Page 183 of Champagne Nights

“I can hack into her credit card account to find out, but?—”

“I love her, Keaton, and I want to be with her. I want her to come home,” I pleaded.

He gave me a small smile and then started typing on his phone. After a while, he looked at me with a wide grin. “Yep. That’s where she’s at. The Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii.”

“Thanks, man. I owe you big time, and I promise I won’t tell her what you did.” I winked.

I got up from the table and drove home as fast as I could. I opened my laptop and searched for the next flight out of LAX and into Hawaii. The only flight was at five o’clock, which would get me into Hawaii at eight forty-five. I looked at my watch. It was one thirty. I had time, so I booked my ticket and walked to the bedroom, grabbing my suitcase from the closet. As I zipped up my bag, my eyes traveled to the finger that held my wedding band for the last five years. I had thought about taking it off before, but there was never a reason to, so I didn’t bother. I removed the ring from my finger and clenched it tightly in my hand.

“I’m doing it, Amy. It’s time for me to move on and live life again. You told me to be happy, and I’m setting off to do that. I will always love you and cherish every single moment we had together.”

I opened Amy’s jewelry box and set the ring inside. The time had come for me to let go, and taking off that ring was the first step towards a new future. Nerves settled inside me as I grabbed my bag and headed for the airport. I just prayed that Paisley would be happy to see me.

Paisley

I had dinner with Patti and Lisa. Patti was a woman that I met in one of the boutiques. We were both looking at the same handbag, which happened to be the last one. She loved it, and I loved it. We got to talking, and I found out her husband had passed away a couple of months ago, and her daughter, Lisa, brought her to Hawaii to get away from the daily grind of life.

As we stood in the boutique, she began to cry as she talked about her husband. They were married for thirty years. He passed away in a car accident after a drunk driver hit him on his way home from work. As her daughter stood there and consoled her, I asked them if they would like to have dinner with me. They graciously accepted, and we met at the hotel restaurant. I told her my story, how I met Ben, what I was doing here, and about my novel. It felt good to be on the other side of the spectrum, to be the one talking to someone and trying to help them feel better. After we finished dinner, we sat and talked some more over a couple of drinks. When I looked at my watch, it was nine-thirty, and I wanted to get some more writing done before I went to sleep. Patti took my hand and smiled as we got up from our seats.

“Thank you, Paisley. I firmly believe that people are put in our path of life for a reason.”

I hugged her and told her she was stronger than she knew. I walked back to my cottage, and as soon as I stepped through the door, the room phone rang.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Sorry to disturb you at this hour, Ms. Logan, but a gentleman in the lobby is asking about you and wanting us togive him your cottage number. He refuses to take no for an answer, so I thought I better let you know.”

“Thank you. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Would you like me to send someone to pick you up?”

“No. I’ll walk. Thank you.”

I hung up and rolled my eyes. Damn, Keaton. How did he know I was here? I specifically told him that I would be in touch as soon as I was ready. I was irritated that he never listened to me. I asked one simple thing. Who was watching Romeo if he was here. I stomped my way across the path in a huff.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Paisley

When I reached the doors of the hotel, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Ben standing in the lobby. My heart started racing, and I brought my hand over my mouth as he turned and looked at me. He stood there, looking sexy with his hands in his pockets and a bright smile across his face. I ran to him and right into his arms. He picked me up and spun me around as our lips pressed tightly against each other.

“What are you doing here?”

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“Of course not. Oh my God, I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you so much,” I said as I continued to kiss him.

“I missed you too, Paisley, and I had to see you. I couldn’t stand being away from you.”

I tightened my arms around his neck as he held me tight. “Come on. Let’s go back to my cottage. We have so much to talk about.”

He smiled and then kissed the tip of my nose. He grabbed his suitcase with one hand and put his arm around me. I couldn’tbelieve he was here. It felt like a dream, and I was scared that I would wake up.

“I thought you were Keaton when the desk called me. I was so mad and had everything planned out of what I would say to him.” I laughed.

“So you are mad?”

“No. If you were Keaton, yes. I’m so happy that you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

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