Chapter 450 - The First Look

Chapter 450: Chapter 450 - The First Look

The helicopter continued descending toward the lake, drawing the attention of nearly everyone on the terrace.

"Is that thing actually landing on the water?" Angela asked.

Roxie watched as the aircraft lowered itself near a floating dock, its pontoons touching the surface and sending ripples across the water.

"Jesus Christ," Jace said. "Who’s arriving like that?"

Kyle was laughing, and Mason had joined him near the railing.

"That asshole," Mason muttered, shaking his head.

Kendall turned toward her fiancé, looking absolutely furious. "Kyle, please tell me you knew about this. How dare that insufferable man take the spotlight!"

"I’m sorry, sweetheart. I knew he was coming."

"You knew he was coming in a helicopter?"

"That part’s new."

"Kyle!"

Mason laughed while Kyle pulled out his phone, apparently checking another message. Kendall looked as though she wanted to snatch it out of his hand, but she was interrupted by more guests moving toward the railing.

Roxie glanced toward Karen and Angela, who exchanged a look before turning to her.

"We didn’t know," Karen said.

Roxie rolled her eyes. "I didn’t say anything."

"Just telling you," Angela answered.

Whatever. Sooner or later, they were bound to meet again. Especially if Crestline actually went through with that ridiculous reassignment to sports.

She sighed, remembering her asshole of a boss. Of all the things she wanted to think about while enjoying her vacation, Harrison Caldwell was certainly at the bottom of the list.

Several guests had already gotten out of their chairs, gathering near the railing for a better view. Roxie remained seated, although she could see the helicopter clearly from where she was. The rotors gradually slowed, and a member of the hotel staff approached the floating dock.

When the door finally opened, a man ducked slightly as he stepped out, straightening once his feet reached the pontoon.

Roxie recognized him immediately.

Zac.

She’d seen him plenty of times on television, on billboards, and in advertisements over the years, but this was the first time she’d actually seen him in person since thenl. It felt a little strange considering they both lived in New York.

Although, if she thought about it, she’d probably made an effort to avoid places where she might run into him.

Well, maybe she had.

Her attention returned to the man standing on the dock.

His shoulders filled out the dark suit, and his face had lost the remaining softness she remembered from high school. His jaw was sharper now, and his dark hair, shorter at the sides and longer on top, had been pushed back from his forehead.

He looked so familiar and, at the same time, like a stranger.

When he adjusted his collar, Roxie noticed black ink curving along one side of his neck before disappearing beneath his open shirt. Another tattoo was visible near his wrist when he lowered his hand.

Well, that was new.

She almost laughed, remembering how he used to complain about his hair getting in his eyes during practice. Now he was standing on a dock in Italy, wearing an expensive suit with tattoos creeping up his neck.

Ten years had certainly done him favors.

Roxie caught herself looking a little longer than necessary and straightened in her seat.

Jesus, Roxie. Stop staring.

She reached for her wineglass just as Zac turned back toward the helicopter.

A woman’s hand appeared from the doorway, and Roxie watched him reach for it, helping a tall woman in a fitted evening dress step onto the dock. Her long hair moved in the breeze as she straightened, smiling when Zac said something to her.

Oh.

She was gorgeous.

The woman slipped her hand around Zac’s arm, and together they followed the waiting staff toward the hotel.

"Who’s that?" Ava asked, leaning forward to get a better look.

"No idea," Angela answered. "Maybe another one of his girls."

Roxie reached beneath the table and pinched Angela’s thigh.

"Ow!" Angela turned toward her, looking offended.

Roxie gave her a warning look before taking a sip of wine. Angela sighed and settled back into her chair, clearly understanding that she was supposed to behave.

"She’s beautiful," Roxie said, partly because she felt as though everyone was waiting for her to say something.

"Yeah," Ava agreed. "I wonder if that’s his girlfriend."

Roxie shrugged.

She’d seen Zac photographed with plenty of beautiful women over the years. There was nothing particularly surprising about him bringing one to a wedding, although arriving by helicopter was certainly an impressive way of making an entrance.

