The Girl in the Yellow Vest (42 page)

Mark shrugged. ‘No idea.’ And Charlotte stepped on his foot again. ‘I mean, fine, I think.’

‘O-kay,’ Zara said in the voice of one who didn’t want to over-excite the sensibilities of a madman. ‘Well, I’ll just go visit Augustus.’

‘No!’ they both said at the same time. If Dennis Mayer was in town, subpoena or not, he might try to see his daughter without their permission.

Mark cleared his throat. ‘I mean, I’ll come with you.’

‘Great!’ Zara said. ‘I’ll just get changed.’

As she hurried off, Charlotte folded her arms. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘I will make sure Zara is okay, and then I’ll come back to help you. We need to get a strategy going. When is your brother bringing your mother home?’

‘Tomorrow morning.’

‘Good. We have tonight to sort through this.’

‘I still have a hotel to run,’ Charlotte swallowed. ‘The dinner rush is the worst time for calls.’

‘Then I will help you with that too. And don’t worry about the expense: I’ll pay for the lawyer.’

She gasped. ‘I can’t let you do that.’

‘Then I’ll give you a raise.’

‘Mark, please be serious.’

‘You know I never joke.’

Her lips curled reluctantly. ‘So you are always telling me.’

‘Zara is my friend. If you think I’ll let some defiler of women take possession of her life like she’s some goods he can use to cause pain you have another think coming. I trust you will not stand in my way, Ms Templeton.’

She shook her head. ‘I will pay you back when I’m able.’ She laid a hand on his arm, thus stalling the protest that had hovered on his lips. ‘I preferred it when you were calling me Charlotte.’

‘Very well, then,’ he agreed (for the first time). ‘Charlotte.’

For so long, she had wanted to hear those words on Trent’s lips and now, as she looked at him on bended knee, she felt nothing but impatience.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Trent, get up.’

‘But you haven’t given me an answer.’

All she could think about was Will and wondering if he was hearing this and how it would affect him. Trent’s declaration would no doubt make him feel as guilty as hell. The last thing she wanted was what they’d shared to be tainted in any way.

‘I’m not giving you an answer till you come inside.’ She turned around and walked back into her unit, expecting Trent to follow but neither knowing nor caring if he did. When she returned to the living room, one thing was very apparent. Will was gone.

The curtain billowed about the open sliding door where he had clearly let himself out.

Great.

She spun around to see Trent entering the room. He put his bag on the chair next to Will’s empty bowl. ‘I’m sorry to turn up like this but I just knew I had to come,’ he said. ‘I’ve been such an idiot, Em.’

You’re only just figuring this out?
‘Trent, I can’t marry you.’

His brow wrinkled. ‘But I know that’s what you want. What I couldn’t give you before.’

‘When I wanted it,’ she corrected him. ‘Past tense. A lot has changed since then.’

He frowned. ‘Surely not. It’s only been a couple of months since we broke up. Has Queensland been that big an influence on you?’

‘As a matter of fact –’

‘Okay.’ He held up his hands. ‘I’ve been talking to Will about the project and I know it’s a big deal. I realise how much you’ve enjoyed it and maybe that’s the sort of thing you want to get into now. Well,’ he smiled at her like he was handing her a thousand dollars no strings attached, ‘I support you.’

‘That’s great, Trent, but it’s not just about my career.’ She paused, not really wanting to hurt him just after he’d proposed to her. After all, that was a show of commitment and couldn’t have been easy – especially for a man like Trent. ‘I just don’t think it’s a good idea.’

‘Why?’

‘Because . . .’ She hesitated, then went on. ‘I think I’m in love with someone else.’

For a moment there was dead silence and a muscle twitched in his jaw. ‘I see. And can this Dipper person offer you as much as I can?’

She choked. ‘It’s not
Dipper
.’

‘Then who is it?’

Oh crap! How do I tell him?
An icky feeling welled in her stomach. Shouldn’t Will be here when he found out? Trent might not be the man for her but he deserved some honesty. He and Will had been friends since primary school. Shouldn’t he hear it from both of them?

‘Do we have to talk about it right now?’ she stalled.

Trent looked down at the items on the table. Two wine glasses. Two bowls and dirty cutlery. ‘He was just here, wasn’t he?’

‘Yes.’

A hurt expression entered his eyes.

‘Come on, Trent,’ she said a little impatiently. ‘It’s not like you haven’t been seeing other women.’

‘I saw one other woman for a couple of dates. And I can’t say I fell in love with her,’ he said tightly. ‘She’s out of my life now, though she taught me a valuable lesson.’

‘And what’s that?’

‘How wonderful you are,’ he exclaimed. ‘Think about it, Em. We had five great years together.’

Actually it’s more like three great years and two crap ones.

‘We have a house together and a dog,’ he continued enthusiastically. ‘My mother loves you! Do you really want to throw all that away on a fling?’

