The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  He didn’t. Instead, he looked around the room until his eyes fell on me. When he saw me, he smiled nervously and walked my way. Madison quickly made herself scarce, squeezing my arm encouragingly as she passed. Part of me wanted her to stay, but I knew Talen and I needed to talk alone. We’d been through so much lately, and it wasn’t fair to just leave things unfinished. We both deserved some sort of closure.

  When he stopped in front of me, I could barely breathe. It hadn’t even been a week since I last saw him, but I felt like it had been a year. I’d gotten so used to spending time with him that when our time together abruptly ended, I didn’t know how to cope. Luckily, I had some distractions. Between my mother’s care and my art show, my mind was otherwise occupied, but I never forgot about Talen. I never once stopped thinking about him. I never once stopped missing him and wanting to be near him. If anything, my feelings for him grew during our time apart. I knew now, more than ever, that I loved him.

  “Hi,” he said. He sounded nervous. “This is incredible.”

  I tried to swallow, and my dry throat clicked with the effort. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me that you’re here.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it,” he said, and I believed him. His eyes were locked on mine. There was so much hidden behind them, so much that he hadn’t said.

  “Talen,” I said, stepping toward him. “About the hospital, I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean them, I was just—”

  “Scared,” Talen finished for me. “I understand. Your mother was hurt, and you didn’t know what was going to happen. You don’t have to apologize.”

  “I do,” I insisted. “Because I didn’t mean anything I said. Of course, I care about you. How could I not? After everything we’ve been through together, I…”

  I didn’t know how to finish the sentence. The truth was that I loved him. I loved him more than I was ready to admit. He had become a vital part of my existence, one that I couldn’t stand to lose, but I wasn’t ready for him to know that. I couldn’t admit how I really felt. Not there. Not then. Not yet.

  “It was my fault anyway,” he said, saving me from myself.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I should have defended you.” His eyes were dark with pain as he spoke. “When my father said those things to you, I just stood there. I froze, and it was wrong. It wasn’t until after you left that I finally woke up and told him exactly what I thought.”

  That surprised me. “You did?”

  “Yeah.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I told him to shut up and not talk about you that way. I even told him that my mom deserved better than him.”

  “Wow.”

  I couldn’t believe Talen actually stood up to his father. In all the time I’d known him, I’d never even seen him come close. Jacob Gaston was a force to be reckoned with, and no one stood a chance against him. I always knew that Talen was just as strong. If he wanted to, he could walk right over his father without even blinking, but I never thought he would. I never imagined Talen would speak up.

  “I can’t believe I did it,” he admitted. “It felt like someone else, you know? But I knew it was time. He said such horrible things to you and about you. I couldn’t just let him get away with it. Plus, after the way he’s always treated my mom, I was just done. It might have been a mistake. I don’t know, but it felt right at the time.”

  “I think it was right,” I said. “I think you should have stood up to him a long time ago. He doesn’t have the right to treat you the way he does. You aren’t an idiot, Talen. You’re brilliant and amazing, and he needs to realize that.”

  Talen’s eyes lit up at my words. He stepped closer to me and reached down to take my hand. As our fingers locked together, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through my body. I couldn’t breathe as I looked into his eyes. He was staring at me with so much emotion that it almost made me cry.

  “I really love that painting,” he said softly.

  “Which one?” I asked but already knew.

  “The one by the door,” he said, glancing back at it. “The one of me.”

  My heart stopped at his words. “I was afraid to put it out,” I admitted, feeling a rush of emotions hit me in the chest and tears pricked my eyes at the thought of someone buying it and never seeing it again. A huge part of me wanted to grab it and hold it close, never let it go.

  “Why?”

  “Because…” I licked my dry lips and blinked away the sadness. “It’s the most personal piece I’ve ever painted.”

  Talen inhaled sharply at my words. I looked at him, and all I wanted to do was kiss him. The middle of my art show wasn’t the time or the place, but I wanted to. My lips longed to press against his.

  “It’s surreal,” he said and one side of his mouth tipped up. “You captured something inside me I’d never seen before. Not until I met you.”

  Our eyes never left each other’s faces. The guests continued to swirl around us, but I didn’t care anymore. I hardly noticed that anyone else was in the room. I only had eyes for Talen. I could only focus on him and my feelings for him.

  Talen took a step closer to me and took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. He kissed the place where my wedding rings were missing and a flash of pain crossed his features. “Something’s missing,” he murmured and kissed the bare spot again. “We’ll need to take care of that real soon.”

  I smiled, my heart expanding in my chest, making it hard to breathe. I thought about our time together and how much he meant to me. I remembered every detail of the last month, and I smiled to myself, silently thinking that we hadn’t yet signed the annulment papers.

  “Yeah. Real soon.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Talen

  The night was a success in every way possible.

  Dani was shocked with how well her show went — every single one of her paintings were sold. I wasn’t at all surprised. The second I walked into that gallery, I knew her work was something special. She had a way of invoking emotions in her paintings that I’d never seen before. To say I was impressed with her would be an understatement. I was more than impressed. I was in awe.

