Page 2 of Fighting Fate

“Hey Luke, I’ve been wondering,” she said.

“Yes?” He turned back to her with his ready smile, attentive to whatever she was going to say, and she steeled her courage.

“Have you ever worked in Hawaii?” Deliberately, she reached up to finger the frangipani behind her ear.

“I have, actually. I was on Oahu for a few months years ago, at a small private hotel up on the North Shore. Catered almost exclusively to surfers.” Luke’s gaze snagged on the flower, a furrowed line deepening between his brows.

“You’ll know what this means, then?” She couldn’t back down now. “Behind the right ear, that is?”

“Yes, I know what it means.” The furrow deepened further. “Rosie…”

“I know there’s a no-fraternisation between staff and resort guests rule, of course,” she said. “And as staff manager, most of the staff work for me, which makes it an ethical consideration…”

“I know that. I’m under the same constraints.” Luke moved back very slightly.

“But you and me, we wouldn’t be…”

“Rosie.” His tone was sharp. “I think you shouldn’t say any more.”

She hesitated, but only for a moment, telling herself she could talk down his objections. “Luke, you and I could…”

“Rosie.” He cut her off again, tone gentler this time, and he reached out and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it gently. “I’m very fond of you, but I think of you as a sister. That’s all.”

She stared into his blue eyes, saw kindness in them, affection, even sadness for the pain he was causing her, but nothing more.

“I just made a complete fool of myself, didn’t I?” Her voice came out high and squeaky, far too close to a wail for comfort.

“No, Rosie.” Luke squeezed her hand again. “I’m flattered, really. It’s just not something I could ever see happening.”

“Right.” Pulling her hand from his, she tried to smile, but the muscles of her face resisted and it ended up more of a grimace. “Excuse me, please.”

She knew Luke was watching her with a worried frown as she turned on her ridiculous spiky heels and walked out, but if she didn’t get away she was going to start crying and that would just be the last straw.

“Rosie,” she heard him call after her, but she kept walking, quickened her pace when she heard him call again.

He might come after me. I can’t face him.

The tears were already starting to flow down her cheeks. Anyone who saw her would stop her, ask if she was okay, and she just couldn’t bear it. Turning in the opposite direction to the staff area, she hurried blindly along a path leading she cared not where.

She stumbled and almost fell as her ankle twisted under her. Cursing under her breath, she stopped just long enough to take her heels off before running on, faster now, determined to get well away from where anybody might see her.

I can’t even go back to the cabin. Jill will wonder why I’m back so early, want to know what happened.

There was no way she was ready to talk about it. She was sure Luke would never tell anyone what had transpired, and nobody had been close enough to hear their conversation, but any number of people must have seen her flee and not come back, plus Luke going after her and calling her name.

No doubt gossip would be flying already. Tomorrow, everyone would be coming up and asking her what happened, was she okay, what did she and Luke argue about? Should they be concerned? Was anyone getting fired?

To ease their minds, she would have no choice but to admit the truth; it was personal. She’d propositioned Luke and he’d turned her down.

With a despairing groan, Rosie sank down on a lounger, drawn back to the edge of the beach for the night. Nobody would come by here until morning; she was safe from interruption. Safe to think.

I’ve wasted four years of my life mooning after a man who hasn’t the slightest interest in me, was the only conclusion she could come to. Oh, she’d dated in the meantime; most recently an airline pilot who lived up to the reputation of having a girl in every city.

In truth, she hadn’t minded not being Dustin’s one and only. If she had been, the relationship might have become serious, and the depth of her crush on Luke hadn’t allowed for her to feel that way about anyone else.

What am I going to do now?

That was the million-dollar question. Staying and facing everyone who knew how spectacularly she’d crashed and burned, not to mention having to be around Luke continuously with this awkwardness in between them would just…

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