"Look at those idiots," Karen murmured.

Roxie followed her gaze toward Kyle and Mason, who were still laughing near the railing. Several of the former football players had joined them, and Jace had his phone out, recording the helicopter while the hotel staff moved around the dock.

Roxie shook her head, smiling at how entertained they all seemed.

The wedding had barely started, and Zac had already given them something to talk about.

By the time Zac reached the reception, most of the guests had returned to their seats, although conversations about his arrival continued around the tables. Roxie was talking to Ava when she heard Kyle laughing near the entrance.

"You couldn’t just take a car?"

She glanced up and saw Zac walking beside Kyle and Mason, his date close to his side.

"Why would I spend hours in a car?" Zac asked.

"Because that’s what normal people do," Mason replied.

Zac shrugged. "You’ve got money. Why the hell not?"

Kyle burst out laughing.

"It’s my wedding, asshole. You’re supposed to let me have the attention."

"Then you should’ve arrived in a helicopter."

Mason shook his head, laughing. "You’re fucking unbearable."

Roxie smiled at the exchange. She could hear the familiar confidence in Zac’s voice, even from where she sat, and apparently his friends were as accustomed to it as ever.

The former football players spotted him before he could get much farther.

"Captain!"

Zac turned toward them with a wide grin.

"Jace! You ugly bastard!"

Jace laughed as Zac approached, and the men greeted him with handshakes and hugs. Someone immediately started asking about the coming NFL season, while another complained that Zac had ignored their messages for months.

Their voices grew louder as more people joined them, and Roxie returned to her conversation with Ava while the men continued catching up across the terrace.

"Well," Angela said beside her, "he certainly knows how to get attention."

"That helicopter probably cost more than our entire vacation," Karen added.

Roxie laughed. "Don’t give Angela ideas. She’ll want one for our flight home."

Angela grinned. "I wouldn’t complain."

A server approached with more wine, and Roxie accepted a refill before noticing Kendall making her way toward Zac.

The bride had finally caught up with him, and judging by her expression, she was giving him a piece of her mind. Even from her seat, Roxie could see Zac laughing as Kendall pointed toward the lake, apparently explaining exactly how she felt about having a helicopter interrupt her carefully planned dinner.

Kyle stood beside them, looking far too entertained by the whole thing.

Eventually, Kendall shook her head and allowed Zac to kiss her cheek. She then turned toward the woman accompanying him, greeting her with considerably more warmth.

Roxie was about to return to her food when she noticed a couple of people looking her way.

One of the women at a nearby table glanced between her and Zac before leaning closer to whisper something to her companion. Another guest looked toward Roxie when someone mentioned Zac’s name.

She took another sip of wine, pretending she hadn’t noticed.

Seriously, what was wrong with these people?

Zac hadn’t even acknowledged her presence, and they were already looking between them as though something was happening. She could practically imagine what they were thinking, especially when she caught another woman glancing in her direction.

Her cheeks began to warm, and that irritated her even more.

It was almost embarrassing, sitting here while everyone seemed to be waiting for a reaction from her. The man hadn’t even noticed her, for God’s sake.

What exactly were they expecting her to do?

Start crying? Run away? Throw her wine at him?

Fuck that.

She’d come here to attend Kendall’s wedding, and she was going to enjoy it.

Roxie turned toward Ava, who was explaining the schedule for tomorrow’s boat excursion.

"So what time are we leaving?" she asked.

"Ten. But Kendall wants everyone ready by nine thirty."

"Nine thirty? On vacation?"

Ava laughed. "It’s a boat trip, Roxie."

"Boats can leave at noon."

"Tell Kendall that."

Roxie glanced toward the bride, who was still occupied with Zac and Kyle.

"Absolutely not."

Ava laughed again, and Roxie settled into the conversation about the following day’s plans. She was curious about which villages they would visit and whether there would be enough time to stop somewhere for lunch.