  I was also in awe that we left the gallery holding hands. Then we’d gone home to my — our — apartment and made love until the sun streaked the morning sky with its welcoming light.

  Until I met Dani, I hadn’t known how much of my life I lived in fear. Not from the monster under the bed, but from the fear of failing my father. In his eyes, I’d never been good enough, done good enough. I’d known that since I was young. He always had found the flaw in everything I’d done. When I was old enough, I’d drank and partied, buried my pain between women’s thighs. After all, if I was already a fuck up, I might as well act like one.

  I didn’t want to act like one anymore.

  For Dani, I wanted to be the man she deserved.

  Which was one of the reasons I bought the painting she did of me. I wanted the reminder of how she saw me. The way I wanted to see myself.

  I’d kept my purchase a secret until the painting arrived at our door two days later. We were both up early that day, getting ready to visit her mother at her new assisted living home, when the doorbell rang. Dani opened it and frowned when she saw the package from the gallery. She immediately assumed that someone had sent one of their purchases back, that they weren’t happy with it after all. I watched as her face fell and her eyes grew sad, but I knew my own face was lit up with an excited smile.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why do you look like the cat who ate the canary?”

  I lifted a shoulder, the smile about splitting my face. “Because maybe I bought something from your show.”

  Her eyes softened. “You didn’t have to buy anything. I would have given it to you.”

  I stuffed my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t reach for her. “That wouldn’t have been right. You’re a professional artist. I can’t just accept free paintings from you. I want
ed it, so I bought it.”

  “Which one is it?” Dani asked with a smile. She moved toward the package and began to unwrap it, but I had other plans. Besides, we were already late to meet her mother, and I didn’t want to be even later.

  “Let’s unwrap it when we get back,” I said, putting my hand on hers. “Please. Your mom is waiting for us.”

  “It’s okay.” She tried to move my hand, but I held it firmly in place. “She won’t mind, I promise.”

  “But… I mind. Come on. I want to make a good first impression. Please.”

  “You’re nervous,” Dani teased. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me hard on the lips. “You’re totally nervous about meeting my mom.”

  “Of course, I am,” I said. “Wouldn’t you be?”

  “Nah.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t nervous at all when I met your mother.”

  “What about my father?” I shot back.

  She gave an exaggerated shiver. “That wasn’t nerves either. That was downright terror.”

  I laughed, and she kissed me again. This time, she lingered longer, and I held her against me. I didn’t want to let her go. We’d only been freely together for a week. Everything about our fake marriage had been tense and confusing, but this was different. We were finally together, a real couple, and I loved every single second of it.

  I gave her another lingering kiss before pulling away. “Let’s go. We’re late.”

  “Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes and following me out the door. “But I want to see the painting when we get back.”

  “You will,” I promised, dragging her along behind me.

  I knew she was just as eager to see her mother as I was. She hadn’t seen her in a couple days, and it was obvious how much she loved and missed her. When we weren’t making love, we talked about our childhoods, our hopes and dreams and even our fears. When I wasn’t trying to figure out what to do with my life now that I’d left Gaston Pharmaceuticals, Dani and I were holed up in my apartment. We made love and cooked together. We snuggled on the couch and spent evenings out on my terrace. I felt like I was living in a romantic comedy montage, but I didn’t care. Every moment with Dani was beyond perfect.

  She finally admitted that her mom was the reason she needed the money. She said she only agreed to stay married to me to help her mom. I had no idea that was her motivation, and I felt like even more of an ass. Now that I’d fallen for her, I would have helped her with her mom’s care without a second thought.

  When we finally arrived at the assisted living home, I hopped out of the car and ran around to Dani’s side. Before she could move, I opened her door and helped her out. She smiled gratefully and tangled her fingers in mine. We walked hand in hand toward the front door, and I tried to calm my nerves. I took deep breaths and told myself everything would be fine. Dani’s mom would love me, I was sure of it. She would see how happy Dani and I were together and that would be enough for her. That would be enough for any mom. Or so I hoped.

  “Relax,” Dani whispered as I walked down the hall toward her mom’s suite. “It’s going to be great. My mom is easy. She loves everyone.”

  “Everyone?” I asked doubtfully.

  “She even liked Perry,” Dani said with raised eyebrows.

  “You’re kidding.” I laughed.

  “Nope,” Dani said. “She’ll love you, I promise.”

  I tried to believe her as we stepped into her mom’s room. The apartment was small but cozy. I could see why Dani chose this home out of all the others. It was nice without being overly fancy, and it looked like someone could really make a home here. I smiled and looked around, my eyes falling on an older woman sitting in an armchair by the window. She was looking outside, her eyes fixated on the world around her. I glanced at Dani, waiting for her to take the lead. She was smiling as she led me forward and cleared her throat loudly.

  “Mom.”

