by Cindi Madsen
The silence on the other side was deafening.
And just when I thought he might never speak again, he asked, “You go from one guy who can’t complete the play to what? A backup boyfriend? Just sitting on the bench waiting for a shot?”
“It’s not some random guy, Dad. It’s Brendan. He had an extra room for rent, and we’re friends. Have been for a long time, remember?”
“Mm-hmm. Don’t get me wrong, I like the kid, but I don’t see why you’ve got to live in the same house. If you need money—”
“I don’t need money.”
“You’ve got a perfectly nice bedroom at home. And with how often I’m gone, it’d be like having your own place most of the time. You could help me scout some teams in your spare time. Or if you’re set on soccer, I bet I could get the school to consider you for an assistant coaching spot.”
“What about the fact that you’re allergic to Cupid and my room looks like a football locker?”
“It’s got a few things. I could move them.”
I noticed he didn’t offer up a solution about my dog, so after a beat I said, “I’m good where I am, Dad. It’s nice to not live alone, but to have my own space, and it’s also nice to be so close to work and for my dog to have a yard to play in. And just to be clear, I don’t want to coach soccer or any other sport. Running my own business takes up all my time.”
Sometimes it felt like neither of my parents got me—they certainly didn’t understand the wedding planner gig. But I’d always had a soft spot for Dad. Probably because he’d stepped it up when my mom left us, doing the best he could. “I appreciate the offer, I do. But like I said, I’m good, okay?”
He grumbled a bit, then said, “Okay. But you’ve gotta at least come to our opening game next weekend.”
For the first weekend since I got back from my honeym—er, cruise—I didn’t have a wedding going on. “Can I bring Brendan?”
“Sure.”
“And will you be nice?” I asked, and he paused long enough for me to know he had to think about it. “Dad!”
“I will, I will. It’s just, I finally got used to the idea of you getting married, and then…”
“And then I didn’t. I know. I was there. Grant was not.” I opened my mouth to explain why exactly, and that things between him and me were still complicated, but decided there were some things a dad didn’t need to know. If it became absolutely necessary, I’d fill him in later.
“I wanna make sure you’re okay, kid. It’s my job, you know.”
My heart swelled. It was impossible to be mad at him for looking out for me, I supposed.
“Next weekend, then,” he said. “Bring Brendan, and I’ll set you guys up with a nice seat.”
I wasn’t even sure if Brendan could go, or if I should’ve dragged him into it in the first place, but I knew that I’d rather go with him than anyone else.
Part Three
Wary Canary – Elevated
(Significant risk of elevated blood pressure, quickened heart rate, possibility of tears, and being in need of tissues)
“Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.”
—Oscar Wilde
Chapter Seventeen
After my Sunday spent kicked back with Brendan and Cupid, I felt ready to take on Monday, despite its well-deserved bad rap. What I didn’t expect, though, was Grant’s mother waiting outside my office door.
“Evelyn. Hi.”
The woman threw her arms around me. I was surprised by the overwhelming surge of affection tumbling through my body. I hadn’t realized I’d missed her until she was here, and now I didn’t want to let go.
She pulled back and gave me a sad smile. “You look so lovely.”
“Thanks. You too.”
“Oh, you’re too nice.” She pressed her lips together. “It broke my heart that you didn’t come back from that cruise as my daughter. That I didn’t get to help throw that reception. Which, by the way…” The blue checkbook she dug out of her purse was slightly crumpled. “How much do we owe you for that? I’m sure there were deposits you never got back. I meant to call and offer before now, but I wasn’t sure how to approach the subject.”
“Oh, it’s—”
“Please, Dakota.” She turned her blue eyes—eyes so similar to Grant’s—up to me, and I couldn’t deny the desperation in them.
“Why don’t you come inside my office and I’ll make coffee.” Yes, I was going to need even more coffee than I’d originally planned to deal with today.
After we each had a drink in front of us, I told her that Grant and I had already taken care of the costs. Actually, I’d taken care of most of them, but I figured I was the one who’d wanted the fancy centerpieces and the china I figured I’d use forever but now never wanted to see. The boxes were shoved in the back of my office, and I thought someday when this was all a distant memory, I’d see if another bride wanted to use them. All those extras were why my bank account looked so ragged, but at least Grant had taken care of the cost of the cruise.
We made small talk for a few minutes, but even after the conversation died down, Evelyn remained in her seat, a strange look on her face.
“Did you…need something else?” I asked.
“Settling the cost of the reception wasn’t the only reason I came to your office today.” Evelyn scooted to the edge of her seat. “Grant told me he’s tried talking to you, but he’s not sure you’ll ever give him another chance. So I don’t care that this conversation might be uncomfortable. I’ll do whatever it takes to convince you that my son—along with the rest of us—still wants you in our family.”
Oh jeez. What was I supposed to say to the woman who was looking at me like all her and her son’s hopes and dreams rested on me? Talk about pressure. “Did he ask you to talk to me?”
