Payne inhaled sharply. “Diane grew up on Long Island like I did. Our parents have always been good friends. They’ve traveled in the same circles, had parties with all their children at least half a dozen times every year for years.”

“That explains so much,” her voice shook. “You and Diane were-”

“Not childhood sweethearts,” he cut her off. Payne couldn’t let the lie continue any longer.

“I’m not in love with Diane. I was never in love with her. She only thinks she’s in love with me.”

Rainey’s shock rendered her speechless. That was good. He had more to say.

“For the last ten years I’ve been so involved building my company, I can probably count on one hand the times I’ve even seen Diane in passing.

“During the last Christmas holiday her family invited mine for brunch. My parents asked them back for dinner. It’s a tradition with them. I’d forgotten all about it because I stopped going to those functions by the time I went away to college.

“On the night Diane was shot, I was working at my office alone when I got a phone call from mother. She said Diane Wylie was on her way to my office. Apparently she’d been shopping and had lost track of the time. Would I let her in and bring her to the house for the annual party when I flew home?

“I didn’t even know mother was having a party. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but if Diane was already downstairs in the foyer waiting for me to let her come up, I didn’t see how I could get out of it. So I agreed.”

Rainey looked shell-shocked. The way she was holding on to the back of one of the chairs, he had the strongest suspicion she needed the support.

“During the flight to Crag’s Head we caught up on each other’s news the way you do with an old acquaintance. She’d just come back from San Francisco where she’d been interviewed for an editor’s job with a magazine there. But she’d decided not to take it.

“In a teasing way I made the comment that she’d probably met a man here and didn’t want to leave him. She teased back that I could be right.

“At that point the helicopter landed. Mac had a flu bug and looked like death. I told him to go to bed. He argued with me, but I reminded him we were in the family compound which was secure. Nothing was going to happen.”

The more Payne explained, the more he could see Rainey’s complexion losing color.

“I decided to drive my own car for a change. We left straight for my parents’ home a short distance away. I helped Diane out. We’d just reached the stairs of the house when someone called my name.

“When I spun around, I discovered a strange woman standing near the bushes brandishing a gun. I’d been stalked at least six times since college, but none of the women had ever been in possession of a weapon before.

“It was one of those surreal moments, Rainey. You know it’s happening to you, but your brain is slow to react. I pushed Diane out of the way, then lunged for the woman. A shot rang out a split second before I tackled her to the ground. In the background I could hear Diane screaming that she’d been hit.

“Suddenly the whole world converged on us. Family, friends, security, police, paramedics.

“That shot shattered her world and mine.”

“Oh, Payne-” Rainey moaned as if she’d been the one wounded.

“Diane didn’t want anyone to touch her but me. It was a fight to get her to relent enough to let the paramedics take over. Of course she was in shock.

“She clung to me like a frightened child, begging me to ride in the ambulance with her. I would have thought she’d want her parents, but I did what she asked because I was in shock myself and frantic for her.”

“Of course. What a hideous moment for all of you.”

“That’s the word, Rainey. On the way to the hospital she kept saying that she was afraid she was going to die. Suddenly this whole confession came out that she’d always loved me and hoped to marry me one day.”

Rainey bowed her head.

“Diane admitted that she’d gone to the city on purpose to see me. She used my mother by calling her up and pretending that she needed a ride home. Could my mother arrange for her to hook up with me?

“Her ruse worked,” he ground out. “She accomplished her objective, but ended up paying a price no one should have to pay.”

“No.”

“That bullet was meant for me, Rainey. If I hadn’t given Mac the night off, he would have dealt with the situation so fast that stalker wouldn’t have known what hit her. That’s what I pay him for.

“Out of all the nights to give him a break, it had to be that one.”

“Stop crucifying yourself!”

“I don’t know how. You’d think I would have learned from the other stalking experiences in my life that I’d always be a target and could never let down my guard.

“If you recall, God didn’t say ‘blessed are the rich and the famous.’ That’s because He knew those tags carried a terrible price.”

“Payne-”

“It’s true. When all is said and done, I’m the reason Diane can’t walk. The first two months were pure hell for her and for me. Every day I did a balancing act between my office and her hospital room. Each time I entered it, I prayed to hear she’d made a little progress.

“One evening while her doctor was doing rounds, he pulled me aside and told me there wasn’t anything else they could do for her. But because she still had some feeling in her legs, he suggested she go to a clinic in Zurich which was renowned for a new kind of operation that was getting results.

“That was the news I’d been waiting for. When I asked the doctor if he’d told Diane about it, he said yes, but she was fighting the idea.

“I couldn’t understand it, not if there was any possibility at all that she could walk again.

“Diane and I argued about it until she cried herself to sleep. When I went home I racked my brain trying to figure out how I could get her to change her mind and go.”

“So you asked her to marry you,” Rainey murmured.

Their eyes met for a long unsmiling moment.

“Yes. I thought my proposal would bring about the required miracle. I told her I’d take a month off. We’d combine her hospital stay with a honeymoon.

“Since our engagement she’s said yes to the idea and then reneged a hundred times. We were still battling over it the day Catherine and Diane came flying into my brother-in-law’s study to show me the cover on Manhattan Merger.”

“That was my fault,” Rainey cried in anguish. “I should never have taken the risk of painting your face or anyone else’s from memory!”

