by Cat Schield
“Already?”
“My agent is excited about my acting prospects. She was able to line up another audition. It looks like my future is there.”
Maybe she’d look for a rental. It hurt to give up her plans for buying a house in Las Vegas and living near Trent, but he didn’t appear as if he was going to step up and be Dylan’s father.
“Your future?” he echoed. “You’re not going to stay in Las Vegas?”
The question gave her the opening she needed to ask what was burning in her heart. “Do you want us to stay? Dylan needs a father. I...” She sucked in a breath for strength before putting it all out there. “I need you. I always have.”
Trent’s features turned to stone. “You can’t expect—”
“No.” Between one heartbeat and the next, Savannah embraced Courtney Day. The character gave her the dignity to speak mildly and conceal her anguish. “I don’t expect. And that’s why I’m leaving. Moving to LA is practical. I’ll be closer for auditions and meetings.” When Trent didn’t say anything, Savannah rushed on. “I need to pack. I’ll be by later to say goodbye.”
And before she was overwhelmed by the sobs tearing at her throat, she left him.
* * *
Outrage consumed Trent as he watched Savannah pick Dylan up and walk away with her head held at a defiant angle. He couldn’t get past how many times she had looked him in the eye and let him believe Dylan was Rafe’s son. And then today she’d acted as if by keeping the truth hidden she’d done him some sort of favor.
Realizing his hands were clenched into fists, Trent shook his arms to release the tension. But nothing could unravel the knot in his chest. He headed for his room and grabbed a quick shower. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep, so he headed back to the club.
In the months following his breakup with Savannah, Trent had thrown himself into making Club T’s into the go-to spot on the Strip. Besides having a killer lineup of DJs, he was constantly looking at ways to improve service and ambience. He had a list of things he wanted to upgrade, including the lighting and sound.
When he got to his office, he was surprised to find Kyle there.
“Where have you been?” Trent asked. If he asked a little more forcefully than he needed to, it was due to his concern for Melody. “I expected to see you at the house. Tell me you didn’t hook up with somebody.”
“Nothing like that.” Kyle didn’t overreact to Trent’s aggressive tone or nosiness. “I took a suite here at the hotel.”
“Why aren’t you staying at the house? Have you called Melody? What the hell is going on with you two?” Trent knew he wasn’t giving his friend a chance to answer, but his own troublesome morning had put him on edge.
“Look, I didn’t say anything last night, but we’ve had a rough patch.”
“How rough?”
Kyle’s expression darkened. “I’m here, aren’t I? In Vegas, I mean. And at Cobalt. I don’t know what’s going on at the moment.”
He looked utterly miserable, so Trent decided to cut him some slack.
“So what brings you here this morning?”
“You got your start in the LA club scene. I know they make a tenth of what we bring in at Club T’s. Do you think it makes sense for us to open something in LA?”
“I’m looking at some other business opportunities in LA,” Trent said, thinking about Savannah and the rebirth of her acting career. Of course, when he’d started considering ventures that would take him to LA and into her orbit, he hadn’t known she’d been keeping his son from him for a year. “I thought I would explore expanding into LA.”
“Great. I talked with Nate for a while last night and he’s on board, as well.” Kyle crossed the office to the window that overlooked the club. “He told me that you have Savannah staying with you. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m just helping her out for old times’ sake. She and Siggy have been at odds over the label and he’s been playing dirty.”
Kyle gave a rough laugh. “Just like old times, then.”
“Just like.”
“I found out something just now.” Trent had no idea he was going to share Savannah’s revelation until the words came out of his mouth. “Savannah told me Dylan is my son.”
“She cheated on Rafe with you?”
Trent had no idea why Kyle had leaped to that conclusion. “No, she married him after finding out she was pregnant with Dylan.”
“She never told you she was pregnant?” Kyle looked appalled. “That’s messed up.”
Hearing his own opinion echoed by his best friend, Trent began to feel a little vindicated. “She should’ve come to me.”
“Absolutely. Your poor brother.”
“Rafe knew. Apparently his cancer had made him infertile. He was glad to be a father and have a son to pass the business along to.”
Trent felt at that moment that he understood what his brother had been up against. Maybe setting up Savannah to get pregnant had been a crazy act, but with the cancer eating away at his mind, no doubt he hadn’t been thinking rationally.
“What would you have done if she’d told you before marrying Rafe?”
This was a question Trent should have asked himself already, but he’d been so consumed with anger at being lied to. “I don’t know. Obviously I would have taken care of her and the baby.” Taken care of her financially was what he meant to say.
“But would you have married her? I know how you feel about getting tied down, but you’ve been crazy about Savannah for a long time.”
“Maybe.” Probably not. “We’ll never know.” Funny how twenty-four hours earlier he’d been thinking how great things were between them and how much he was enjoying having Dylan around.
“So that’s it then? You guys are done?”
Were they done? Of course they were. A bone-deep chill struck Trent.
“She’s planning on restarting her acting career.” He sounded calm and detached. Numb. “That means she’s going to be spending time in LA.”
