“Maybe Diane’s not ready for an operation yet, but she’s decided to go to Paris with you to prove she’s trying to conquer her fear and be that vital woman you fell in love with.”

His heart almost failed him. “You’re wrong, Rainey.”

There was a slight pause. “As I said, it was just a theory,” her voice trailed.

He’d hurt her when it was the last thing under heaven he wanted to do.

Payne swung around, aware his breathing was ragged. “Where are you going?”

She paused midstride. Turning her blond head toward him she said, “You’re obviously upset. I’ve only made matters worse.”

“You’re right. I am upset, but you’re not the reason. Please stay. I need to talk to you.”

There was a tender expression in her green eyes as she studied him. “Tell me about Diane. How did you two first meet? How long ago? I’ve wanted to know the answers to those questions since the hearing, but it wasn’t any of my business.”

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.