“Who’s crucifying themselves now?”

“Touché,” she whispered. “Payne-I-I have an idea.”

“That’s good, because I’m running out of them.”

“In a few minutes I’m going to pack my bags and leave for good.”

Rainey, Rainey.

“You think I didn’t know you were going to say it before you did?”

“Please listen.”

She was being all serious and noble. He folded his arms so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach for her and never let her go.

“Behold your captive audience.”

Like a nervous doe in the forest sensing danger, she backed away from him. “As soon as I’ve left in the helicopter, drive over to Diane’s and surprise her.

“Tell her she was right, that you hired me to make her angry, and now you and I both realize the ploy failed miserably. Let her know I’ve gone back to Colorado, which is exactly where I’m going after I leave here.

“Then ask her to go away to Paris with you tomorrow instead of Tuesday. Tell her nothing’s more important than her happiness, and that you’ll never mention Switzerland again. I honestly believe if you do that, she’ll find the strength to go to this clinic.

“I’ve seen evidence of that Wylie pride you were talking about. It means that deep down the last thing she wants is the Sterling name and your protection because she ended up in a wheelchair and you felt guilty about it.

“Like any real woman she wants your love, given freely.

“She knows the only way she can win that love is to fight for it after she’s done everything in her power to stand on her own two feet first. That’s why I’m convinced she’ll end up doing what’s best for her and you.

“And now I’m going to leave here because it’s best for me.” She started out of the study. “Will you tell your pilot I’ll be ready for takeoff in ten minutes?”

Payne let her go. He had to. His commitment was to Diane. Rainey respected that commitment. She was an honorable woman. In fact she was so many wonderful things, he didn’t dare start listing them or he’d never stop.

In less than ten minutes she was back downstairs again with her bags. They walked out of the house together without saying anything. When he’d put her belongings in the helicopter, he turned to help her inside. Her sunny smile would have fooled anyone except Payne.

“You don’t ever need to worry about stumbling on to your life, Rainey Bennett. It lives inside you and infects everyone you meet.”

Her eyes filmed over. “That’s the nicest compliment anyone’s ever paid me. For what it’s worth, I meant what I said to Diane. You’re a hero in every sense of the word. The next time I read a Red Rose Romance, I’ll think of you, but I promise to control the urge to paint you.”

The rotors whipped the air. It was time.

“Be happy,” she whispered. Her kiss felt like the brush of a butterfly’s wing against his jaw.

He closed the door and stepped away from the chopper. The noise it made rising in the air covered the groan coming from the deepest recesses of his soul.

When it was out of sight he broke into a run and headed for the beach. After a half hour’s workout he went back to the house to shower and pack a bag.

Downstairs he found his housekeeper in the kitchen.

“Betty? There’s been a change in plans. Rainey has decided to go home to Colorado. I’m leaving now and won’t be back from Paris with Diane until next Saturday. Call me if there are any problems.”

He phoned Andy to bring the limo around. Soon John and Mac had joined them for the ride to Payne’s sister’s house. He wanted to say goodbye to his niece in person.

Nyla happened to meet him in the hall and told him Catherine had gone over to the grandparents for Sunday dinner.

“Can I give her a message?”

“That’s all right. I’ll phone her over there. While I’m here, will you get me those paintings of Rainey’s?”

“You bet. Just a minute.”

While Payne waited, he called Catherine’s cell phone.

“Hi, Uncle Payne!”

“Hi, sweetheart. I’m glad I caught you.”

“Me too. I guess I left that romance at your house, but when I called Betty, she said she hadn’t seen it. Do you have any idea where it might be?”

He frowned. “I remember Diane asking you to hand it to her. Maybe she still has it. If she does, I’ll make sure it gets back to you.”

“Thanks. How’s everything going?” she whispered.

He swallowed hard. “Better than expected.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m taking Diane to Paris with me in the morning.”

“She’s actually going to go on your jet with you?”

“That’s right.”

“Maybe this means-”

“Whatever it means, it’s progress,” he broke in. “Because of it, Rainey has decided not to work for me after all. She left to go back to Colorado a couple of hours ago.”

A long silence ensued. “She was going to draw Linda’s portrait on Tuesday.”

Payne didn’t know about that. “Tell Linda that Rainey would have done it if she could have.”

“I will,” she said in a quiet voice. “Uncle Payne? Are you all right?”

Don’t ask me that, sweetheart. “I couldn’t be better. If Diane can take this step, who knows where it will lead?”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I love you. Thanks for taking such good care of me.”

Thank God for his niece. “I love you too. What do you want from Paris?”

“For you to be happy.”

Someone else he loved had told him the same thing two hours ago.

“Ditto, sweetheart. Give everyone my love. Tell mom and dad I’ll be by to see them next weekend.”

“I will.”

“Here you go,” Nyla said as he put his phone back in his pocket.

Payne took the paintings from her. “Thanks for everything. My sister’s lucky to have you.” He gave her a hug before leaving the house with a precious treasure.

After he got to the office he would leave a note for his secretary to mail them to Rainey. They were her creation. She had the only right to them. If she decided to get rid of them, he didn’t want to know about it.

“Andy? Take me to the Wylies’.”

Payne intended to follow Rainey’s advice to the letter. He’d lost faith in his own instincts, but he believed in hers. She was the one gifted with second sight. Maybe she knew something he didn’t.