“How much time?”
He had to think about their last conversation. “Probably full time.”
And just like that it hit him. Savannah wasn’t going to be back and forth between Las Vegas and LA like she’d first talked about doing.
She was leaving and taking Dylan. His son. Trent was still reeling from the knowledge that he was a father. Now it occurred to him that he and Dylan were going to be very far apart.
“How are you going to see Dylan if they’re living there? I mean, if it was my kid, I’d never want to be away from him.”
Kyle had made a good point. Did Savannah expect that Trent would just give up his son? “I haven’t really thought the whole thing through.”
“You should talk to her about sharing custody.”
“I don’t know if she’d be open to that.”
“You could demand it.”
Trent recoiled from Kyle’s suggestion. He was sick of being at odds with Savannah. Until recently he hadn’t been able to admit how his world had been disrupted when he’d lost her.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I don’t envy you,” Kyle said. “When the kids come into the picture, it messes everything up.”
With that said, Trent changed the subject. The two men talked business for a couple hours before grabbing lunch. Then they went to Nate’s studio and brought him up to speed. By the time Trent returned to his house at three, he was fighting the drag of exhaustion from his sleepless nights.
Unfortunately any hope of a catnap before he headed back to the club was shattered when he opened up the door between the garage and the house and discovered his houseguests in high spirits. Their excited voices reached his ears and raked across his raw nerves before he stepped across the threshold. On the edge since he left the house earlier that day, Trent felt a snarl form on his lips.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, eyeing the open bottle of sparkling grape juice on his breakfast bar and the a
lmost-empty flutes.
“We’re celebrating,” Melody said. “Savannah just found out she got the movie.”
Trent should’ve been happy for her, but he hadn’t gotten over what he’d learned that morning. “You must be thrilled.”
If she noticed that he was less than enthusiastic, she didn’t react. “I’m more nervous than anything else.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said, mood softening as he noticed her uncertainty. “You’re going to be great.” He remembered watching her on the set of Loving New York. She’d been confident and professional. Before that, he’d been accustomed to thinking of her as a naive girl. The transformation to accomplished actress had forced him to reevaluate who she was. “When do you start filming?”
“Next month, but they want me next week for wardrobe.” She looked dazed by all the sudden changes.
He understood how she was feeling. He was off balance, as well.
“How long is shooting supposed to take?” Melody asked.
“I was told to expect ten to twelve weeks.”
“You’re going to need a place to stay,” Melody said. “I have a friend who might be able to help you with that.”
“Actually, I’ve already found a small house to rent for the next six months.”
“Sounds like everything’s working out.” Trent tasted bitter disappointment at how fast everything had been arranged. He wasn’t prepared for her to leave him and take Dylan away. His gut twisted and sweat beaded on his skin.
The conversation with Kyle rose in his thoughts. Should he demand partial custody? But was that really what he wanted? For his son to be shuttled back and forth between Las Vegas and LA?
Savannah didn’t look at him as she said, “Dylan and I have imposed on you long enough. We’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”
“That’s not how I feel about having you here.” But the words lacked sincerity.
She’d lied to him, and he couldn’t get past that. Even so, her expectant expression tore at him. She was waiting for him to say something heartfelt and romantic. Maybe that he wanted them to stay. That he couldn’t live without her or their son.
But so much was wrong between them and anger was a familiar, uncomplicated emotion. He held on to it even as concern over losing her and Dylan gnawed at him.
“Nevertheless, it’s time we start the next chapter of our life.” Savannah glanced at her son as he yawned. “Looks like someone’s ready for his nap. I’d better go put him down.”
Savannah had barely stepped out onto the terrace when Melody rounded on Trent.
“You’re not really going to let her move to LA, are you?”
“She has a part in a movie that’s filming there. I don’t know why you think I’d stop her.”
“I’m probably the last person to be giving romantic advice, but you two belong together. I’ve known it since those days in New York. I know it upset you when she married Rafe.” Melody held up her hand to forestall the denial that leaped to his lips. “Don’t even try to deny it. I saw you at the wedding.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t work between people.”
“Sometimes people are unwilling to work at it.”
“Are we talking about Savannah and me? Or you and Kyle?”
“All four of us, I think.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“This isn’t about me. This is about you. You are about to let go of the only woman you’ve ever loved. And why?”
“She lied to me. She’s been lying to all of us. Dylan is my son.”
“Yikes.” Melody grimaced but didn’t look surprised. “She finally told you.”
“You knew?”
“Since the day before she married Rafe. She was having serious doubts about going through with the wedding. I told her to follow her heart. I thought that meant she would tell you about the baby.”
“But she didn’t.” Trent remembered how he’d expected her to call off the wedding right up until the moment she actually said, “I do.” He’d left right after the ceremony and never congratulated her or his brother. “Obviously she found what she needed in Rafe.”
