I’d run into women like this before during some of my mother’s never-ending luncheons. Women who gossiped and changed the truth to suit themselves. Old broads who simply wanted to make trouble.
“Wait,” I said, keeping my voice low. Already we were drawing interested stares from some of the people around us. “You’re telling me he killed a man in cold blood with a poker? So did he carry it around as he searched for the guy? I mean, isn’t that what premeditated means? Going out and getting a weapon and planning to use it? Seeking for an opportunity? It seems sort of odd, his walking around with a poker, if that’s what he planned to use. Kind of noticeable. You’d think someone would come up and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing walking around with that poker?’ ”
The women stared at me blankly for a moment and finally decided they didn’t like my attitude.
“Well,” silver hair humphed. “It was premeditated, even if he didn’t carry the poker around. It certainly made no difference to the man with the hole through his head if he carried it around or not, now did it?”
“There was a witness after all,” added her sister in her obnoxious breathy voice that didn’t match her hangdog appearance. “He had blood in his heart, and that’s the honest truth. That handsome face can’t hide the evil in his heart. If it hadn’t been the poker, it would have been something else.”
“And his poor fiancée. Sweet thing. Practically didn’t talk for a whole year. I doubt she knows he’s even out of prison. She’s been waiting for him all this time. Writing him letters and such.”
“Judy!” Brown hair blanched and nudged her sister, looking over her shoulder at Gage who was coming our way.
“You’ll stay clear of him, if you’ve any sense,” silver hair hissed.
“Well, that might be a little difficult,” I said. “Seeing as how we’re getting married tonight.”
As one they gasped and held their wrinkled hands to their sagging chests. I watched them scoot away in a hurry.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Problem?” asked Gage, eyeing the retreating women.
I forced a smile and did what I always do when I was worried—I made a joke. “They thought I was a movie star. Wanted my autograph.”
“I’m not surprised.”
That warmed me so much my worry dissipated. No matter what those old vultures had said, I couldn’t believe Gage had killed anyone with anything, much less a poker.
Unfortunately, that piece of lead was back in my stomach again.
“Calvin did put our reservation under his name, so they’re ready to seat us now. Good thing because Cirque Du Soleil starts at seven.”
I stopped walking. “We’re seeing Cirque Du Soleil? I’ve always wanted to see that.”
“I know. You told me.”
Had I? I couldn’t remember, but I suppose it could have come up during one of our conversations in the pasture.
“I’ve wanted to see it, too,” he added. “So I asked Calvin to pull in some favors to get us the tickets. I hear some of the performers have trained since childhood.”
Minutes later we were seated as far away from the bar as possible, in a corner that made me feel secluded, even in a room full of people. “Three courses?” I asked, eyeing the menu. “You really are trying to make me fat. Serenity won’t be pleased.”
He laughed. “If she can carry that boy who feeds her while you’re gone, she can handle two of you.”
“She has. That’s the only way my sister could ride. Serenity wouldn’t let her get on by herself, but maybe that’s because Lily was always afraid she’d fall off and Serenity would step on her.”
“Serenity wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
We ate soup with our first course, followed by grilled prawns for me and filet mignon for him. For dessert we both chose fresh fruit. “I didn’t take you for a fruit kind of guy,” I said.
“Oh, what kind of guy am I?”
How to answer that. I couldn’t exactly say, “Well, not the kind to hit someone with a fireplace poker.”
“I don’t know,” I said instead. “With your beard and mustache, I thought maybe you’d be more into slabs of dutch-oven cake or something. Why do you wear a beard, anyway?”
Even as I said it, I wondered if he was hiding. Hiding from people like the women who’d accosted me earlier. Yet wouldn’t that mean he had something to hide? That maybe he hadn’t been joking when he said he’d been in prison? Because for all its insidiousness, a rumor often began with a kernel of truth. A kernel, though, wasn’t the full truth, and for whatever reason, I trusted Gage. Certainly I’d trust him over those biddies whose primary agenda seemed to be spreading hurtful gossip. I felt embarrassed for having asked about his beard at all.
“So I can fend off all the women,” he said, winking at me.
“Right.” He had a point there because I was finding it hard to remember we weren’t on a real date. This was a business arrangement, nothing more. Still, I was glad to have something to do before our eleven o’clock appointment at the hotel, or I’d be thinking about it too much.
My mother was going to disown me. My father, too. At least my actions wouldn’t hurt Lily, and we would always have each other.
“What is it?” Gage asked. “You went quiet all of a sudden.”
“It just hit me. What I’m doing.”
His eyes were still kind, but he might as well have been wearing his beard for all the emotion I could see in his face. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“There are always choices. It’s finding one you can live with that matters.”
Why did I think he was talking more about his life than mine? “I can live with this.”
“Okay, then. So, are you finished? The Cirque Du Soleil awaits.”
The seats around the arena were packed, and a feeling of anticipation hung in the air. I barely sat back in my seat during the performances, my eyes pinned to the amazing feats of daring, dancing, and martial arts.
