Page 63 of Last Ticket to Paradise

“Just listen for two seconds.” She removed her hand. “Wewereengaged—past tense—until I found him in bed with Jamie. I broke it off with him then, and that was four months ago.”

Warm relief coursed through his body, replaced by hot anger a few seconds later. How could any man betray Georgette like that? And with her own sister? “Heisa poor guy then, because he’s clearly out of his mind. He hadyouand threw that away for Jamie?”

“Nice of you to say that, but I’m pretty sure everyone else in town looked at me and Jamie and wondered why it hadn’t happened before.” Georgette forced a smile to her face. “In fact, it had—a few times. Anytime any boy showed the slightest interest in me, or vice versa, Jamie was right there to swoop in and make sure everyone knew she could take him away with the snap of her fingers. She’d toy with him for a while and then dump him.”

Jake’s jaw tightened along with his heart. No wonder Georgette had been so upset when she’d heard rumors about him and Jamie. A woman like Georgette was worth a hundred of that type, but he understood how childish hurts could fester.

“I’m sorry.” He reached out his hand, but she ignored it.

“So maybe you can understand now why I wasn’t anxious to share my humiliation with you.” She swiped a hand beneath her nose and straightened her spine.

“Humiliation? That’s their humiliation, not yours. I can’t tell you the number of times some woman cheated on me.” He shrugged his shoulders. “One actually used me to get close to myfather.”

Georgette widened her eyes and covered her mouth. “No.”

“Oh yeah. That one kinda stung.” He held out his hand again. “Can we put this behind us now? I can understand why the guy ran down here to collect you—realized what he lost and has all kinds of regrets. Are you positive you’re done with him, though? I’m sure he’d want nothing more than to put a ring on it again.”

“I’m done with him, have been for months—even before I met you.” She took his hand and smoothed her fingers over his battered knuckles.

“He might be done with you, too, after that performance you gave at the pool.” He pulled her forward and placed her hand over his heart. “Did you have to go that far?”

“To get rid of Brice? Yes. He’ll never forgive that behavior.” She glanced up at him from beneath her long lashes. “And you? Can you forgive it?”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the tips of her fingers. “Only because I know your motive, but it’s dangerous. You gave those Bonnaire boys the wrong impression with your sexy act.”

“Even if I weren’t acting, my behavior doesn’t give them the right to assault me.”

“I know that, but you wanted to trash your reputation and you did. Mission accomplished. Can you stop now? I don’t think I can take anymore.” He picked a leaf from her tangled hair.

“I believe the damage is done. Only two days until the full moon.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to press charges against Bones? Don’t worry about his mother. She’ll survive it.”

“I don’t want anyone to know about what happened here.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because Mrs. Bonnaire gave me some information, and nobody needs to know that I was speaking with her. The brothers won’t say a word now.”

“Information about Hallie? What?”

Tugging at his hand, she said, “Let’s walk away from here.”

They crept down the path, hand in hand, and then Georgette stopped and faced him, the tips of her breasts brushing his chest. “First, she told me Hallie and Jamie knew each other before Hallie disappeared.”

“That’s possible. Hallie was working at the Falls when Jamie arrived.”

“Then while you were fighting with the brothers, she told me,” Georgette glanced over her shoulder, “that Hallie went to thePalumba Airporta few times before she went missing.”

“The airport? Why would she be going there?”

“That’s what Mrs. Bonnaire was wondering. Hallie wouldn’t tell her, but Mrs. Bonnaire remembered overhearing an argument between Hallie and Fiso about a locker at the airport.”

“A locker.” Jake scratched his scruff as an idea took shape in his head. “A locker at the airport.”

Georgette nodded. “A locker with a combination—like the digits on the postcards.”

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