“Yes,” Gabe shouted back. “That was what I was going to do. Because at least for a little while, Grandmother would be happy. That’s what was most important to me.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Jonas thundered. He turned away, putting his hand to his forehead.
Chase still hadn’t said anything. He looked at Tana and shook his head ever so slightly.
Gabe squeezed Anna’s hand, and it seemed to shake her out of her shock—at least a little. Her eyes met his, dark and powerfully sad, and she brushed a hand against his wrist. Then she let go and stepped away.
He could see her gathering herself for what had to be the biggest effort of her life. As a conference liaison, she’d dealt with stressful situations many times—even in front of him. She took a deep breath, straightened and lifted her chin.
“I’m so sorry.” Anna’s voice shook, but she clapped her hands together in front of her and kept going. “It was wrong to deceive you. Of course it was. And there’s no excuse for it. I just wanted to—I wanted to thank all of you for being so welcoming, despite everything that happened.” A tear slipped from her eye and glistened on her cheek. “I’ve never had a chance to experience a holiday like this before. It was wonderful,” she said, her voice breaking on the last word.
Except they hadn’t had a holiday together—Christmas hadn’t come yet. “I’ll be going now.” Anna dipped her head, and then she ran for the door, but not before he caught what sounded like a sob.
Wait, he wanted to shout. Don’t do this. We can figure this out. But he couldn’t force the words from his mouth, and she was gone. He looked around the room at his family. Elin’s eyes were red, her mouth pinched, and Jonas wasn’t looking at him at all.
“Gabe,” Chase said quietly. “We can talk about this, if—”
“No,” he snapped. Part of him did want to stay and work this out. To confess all the fear he’d had about his place in the family for as long as he could remember. But Anna had to come first. He knew she was hurt and would think they were all hating her. But she’d be wrong. Gabe didn’t hate her, and neither should his family. It was his doing, after all. “This wasn’t her fault.” He pointed a finger at the door Anna had disappeared through. “Don’t you dare blame her for this. If you blame anyone, blame me.”
“No problem,” Jonas said, his acid tone sending a clear message.
“Jonas,” his grandmother warned.
Gabe had to fix things. With his family, yes. But first with Anna, who hadn’t done anything but try to help him. To make him happy. Gabe turned on his heel and went after her, his heart squeezing painfully in his chest. He couldn’t lose her.
17
Oh, she wanted to sink into the earth. It was only a matter of time before someone picked up on Freddie’s comment about the family business. Someone like Gabe, who’d want to know more. She had to get out. What should she bring with her?
They’d bought so many clothes at that boutique before they boarded the plane and none of them seemed like hers anymore. She couldn’t very well fill her suitcases with winter things she would never use again, especially given they technically belonged to Gabe. Props for the play they performed. Miserably.
Anna threw open the closet in their suite and looked blindly at the clothes hung in neat rows. She then ran to the window and wrenched back the curtain with a lump in her throat. Snow was coming down in a light flurry—that had to be a sign the storm was ending. But it didn’t really matter. Anna couldn’t remain at the Elk Lodge anymore. She’d been caught out in a terrible lie, and she didn’t deserve to stay in the family suite any longer. She wasn’t family and never would be, and they all knew it now.
Anna went back to the closet, pulled out one of the smaller suitcases at the bottom, and placed it on the bed. She grabbed a comfortable pair of pants that would be good for travel—the forest-green top an excellent choice. And, of course, the coat she’d worn off the plane. At the dresser, she opened the top drawer and swept her underthings into a ball, tossing them into the suitcase in a haphazard mess. It wasn’t like it mattered. Once she got home, Anna vowed to return the clothes she was wearing and the outfit she’d taken. The suitcase, too. Yes. That would only be right.
The front door of the suite slammed just as she was tipping her toiletries from the bathroom into a plastic bag.
“Anna?” God, his voice sounded so desperate. “Where are you?” Why would he be desperate to find her?
