didn't want to impose on you, just in case you had a lady here."
Shaun sat down on the bed. "I'm not interested in women at the moment."
Garrett remained standing. He crossed his arms on his chest. "Except one, am I right?"
Shaun nodded. "Kelsey. I have to find her, man. Pushing her away was the biggest mistake of my life."
"That's why I'm here, to help you find her. This woman really got to you. Are you prepared to tell her everything that happened?"
Shaun rubbed a hand over his face and nodded. "I'll do anything it takes." He stood up and went to slap his brother on the back again. "I can't believe you're here. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wanted to surprise you." Garrett removed his suit jacket and tossed it on the couch. He sat down next to it. He always wore formal clothes; dressing down for him meant not wearing a tie with his suit. Sometimes he did wear jeans with a shirt, but never with t-shirts.
"You're staying here on one condition," Shaun warned. "You're here as my brother, and not as my shrink."
Garrett raised his hands in surrender. "Whatever you want, little bro. I just want to be here for you. I need to take care of something in my room. Let's meet downstairs in the restaurant. I'm famished."
"Great."
Garrett left, and Shaun called room service to cancel his order. Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the restaurant, loading up their plates at the buffet, while Shaun filled Garrett in on his plans to find Kelsey.
He still needed to figure out where to begin the search, but Saulery was not a large city. Maybe luck would be on his side, and he'd just bump into her on the street.
"Okay, so where in Saulery do we start?" Garrett asked, scooping bacon onto his plate.
"His father owns and works at Glocal COM. We'll start there. Maybe she went back to work for him."
"What if she didn't?"
"Then I might need to have a chat with her old man, without giving away who I really am, of course. I heard he packs a mean punch."
"Are you that serious about this girl? Do you, you know, want to marry her one day?"
Shaun ignored Garrett's question as he weaved his way through the other tables to get to theirs. He hadn't thought about that yet. No doubt he wanted Kelsey in his life, but he wasn't sure about marriage. The idea of marrying again sucked the air out of his lungs.
Garrett sat down and looked at Shaun seriously. "It's just that, before you talk to a man as powerful as Aidan O'Neil, you might want to think about it." Garrett smiled as he picked up his fork. "He could ask you about your intentions with his daughter."
Shaun rubbed his chin and sighed. "Then I can't talk to him until I've run out of options."
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
The hotel room was decorated just as Shaun had requested. Crystal vases of roses—Carmen's favorite flowers—were placed around the room. She would not see them, but she would be able to smell them. Country music played softly in the background, and a round table stood in the middle of the room, covered with a crisp white cloth, on top of which were sparkling crystal glasses and plates, and a large bouquet of white roses.
Shaun led Carmen to the bedroom and sat her down on the bed. In her lap, he placed the box he had brought home earlier. Just as he lowered it onto her lap, Carmen's phone started ringing. Shaun reached for it.
"Don't answer it," Carmen said. "Let's make this night ours alone."
"Are you sure? It's your mother."
Carmen's face clouded over for a moment, but cleared again almost immediately. "I'm sure."
Shaun tossed the phone on the bed. "Just make sure to call her back later. It could be important."
Nora was aware of their plans for the night, so she wouldn't disturb if it weren't important. But Shaun put away the phone as Carmen asked and concentrated on them. He had the feeling tonight would be a turning point, and he didn't want to miss a single second.
He kissed Carmen on the forehead. "Open the box. There's something
Shaun sat down on the bed. "I'm not interested in women at the moment."
Garrett remained standing. He crossed his arms on his chest. "Except one, am I right?"
Shaun nodded. "Kelsey. I have to find her, man. Pushing her away was the biggest mistake of my life."
"That's why I'm here, to help you find her. This woman really got to you. Are you prepared to tell her everything that happened?"
Shaun rubbed a hand over his face and nodded. "I'll do anything it takes." He stood up and went to slap his brother on the back again. "I can't believe you're here. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wanted to surprise you." Garrett removed his suit jacket and tossed it on the couch. He sat down next to it. He always wore formal clothes; dressing down for him meant not wearing a tie with his suit. Sometimes he did wear jeans with a shirt, but never with t-shirts.
"You're staying here on one condition," Shaun warned. "You're here as my brother, and not as my shrink."
Garrett raised his hands in surrender. "Whatever you want, little bro. I just want to be here for you. I need to take care of something in my room. Let's meet downstairs in the restaurant. I'm famished."
"Great."
Garrett left, and Shaun called room service to cancel his order. Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the restaurant, loading up their plates at the buffet, while Shaun filled Garrett in on his plans to find Kelsey.
He still needed to figure out where to begin the search, but Saulery was not a large city. Maybe luck would be on his side, and he'd just bump into her on the street.
"Okay, so where in Saulery do we start?" Garrett asked, scooping bacon onto his plate.
"His father owns and works at Glocal COM. We'll start there. Maybe she went back to work for him."
"What if she didn't?"
"Then I might need to have a chat with her old man, without giving away who I really am, of course. I heard he packs a mean punch."
"Are you that serious about this girl? Do you, you know, want to marry her one day?"
Shaun ignored Garrett's question as he weaved his way through the other tables to get to theirs. He hadn't thought about that yet. No doubt he wanted Kelsey in his life, but he wasn't sure about marriage. The idea of marrying again sucked the air out of his lungs.
Garrett sat down and looked at Shaun seriously. "It's just that, before you talk to a man as powerful as Aidan O'Neil, you might want to think about it." Garrett smiled as he picked up his fork. "He could ask you about your intentions with his daughter."
Shaun rubbed his chin and sighed. "Then I can't talk to him until I've run out of options."
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
The hotel room was decorated just as Shaun had requested. Crystal vases of roses—Carmen's favorite flowers—were placed around the room. She would not see them, but she would be able to smell them. Country music played softly in the background, and a round table stood in the middle of the room, covered with a crisp white cloth, on top of which were sparkling crystal glasses and plates, and a large bouquet of white roses.
Shaun led Carmen to the bedroom and sat her down on the bed. In her lap, he placed the box he had brought home earlier. Just as he lowered it onto her lap, Carmen's phone started ringing. Shaun reached for it.
"Don't answer it," Carmen said. "Let's make this night ours alone."
"Are you sure? It's your mother."
Carmen's face clouded over for a moment, but cleared again almost immediately. "I'm sure."
Shaun tossed the phone on the bed. "Just make sure to call her back later. It could be important."
Nora was aware of their plans for the night, so she wouldn't disturb if it weren't important. But Shaun put away the phone as Carmen asked and concentrated on them. He had the feeling tonight would be a turning point, and he didn't want to miss a single second.
He kissed Carmen on the forehead. "Open the box. There's something
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