Besides, this wasn’t just Catherine in a snit. If Jacob really had married someone before her—and failed to get a divorce before wedding Catherine—it was a horrific scandal that would rock his entire family. And most especially his poor mother.
Take Amandine, too? No. He shook his head. She and Catherine didn’t seem to get along that well. His sister Meredith had said it was because he was Catherine’s ex, though why that could ever be a problem, he might never know unless he grew a uterus. True, he’d proposed to Catherine first, but she’d turned him down in favor of his older brother. Since the moment she’d chosen Jacob, Gavin had been free to pursue whoever struck his fancy. He didn’t need her permission.
Gavin did the math. About three hours to reach Houston. Maybe half an hour calming Catherine down and assessing the damage Jacob had left behind for the family to clean up, then three hours back. It’d be cutting it close, but he could be back in time for dinner at La Mer. Amandine had been looking forward to it for weeks, and so had he.
A decision reached, he stepped out of the cockpit.
* * *
While Gavin was taking the call, Amandine took another look around the jet. It was a frightfully lavish gift.
Should she have prepared something more for the anniversary? An expensive sports car? A yacht?
Of course, you should have, you idiot! This is how people like him live. They don’t do something as plebeian as dinner, even if the restaurant is exclusive. How can you still not know this after three years of being his wife?
“Are you crying?” Brooke whispered under her breath.
“No.” She blinked away the moisture in her eyes.
“You totally are. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Drat, she didn’t want Gavin to see her crying. She needed to smile happily. That was the least she could do.
“You’re getting hormonal.”
“Probably.” That explained her tears. Yup.
The cockpit door opened. Shoving the phone back in his pocket, Gavin approached her. “That was…” He shook his head, his face unreadable. “Never mind. I need to go to Houston.”
“Now?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Oh.” Disappointment flattened her voice. “I thought you had the rest of the day off.”
“Sorry. I did too, but something urgent’s come up.”
“Can’t you send somebody else?” She bit her lower lip as soon as the question was voiced. She didn’t want to look whiny or anything, but damn it, she was his wife, and this was their anniversary. It was cruel to set all those lovely expectations for the day and then yank them away because of one lousy phone call.
“I wish I could, but it doesn’t look like it.”
She swallowed her frustration. She should’ve known better than to think he’d really have so much time off. His work was important. “Are you going to be back in time for dinner?”
“Yes. Guaranteed. I’m looking forward to it.”
She forced her mouth into a smile. “Okay then. I’ll see you this evening.”
He kissed her gently. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
But as Amandine watched Gavin disappear down the ramp, she couldn’t help but think nothing could make up for her disappointment.
Chapter Three
WRINKLING HIS NOSE AT THE HUMIDITY, Gavin stared at the familiar mansion of his oldest brother. Though Jacob had bought one of the largest ones on the market, Catherine had remodeled and expanded it until the structure was grand enough for her. She hated being without people to take care of her every need, so the place had never lacked staff. But now, despite the sunshine and insect sounds all around, it reminded him oddly of his office at 2 a.m., when everyone else had long since left. Quiet as the proverbial graveyard.
Gavin had a key and the security code, so he opened the door and walked inside. No one greeted him.
Bee hadn’t been exaggerating. Couch pillows were strewn about. Water from broken vases lay spilled over the marble floor, and yellow and pink roses scattered among the jagged ceramic pieces.