“In here.” Somehow, she managed to make her voice sound even and relaxed, not at all how she felt. Her emotions rolled through her like waves on the ocean, and Anna had nothing but a rowboat to navigate them. A dinghy-size vessel, and all the ways she’d learned to keep her calm through her job. Good thing she’d practiced for so long.
Gabe appeared in the doorway to the bedroom as she unzipped the outer pocket on the suitcase and put the toiletry bag inside. “You don’t have to go.”
“I absolutely do.” It was the hardest thing in the world, standing to face him, but she did it anyway. “There’s no way I can stay here after what just happened.”
Gabe raised both hands in the air. “Now that they know, we don’t have to pretend. We can take some time and figure things out.”
“What is there to figure out?” Heat rushed to her cheeks and she tried to will it away. It clung stubbornly to her skin. She must be red as a strawberry. “I didn’t belong here in the first place, and now it’s obvious.”
“That’s not—you don’t have to worry about that. They’re not going to care if your parents got divorced or didn’t have much money. They’re not going to care if you had an ex-boyfriend who turned out to be a jerk. Those things happen all the time.”
It was too much and the veneer of calm shattered. “Really, Gabe? None of that stuff is a big deal in a place like this?” He looked wounded, but it was too late to stop, much too late. “Your family prides itself on perfection. On high standards. My ex just showed up in the lobby of your luxury resort and made a huge scene. Do you think they want scenes around here? I can promise you they don’t.”
“Anna—”
“And aside from that, you don’t know the half of it. My family wasn’t just poor. The family business Freddie so casually mentioned? Sooner or later someone will get around to asking, so you might as well know everything. My father’s been in and out of jail for as long as I can remember. I just found out that my brother is back in jail. They are convicted felons who seem to pride themselves on being repeat offenders. And my mother has been married four times. I’m not from a respectable family. Freddie was ashamed of me and broke things off because of it. Their family didn’t want a person like me bringing their good name down, either.”
“He was wrong,” Gabe insisted. “You’re not like that.”
“Look—they haven’t even found out about my past yet. All your family knows is that I’m the kind of person who makes bad decisions. Your family all assume I’m a cheater and a liar. Don’t tell me they didn’t—I saw their faces when Freddie made his announcement.”
“I’ll smooth things over.” Gabe stepped toward her. “I’ll talk to them. I’ll figure all of this out.” But he didn’t sound nearly as confident as he had before, the knowledge was enough to send her over the edge.
“Why?” Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “You brought me here for one reason and one reason only—to impress your family. Because you were tired of them making you feel like you weren’t good enough. Do you really think that’s going to happen now?” Her throat tightened painfully. “If they were disappointed by you, a billionaire tech mogul who dates Oscar-winning actresses, just how thrilled do you think they’re going to be that you’ve brought home a potential gold-digging daughter of an ex-convict?”
Gabe took a half-step back, and she could see his thoughts flying through his eyes, making them more a dark gray than green. He had to be desperate to win their approval. With the Elkin family, there would b
e no greater prize than earning a spot in their ranks. Gabe would want their good opinion of him far more than he’d want to spend his life trying to convince them that she was also worthy. Lines of tension deepened across his forehead. He’d come to the same conclusion and knew she was right.
“Why would you go to bat for me in the face of all that?” she asked when he remained silent. Anna braced for the final blow now that the question hung in the air between them. She knew it was coming. On some level, she’d known all along this was how it would end. Eventually, there came a point when people could no longer ignore all that her family represented. It was the end of the line for her.
But it didn’t stop Gabe’s hesitation from hurting. Painfully so. Like a knife in her heart. She put a hand to her chest before she could stop herself. “I’m leaving, Gabe. Please step out of the way.” He stepped back, but the movement was stiff. Her skin ached for him to touch her, or to reach out and stop her—but he didn’t. She twisted off her ring and handed it to him. “We won’t be seeing each other again.”