  The woman turned toward us, a blank look on her face. Beside me, Dani slumped, like all the air had been let out of her. Then, the woman blinked and her eyes cleared. “Oh, honey. It’s you.”

  Dani smiled, relief flooding her features as she hugged her mother. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Mom,” Dani began brightly. “This is Talen, the man I’ve been telling you about. Talen, this is my mother.”

  “Mrs. Brooks,” I said, smiling and stepping forward. I extended my hand to her. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  “Oh, put that away,” she said, waving my hand away and getting out of the chair. “I’m a hugger.”

  She wrapped her arms around me and held me close. I was immediately taken aback by the warmth of her welcome, but I loved it. She reminded me of my own mother, full of love and grace. I smiled and hugged her back tightly. When she let me go, she held onto my shoulders and held me at arm’s length. Looking me up and down, she smiled and nodded. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I could tell she was happy.

  “You’re exactly how I pictured you,” she said. “Dani, he’s handsome.”

  “He is.” Dani laughed. I smiled, and the three of us sat down to talk.

  We spent the entire afternoon visiting and getting to know each other. Mrs. Brooks told me stories about Dani when she was young. I couldn’t believe that she’d always been an artist. Even as a toddler, she loved to draw and paint. Her mother said that she was never without her sketchbook.

  “It’s definitely her calling,” I agreed. “I went to her last show and was just blown away.”

  “She’s amazing,” Mrs. Brooks gushed.

  “Enough,” Dani said, embarrassed.

  “I’m serious,” her mother said. “I’ve never been prouder of you, honey. Your life seems to be moving in the perfect direction.”

  “I hope so,” Dani said, glancing at me.

  “It is,” Mrs. Brooks nodded. “I can see it. You’re happy. Happier than ever.”

  “I hope that’s true,” I said, taking Dani’s hand in mine.

  “It is.” She smiled and leaned her head against my shoulder.

  We spent a couple more hours with her mom before it was time to leave. It was almost dinnertime, and we didn’t want to interrupt her mother’s schedule. We all hugged goodbye and promised that we would visit again soon. This promise was one I felt certain I could keep because I was desperate to get to know her mom even more. I knew how sick she was and that time was limited. I didn’t want to miss out on anything. And I especially didn’t want Dani to, either.

  On the way home, I felt my stomach tighten with nerves. Dani was going to find out which painting I bought, and that would open up a door to our future. There were so many things up in the air between Dani and me, so many things we hadn’t yet discussed. I wasn’t sure we were ready, but I knew I was. I loved her, and I never wanted to lose her.

  “Show me,” Dani said the second we walked through the door. I laughed and grabbed the package.

  Moving toward the middle of the living room, I set the package down and slowly unwrapped it. I made sure it was facing me and not Dani when it was finally revealed. Dani was vibrating with anticipation. I laughed at her eagerness.

  “Stop torturing me and just show me!” she insisted. “I can’t take the suspense any longer.”

  “Okay.”

  In one motion, I spun the painting around so Dani could see. Her mouth fell open, and her eyes immediately began to fill with tears, one slipping down her cheek. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I felt like I’d done the right thing. This was the one painting that called out to me the most at her show. I knew I couldn’t leave without buying it. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if someone else snatched it up. It was mine, and it always would be.

  “I can’t believe you bought this,” she breathed. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to show this one.”

  “Why not?” I asked. “It’s amazing, if I do say so myself.”


  Another tear fell. “It’s humiliating.”

  “I think it’s perfect,” I said. “I love it, and I love you.”

  My words echoed through the apartment. Dani’s eyes snapped to my face, and she stared at me in shock. We hadn’t yet said these words to each other, and I knew she was completely surprised. Still, I had to tell her. It was the truth. I loved her.

  “Dani,” I said, taking a step forward and setting the painting against the wall. “Listen, I know we started this relationship in a really odd way, but I’m so glad we did. You’re amazing, and I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time now, but I was afraid to tell you. I didn’t know if you felt the same, and I was scared. I’m not scared anymore. I love you, and you need to know that.”

  Tears slid down Dani’s face as I spoke. She moved closer to me and grabbed my hands. Still crying, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me deeply. I kissed her back, letting all my emotions pour out into that one kiss.

  “I love you,” I said again as we pulled apart. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too,” Dani whispered before she kissed me again.

  We quickly lost ourselves in the feel of each other. We kissed so deeply that I never thought we would come up for air. When I led her to my bed, she came along eagerly, and as we made love, we whispered our love for each other with each breath, over and over again.

  EPILOGUE

  Dani

  I made breakfast for Talen, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. He was still sleeping, and I desperately didn’t want to wake him. After leaving his father’s company, he’d spent an entire year rebuilding his life and yesterday had been the fruition of that work. At two o’clock yesterday afternoon, we’d cut the ribbon for Gaston Research, a company dedicated to the research of dementia and other brain disorders.

  Even though we could have lived a lifetime on the money he’d saved from his years at his dad’s company, he wanted to make a difference in the world. He’d chosen research because it was the one part of working in his father’s business that he loved the most.