To Have a Wilde (Wilde in Wyoming) (13 page)

Chapter 20

K
ey sightlessly read the newspaper, his eyes scanning the printed words without seeing them. In between times spent worrying about his father and his brother, his thoughts were, as they had been for nearly two weeks, on Sonia.

Unbelievable, the things he’d said to her still echoed in his mind.

Self-loathing was his new best friend.

He knew she had nothing to do with the betrayal, knew it with everything inside of him, yet he’d called her names he knew she would never forgive him for. All because he was afraid of the feelings she stirred in him.

“So, why don’t you go tell her that you love her? And that you’re an ass. Don’t forget that part. Women love when we admit that.”

His father’s tired voice made Key jump and he stared over at him lying in the bed.

“Hey, Dad, how you feeling?” he asked, walking toward his father’s bedside. “Do you need anything?”

Alek Kealoha’s dark brown eyes stared up into Key’s so long he grew uncomfortable beneath the piercing gaze.

His father sighed, his shoulders slumping, and Key found himself really looking at the man he’d called father for his entire life.

Like Key and Nick, Alek Kealoha was tall, nearly equal in height to Key’s six feet four inches, but time had narrowed his once-broad shoulders and grayed his once-dark brown hair.

“No one but my eldest would make a fool of himself and ruin the best thing that has ever happened to him.”

Key sighed and looked away. “Dad, I don’t want to talk ’bout it. Just leave it alone.” Key had known that Alek was aware of what had happened; he’d known that Nick had told his father what transpired between him and Sonia.

“No, son, I’m not going to leave it alone,” Alek said, his voice strengthening.

At that moment Nick walked into his room, his bright blue eyes darting between Key and their father.

Slowly he walked over to one of the free chairs and, flipping it around, straddled the seat. He didn’t need to say a word. The tension in the room was palpable.

Yet he did.

“What’s up? Are we finally gonna talk all this out?” he asked, and although his expression remained light, Key knew his brother was feeling anything
but
calm.

“Yes, son,” Alek began, giving his attention to Nick. “We have quite a few things to talk about. And we will. But first things first.” Alek turned away from Nick to face Key. “Key...look, don’t make the same mistake I made with your mother.”

Key felt an immediate denial, not wanting to hear, not wanting to
know
what happened between his parents, but understanding that his father needed to share it with him. He glanced over at his twin.

Although his expression remained calm, the tic in his cheek told Key that his brother’s mind was set. Key knew that his father wanted...needed to unload his burden.

“Okay, Dad. We’re listening,” he finally said, including his brother as he steeled himself for whatever his father had to say.

“Your mother and I loved each other from the time we were kids. We had the kind of love that the elders didn’t even call puppy love. Everyone knew it. We knew it. It was real. But I was stupid. I didn’t trust that our love was real and I accused your mother of cheating on me. I didn’t give her time to explain, and in my anger I went out and did what I thought she had done to me,” he said, and Key hid his reaction, the surprise at what his father was disclosing.

“When I found out the truth, that it was one of the stable hands trying to break us apart by spreading lies, it was too late. The damage had been done and your mother left the Island.” He turned away, his voice cracking.

He went on to tell them how their mother left for California to stay with family, that the only way he’d heard from her had been though her parents. Although they knew he’d hurt their only daughter, they also knew he loved her and deeply regretted what he’d done.

Eventually he convinced her parents to tell him where he could find her and had gone after her.

“It took a lot of pleading, begging, but she took me back. My A’Kela took me back,” he said, and Key felt the unexpected tears of emotion burn his eyes as he listened to his father, watched the sadness and then happiness burn in his dark brown eyes.

“We didn’t know she was pregnant until after we were married. We got married as soon as we got back home. She told me she’d...met a man while she was there and they’d had a relationship. But she didn’t want to stay with him. She suspected she was pregnant but didn’t tell him. She said he was a good man, but he wasn’t ready to be a father.” The smile he gave to Key and Nick was a bittersweet one.

“I knew your mother was pregnant, but that didn’t matter. I begged her to marry me and she said yes. And from that moment on, you boys were my sons. We never told you about your...father, because there was no need. I was—am—your father,” he said, tears falling down his aged cheeks.

By the time he’d finished, both Nick and Key were at their father’s side, embracing him.

When they broke away his father’s dark eyes held Key’s light blue ones.