“Did you see that?” I leaned over and grasped Gage’s arm for probably the hundredth time. “I can’t believe it.”
His warm hand closed over mine. “I don’t know which is better—watching you or the performance.”
I laughed and tried to sit still. After a moment, Gage’s arm went around the back of my seat, and it felt natural to lean into him.
I found myself becoming increasingly curious about his life, his family, his friends. While our association would end soon, I’d probably face a lot of questions from my family. They’d want to meet him, and if Gage wouldn’t agree, I’d have to supply a lot of excuses until the trust fund was taken care of and I could announce a permanent dissolution of the marriage.
“Look,” Gage said. “I could so see you doing that.” He pointed to an acrobat who was leaping through a ring of fire.
I laughed and forgot my worries.
The show ended about nine, and we still had an hour to kill before I needed to start getting ready. As we left, he took my hand to guide me through the crowd, and I realized I hadn’t thought of Julian all night. What did that say about me? Maybe Lily was right when she said Julian was all wrong for me.
A fresh wave of pain hit my chest, and I clung to Gage’s hand with more force than necessary. He glanced at me with one eyebrow raised. I loved how he did that. So expressive. A question without speaking a word.
“It’s early yet,” I managed. “Let’s go to a dance club.”
“They have one right here. People dance until the wee hours of the morning. Maybe all night.”
“Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you a little tired?” He stifled a yawn.
“Not at all. You?”
“I’m fine.”
The music in the club was loud, the beat exactly what I needed to drown my doubts and fears. I pulled Gage onto the floor and began to move. I didn’t have a lot of talents, but I could dance. As a child, my mother had put me into every imaginable dance class
available, more to keep me busy than for any other reason. I didn’t mind. I’d loved every minute, every step, every routine learned. At one time, I’d imagined myself on the stage—a short-lived dream that died when I learned of the daily hours of practice involved. I still loved the beat, though, and freestyle was the best.
To my surprise, Gage matched me move for move. What he didn’t know in theory, he made up for in effort. When a slow song came, he drew me into his arms.
“Tired yet?” he asked, his lips close to my ears so I could hear, his breath warm on my cheek.
“No.” In fact, life was seeping into me. “I love staying out late. Tomorrow, though, I won’t be able to get up. I’m not a morning person. You?”
“Mornings are my favorite time. I especially love watching the sunrise.”
Something caught in my throat because I suddenly had a picture of us on the porch of a cabin somewhere, hot chocolate in hand, with me wearing one of his flannel shirts, as we sat and enjoyed the sunrise.
“I don’t think I ever saw a sunrise,” I admitted. “Plenty of sunsets. I love to watch them, especially over the ocean.”
“Maybe you’ll show me someday.” The music ended as he yelled this in my ear. We stared at each other, and I knew that like me he was suddenly remembering that none of this was real.
“Sure,” I lied.
The tension was thick between us. I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t want to. What I wanted was for him to put his arms around me again and dance until morning. Julian and I didn’t often go dancing. He liked movies better, or playing golf, or hanging with stuffy business associates.
“Uh,” I said, “Something seems to be vibrating in your pocket.” We were still close enough for me to feel the movement, not to mention the hardness of his chest.
Gage released me and reached into his blazer pocket, drawing out his phone. “Someone’s trying like mad to reach me. It’s got to be at least the sixth phone call since we got here.” He glanced at the number. “Oh, it’s my sister.”
Sister? I didn’t even know he had a sister. Wait, yes. He’d mentioned her once before. She was younger and married with a child. Maybe.
“Go ahead and call her,” I said. “Might be important.” I only hoped no one had seen me with Gage and tracked me down through him.
He nodded. “She’s not usually this persistent. I’ll go find someplace quiet to talk to her. Be right back.”
In seconds he was swallowed by the noisy crowd. I swayed with the music, pondering Gage and his family. His mother was gone, according to the women at the restaurant, if they even had that right. What about his father? How close were he and his sister? He’d lived in Flagstaff nearly a year that I knew, but where was she?
Odd that I felt so alone without him. Alone and vulnerable in this huge city.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
I looked around to see a man addressing me. The man was taller than Gage, but half his width. The thin, tennis player type. Unruly blond curls dominated his head as though he was trying hard to be a surfer. I smiled at him. Why shouldn’t I? There was no telling how long Gage would be gone, and it wasn’t as if we were engaged. Well, not really.
“I’m Eddie,” he yelled over the music. His breath told me he’d been enjoying himself at the bar.
“Tessa.”
He nodded and got into the dance. He was more practiced than Gage, but his movements were not as graceful. I smiled my encouragement.
The music ended, and we moved off the dance floor. “Can I buy you a drink?” Eddie asked.
“I don’t think so. I’m waiting for a friend.”
His eyes turned hard. “You didn’t say anything about a friend a while ago. If you don’t like me, you should just say so.”
“I like you fine, but I really do have a friend. I need to wait here, or he won’t know where to find me.”
“He? You have a boyfriend?”
“Not a boyfriend. Look, it’s complicated.”
“Then come on. We’ll only be a minute.”
