just a vast fortune, but to an actual kingdom. She would be expected to marry. He swallowed thickly. And carry on the royal lineage.
On the seat beside him, Holly was saying softly, “He is a nice man. Kind. And very bright.”
They were the right words, perfectly acceptable adjectives considering the subject matter, but Nate found the way Holly was studying her hands to be far more revealing.
“You don’t love him.”
“No.” She glanced his way. Even though she smiled, he saw the sadness in her eyes.
“But?” he pressed, knowing the conjunction fit into the equation somewhere.
“My mother thinks Phillip is perfect.”
Phillip. The guy would have to be named Phillip. It was a very, well … royal and no-nonsense-sounding name. Nate would bet the title to his resort that the guy never went by plain old Phil.
He was probably going to regret it, but heasked, “So, what does this Phillip do for a living?”
“He’s a businessman like you,” Holly told him. If only she’d left it at that. But, no, she continued with, “His family owns several oil refineries in my country. Since he’s taken over from his father, he’s put environmental concerns ahead of corporate profits, which earned him the Royal Medal a couple of years ago. That’s how we met.”
“Wow. The Royal Medal.” Morenci’s highest honor. Nate ran his tongue over his teeth. “And a green guy to boot, huh?”
“The environment is important.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” he said. The great outdoors was his meal ticket. “So, um, what happens now?”
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head slowly. Her gaze fixed on some point in the distance that he was sure she wasn’t seeing, she repeated, “I’m not sure.”
Had she not looked so miserable, Nate might have pressed.
Instead, he said, “The island is a great place to think.”
Then, without another word, he started the truck. Slowly this time, he drove downthe two-track, careful to avoid the worst of the ruts.
It took another twenty minutes before the truck emerged from the dappled green canopy of the woods to a small clearing just up from the lake. There was no sandy beach here, but plenty of reeds and water lilies in the bay’s rocky shallows. Before that, the landscape was dotted with wildflowers and the occasional poison ivy plant.
“This is pretty,” she remarked. The line between her brows softened as she scanned the scene before her. “It would make a lovely painting.”
“A watercolor?” That had been her favorite medium.
She nodded, her gaze riveted on the lake. “The way the colors meld together, teals and blues. It’s breathtaking.”
It
was
breathtaking. This, Nate knew, was exactly why he’d given up skyscrapers and the madness of city living. As much as he’d thought he’d wanted an urban lifestyle after growing up on a speck of land in the middle of one of the Great Lakes, the truth was he was small-town at heart. He wouldn’t make any apologies for that. He glanced over atHolly, noting the rapturous expression on her face, and he knew she wasn’t expecting one.
She started toward the lake.
“Just watch where you walk.” Once he had her attention, he pointed out the three-leafed plant that could cause a couple weeks of grief to those who came into contact with it. They both knew that from personal experience.
Once they were almost to the shore, he turned Holly to the right. The chalet was a couple hundred feet down the shore from them. A man and a woman sat on the lower deck. The current occupants were making good use of the gas grill. The scent of sizzling steaks wafted on the breeze along with their laughter.
“That’s where you’ll be staying.”
“Oh, it is lovely.”
“And a good hiding place.”
His assessment made her frown. “I’m not running away,” she insisted.
“Getting away.”
She nodded and murmured what sounded like, “Thinking.”
“I’m there.” He pointed across the bay towhere the green tin
On the seat beside him, Holly was saying softly, “He is a nice man. Kind. And very bright.”
They were the right words, perfectly acceptable adjectives considering the subject matter, but Nate found the way Holly was studying her hands to be far more revealing.
“You don’t love him.”
“No.” She glanced his way. Even though she smiled, he saw the sadness in her eyes.
“But?” he pressed, knowing the conjunction fit into the equation somewhere.
“My mother thinks Phillip is perfect.”
Phillip. The guy would have to be named Phillip. It was a very, well … royal and no-nonsense-sounding name. Nate would bet the title to his resort that the guy never went by plain old Phil.
He was probably going to regret it, but heasked, “So, what does this Phillip do for a living?”
“He’s a businessman like you,” Holly told him. If only she’d left it at that. But, no, she continued with, “His family owns several oil refineries in my country. Since he’s taken over from his father, he’s put environmental concerns ahead of corporate profits, which earned him the Royal Medal a couple of years ago. That’s how we met.”
“Wow. The Royal Medal.” Morenci’s highest honor. Nate ran his tongue over his teeth. “And a green guy to boot, huh?”
“The environment is important.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” he said. The great outdoors was his meal ticket. “So, um, what happens now?”
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head slowly. Her gaze fixed on some point in the distance that he was sure she wasn’t seeing, she repeated, “I’m not sure.”
Had she not looked so miserable, Nate might have pressed.
Instead, he said, “The island is a great place to think.”
Then, without another word, he started the truck. Slowly this time, he drove downthe two-track, careful to avoid the worst of the ruts.
It took another twenty minutes before the truck emerged from the dappled green canopy of the woods to a small clearing just up from the lake. There was no sandy beach here, but plenty of reeds and water lilies in the bay’s rocky shallows. Before that, the landscape was dotted with wildflowers and the occasional poison ivy plant.
“This is pretty,” she remarked. The line between her brows softened as she scanned the scene before her. “It would make a lovely painting.”
“A watercolor?” That had been her favorite medium.
She nodded, her gaze riveted on the lake. “The way the colors meld together, teals and blues. It’s breathtaking.”
It
was
breathtaking. This, Nate knew, was exactly why he’d given up skyscrapers and the madness of city living. As much as he’d thought he’d wanted an urban lifestyle after growing up on a speck of land in the middle of one of the Great Lakes, the truth was he was small-town at heart. He wouldn’t make any apologies for that. He glanced over atHolly, noting the rapturous expression on her face, and he knew she wasn’t expecting one.
She started toward the lake.
“Just watch where you walk.” Once he had her attention, he pointed out the three-leafed plant that could cause a couple weeks of grief to those who came into contact with it. They both knew that from personal experience.
Once they were almost to the shore, he turned Holly to the right. The chalet was a couple hundred feet down the shore from them. A man and a woman sat on the lower deck. The current occupants were making good use of the gas grill. The scent of sizzling steaks wafted on the breeze along with their laughter.
“That’s where you’ll be staying.”
“Oh, it is lovely.”
“And a good hiding place.”
His assessment made her frown. “I’m not running away,” she insisted.
“Getting away.”
She nodded and murmured what sounded like, “Thinking.”
“I’m there.” He pointed across the bay towhere the green tin
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