‘It’s not a fling. I’ve had feelings for him for a long time. I just didn’t realise it. I didn’t get it,’ she said desperately.

He was silent for a moment, his gaze returning to the bowls. ‘Look, after everything we’ve been through as a couple, can I just ask you for one thing?’

‘What?’

‘That you’ll at least sleep on it. I have to stay for tonight anyway.’

She supposed he was right. After all the years they’d spent together, perhaps he did deserve more than a knee-jerk decision. ‘Okay.’

‘Can I stay here?’ he asked. ‘Or would you like me to go stay at Will’s instead?’

The thought of him putting all this to Will tonight did not appeal to her in the slightest. ‘No, just stay here. You can have the couch. I’ll ring for some bedding.’

She went to the phone and spoke briefly to Charlotte. Her friend didn’t quite sound herself either but she was too distracted by the man in the living room to enquire too deeply.

A few awkward minutes later, there was a knock at the door and she went to answer it.

‘Sir!’ she exclaimed.

There, in all his glory, stood Caesar – shocking to behold in jeans and a T-shirt. To her amazement in his arms he was holding a pillow, a set of sheets and a blanket. ‘Good evening, Emily.’

‘Er . . . Good evening, sir.’

Under her stunned gaze, he stepped straight over the threshold and into her unit, much like it was his domain rather than hers.

He put the bedding down on the couch and she pulled herself out of her stupor. There must be some sort of explanation as to why he was here instead of a member of the Silver Seas staff.

‘Is Charlotte okay?’ she asked.

‘Absolutely fine.’ His eyes ran over Trent, less than impressed. ‘And I suppose this must be your guest.’ He sighed. ‘Shame.’

Em choked on this last word.

‘Did I say that out loud?’ he mused. ‘I beg your pardon.’

Trent, who was bristling under this bald assessment, said, ‘And who are you?’

‘Your girlfriend’s boss,’ Caesar informed him. ‘And I suppose you went to uni with her as well.’

‘No, what makes you think that?’ Trent demanded.

‘No reason, a lapse in judgement on my part.’ Caesar looked like he was growing rather bored with the conversation and he turned once more towards the door.

‘I’m not an engineer,’ Trent returned as though the calling were beneath him. ‘I’m a lawyer.’

This made Caesar pause and he spun back to study Trent as if seeing him for the first time. ‘
Really
? Now that does interest me. What sort of lawyer?’

‘Family law mainly,’ said Trent rather proudly.

Caesar’s eyes flicked over him thoughtfully. ‘Still, you don’t look like you’ve been out for very long.’

Trent raised his chin. ‘I’ve been practising for over three years and I’m very good.’

Caesar raised his eyebrows sceptically. ‘Really?’

‘Of course.’

Caesar turned to Emily, who was watching the unfolding of this strange scene with growing trepidation, and demanded, ‘
Is
he any good?’

She nodded. ‘Actually, yes. I’ve attended quite a few of his work functions and he’s got a very good reputation among his peers.’

‘Then I have a job for you, if you’d like it,’ Caesar once again addressed Trent, ‘or rather, the owner of this resort does, Charlotte Templeton. It’s a custody battle.’

Trent smirked. ‘I’m sorry but I’m on holiday right now.’

Caesar sighed. ‘Believe me, as much as I’d like to hire a different lawyer, perhaps one with a little more experience and a little less ego, I just don’t have the time to find one. You’ll have to be it.’

Trent’s lips thinned. ‘I don’t just take on any client who walks in off the street. I like to take on cases I’m sure I can win.’

‘With the fire I’m about to light under your arse, you’ll be sure you can win,’ Caesar returned glacially. ‘The matter is urgent.’

Trent stiffened. ‘I will not –’

‘Trent, wait.’ Emily held up her hand, turning towards her boss. ‘Is this about Zara’s biological father? Didn’t she make contact with him recently?’

‘You know about him?’ Caesar said quickly.

Emily shook her head. ‘Not much, only that Charlotte doesn’t really want him anywhere near her family. Isn’t he a criminal or something?’

‘Yes,’ Caesar said softly. ‘He’s now suing for custody of Zara. Unfortunately, the hearing is in seven days. Charlotte needs to sort out representation soon. That felon didn’t give her much time. ‘

‘I knew she didn’t sound right on the phone.’ Emily nodded and turned to her ex-boyfriend. ‘Trent, you have to help her.’

‘But –’ he blustered.

‘If you love me at all,’ she insisted, ‘you’ll help her.’

Trent looked at her for a long moment. ‘Is that what you want? Proof of my devotion?’

‘No,’ Emily said quietly. ‘I just want you to consider for a moment being a decent human being. Coming to someone’s rescue because you’re the only one who can.’

Will would do it.

‘Fine,’ he nodded. ‘I will consider your proposal
if
,’ he added as her face lit up, ‘you will consider mine.’

Yikes.