“Don’t be an ass like your old man. Go after your woman, son, before it’s too late,” he said, and Key and Nick both laughed and exchanged looks over his head.

He was back to his succinct way of speech.

Their father was going to be okay.

Chapter 21

B
eyond exhausted, bordering on sleep deprivation that was compounded by jet lag stemming from her back-to-back trips from L.A. to New Jersey, Sonia let herself into the guesthouse Nick had allowed her to stay in.

During the past week, she’d managed not only to save her job but also convince both Marty and Sheldon, her executive producers, to allow her to speak to the Kealohas. Not in an attempt to convince them to allow a second season—she knew that was out of the question—but to prevent the Kealohas from “hauling their collective asses to court,” as Marty so succinctly put it.

No way in hell she wanted that to happen. Her ass, or
any
part of her, going to court facing a lawsuit for breach of contract was not an option, now or ever.

Thankfully the men had enough pull that one word from them to
Global Media,
the publication Patricia was in league with, pulled the plug on any leakage of the private information about the Kealohas and the Wildes.

“Damn you, Patricia,” she cursed. Even to think of her former assistant brought a fresh wave of anger.

Damn woman was lucky Sonia didn’t run up on her and deliver a dose of civilian justice.

She laughed at her own foolishness at the notion. She’d been watching way too many gangster movies lately, as well.

And, of course, thinking of her love for gangster movies brought a sad smile to her face as she remembered the late-night date she and Key had shared after work when she’d giggled, confiding her love of all things gangster. He’d promptly opened his media chest, a pirate’s cove of treasures; every gangster movie from
Scarface
to
Pulp
Fiction
was within its hallowed depths.

They’d spent the next hours in bed, eyes glued to the mounted flat screen in his bedroom as she lay against his chest in his big king-size bed, a bowl of popcorn stationed on the bedside table.

After she’d found and confronted Patricia all she’d felt for her was pity. Sonia knew that any opportunity she thought she’d had or would gain was all for naught. Although business to the bone, Marty and Sheldon were two men whom one did not mess with.

Something Patricia had learned the hard way.

During their long association, no matter what doubts she’d had about Patricia, Sonia would have never thought the woman could be so cold-blooded. That she could stab her in the back the way she’d done. Sonia had learned that her assistant, beneath the warm smiles and hugs, was a ruthless woman who would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Apparently she thought the way back to the top, the way to revive her career, was by destroying Sonia’s. She’d been so twisted with jealousy she’d been willing to betray and hurt Sonia.

How had she ever been so stupid that she hadn’t seen through her guise? Sonia wondered, pain at the betrayal still lingering.

She knew that she would never know that answer. In the end, it didn’t matter. It stung, hurt like hell actually, but she would survive. What she wondered was if she could survive what it had done to her relationship with Key, the first man she’d ever given herself to, the first man she’d ever loved.

His image the last time she’d seen him, face tight with anger, blue eyes swirling with emotions ranging from hurt...to love, to anger, slipped past her defenses and into her mind.

“Oh, God.” The raw pain and whispered words were torn from her throat. She swallowed down the tears.

Now, all she wanted to do was curl up in the fetal position and go to sleep for the next twenty-four hours. And, thanks to Nick, that’s exactly what she planned to do, as her meeting with him and his father wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow.

When Nick had contacted her she’d been at first suspicious of his call, knowing that Key must have told him what had gone down.

Nick had said that not only had Key told them what happened, but their father had suffered a mild stroke after hearing the story.

The guilt alone nearly broke her down.

Nick had gently told her that although his father had what the doctors called a “mini stroke,” he was fine and recovering in the hospital.

She knew it was yet another reason for Key to hate her.

She’d explained to Nick what happened, with a promise that none of the information would ever be indulged. To that end, she had a document, signed and dated with her name, and Marty’s and Sheldon’s, stating that fact. She wanted to send it via carrier to them but knew that she owed them a face-to-face visit. It was the least she could do.

He’d been silent and carefully listened to her. And although she wondered if he believed her, after he had invited her to come to the ranch and talk to him and his father, promising her that Key was away buying new livestock, she’d accepted the invitation.

It was the height of tourist season, he’d told her, and he doubted at such short notice she’d be able to secure a room. When he’d offered her the guest cottage she’d gladly accepted.

She glanced down at her watch, frowning as she checked the time. It was barely nine in the morning. With the time difference between Hawaii and L.A. she figured that she would be able to grab some shut-eye and not look like death warmed over before her meeting with the men the next day.

