Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
WYATT
The rest of the night went fine. Barbra said nothing for the rest of the dinner. After five hours, I was ready to be done. I asked Gabe if we could leave. He insisted on walking me to the elevator.
“Did you want to come up? It’s two for full service.” I dug for my key card.
“No, I think it’s best we end the night here. It’s not you. It’s me. I… um…” He looked down at his wedding ring.
“Is she nice?” I hoped so because his friends were not.
“Who?” He looked up at me.
“Your wife?”
“She is. The separation wasn’t her fault. It’s mine. When our youngest finally left for college, Kathy wanted to do all the traveling I promised her we would do. She wants me to retire. But I can’t. My father died two months after he retired.”
“At least he got two months.” My father hadn’t even gotten that much time with my mother. “If he kept working, he would’ve died not knowing what life looked like.”
“I never thought of it that way. I thought he died because he retired.” Gabe observed a few people as they passed, sorrow settling deep in his features. “I guess two months would be better than this.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come up?”
“Yes, I am. You are a very sweet girl and a stunning woman. Barry will never believe I landed a woman like you.” His smile softened, touched with something that looked a little like regret.
“And I had a wonderful time. But I have a daughter close to your age, and, well, it makes me sad to think some man would use her.”
“I’m not your daughter. And I know why you paid me. It’s not your fault, so if—”
Gabe held up his hand. “It’s not that. I love my wife very much, and I could never live with myself if I cheated on her.”
“She’s a lucky woman.”
“I’m lucky to have her.” He smiled sadly at me as if he knew how my life would play out. Me alone. “I’m sorry to say, Cassie and I will have to break up.”
“Oh, and she was so looking forward to summers in Oceanside,” I teased.
“It’s for the best. She was gone too much. And around all those young, handsome athletes. My ego couldn’t handle it.”
Even in a “breakup,” Gabe was worried about someone who didn’t exist. I stepped closer to him and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Good luck, Mr. Callum. You know how to reach me if you need to resurrect Cassandra, the fitness trainer.”
“Thank you.” He nodded before leaving.
“Oh, you may want to charge Richard more. He told Barbra what I was.”
“And what’s that, my date?” He winked. “Don’t worry about her. She won’t say a word.”
It didn’t matter. I’d never see her again. “Goodnight, and good luck to you.” I sadly smiled, stepping on the elevator, thankful when the door closed and I didn’t have to play a role.
I didn’t turn on any lights in the suite.
Jackson had been waiting to see if Gabe would spend a few hours.
I had already planned on spending the night.
It wasn’t worth fighting traffic back to Henderson to go home.
And I didn’t feel like being alone. Not that there was anyone here, but there were people all around me.
In the rooms below, on the streets all around me, there were people.
In the bathroom mirror, I checked my reflection, seeing what all those people saw tonight.
Barbra’s words had wormed their way into my head.
I should’ve been used to hearing them, feeling the sting of them.
But tonight, they stuck. This was not how I had pictured my life.
An accessory to everyone else. The pretty thing people looked at.
I should’ve asked Jackson to join me for a couple of drinks so I wouldn’t be alone.
“Cassidy, you have a guest,” Jackson called.
I slipped on a robe and walked out to the living room, thinking maybe Gabe had changed his mind. “Julian?” I had to stop myself from rushing to him.
“Hey. Are you busy?” he asked while Jackson kind of patted him down.
“No. Are you okay?” I waited for Jackson to give the all clear. He caught my eye over Julian’s shoulder. Something was wrong.
“I’ll wait outside,” Jackson said, closing the door.
“I… uh… are you sure this is an okay time?” His gaze slid toward the bedroom, worry tightening his jaw.
“I’m alone.” I stepped closer. A bruise was blooming beneath his eye. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head. When his eyes met mine, they carried that ache I was starting to recognize—the kind that made my chest tighten. I hated when he looked like that, like the world had been too much again.
I took his hand and led him to the bedroom. He said nothing as I helped him slip out of his suit coat. Then his shoes and his pants. He held all his stress in his shoulder and neck. I crawled into bed, pulling him down with me, and tucked his head under my chin and pulled the covers up over us.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I felt him exhale and pull me tighter.
“I’m sorry. My head wasn’t in a good place.”
“There is nothing to be sorry about. I’m glad you’re here now.” I kissed the top of his head.
“I’ll pay you, I promise—”
“This isn’t about that.” I couldn’t get close enough to him. Couldn’t ease the stress from him quickly enough. Erase the dirty smudge everyone had left on him fast enough. “Now close your eyes.”
“For five minutes.” He yawned. “Then I’ll leave.”
“Five minutes,” I whispered.
Julian pulled my leg over his hip and exhaled once more. “Tell me about your night.” He yawned again.
“Just a typical night here in beautiful Las Vegas. You know, a little gambling, rich people, a horrible woman named Barbra, and bad hotel food.”
“Most Barbras are horrible.” Julian’s voice was heavy with sleep. “My aunt Barbra used to tell Beckett he would never amount to anything.”
“Wow, she sounds great.” The more time we spent together, the more little things I learned about him and the more I wanted to spend time with him. And that was an occupational hazard.
“You’ll have to meet her one day. Now tell me how horrible she was.” He slid his hand inside my robe, his thumb making small circles on my ribs.
I did. I told him about the meal and Barbra.
About poor Gabe and his marriage until Julian fell asleep.
Then I lay there, watching the blue neon flash.
Long ago, when I still believed in things like sunsets and falling in love, this was what I would have wished for.
A man like Julian. Handsome and caring. If only I believed in those things.
I closed my eyes. Just for five minutes.
“Wyatt.”
I blinked, trying to remember where the hell I was. Jackson stood in the low light of the room. “Shit, what time is it?”
“Late. Are you okay?” he whispered.
Julian was still asleep in my arms. He didn’t move. I looked at Jackson, pleading with him to let me have this. Have Julian like this, warm and soft. Safe.
“It’s okay. I get it. I’m heading out. I’ll lock the elevator. Get some sleep.” Jackson nodded and quietly closed the door behind him.
I snuggled closer to Julian. He didn’t stir, his arms still around me, my leg still over his hip. This wasn’t real, and when the sun rose, whatever this was would be over. But for now, I’d let this dream live in the neon blue of the Starlight Sands casino.