As soon as the thought wiggled its way into her head, she erased it. She had faith in Michael, maybe more than he had in himself. Eventually he would realize he loved her and would come to her.
Meanwhile, she was going to keep busy writing songs.
Late on a Tuesday evening Isabel was working on polishing an old song and changing some of the lyrics. Dylan and Kate had gone out with friends, and she had been at it for hours. As she sat at the piano in the living room singing the new version, she was unaware of the audience behind her. Dylan was leaning against the doorway with his arm around Kate. Her head was on his shoulder, and her eyes were closed as she listened to the captivating melody.
“That was beautiful, Isabel,” Kate said. “I love it.”
Startled by the voice, Isabel spun around. “You do? I thought it was good, but then I started doubting . . .”
“It’s perfect,” Dylan commented as he started up the stairs. “I’m going to bed. You coming, Katie?”
“I’m right behind you,” she promised. “Isabel, you should go to bed, too. You look exhausted.
Have you been working on this song all evening?”
Isabel nodded. “And most of the day. I wanted to finish it before I left for Los Angeles.”
“Why are you going to Los Angeles?”
“Damon is going to propose to Mia. He wants me to come to the engagement party. I wouldn’t dare miss it. He’s already booked a ballroom at the Sienna Hotel.”
“That hotel is pretty exclusive and elegant. Is he planning to propose at the party?”
“No, before.”
“She better say yes.”
“She will. They love each other.”
“When are you going?” Kate asked, jumping into worry mode.
“Thursday.”
“That’s the day after tomorrow. Who’s going with you? You should have security.”
“I’ve got it covered.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Lying to Kate was easy because Isabel knew if she told her sister the truth, she would worry all the more. Isabel didn’t plan on taking anyone with her. She was going by herself, and she didn’t expect any trouble. If she were going to L.A. to perform with Xavier, she would need bodyguards to get to and from the venue, but this was a simple trip to see friends. She was certain no one would bother her.
She was excited to see everyone. She packed enough clothes for a week, adding two dresses her aunt Nora would call too racy. She couldn’t make up her mind which dress she would wear to the
party, so she took them both. One was the black dress from the Buchanan party. That had been a disaster. Maybe this time, if she wore it to Damon and Mia’s party, she’d have better luck and the night would end on a happier note.
Wednesday her L.A. attorney called and asked to meet with her at her hotel on Friday. He wanted to hire a security team to watch out for her while she was performing. There was one agency he considered superior to all the others, and he wanted her to meet with the CEO, Steven Carr. Although she agreed to talk to him, she hoped she would never need his team. She wanted to stay out of the public eye and off the stage, and if she was to accomplish that, it wouldn’t take long for her fans to move on. There was only one problem with her plan: Xavier. He had done at least a dozen interviews before leaving for his European tour, and in each interview he mentioned Isabel or was asked about her.
Despite her discomfort with all the notoriety coming her way, Isabel felt she was coping quite well. But that all changed on Wednesday night when Lexi sent her a link with a note: Have you seen this? Curious, she watched the interview. The particularly nosy reporter asked Xavier one last question: “If Isabel asked you to marry her, would you?” Xavier looked into the camera, smiled that killer smile of his, and said, “In a heartbeat.”
Isabel was neither thrilled nor flattered. She was mortified. Were the paparazzi, with their cameras flashing in her face, going to be chasing her along with all the crazy fans now? Would everyone want to know if she was going to marry Xavier, and if not, why not?
Because of Xavier’s latest interview, attending the party took on an extra degree of planning. She was going to have to get security for the trip after all, she supposed, and that meant bringing in the big gun. She was going to dump it all on Dylan.
Fortunately, Kate was out for the evening and wouldn’t interfere with the arrangements. If she had her way, Isabel would be surrounded by armed guards, and she’d be wearing a bulletproof vest. She was tenacious, and Isabel knew she would eventually wear her down. Nagging was Kate’s superpower.
Since Isabel was going to stay at the newly expanded Hamilton Hotel, Dylan called their head of security. Come to find out, Regan had already talked to security and hired a driver for Isabel. They were all quietly taking care of her, and she was humbled by their thoughtfulness. She didn’t know how she could ever repay them. All of the Buchanans had stepped forward to help her.
Had Dylan talked to Michael about any of this? Probably not, she decided. Four weeks and five days. Michael had left her exactly four weeks and five days ago, not that she was counting. She hadn’t asked Dylan or any of the other Buchanans what Michael was up to, but she thought it was odd that Dylan hadn’t mentioned him to her, not once in all that time. Why was it taking Michael so long to figure it all out? Loving someone like Michael took patience and stamina, and she was running out of both. She vowed she wasn’t going to worry about him while she was in L.A.
She was ready to have some fun, even if it killed her.
FORTY
MICHAEL’S STAY IN SAN DIEGO HAD LASTED LONGER THAN HE EXPECTED. THE TRIAL THAT
had resulted from a SEAL brother’s PTSD episode had dragged on, but in the end had come to a favorable conclusion. Michael was grateful his friend’s wife had called him for help and legal advice. His friend was now going to get the treatment and support he needed.
Michael was finally ready to pack up and head back to Boston—but first things first. Isabel. He had let her have these last few weeks to think about what she wanted. He had had time to think, too, and there was no way around it. He couldn’t see a future without her.
He called to schedule a flight, and then he called Isabel. There was no answer. He waited a few minutes and tried again. Still no answer. Impatient, he called Dylan.
His brother answered immediately. Michael didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “I need to talk to Isabel.”
“Hi, Michael,” Dylan said. “Where are you?”
“San Diego. I’m taking a flight back to Boston this afternoon.”
“Did you finish helping with that legal—”
Michael interrupted. “Yes. I did. I need to talk to Isabel.”
“Why did it take you so long?”
“A friend needed some help. I really need to talk to Isabel.”
“She isn’t here.”
“When will she be back?”
“I honestly don’t know. Hold on. I’ll ask Kate.” He came back to the phone a minute later. “She doesn’t know.”
“What the hell.”
“I’ve got a crazy idea. If you want to talk to Isabel, why don’t you call her?”
“Her phone’s turned off. Do you know where she went?”
“Los Angeles.”