She dragged her small suitcase inside the room and sagged against the closed door for a moment before she groped for a light switch and flicked on the lights. Although she was beyond beat, she took in the room with great appreciation. Simply furnished, beautiful.

The small guesthouse was mostly taken up by the large room, the bed on a platform on one side of the room, flanked by a complete wall of windows overlooking the west side of the ranch. It felt like...home.

A tired, bittersweet smile lifted the corner of her mouth as she left her suitcase abandoned at the front door. She walked over to the small sofa in front of the bed and sank down on the soft cushions. She knew she had better get up; if not, she’d fall dead asleep right where she was.

She kicked off her shoes and, yawning hugely, she arched her back before sagging against the back of the sofa briefly, mind and body both exhausted.

Sighing, she quickly divested herself of her clothing and stood. Wearing nothing but her panties, she padded over to the bed and drew back the colorful spread.

A grin of appreciation settled across her face when her nearly naked body met the cool, soft, high-quality sheets. As she nestled into the sheets, the image of Key’s face the last time she saw him drifted across her mind.

She didn’t know if she should be happy or sad that he wasn’t going to be around when she spoke with Nick and his father tomorrow. One part of her knew it was the right thing to do. After their last angry exchange, she knew that if, and when, the time came that he wanted to speak to her, it would have to be him taking the initiative. There was no way on God’s green earth he would want anything to do with her.

The bitter anger and betrayal she felt ran deep. But, for as badly as she hurt, that Key would believe her capable of something so awful, a part of her understood his pain. More than anything she hated that she had been the one to cause his family so much grief, beyond the show. The fact that his father had been okay, medically, had done little to alleviate the mountainous amount of guilt she felt that one of her staff members had been responsible for the attack.

No wonder the man hated her. She sighed, nestling her body farther down into the covers. She was lucky Nick and his father had agreed to see her. When she’d received the call from them, she’d been not only surprised, but also very grateful.

Now she would do everything she could to make it up to Key to his family. That was the least she could do. As far as Key was concerned...she drew in a breath, blowing it out in a small gush of air. There wasn’t a lot she could do about that. It was up to him.

Tears slipped down her face as she allowed her body and mind to relax, and she succumbed to mindless exhaustion.

* * *

Keanu raised his key to place in the lock, surprised when the knob turned without assistance. He frowned, before shrugging it off. Although the guest cottage was rarely used, and those who worked the ranch were trusted, after their mother had passed away, they’d kept the doors locked.

Oh, well. He’d ask Ailani about it when he saw her next.

Once inside, he groped blindly for the light switch but changed his mind. He knew the cabin like the back of his hand, and he was just going to fall into bed, anyway.

He slipped off his shoes and eased his jeans down the length of his legs, kicking them away. He grabbed his ends of his T-shirt and lifted it over his head before padding over to where the bed was. Once there, he sat down at the foot and yanked off socks.

He was so damn tired, all he wanted to do was lay down and sleep until Monday.

After being gone for the past week, he had no more perspective on the situation than he’d had the day he left.

It had been a tense month, but as soon as his father had been cleared from the hospital, and Keanu was assured he was going to be okay, he’d left the ranch. He’d needed time away to clear his head.

His plan had been to stay away for the next two weeks, but when his brother had called to tell him he needed to return to oversee the renovations on the house, he’d grudgingly agreed to do it.

The house had been locked up when he’d returned, and not up to dealing with a bunch of workmen’s mess, he’d opted, at his brother’s suggestion, to use the guest cottage.

Although he wasn’t in the mood for questions—or advice—from anyone in the family, he’d come home once Nick told him he and his father planned to stay in a hotel near the house for a few days, as the dust and smoke was bothering his father.

For that reason and that reason alone, Key had agreed to come home, sending his foreman to finish the job of purchasing equipment.

He loved his family, but he still needed time to think without anyone offering their opinion. It was probably too late with Sonia, anyway, he thought, sighing. The talk with her parents hadn’t exactly been...forthcoming.

“Damn,” he muttered, “I’ve screwed this all up.” His face tightened as he drew in a deep breath, standing to stretch. He’d game-plan it all tomorrow. Right now he needed sleep.

He padded, naked, to the bed and lifted the down comforter and slipped inside, sleep claiming him as soon as his head hit the pillow.