“No!” Her eyes went so wide it might be comical in a different situation. “Right now he’s trying to focus on his son, although he keeps talking about you and saying how much better things would be if he had your help—he always says, ‘Dakota would know exactly what to do in this situation.’ He knows he made a mistake. I just want him to be happy again.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to point out that he’d been the one not to show up, and his life was different now. With her staring at me, I felt the weight of his well-being, though, and I didn’t want to hurt him. “I want him to be happy, too.”
She continued to stare as if that wasn’t good enough, and maybe it wasn’t.
“We agreed to take it slow. I needed space after everything that had happened, but we already arranged to get together this week.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Evelyn took my hand in both of hers, and I couldn’t help thinking of how quickly she’d accepted me, always saying positive things about the parts of me my mother always picked at. “Maybe we can go to lunch sometime, too? I miss having you around.”
She smiled and my heart squeezed. For a moment, I was the little girl who just wanted a mom who cared. “I miss you too, Evelyn.”
Over the past few weeks I’d started thinking things had turned out the way they did for a reason, and I just needed to figure out what that reason was. As I looked into Evelyn’s face and the hope filling it, and thought of her words about Grant and the ones he’d said to me over the past month, I thought that maybe he and I had needed a trial to make our love and family stronger, so our marriage could withstand that much more. Stronger in the places we were broken and all that.
Without my hope in love, though, I wasn’t sure I believed that. Wasn’t sure I could ever fully trust Grant again, despite what he or his mom said. But Evelyn had reminded me of everything I’d almost had, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to totally give up on it, either.
…
In a lot of ways, the Aces Resort and Casino was like every other casino I’d been in. The place was newer, everything shiny and bright, and the air was filtered better than the older p
laces where a heavy cloud of smoke constantly hung in the air. But there were still no clocks on the walls, and the layout was meant to keep people inside the maze of flashing machines and tables with good-looking dealers. In true Vegas fashion, there were also several cocktail waitresses in little skirts walking the floor.
The one difference, though—the only difference I cared about—was that it was where Brendan worked.
“You finally came,” he said, meeting me by the service desk.
“You did promise me the behind-the-scenes tour. I just wanted to be able to rock five-inch heels like all the other girls here before it happened.” I lifted my foot to show off my glittery and spike-toed shoes.
“Hot,” he said and my stomach got that fresh-from-the-roller-coaster sensation. “But if you fall on your butt or twist your ankle again, you know I’ll never let you live it down.” He put his arm around my shoulders, and I couldn’t help noticing it was a friendly type gesture. Which felt a bit like the universe reminding me what he was to me. There was a closeness with him I didn’t feel with anyone else—besides Jillian, of course, but it was still different. But kissing him would be a mistake. He’d helped me survive a few of the roughest times of my life, back when I was younger and again after my failed wedding. I needed him as a friend to lean on. The person who could make me laugh, even as he was mocking me.
If all that failed to keep me on the safe side of the line, there was the memory of him going off about relationships and how he hated how much work they were.
“Don’t you worry about me, B.S. I’ve got this. And in case you didn’t notice, these heels could double as weapons, so you should be extra nice to me. I didn’t put on my leaves-nothing-to-the-imagination dress, though, so I don’t pretend I’ll be able to keep up with the rest of the women here.”
Almost on cue, a group teetered by on heels, wearing low-cut dresses that displayed lots of cleavage and enough of their legs I was sure I was about to see if they’d remembered underwear.
“You’ve got a dress like that?” Brendan asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
His face was so carefully neutral, I couldn’t read him. He never mentioned other girls to me—except for that tiniest bit of info I’d dragged out of him about his ex and her ultimatum about marriage. I wondered if it was only a matter of time before he got a girlfriend, but I also couldn’t help but wonder if maybe—just maybe—he got a little flustered around me, the way I did when he was shirtless in the kitchen, or sitting close on the couch or—
The temperature rose despite the arctic air that blasted through all casinos, and I reminded myself those were the type of thoughts I was supposed to be avoiding.
Brendan put his hand on my back and led me toward a corridor without further comment on the tiny dress discussion.
Maybe it weirds him out to think of me in something sexy. It weirded me out when I first thought about him being sexy as opposed to my childhood friend. My gut dropped. Or maybe he’s not even semi-attracted. I’d rather it be weird than gross to him.
“What I’m about to show you is highly classified, and could get you killed in some circles.” He flashed me a smile, his expression open again. Then he stopped in front of a door marked STAFF ONLY and swiped his badge.
Admittedly, when it opened, a mix of excitement and anticipation, along with a tinge of pride and attraction for the guy giving me staff-only access, tumbled through me. Whenever we encountered another person, they’d nod at Brendan in a way that made me think he was an even bigger deal here than I’d already thought.
“There are a lot of places I can’t take you, of course, but the surveillance room is a trip. Wait till you see it.” He scanned his pass, typed in a code, and opened a door. Screens lined one side of the wall, and a couple of guys were stationed in front of them.
Brendan introduced me around, then talked about different cameras, the kinds of security, and showed how they kept track of it all. Not enough that I could, like, pull off an Ocean’s Eleven, but by the end, I knew better how casinos worked, and how foolish people were to think they could get away with cheating or stealing.
