen. And even when we got here you were still seething.”
He’d hurt her. And no matter how much he apologized, it was important that he understood just how much. That his words had cut deep.
This wasn’t a simple lovers tiff, it was a crack that threatened to become a chasm. To separate them forever.
“I don’t know if you realize just how much you’ve hurt me, Matthew.”
Rachel swallowed deep as Matthew rested his warm hand over hers. “I’ve hurt you, I know that. When I was younger, I used to be a self-righteous jerk, who had a nasty habit of jumping to conclusions.”
She met his gaze but said nothing, deciding that her silent rebuke was more than enough.
“I thought I’d moved on from being that person, but today showed me that I still have some growing to do. Bryce cautioned me to be careful with what I said to you, and I didn’t listen. I’m sorry. I really am.”
His thumb drew idle circles in the skin of her hand. Each time it completed an arc, Rachel sucked in a shuddering breath. When his other hand gently cupped her face, turning her to face him, Rachel didn’t protest. Love was meant to be never having to say sorry, but she needed to hear him say sorry over and over again.
“I’m sorry Rachel. I’m sorry for the humiliation and the pain I caused you.”
Their kiss was brief. She didn’t trust herself not to grab his coat in both hands and pull him to her. To let her heart take charge.
“I’m sorry too. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to tell you the truth. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you not to walk away. Matt, you are the one man I’ve ever truly wanted in my life, and I was scared if I told you, I would lose you.”
Screwing her eyes shut, Rachel turned away. Him being sorry didn’t mean that he still wanted her in his life.
Please don’t offer for us to be friends. I couldn’t stand it.
“Rachel. Please look at me.”
“If it’s over, just say so.” She’d find a way to put the pieces of her life back together. If there was one thing, she’d become an expert at, it was papering over the cracks in her life and slapping a coat of paint on top. Then packing her suitcases and moving on.
“Rachel. Sweetheart. I didn’t come to your sister and brother in-laws house tonight just to offer friendship. I came because you have to know how important you are to me.”
Rachel’s chest tightened. Any moment now her heart was going to crack wide open and shatter into a thousand pieces.
“I love you, Rachel. I should have said that weeks ago, and I’m kicking myself for holding back. I’m sorry for not making you feel you could trust me enough to tell me everything. I’ve hurt you, and for that I’m truly sorry. Whatever I have to do to get you to give me another chance, name it. I love you.”