They were discussing a restaurant Ava wanted to try when another burst of laughter came from the football players.

Roxie glanced over and saw Mason gesturing animatedly while Zac and Kyle argued with him about something. Mason looked thoroughly offended, although the other two were laughing too hard to take him seriously.

The sight made Roxie pause.

There they were again, the three of them standing together, talking and laughing just as they used to in high school. She could remember seeing them like that along the sidelines after football practice, usually arguing over something stupid while everyone else was getting ready to leave.

She hadn’t realized how familiar the sight would be until she saw them standing together again.

Except someone was missing.

Dylan.

The thought made her smile fade.

Zac was one thing. She’d known there was always a chance they’d cross paths again, especially with the careers they’d chosen and the people they still knew.

But Dylan?

Roxie looked away, reaching for her wine.

She had absolutely no desire to see him again.

The memory of how everything had ended was irritating enough without adding Dylan to the evening. She’d been enjoying herself before the helicopter arrived, and she wasn’t going to spend the rest of the night thinking about people she’d left behind.

She turned back toward Ava and asked another question about tomorrow’s trip.

The evening continued, with people moving between tables and finding old friends to talk to. Roxie spent a while catching up with Tori, who complained about how exhausting the wedding preparations had been, then listened as Marissa explained how difficult it had become to find a comfortable sleeping position with her growing stomach.

By the time dessert arrived, Roxie was comfortably full and beginning to feel tired from the day’s travel. She’d had a good evening, far better than she’d expected, and was considering whether to return to her room early.

A server passed carrying a tray of drinks, and Roxie glanced toward the entrance, catching sight of Zac standing with Kyle and Mason. His date was nearby, speaking to one of Kendall’s friends.

Another woman at the table beside hers looked in the same direction before glancing at Roxie.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

She was beginning to suspect the staring was going to continue for the rest of the wedding.

What bothered her was that everyone seemed to think she and Zac were deliberately ignoring each other. She’d seen the looks, the quiet conversations, and the way people kept checking her expression whenever he laughed or spoke to someone.

Meanwhile, Zac was across the terrace, enjoying himself without even knowing she was there.

And somehow, she was the one feeling embarrassed.

As if she’d done something wrong.

Roxie frowned and reached for her dessert, but another glance from a nearby guest made her put her fork down again.

God, this was getting ridiculous.

They’d been apart for ten years. She wasn’t interested in making a scene, and she certainly wasn’t sitting here waiting for Zac to notice her.

She was perfectly capable of walking up to someone and saying hello.

So why was everyone behaving as though they were expecting some dramatic confrontation?

"You should go to him first."

Roxie turned toward Karen, who had leaned closer so the others wouldn’t hear.

"What?"

"Go say hello."

Roxie stared at her.

Karen glanced discreetly toward the other tables before looking back at her.

"Show them who doesn’t care."

Roxie sighed.

She hated that Karen had a point.

She glanced toward the group again. Zac was still talking to Kyle and Mason, occasionally laughing at something one of the former players said.

It would be simple enough to walk over, say hello, and return to her seat.

After all, she’d greeted nearly everyone else tonight.

Why should Zac be any different?

Roxie finished the last sip of her wine before putting down the glass.

"Fine."

Karen smiled slightly as Roxie pushed back her chair and stood.

Angela looked up.

"Where are you going?"

"To say hello."

Angela’s eyes widened for a moment before she looked toward the men.

Roxie ignored her expression and smoothed the front of her green dress, making sure it hadn’t wrinkled while she was sitting.

She could already feel Karen watching her as she stepped away from the table, but she refused to look back.

It was a short walk across the terrace, and she could hear Kyle laughing as she approached. Mason was saying something to Zac, his hand resting on Kyle’s shoulder while the other men listened.

Roxie continued toward them, already deciding she’d greet Kyle first.

Then Mason glanced in her direction.

His expression changed slightly, and he leaned toward Zac to say something.

Roxie almost faltered when Zac turned.

For the first time in ten years, those familiar blue eyes settled on her.