Page 10 of Wild Highway (Runaway 2)

It was classy yet comfortable. Inviting and clean. The entire setup suited her completely.

Though Katherine had always fit here.

From the day we’d stepped off the bus, it had seemed like she’d found the place where she’d fit. Today, she looked even more at home, sitting at a fancy desk, wearing jeans and boots, with a picture window at her back and the mountains in the distance.

Her dark hair hung straight and sleek past her shoulders. Its natural shine was something I’d envied as a teenager—adult too. And I had yet to meet a person on earth with bluer eyes than Katherine Gates. They were almost exactly the color of the cloudless sky through the window.

She folded her hands together, leaning on the papers scattered on her desk. Her expression was neutral but there was a wariness in her gaze.

Katherine was six inches shorter than my five seven. She had a petite frame and trim figure. But sitting behind that desk, she was a force of her own. She was the boss and this was her throne.

It was a good look for her.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Good, thanks.” Her tone was polite. Cautious. “You?”

“I’m good.” I crossed my legs, trying to appear relaxed when I was the furthest thing from it. “Carol told me you’re running the resort. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

The silence that followed was excruciating.

What felt like an hour was likely seconds, but the message was clear. Katherine didn’t want me here, so I gave myself a mental shove to get this over with.

Sorry. That was all I had to say. I’m sorry.

So what the hell are you waiting for, Gemma?

“I wanted to—”

The phone on Katherine’s desk rang. She pushed a button to shut it off, but not one second after it quieted, her cell phone began to vibrate. She silenced it too. “What were you saying?”

The confidence I’d summoned evaporated. The last thing I wanted was to fumble through this and risk coming across as hurried and insincere.

“I’m interrupting.” I stood from the chair. “I’ll let you get back to work. Maybe we could meet for coffee later.”

“Today’s crazy. I, um . . . maybe I could take a late lunch around one. But I’d only have thirty minutes.”

I’d dodged many people with the late, short lunch before.

Which meant this was my chance to say my peace and then get the hell off the Greer Ranch.

I recognized when I wasn’t welcome.

“It’s okay.” I gave her a sad smile. “Mostly, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. You were my friend and how I left, what I did, it wasn’t okay.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes.”

Katherine stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then slowly, it softened. Warmth spread into her eyes and her hands unclasped. “Are you staying?”

“If you don’t mind.” No matter what Carol said, if Katherine had a problem with me being here, I’d leave.

“No, I don’t mind. I do have a crazy day. I was going to eat lunch at my desk. But maybe we could meet for dinner. In the dining room around six?”

“That would be wonderful.” I let myself out, holding my smile until I was in the hallway. Then I let it stretch as years of regret and guilt vanished.