“In some ways, I think she did. You should’ve seen her that morning. She was a wreck. Pacing. Hyperventilating. I thought for sure she was going to call it off. And then Rafe came in.” Melody’s eyes took on a faraway look. “He sat her down and knelt before her. He took her hand in his and very calmly convinced her that he would make sure everything was going to be all right.” Melody blinked back tears. “None of us knew that he wouldn’t be around to fulfill that promise.”
A complicated mix of emotions churned in Trent’s gut. He’d loved his brother and resented him in equal measure. He’d learned that Rafe had betrayed him, but he also had to acknowledge that by marrying Savannah, Rafe had tried to take care of her the way Trent had refused to.
He didn’t want to think about Rafe being a good guy. It was easier to dwell on all the things he’d done wrong. And yet without Rafe, there would be no Dylan and Trent might never have had a second chance with Savannah.
A second chance that had ended as badly as the first one.
“I wonder,” Melody continued, “after all this time, Savannah changed her mind about telling you the truth.”
“Siggy was suing her for the shares in the company Rafe left Dylan. He was claiming Dylan wasn’t Rafe’s son. I think she expected the truth to come out. So she let me know.”
“Are you sure that’s why? Maybe she hoped once you knew Dylan was your son that you might ask her to stay. She still loves you. I just know it.”
“That’s not the way it seems to me.”
Savannah had given up her dream of a blissful, traditional family with him. She’d decided being Dylan’s mom was enough. And for some strange reason that angered Trent more than all the rest put together.
“Is this really what you want?” Melody demanded, irritation snapping in her voice.
For the last twelve hours, Trent had been too preoccupied by how he’d been wronged by the people who should have his back to give much thought to what he wanted.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really want to live here alone while your son and the woman you love live in a different state?”
“The woman I love?” He gave a bitter laugh, wishing he’d kept his distance from Savannah the way he had for the last year and a half. “What I want is to take back the last two weeks.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. I wish Savannah had never come to Vegas to ask me for help. Because if she hadn’t, I’d never have learned the truth.”
* * *
On the terrace edge, out of sight of the living room’s occupants, Savannah heard Trent’s declaration and felt neither shock nor hurt. In fact, she was a little relieved. Now she didn’t have to wonder if returning to LA was the right decision. Trent didn’t want her or Dylan in his life. She could stop looking back and move forward.
Savannah entered the guesthouse and closed the sliding glass doors to the patio. With her bags packed and her flight several hours away, she kept herself busy cleaning the bathroom and little-used kitchen until Dylan woke.
Feeling restless and needing to get away from the house, Savannah took Dylan to the nearby mall and window-shopped for a couple hours. She kept melancholy at bay by thinking about what homey touches would warm up the cute mission-style house she’d rented. By the time she returned to Trent’s house, it was close to six and she knew he would have left for the club.
Melody’s car was gone as well and Savannah was able to relax knowing she wouldn’t run into either of them. She set about heating up the leftover chicken she’d fixed for dinner the night before. Dylan was a good eater. He scarfed down the chunks of carrots and potato as well as the bits of thigh meat Savannah arranged on the high-chair tray.
Later, Savannah sat with Dylan on the couch and read to him, losing herself in the rhythm of the words and her son’s delight. When she r
an out of books, she turned to her phone and the playlist that contained all his favorite songs. He laughed and clapped his hands while she sang. For a while longer she was able to escape her sadness. And then she heard the first few notes of the song Dylan and Melody had recorded. Days earlier, she’d uploaded the song, and now she played it for him often. His ability to mimic the tune amazed her. Before she could hit the repeat button, the other song from the CD began to play.
Savannah’s finger hovered over the stop button. Dwelling on her foolish dreams wasn’t conducive to moving forward. But the magic of Melody’s lyrics being sung in Trent’s deep voice was hard to resist. She didn’t realize she was crying until she noticed that Dylan was watching her with solemn eyes. He put his palms on her wet cheeks. With a shaky laugh, she kissed his damp fingers and dashed the remaining moisture from her skin.
“Mommy’s being silly, isn’t she?” The last strains of “She’s the One” faded and the room grew silent. Needing a distraction, Savannah got to her feet. With Halloween a week away, she’d bought Dylan a costume but hadn’t yet tried it on him. “You’re going to be the cutest dragon LA has ever seen,” she promised as she slipped his chubby thighs into the blue-and-green suit with orange wings and spikes down the tail.
Once she had the zipper up and the hood lifted into place, she started working on his roar. He was slowly learning his animal sounds and mastered the dragon’s growl after a few minutes. Laughing at the cuteness overload, she spun with Dylan in her arms and he shrieked with delight.
Why had she once worried so much about being a part of a traditional family with Trent when what she should have wished for was a perfect family? Because somehow that’s the exact sort of family she’d become with Dylan. Perfect.
Twelve
Club T’s throbbed with ear-blasting electronic music and pulsed with a dazzling light display. Trent sat in his favorite spot and watched the crowd drink and dance, laugh and flirt. A stunning blonde sat to his right. He’d forgotten her name as soon as they’d been introduced. She was a friend of the redhead Kyle had plucked out of the crowd waiting behind the velvet ropes.