The walk down to the lobby was the longest walk of her life. Her heart thudded wildly, as she waited for him to run after her, to shout after her, but nothing of the sort happened and the holiday cheer of the reception area continued all around her. The huge tree in the middle of the lobby twinkled and shone with all its decorations. Soft Christmas carols played over the in-house sound system, moving into all the empty spaces like water. She barely noticed Freddie and his family on a set of low couches at the opposite end of the room, mumbling to each other and exchanging dark looks.
Anna had pushed open the door by the time she realized she hadn’t put on her coat. She shrugged it on, snowflakes landing on her eyelashes, and cast around. Okay—so she hadn’t thought this part through. It would have been smarter to call for a car first thing before she started packing. It was cold outside, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. The last thing she wanted was to feel the Elk Lodge’s warmth wiping away the chill that was already settling on her cheeks and into her feet. And asking the front desk for help getting a ride to the airport was entirely out of the question.
Luckily, one lone taxicab idled at the far end of the building under the last of the covered entrance. Anna hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder, curled a hand around the handle of the suitcase, and marched toward it.
This was it—this was the last chance. If Gabe came running out after her now, she might not be able to tell him no. Out in the snow and cold, the bitter flakes freezing her skin, she desperately wanted to be back in that suite with him, preferably tucked under the covers. One step at a time, each one taking her closer to the cab. The driver rolled down the window before she could knock. “Are you waiting for someone?”
“Just waiting for the snow to taper off. Some guy called, but my car wasn’t big enough for his group.” The driver peered out the window. “It looks light enough to drive now, I think.”
“Could you take me to the airport?”
“Sure thing.”
He got out and helped her get her things into the trunk, and then Anna collapsed into the backseat. The heat was on at full blast and it felt like falling into a warm cocoon. Tears threatened again, but she fought them back. She could break down when she got back to Las Vegas, in the privacy of her own apartment.
The driver hopped in and put the car into gear, and they rumbled past the resort. Anna wanted to be stoic and keep her gaze straight ahead, but she couldn’t help looking one last time at the massive building with all the warm light spilling from its windows, beckoning guests inside.
Just not her.
She’d proven herself more than unworthy of visiting the Elk Lodge.
The driver made a turn, and she craned her neck to keep looking back. The Elk Lodge was big and solid, like Gabe’s family. A family that had managed to stick together for years and years, unlike her own. Anna’s family home was nothing but a constantly changing apartment according to her mother’s latest husband’s whims and had standards that were too low, rather than too high.
The Elk Lodge finally disappeared behind a thick stand of pine trees, and a few minutes later, they burst out onto the highway. It was a slow escape. She wished for frenzy and speed and longed to tell the driver to step on it, but enough snow had fallen to make driving a little dicey and he was rightfully cautious all the way to the airport.
They finally arrived at the airport, the driver casting a questioning look in her direction. “You sure you want to get dropped here?” He hefted her suitcase onto the sidewalk. “There might not be any flights out for a while on account of the storm.”
“I’m sure.” She thanked him, paid with an extra-large tip, and headed inside.
The woman at the ticket counter gave her an apologetic frown when she asked about the next flight to Vegas. It had been scheduled to depart in two hours, but on account of the snow there was a delay. Which meant she would be forced to camp out at Gate 11 for eight hours before being able to board the plane.
It wasn’t like she had a choice. Anna paid for the ticket and made her way to the gate for the long wait. Eight hours became nine, and then ten, and the day fell into a dark winter evening. Anna put her head back on the chair she’d claimed as her own and closed her eyes. At least with it dark outside, she couldn’t see the snow and the road back to the Elk Lodge. Small blessings.
It had been twelve hours by the time the screen at the gate lit up and the agent announced they would begin boarding the flight to Las Vegas in fifteen minutes. Anna pulled herself out of her slump and checked to make sure she had everything. Waiting in the airport didn’t break her. Freddie didn’t break her. And Gabe Elkin wouldn’t break her either, no matter what.
