“You know who I am, Lucy. Protecting people is what I do. What I did,” he replied. “For a long time it was my job. Why would you think I wouldn’t want to protect you?”
“I knew you would. There was no question in my mind that you wouldn’t protect me. I was so sure of it I didn’t want to put you in a position where Brock caused trouble for you. He was supposed to leave in a few days,” she explained. “I didn’t want to cause a fuss over someone who was going to be gone very soon.”
“His family owns a villa,” Michael countered. “He could have been back any day.”
“And he would have moved on.” She’d gone over the situation in her head a hundred times. “He would have barely remembered me the next time he came out here.”
“That is not what Nate thinks.” Michael held his ground.
This was the one place he had her. She’d promised Nate she would talk to them both, and she’d used every excuse to put it off. “I meant to tell you what Nate said. I truly did.”
Michael nodded as though she’d made his point. “But then we didn’t meet you for lunch.”
Ty huffed. “She wouldn’t keep that from you because she was upset with us. She’s not like that. I upset her all the time, and she doesn’t stop talking to me.”
Michael turned his attention Ty’s way. “Are you fucking kidding me? She won’t even let you feed her when she’s hungry. You had to lie and say your mom made too much. You have to go behind her back to make sure she’s okay because she won’t let you take care of her.”
“That’s because she’s too proud,” Ty answered. “That wasn’t about punishing me.”
“It was because I didn’t want to lean on him when I thought he could be gone any second.” It was funny how it had only been a few days, but she already couldn’t imagine her life without Ty as her boyfriend. Maybe that was what she’d always been afraid of, the fact that she couldn’t dream about a future without him. And then Michael had come along, and it had been right for the first time. “I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be some kind of superhero who didn’t need anyone. I think I was afraid of needing anyone. I’m supposed to be the strong one.”
“You are strong.” For the first time since she’d walked in the door, there was real emotion in Michael’s voice. “You take care of the people around you. It’s why when you had a problem with Brock, I wish you’d come to me. We wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“You can’t know that. I could have told you and I still would have worked the party tonight. I still would have helped out and taken that drink up to the suites.” She had to find a way to make him understand he didn’t have to worry about her betraying him. She wouldn’t ever do it.
“Or I could have taken care of the problem,” Michael replied, his gaze going hard.
“I think that look right there is what she was afraid of.” Ty backed her up. “I know I would have kicked that guy’s ass, and then we both would have been in trouble.”
“Or we could have called Mr. Roberts and explained that one of his villa residents was harassing his employees, including finding them outside the lodge and attempting to assault them. I wouldn’t have lost my shit. I would have taken care of the situation and made very certain that man can’t harm you or anyone here at the resort,” Michael replied. “I wouldn’t have put you at more risk by beating the man up.”
“We can’t put that on Mr. Roberts,” she argued. “He’s busy.”
“He is not so busy that he can’t protect his employees. I assure you of that. I haven’t met the man, but I asked around. He is not a man who allows any person who works for him to be taken advantage of by his guests.” Michael sounded so sure.
She had another argument to make. “I haven’t been hired yet. I’m not his employee, so he might have decided I wasn’t worth the trouble.”
“Then he isn’t a man I want you to work for,” Michael shot back.
“I agree.” Ty’s jaw went tight. “Mr. Roberts is a good man, and he doesn’t suffer fools. The money wouldn’t have mattered to him. I should have done the same thing. I should have called him and told him what was happening.”
“You didn’t know.” Michael softened slightly. “She didn’t tell you either, so you didn’t have a chance.”
“I wouldn’t have thought of it.” Ty’s expression had turned grim. “I would have done exactly what she was afraid of.”
Michael reached out and wrapped his hand around Ty’s neck, a gesture that held such intimacy it nearly made her melt. “It’s okay, Ty. That’s what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to…”
He seemed to realize he wasn’t doing what he’d set out to do. Michael shook his head and took a step back.
“Mike, come on, man. Let’s sit down and talk,” Ty implored. “She didn’t do this and you know it.”
“Why did you have all those apples, Luce?” Michael’s voice was toneless again, his eyes cutting through her.
“What?” Why did he want to know about apples?
“You had a big basket of apples while you were staying at River’s. It had to be at least twenty. They were sitting on the bar in her kitchen.” There was no way to miss the accusation in the words.
“I told you. Nell got a bunch of apples and she asked if I wanted some.” It had been incredibly handy because it meant she could try to get her pie right. It kept coming out soupy.
“You said you were experimenting. Did you know apple seeds contain cyanide?” Michael kept up his questioning.
“What?” She felt herself flush because Michael was staring at her, and she realized why. He wanted to gauge her response, to see if he could learn anything from how she reacted to his words.
He truly thought she could be guilty. He’d made love to her, held her, promised to care about her, but he’d meant the other promise, too. He’d meant it when he’d said he couldn’t, wouldn’t love her. He would never love her. He would never trust her.
“Cyanide can be made through the seeds of certain fruits that naturally contain the poison in their seeds or pits.” Michael’s tone had gone academic, and she knew she’d lost him. “You mentioned you were experimenting.”
“I think you should go, Mike.” Ty’s hand found hers again.
“I think I’d like an answer to my question,” Michael replied.
Ty shook his head. “She doesn’t have to answer any of your questions, and I’d like you to leave now. I thought we might be able to get through this. I thought you were angry that she didn’t tell us what had happened between her and Brock, but if you really think she’s capable of coldly poisoning another human being, then there’s no hope for us. Go back to your mountain. You weren’t ready to come down.”
“I’d like an answer to my question. I haven’t told them about the apples yet. They don’t know you kept a basket full of them at River’s.” Michael dangled the possibility that he could go right up and tell Nate everything he knew.