When we stepped into the hallway, he double-checked the door had locked behind us, then put his hand on my back, guiding me the way we’d come.
I smiled at him. “You know, I thought there’d be more super-dark Ray-Bans and a fancy earpiece you constantly gave instructions into.”
His hand moved a few inches lower on my back and heat spread outward from his touch. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“‘Disappoint’ would be the last word I’d use. That room was really cool. Thanks for the backstage pass.”
He pulled me to a stop and then turned to show off a tiny earpiece. He pushed a button and asked for an update on the pit.
He nodded at whatever he’d heard. “Keep a close eye on them for me,” he said, and then turned his attention back to me. “It’s more Bond-like if people can’t spot the earpiece right away. As for the dark glasses, they’d look cool on me I’m sure, but they’d also make it harder to see.”
Oh my, I was about to melt into a puddle in the hallway.
Right before we reached the exit that’d take us to the casino floor, Brendan paused at an office door. He knocked, and a deep voice beckoned him to come on in. “Hey, Mr. Maddox. I just wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Dakota Halifax.”
I had a split second to process the name before the guy glanced up. Massive was an understatement. His muscles were visible underneath his white shirt, his neck strained against his collar, and his hands were more paws than hands. His forehead creased, his expression so serious I was sure Brendan and I were about to get into trouble, the way we used to in elementary school.
Then he snapped his fingers and pointed at me, and my mouth went completely dry. “You’re the wedding planner,” he said. “I knew I’d heard the name before.”
Brendan glanced at me. “Wow. You really are well-known.”
Enough that the local paper reported on my social life, but not enough to have any real clout. But I was pretty sure that wasn’t why William Maddox knew my name. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, trying not to let the fact that the guy totally intimidated me show. “I’m currently planning your daughter’s wedding. I didn’t realize you ran this place, too.”
Mr. Maddox stood to shake my hand. He wasn’t quite as tall as Brendan, but he was twice as wide. “My daughter and wife just go on and on about how wonderful you are. They’ve even insisted on reading me a few of your columns.”
“Sorry about that,” I joked.
He laughed—always nice when my jokes landed, because they didn’t about as much as they did. “You should’ve seen their faces when I suggested they could have the wedding at one of my casinos.”
“Well, we’re going to pull off a beautiful ceremony, don’t you worry.”
“Try to keep them at least close to budget.”
I flashed him the assuring smile people tended to like when talking money. “Don’t worry. I know where to find all the good deals.”
“I was about to head out for the day,” Brendan said when Mr. Maddox glanced at him. “Unless you need me to take care of anything else.”
“No, go. You two have fun.” Mr. Maddox winked, and I got the feeling he had the wrong idea about Brendan and me. I was about to tell him that we’d known each other forever, but decided it wasn’t important. With how many people assumed we were a couple, though, I was starting to think maybe they were on to something. Or maybe that was because seeing Brendan at his job had tripled his hotness factor, and he’d been no slouch in that area before. “It was nice to finally meet you, Miss Halifax. Be good to our boy. We want him to stick around for a long time.”
“I’ll do my best.” What was I supposed to do? Say no to a guy who could break me in half? Plus, I wanted Brendan sticking around for a long time, too.
We reentered the casino, and Brendan double-checked the door locked behind
us, the same way he’d done with the control room.
“That dude’s ginormous,” I said now that I was sure I wouldn’t be overheard. “They should just put a giant picture of him on the wall, with a notice that says ‘This guy will come after you if you steal, so don’t.’”
“Then we could call it North Korea instead of Aces.”
I grinned at Brendan. “You’re so funny.”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell you. It’s about time you listened.”
“Brandon?” A leggy, raven-haired girl approached. She put her hand on Brendan’s arm and the muscles in my shoulders tightened. “You’re not on tonight?”
“Just finished my shift.”
She glanced at me, and when she turned back to Brendan, her lips stuck out in a pout. “I was hoping you could come chat with me when the bar’s slow.”
Considering I suddenly wanted to rip her arm off, it was probably time for another anger management class. Deep breath. In and out. He’s not mine.
“Maybe another time.” Brendan gave her a polite smile and then turned to me. “Ready?”
What was up with his all-business work face? It made it impossible to tell if he was interested in the waitress. Did he usually hang out for her shift? I sure as hell didn’t like the sound of “another time.”
“Who the hell’s Brandon?” I couldn’t help asking as we walked away.
“She called me Braden the other day.”
“Wow, she must like you an awful lot, then.”
Brendan stopped and narrowed his eyes at two girls next to the blackjack table. They weren’t playing but watching. He glanced around and then raised a finger, catching the attention of one of the guys on the floor in a dark sports jacket. He tipped his head toward the girls, and the guy headed over to them. The girls shook their heads and sighed, and then they stormed off toward the hotel area.
“I knew they weren’t twenty-one,” Brendan said as he gave the nod toward the guy who’d asked for their IDs.
If we didn’t get out of this casino where he was totally rocking the Bond vibe, I was going to be throwing myself at him like that cocktail waitress wanted to.