18
Gabe replayed a livestream of every memory he had with Anna. The highlight reel started at their first meeting together after he’d hired her to work with him. She’d laughed so hard at something he said that her can of Diet Coke had fallen from her hand and splashed on the floor of his office, and he hadn’t cared. Not at all. Memory after memory assailed him.
“You still with us, Gabe?” Chase’s voice cut into Gabe’s trip down memory lane, slamming him back into his present body. The one that ached with missing her.
“I’m right here,” he said, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. This was not how he’d planned for the holiday to go. Anna was gone and his family royally ticked off at him.
They’d gathered in his grandmother’s apartment after Anna had gone, the hours passing like years. Shame swept across his face in a hot burn, and then it was gone in a flash of shock. She’d left.
Gabe rubbed a thumb across his forehead and thought about running back to Vegas to hide behind the corporate wall. The snow had stopped coming down. If he wanted, he could have the private plane prepared for departure. But if he did that, he’d be turning his back on his sick grandmother—something he couldn’t do.
The silence grew heavy in the living area of the apartment. The place was decorated in shades of burgundy, its leather furniture and cozy rug arranged to perfection. She kept no clutter on any of the surfaces and it reminded Gabe of a pristine museum with its recreated rooms from the past in full detail, and this room was from his past. And he couldn’t see any part of his future here. None. His future had taken a taxi to the airport and presumably flown back to Nevada. Gabe hadn’t sent her a message yet. His phone felt almost radioactive in his pocket. Soon it would swallow him whole, and then where would he be?
“I just don’t get how you could have done something so crazy,” Jonas said. He leaned back on the sofa across from Gabe and stared at him with a searching glare. “Getting a woman to pose as your fiancée is worse than abandoning us in favor of living in Las Vegas.”
Gabe let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing I do has been the right decision for the family.” Anna’s voice whispered in his ear again, talking him down and reminding him that this was the Elkin way of expressing affection. “I love all of you, and I’m lu
cky to have been raised here, but it’s been difficult.” Some of the anger went out of him at the uncomfortable movement Chase made as he glanced at Tana. Jonas looked at the floor. His grandmother patted her hands on the arms of her chair.
“I think it’s time for me and Gabe to talk privately for a few minutes,” she said, her tone brooking no opposition.
“I agree,” Jonas said, quickly rising to his feet. He kissed their grandmother on the cheek, and then he was gone, heading for the door at top speed.
Chase took more time as he and Tana each bent to embrace their grandmother and then left the room together.
A pang of envy shot through Gabe. It would be better if Anna were here to hold his hand, but it hadn’t panned out that way. Alone with his grandmother, he was wildly uncomfortable. His skin felt raw, and so did his heart. It had been displayed for his family without a single thing to hide behind, and it wasn’t a sensation Gabe ever wanted to get used to.
His grandmother gazed directly at him. “I’m sorry, Gabe.”
“What?” He’d expected her to have lots to say on the subject, but not that. “I should be the one apologizing for what I did to you.” Another wave of emotion crashed into him, shameful and awful. “I lied to all of you.”
She held up a hand. “I know I was hard on you when you were growing up. On your brothers, too.” She put her fingertips to her lips, her eyes momentarily glazed over as if deep in thought. “I wanted to do right by you, and at the time, that meant making sure you were the best you could possibly be. Obviously, that backfired.”
“It didn’t.” Gabe didn’t want her to think she’d done a lousy job of parenting them—far from it. “It didn’t backfire, Grandmother. You set us all up to be highly successful. And I am.”
“That may be true, but it also resulted in one of my grandsons moving far away.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued. “I don’t judge you for it, Gabe. It’s only natural to want to get out in the world and make your own life. I should have been more accepting of your choices years ago, before they had so much time to wound you like this.”
The Billionaire’s Fake Christmas Engagement: Elkin Brothers Christmas Book Two Page 11
