Previously:

Martine was invited to a party to celebrate the new owner of Wonder magazine following Lucy Emery's resignation. Charlie thought it was suspicious that Lucy had quit and wondered whether his mother-in-law might hold the secret to Erin's disappearance.

The tension between Kerri and Beau boiled over when Kerri learned the truth about her accident. She left him, needing some distance to sort out her conflicting emotions.

Josie pressured Miles to take some initiative. She encouraged him to make contact with a potential suitor who had given Miles his number while they were out at a club.

 

Wonder Magazine Party - The Highwind

Tonight was a first for Martine Guthrie. She was actually enjoying herself at the Highwind for the first time she could recall. In her prior experiences with the resort, there was always Giselle to contend with or Vincent to keep in line when they were married, which was its own particular brand of torture. Martine almost wanted to laugh now, remembering a time when her biggest fear was that Vincent was still in love with his ex-wife. Well, he had been! She'd been right all along.

But while the thought of Vincent leaving her for Giselle once terrified her, none of that mattered to her anymore. She'd come to realize that there were far worse fates and far better prospects for her.

She and Tyson LeBrock were seated together in the Highwind's grand ballroom, which had been transformed into a celebration for the new owner and editor of Wonder magazine, Claudia Crane-Shaw. Martine hadn't been working for Wonder very long, and she knew nothing about this Crane-Shaw woman, but it was her first opportunity for a night out since becoming a mother again, and she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

As she sipped her cinnamon martini, her heart went out to Tyson. He could have been wearing a straitjacket, as uncomfortable as he looked in his suit and tie. Even the way he held his drink, tentative as if the fragile glass might break in his rough hands, was enough to show he was plainly out of his element.

"You're hating this, aren't you?" she asked with a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, you look charming and dapper, just the way you should!"

"And you look every bit a beautiful and class-filled woman."

She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not as good with adjectives as you are!" he complained.

Still, her smile widened at his compliment, while he just laughed and braved a sip of his cocktail. "When was the last time you had to dress up for something like this?" she asked.

"A long, long time ago. My brother's wedding, probably. And I hadn't really counted on ever doing it again, at least until I got married myself."

"Your other girlfriends never dragged you anywhere fancy?"

Tyson shook his head. "Nope. I've never really dealt with this sort of crowd before. The other women I've dated ... we'd just go on hikes, go to the lake, maybe catch a movie if we wanted a 'night on the town.' I guess they've been more like me, you know?"

Martine wondered if she was too high-maintenance for him. He made it sound like they had nothing in common. It was something she tended to worry about, especially as they grew closer and spent more time together.

"I'm sorry I'm not into rock climbing, and para-sailing, and all that crap. But, I'd give it another chance if that's what you really want. You could give me lessons, maybe? Just don't count on me keeping up with you..."

"I would never expect you to," he teased. "And I wouldn't put you through that torture, because I know that's what it would be for you. You don't have to change for me. You keep things exciting for me in a different way. Take tonight, for example. I mean, when else would I be sitting in a room full of writers, and photographers, and suits, and champagne?"

"Maybe in your worst nightmare. But you shouldn't feel awkward at all. Haven't you noticed all the women in the room trying to catch your eye?" It was true. Tyson was definitely a standout amongst the crowd, most of whom were middle-aged socialites and husbands twenty years their senior. If Martine wasn't so amused by Tyson being the center of attention, she might have been irritated by the stares.

Tyson looked around, and, realizing what she was saying was true, shrank in his chair. "Thanks. I feel so much more comfortable now. You've really put me at ease."

"Just wait till these cougars get a few more drinks in them," she teased, looking past his shoulder to a group of partygoers standing around and sipping flutes of champagne.

Her attention wandered as she caught sight of one guest's profile -- someone who seemed familiar. She focused on him while he spoke, caught up in conversation with an older woman. At first, she didn't want to believe it, but the longer she kept him in her sights, the more certain she became...

When the man who'd captured her interest suddenly turned, fully meeting her eyes, Martine gasped and averted herself from his gaze. She was right. It was definitely him...

She turned her head down and shielded her face with her hand, pretending to adjust her updo.

"Martine, what's wrong?" Tyson asked, noticing her odd behavior.

"It's nothing," she said trying to disguise her breathless response as something more normal. She took a deep swig of her martini, then dared to look up once more. And he was gone. Martine's eyes darted around the ballroom from face to face. He was nowhere to be found. Had he just stepped out of the room, or had she been seeing things?

"I'll be right back," Martine said, heading out for some fresh air. Tyson wore a worried expression, but let her leave without further explanation.

She felt like she couldn't catch her breath. It had been years -- almost a lifetime -- since she'd seen him, so why would she have suddenly imagined him now? What was Josie's father doing in St. Laurent...?

 

The Guthrie Home

Charlie Guthrie wasn't expecting company. He knew it was too soon for Martine and Tyson's party to have ended, so when he heard someone at his door, he wasn't sure what to anticipate.

