SLOW PLAY (7-Stud Club #4) - Christie Ridgway Page 0,72
Mad made Harper happy. Mad made her happy about herself. At the thought of him, her breath evaporated and she was struck by a wave of deep, seemingly endless yearning.
She ignored it, ruthless. Letting these feelings swallow her up was no way to make it through today. Mad had promised to come by this afternoon and it could very well be with that police report she needed to take to the Nevada DMV.
With the paper in hand, she might just make it to Vegas by midnight, in time to join the golf bachelors and the divorce-moon women roaming the streets in search of ways to ease their loneliness.
“Harper?” Grandmom said. “Another visitor.”
She looked over to see Mad’s SUV turning into the parking area. Her spine straightened and she made another effort to clamp down on all the emotions churning inside her. He wouldn’t welcome her complete unraveling— I know this isn’t going anywhere, he’d said—and it wouldn’t make her leave-taking any easier.
Only more humiliating.
So pasting on a friendly smile, she strolled to greet him and linked her arm with his. “Interested in a great deal on a pumpkin?”
With her at his side, he observed the pony rides, the chickens scratching, and then her mom painting one little boy’s face to look like a scarecrow. His mom and her companion had moved off and were standing with some other adults by the apple cider station. A cool breeze stirred the air, mingling the scents of apple cider and straw bales. Nostalgia rolled over Harper and her hand tightened on the inner bend of Mad’s elbow.
He glanced down. “What?”
“Las Vegas doesn’t smell like this.”
A faint smile curved his mouth. “But there’s zero chance you can spend a quarter and win a million.”
“Right.” Harper dropped his arm and took a slow spin, trying to take it all in—exuberant children, colorful pumpkins, all the people she loved nearby. Goodbye, she whispered inside her head. I’ll miss you all.
Mad caught her hand and stopped her movement, then pulled her close. They stood inches apart, his quizzical gaze on hers. “Harp, we should talk somewhere. Alone.”
Not alone! If alone, she’d spill her guts and lose the starch in her knees and every cell of common sense she possessed would disappear. Her key wouldn’t fit her car’s ignition. She’d forget the route from home to the apartment in Vegas.
Home. Tears stung the corners of her eyes and she sucked in a sharp breath.
Mad’s hand squeezed hers. “Sweetheart. Something’s wrong.”
“It’s been good, that’s all. Seeing you again,” she said.
“Completely agree.”
“It’s been great to reconnect,” she said brightly, then her face fell. “I didn’t mean that in a dirty way. Did it sound dirty?”
“Will you be offended if I take it that way?” He smiled, then carefully brushed her hair off her forehead, away from her scabbed-over wound. “I should have gotten you over to my place last night after poker. I missed you in my bed.”
She wouldn’t touch that. “So how was poker last night?”
“I won. Big. Surprising everyone including myself.”
“You won?”
He nodded. “Not what I really want more than anything, I realized when it was all over. Harp—”
“I fell in love with you.” The sudden admission burst out of her. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t our deal, but I couldn’t help myself. Because…because I like you, you know. You’re a good person.”
Mad hauled in a breath. “Harp—”
“Oh, God.” Horrified at what she’d done, she could only think of escape. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got something of yours in my room.”
“Harp—”
“Don’t leave. I’ll be back.” She broke away from him even as he called her name a third time, and then raced for the house.
She took the stairs two at a time and tore through her bedroom doorway. There, hanging on one of the bed posters was Mad’s tie in all its conservatively striped glory. Snatching it free, she whirled around, then whirled back to grab her purse off the desk. Her bags were packed in her car. Return the tie, she told herself. Then return immediately to Las Vegas.
Live to heal her broken heart another day.
At a slower pace, she descended the staircase and then made her way to the pumpkin patch, her legs turning more leaden by the second. Upon reaching the crowded space, at first glance she didn’t see Mad.
Her panic eased as relief rushed in. Had he left after all, sparing her the final confrontation? Then she looked down at the length of silk in her hand. The tie that bound her to him.