“As you all have seen and heard, we are taking Wingate in a new direction,” he announced. “We have a wide variety of packages for romantic getaways and those can be pre-booked starting right now. Every budget was taken into consideration and we have something for everyone.”
Luke glanced around the room at all of the familiar faces and couldn’t help but smile and be filled with hope at all of the people who had come out to support the company.
“I can’t take all of the credit for this brilliant plan,” he added. “My assistant Kelly Prentiss has truly been the brains behind the operation. If I could get Kelly to come up here.”
He tried to scan the crowd for where she’d be coming from, but he didn’t see anyone. Luke glanced to his side where his brother stood, but Zeke just shrugged.
Luke waited another minute, but Kelly never showed. Where could she be? She hadn’t mentioned needing to leave.
“Well, I’m sure Kelly is here somewhere,” he added with a chuckle. “I know she would appreciate you stopping her and thanking her for putting this amazing party together and helping with this next journey for Wingate Enterprises. Thank you all again for coming and, please, continue to enjoy the open bar and the rest of the evening.”
Luke stepped from the podium and off the stage.
“I’m going to look for Kelly,” he told his brother. “That’s not like her to leave or just be gone. Maybe she’s in the back office or the restroom.”
Luke checked everywhere and couldn’t find her. He pulled his cell from his pocket, but there were no texts or calls from her. He sent her a quick text asking where she was and if everything was okay. He waited a few minutes, but there was no reply.
Now he was starting to worry. As he asked around about anyone seeing her, everyone said they’d just seen her moments ago, so he had to believe she wasn’t far.
A loud shout caught his attention, but it was just the Wingate twins laughing and they were being hoisted into the air by some rowdy guests. Clearly people had taken advantage of that open bar.
Luke watched as the rambunctious celebration continued on outside and he saw it coming before it happened. Sutton and Sebastian were launched into the swimming pool by a group of cheering guys.
Was this the equivalent of dumping the ice bucket on the coach at the end of a big win?
Luke had bigger issues to deal with however, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be part of that pool club. It might be fairly nice for December, but that didn’t mean the pool water was warm.
When he turned back toward the ballroom, he spotted Gracie.
“Hey, Gracie.” He stopped in front of her and noted how she looked like she wasn’t feeling well. “Have you seen Kelly anywhere?”
“I just spoke to her,” Gracie said. “Maybe thirty minutes or an hour ago. Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “I just can’t find her, that’s all.”
Something caught Gracie’s eye over Luke’s shoulder and she gasped. Luke turned and saw the Wingate twins dripping by the pool and Sebastian had stripped out of his jacket and shirt. A long scar ran down his back.
When Luke turned back to Gracie, she appeared even paler than before and looked on the verge of passing out.
“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching for her.
“I-I have to go.”
She fled the ballroom, and Luke had no idea what had spooked her, but she was gone.
His cell vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text from Kelly. Relief spread through him, quickly followed by confusion.
I overheard something you probably didn’t intend for me to hear. You need to check your email.
His email? Had something important come through while they’d been at the party and she was working on it now? That would be just like her to take the stress off him and try to get everything taken care of while he was at the party. He smiled as he tapped the email icon. She was too damn good for him.
The confusion grew and along with it came astonishment.
Kelly’s resignation letter? The date at the top was today, and she stated the notification was effective immediately. She indicated a difference of goals and her life going in a different direction now.
What the hell?
Luke read it again, still unsure about what was going on. What different direction? Wasn’t this the same woman who wanted to talk to him for hours on end when they got home? The same woman who’d worn a dress she thought he would love?