Brody LeBrock, sleeping tight in his baby carrier, began to stir at the sound of the doorbell. Charlie rushed to answer it before he could wake. "Kerri?"

His ex-wife stood in front of him, and she didn't have to say a word for him to tell she was as distraught as he'd ever seen her.

"Kerri?" he repeated. "What's wrong?"

She fell into his arms, burying her face into his shoulder.

Charlie stood gobsmacked. He had no idea what was going on or why she would have come to him. No, this definitely wasn't what he'd anticipated.

"It'll be all right. Come in, come in." He led her into the house and set her, shaking, on the couch next to him. "What's got you so worked up?"

She looked to him, wiping away her tears in a futile attempt to compose herself. "I found out what happened. After our wedding ... the accident. I've been such an idiot."

"No," Charlie said, mouth agape.

"It was my own brother, Charlie," she said, still repulsed by the thought of it all, "and he's been covering for it for years now."

 

Highwind Crossings - Miles's Apartment

"You're back in town?" Miles couldn't help but smile. At first, he was uneasy. He hated taking the first step, hated making decisions in general, but now, as he talked to the man he'd met at the club, he was glad Josie had goaded him into making a move.

He saw her watching him from outside his bedroom and made a face at her, closing the door on her to afford himself some privacy.

"Yeah, I just got back. I'm glad you called. I was hoping you hadn't written me off when we couldn't get together the first time around."

"I had my doubts," Miles admitted. "That you'd changed your mind or something."

"No! It's not that at all." He sounded sincere and interested. "I've been wanting to meet up with you again. We barely got to talk at the club. It's not my usual sort of scene."

Definitely a feeling Miles could relate to. "Me, too. I don't get out much."

"That's a shame. But lucky for me, I guess." A thick laugh carried over the line. "So, how can I make it up to you?"

"I don't know. I'm down for anything," Miles said, and, after realizing how his comment could be interpreted, felt his cheeks go hot. That hadn't come out quite the way he'd intended... "I mean, why don't we just grab a coffee or some lunch somewhere."

Not a bad recovery, he thought.

"Sure! That sounds great. How's Friday?"

"Friday's good." He smiled to himself. He hadn't felt this sort of rush in a while.

It was nerve-wracking to put himself out there, but after the initial awkwardness of first contact, the rest of their chat sailed along comfortably. It was nice just to talk to someone new after all he'd been through with Dominick and Kerri and everything else lately.

By the time they finalized their plans, Miles found himself really interested, his fears allayed. He was excited to see if things would take off, if they'd still feel the same attraction they felt at the club the next time they met up.

No pressure, he told himself. Maybe if he kept repeating that mantra, he'd actually start to believe it.

 

The Highwind

It wasn't him.

Martine hadn't seen Travis Caudill in nearly twenty years. There was a chance she was wrong about the entire thing. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself. But when she stepped outside for some air, she found him sitting there by himself, and the moment he looked up at her, hearing her approach, she knew there was no mistaking him.

It had been years since they'd seen each other, but Travis had barely changed in all that time. His face was still young, his eyes lively and amused. While her stomach had turned at seeing him, he seemed to delight in the encounter.

"When I saw you, I was hoping we'd get to talk," he said, standing to meet her.

"Don't," she warned, stepping away. "Why the hell are you here? What are you doing here?"

It wasn't so much a question as a demand, but Travis took it in stride. "I'm doing some work for the magazine. I'm a photographer now."

Travis and Martine had both been fine arts students back when they first met in college. To hear that he'd continued along his chosen path only made Martine's bitterness run deeper.

"Did you know I would be here? At Wonder? Did you follow me?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Travis's smirk enraged her. "Believe it or not, my world's stopped revolving around you."

"It never did to begin with, did it?" she jabbed. "That was the problem."

"I think our problem was a lot bigger than that." He gave an unsettled laugh, clearly trying to crack her tough exterior, but Martine was having none of it. Maybe he'd moved on and forgotten all about her and what he'd put her through, but seeing him again only reopened all of her old wounds and insecurities.

"So you work here now, too? Just great," she muttered.

"I'm only doing one campaign," he answered, hoping to ease her mind. "I had no idea you worked for this magazine or that you'd be here. I'm sorry if I've upset you, but it wasn't planned. I was just as surprised to see you tonight, and when I did, I thought maybe--"

"What did you honestly think, Travis? That we'd sit and chat about old times? That I'd invite you to my table and introduce you to my boyfriend?"

"I don't know," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I thought ... maybe we could be friends again."

She snorted a laugh. "Fat chance! You have no idea what you've put me through. I prayed I'd never see you again! How could I ever be friends with you?"

Travis couldn't even meet her eyes. She was glad he didn't have the nerve to look at her. Maybe he finally understood...

"I'm sorry."

"You should be," she snapped, rubbing salt into the wound. "Just stay away from me. We don't exist to each other. That's the only way I'm going to be able to get through the rest of this night."