I was becoming angry at having to explain myself—for feeling obligated to explain. We’d shared a dance, for crying out loud, not a contract. He had no claim on me. “No, thank you,” I said, nearly shouting to be heard over the music. “Thank you for the dance, though. It really was fun.”
He put his hand on my arm, pulling me close. “Let’s do another. I can show you some moves.” His body pressed against my side, sending a shudder of fear through me.
I tugged my arm but couldn’t break free. “I don’t want to dance. Please, leave me alone.” Around us everyone went blithely about their business, not glancing our way or noticing my dilemma, and I realized he could do anything he wanted to me in this crowd. I jabbed my elbow hard into his stomach.
His face grew dark. “Why, you little—”
Whatever he’d been going to say was cut off as Gage stepped between us. “Sorry for taking so long.”
Eddie glared at Gage, but Gage smiled blandly. “I’m Gage. Are you a friend of Tessa’s?” Gage put a possessive arm around me.
With another black look, Eddie stalked away.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You should choose your dance partners a little more carefully.”
So he’d seen me dancing. “What I need is to learn self-defense.”
He laughed. “That elbow thing was really good.”
“Is your sister okay?”
The smile faded. “She’s fine.”
“Why’d she call?” I wondered if he’d even tell me. Every time I asked a personal question, he somehow directed it back to me.
“She heard I was getting married.”
“What? From whom?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen anyone I know except Calvin since we got here, and he wouldn’t tell her.”
Guilt struck me. That left only the little old vultures—ladies. No doubt they’d spent the past few hours on the phone spreading gossip. Which meant his sister probably still lived in Kingman.
“We’d better get out of here.” Gage checked the time on his cell. “Not much time to get dressed.”
My stomach did a flip-flop that left me feeling queasy. “Right.”
“We should call a taxi.”
“Let’s walk instead. If we get tired, we’ll stop and call. It really wasn’t as far away as Calvin said.” When he hesitated, I added, “Please.”
“Okay.”
We strolled along the brightly lit boulevard. Music, laughter, people all around. The Las Vegas strip. We were two people in a crowd, enjoying the nightlife. Strangely, I didn’t want to share this moment with anyone else.
“I think we need to turn here,” Gage said.
As the lights and noise slowly died away, it happened. Running steps, a figure coming at us, the silver flash of a knife.
In a blur of limbs, Gage reacted. He stepped to the side, grabbed the attacker’s arm, and twisted it behind him. He pushed, forcing the man down onto the sidewalk, holding him there with a hand and a foot. It all happened so fast I barely had time to become scared.
“Looks like your friend from the club doesn’t want to take no for an answer.” Gage pulled the guy’s arm up farther and removed the switchblade from his hand, closing and pocketing it. “I’m going to let you up,” he said, “but I’m keeping your knife. If you don’t leave immediately, I’ll use it. I promise you that.”
Eddie grunted in pain. “Okay. I’ll go.”
Gage released him, but the minute Eddie was on his feet, he rushed Gage, murder in his eyes. In a blink, Gage slammed his fist into the taller man’s stomach, followed by another punch to the face. When he whipped out the switchblade, Eddie fled.
Gage watched to make sure he was gone before turning back to me. “You all right?”
I nodded.
“Shut your mouth, the flies are getting in.” He sounded amused.
I snapped my mouth shut, only to open it again. “Where’d you learn that?” A man who coul
d fight like that could clearly do a lot of damage if he tried. He wouldn’t even need a poker.
“A bit in the army. I was there a year or two. But mostly in prison.” His smile was gone, and without it his face looked bleak and more youthful, unsure. Seeing my quickly blanked expression, he winked.
Stop with the joking! I wanted to yell, but I didn’t feel I had the right. After all, he was the one doing me a favor.
“Well, it’s a good thing you did,” I said, purposely keeping my voice light. “He was a really bad dancer.”
Gage laughed. “Just when I think I have you pegged, you surprise me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I had fun tonight—dancing, dinner. All of it.”
“So did I.” I put my hand in his, and he tightened his fingers over mine. I found myself wishing we didn’t have to go back to the hotel at all, that we could keep on walking and walking. Or maybe find a park and swing and watch the stars. The night would never, ever end. I would never have to remember that I was a woman betrayed, a woman marrying without love for reasons that didn’t seem so important anymore.
Lily, what should I do?
We kept on walking until we reached the hotel.
* * *
When Avery was finished with me, I looked like a real bride. My mother couldn’t have done any better with all her high-priced hairdressers and seamstresses. Avery had fixed my hair again because it’d come loose at the night club, but she didn’t pull it as tight. Curls softened my face, and in the light my hair looked almost blond instead of orange, which always put me in a good mood.
Downstairs a group of people loitered in the lobby. A few gave me admiring looks, and I felt so grateful that I almost invited them to the wedding. Fake friends were better than no friends. But Avery hustled me down the hall to the chapel, whose narrow double doors were wide open. Raised voices leaked out.
“I don’t want her to know anything. I know what I’m doing.”
Tell Me No Lies Page 5