Travis nodded silently and turned away from her.

She took a deep breath then left him, heading back into the party and hoping she could keep it together for at least a few more hours.

 

The Guthrie Home

By the time Kerri finished relating her story to Charlie, she was exhausted. It was hard enough to run through the details again and again in her mind, let alone speak them to somebody else. But there was also a sort of relief in telling him and finally putting to rest the years of questions they both shared about her accident.

"I can't believe ... after all this time," Charlie said, still attempting to comprehend the full story.

"How am I ever supposed to get past this?" she asked. She didn't want to go on hating Miles forever or feeling betrayed by Beau for not filling her in sooner, but she couldn't just forget any of it had happened. "I feel like an idiot for the way I reacted, but ... I don't know how else I could have taken the news? What am I expected to do? Pretend everything is okay between us all?"

"Of course not. It's going to take some work to ever rebuild that trust. With Beau and with Miles," he added. "I'm sure neither of them ever intended to put you through this..."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they did."

"I can't believe Beau would just sit on this," Charlie shook his head. "He knew what we went through, trying to figure this thing out."

"I know," she said sadly. "And that's the thing. It's not even about what happened to me anymore. I've moved past that aspect of it. What's killed me was not knowing..."

"And Miles and Beau both played a part in that."

She nodded and folded her hands in her lap. She was still shaking, her head still reeling from her fight with Beau, the crying, the swirl of thoughts and memories. "I should go," she said, standing on shaky legs.

"Are you sure you will be all right?"

"I'm fine now," she tried to assure him. "I shouldn't have just barged in and dropped this all on you. I guess I just needed someone to talk to."

"No, I'm glad you did. Of course I wanted to know. I would have been upset if you hadn't barged in and told me," he smiled gently, wrapping her in a hug. He backed away quickly. "Kerri, you're so cold. You're shaking. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she repeated. "I just need some rest. I've barely been able to sleep, and it's been a long night."

"But where will you go? It's getting late."

"I'll just get a room for the night. Don't worry about it."

"That's dumb. Just stay here for the night. I'm worried about you," Charlie said honestly.

"That's why I shouldn't have come here like this. You shouldn't have to worry about me, but I didn't know who else to talk to."

"Just stay. Please?" he asked. "For me?"

"Fine," she conceded, too weary to protest. "I'll get my things from the car." She paused at the door and looked back to him over her shoulder. "Charlie?" He turned to meet her eyes. "Thank you."

 

Miles's Apartment

When Miles finally came out of his room after the call, Josie was quick to pounce. "So?"

"So what?"

"You're going out with him, right?" she asked expectantly.

"Yeah," he said. She could tell he was downplaying his enthusiasm just to mess with her now. There was no way she could be more excited about this than he was. "Yeah," he repeated, a full-on grin now settling across his face.

"Yay! I was beginning to think you were a lost cause."

Miles laughed and breezed by her to the kitchen. "I'm glad I've restored your faith in me." He opened the fridge, rummaging around inside. "You know, I think this prying interest into my love life is getting a little unhealthy..."

"Oh, shut up! I've got to keep myself entertained somehow."

"Isn't that what Roddy's for?" Miles teased.

Josie's smile faltered a bit. "I don't know. He's been an ass lately. I think he's still jealous of me spending so much time with you. He knows there's nothing going on or anything like that, but still ... he's been going through a tough time. I guess I should try a little harder to be there for him."

"Forcing yourself to try isn't going to help things if it's not right."

"I know. But I do care," Josie said, though she was mostly trying to convince herself of the fact.

"There's nothing to eat here," Miles said, mercifully changing the subject. "Wanna get some Chinese?"

"Will you pick up something for me?" she asked sweetly. "Project Runway's about to start, and I don't want to miss it."

"Fine," Miles said, grabbing his keys. "I'll get you crab rangoon."

"Ew! Teriyaki chicken salad, please and thanks."

"You're welcome," Miles said, slamming the door on his way out.

She knew better than to think he was actually annoyed. She turned on the television, but her show wouldn't be on for another few minutes. While she waited, she thought of their conversation about her and Roddy ... which only made her try harder to think of anything else instead of him.

So her mind wandered back to Miles and his date. She was a little envious of the way he was so anxious and excited about this crush. She'd done all she could to help him. Now it was up to him. This guy had better be worth it...

Miles wouldn't tell her the first thing about him, not that he knew much more than her after their brief encounter at the Pole Position. She wondered why Miles had suddenly decided to take her advice today of all days. Maybe he was just pretending, faking the entire phone call and date setup to get her off his back. It definitely seemed like something he would do, she thought as she laughed to herself.

Her curiosity got the best of her, and she saw his phone lying on the table. "Did he really call?" she asked herself, crossing the room. Did he even keep the guy's number?

Josie looked through his recent calls. When she found what she was looking for, she nearly dropped the phone.

The last person he'd talked to was 'Travis Caudill.' Her father's name...