Ian (Las Vegas Sidewinders Book 15), page 20
“Not just yet, Merrie, thanks. Is there coffee?”
“Go on out to the dining room and I’ll—”
“I was going to go sit on the terrace a bit. I’ll pour a cup and—”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll bring it right out. Go on with you, get out of my kitchen.”
He smiled fondly and walked out. He headed to the terrace overlooking Lady Grace’s Garden and sank into a chair. The same chair where he and Everly had made out like horny teens. Everything about Huntington now reminded him of her, and he suddenly couldn’t wait to get back to his life in Vegas. Hockey would distract him from this misery and get him back on track.
Merrie came out with a tray and set it on the table beside him. There was a carafe of coffee, a cup and saucer, and a basket of pastries. “Whatever it is that’s ailing you, breakfast will help. Then call that sweet Everly and let her help you forget.” She winked and hustled back inside, leaving him feeling more bereft than ever.
Call sweet Everly.
That was a joke.
He was never calling her again.
And boy did that hurt.
He’d just poured his first cup of coffee when his grandfather came out onto the terrace. “Morning, lad. Why’re you up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“What did you do, lad?” His grandfather stared at him suspiciously.
“What do you think I did?” he demanded.
“Did you end things with Everly?”
“Do you know who her father is?”
“Yes, of course. I’ve known for a while. You didn’t think I’d allow someone in your life without having her checked out?”
“You knew?” Ian stared at him in disbelief. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I assumed you knew. You’re in love with that girl and she with you—how could you not know?”
Ian was furious all over again. “What kind of bullshit excuse is that? I didn’t know because she didn’t tell me, but why didn’t you? We can’t be involved with the daughter of Morgan Taylor-Reese! He’s a thief and a con man and who knows what else.”
“That’s why he’s in prison.”
“And the apple probably doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
His grandfather took off his glasses and looked at him curiously. “Everly was a child when he started his Ponzi scheme. What, maybe eight years old? He was arrested when she was twelve or thirteen. How involved do you think she could have been?”
“Not with his scheme, of course, but how does the heir to one of the largest financial and brokerage firms in the U.K. marry the daughter of the man who ran the world’s second-largest Ponzi scheme?”
“You were going to marry her?”
Ian was having trouble following his grandfather’s train of thought and threw up his hands in frustration. “Yes, of course! What did you think I was doing?”
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“Obviously, I was a numpty.”
“For falling in love with a smart, beautiful, passionate woman?”
“Who are you and what have you done with my grandfather?” he demanded.
“Ian, did you break things off because you found out her father may be getting out on parole?”
“I broke up with her for lying to me and embarrassing me and who knows what else she might have done had I married her.”
“Like…what?” His grandfather was merely watching him.
“I don’t know!”
“Why are you shouting?”
“Because I’m upset!” He was doing it again, raising his voice excessively, and he rubbed his hands down his face. “Fuck. How could she do this? How could she have lied? Why did she lie to me, of all people?”
“She obviously suspected you’d react this way.”
“Well, why aren’t you reacting at all?”
“Because she was a child who couldn’t possibly have been involved in that nonsense. Just because her father was a scoundrel doesn’t mean she is. I’m a financier and you’re a hockey player… Are we not related?”
“What?”
“You and I are related but we’re not at all alike.”
“I can’t do this right now,” Ian said, getting to his feet. “I have to pack. I need to get back to the U.S.”
“I hope you’re going to go see her.”
He stared at his grandfather. “Why the hell would I do that? We’re done. She’s going back to Seattle and I’m going home to Vegas to get ready for hockey season.”
“So that’s it? Everything you shared this summer, the love and friendship she brought to our family, is over?”
“She lied to me. To all of us. How are you not upset about this? And anyway, even if you’re willing to forgive her, I’m not. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I fell in love with a woman who doesn’t even exist.”
“Tell me something, my boy.”
“What?”
“How would you have reacted had she told you? Say, two weeks ago. After you’d gotten involved but before you got to that next level of your relationship.”
“I don’t know. I probably would’ve stopped seeing her. It’s not a chance I’d take, not with our family reputation on the line, so I never would have gotten to where we are.”
“Exactly. And she knew this. What would you have done had roles been reversed?”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have lied.”
“Have you never lied, son? Avoided the whole story? To protect someone’s feelings? To keep from hurting them?” His eyes bore into Ian’s meaningfully.
The bastard. Ian knew what he was trying to say but he was still too angry with Everly to admit any of his own shortcomings. It was way too soon for this line of thinking. Forever might be too soon, but today definitely was. Without another word, he stormed back into the house.
Everly cried all night, all the way to the airport the next morning, and barely managed to get herself under control enough to return the rental car, check her bag and get to her gate. Now she was on the verge of tears again, her stomach in knots as yesterday’s events caught up to her. It didn’t seem real that her life had been just about perfect the day before yesterday and now it was absolute hell. That Ian could just turn his back on her hurt more than she wanted to admit, but it also made her angry.
Did her paternity really matter? Didn’t what they had together mean anything to him? Jesus, she’d let him take practically nude photos of her, do almost anything he wanted to her, and then he’d just walked away. It was her own fault, of course, but he hadn’t even given her a chance to defend herself. Didn’t he care enough to at least listen? This had happened to her more times than she could count, both with friends and lovers. People treated her like a leper the moment they found out who her father was, and she’d gotten gun-shy over the years.
That was what hurt the most and she wasn’t sure whether to start crying again or bang her head against the wall. She’d been working up the courage to tell him the truth and he’d somehow found out on his own. The things he’d said to her, along with the coldness in his eyes, had gutted her. She missed him already and hadn’t even left the country yet, but she was too proud to go back to Huntington and too afraid to reach out to Isla or Constance.
Summoning up the last of her courage, she dialed his number, praying he hadn’t blocked her. It rang five times and then his voice mail came on the line. She took a deep breath.
“Ian, it’s me. I’m at the airport. I’m leaving early. I…well, I wanted to say I’m sorry. I tried to tell you so many times, but I was afraid. I’ve been hurt a lot by people walking away as soon as they find out who my father is. That’s not really a good excuse, but my apology is genuine. I love you and never meant to hurt you. I haven’t seen or spoken to my father in a decade. I don’t know anything about his life and he doesn’t have anything to do with mine.” She paused, unsure what else to say. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that. And tell you I’m sorry. And that I love you.”
She disconnected and slumped down in her seat, waiting for them to board the plane. It was going to be the longest, loneliest flight of her life, and getting home to Seattle seemed more like a punishment now. She had absolutely nothing to look forward to back home, and that it was her own fault made it so much worse. The thing was, her gut told her Ian would have reacted the same way no matter when or how he found out. He didn’t want to work in finance, but he was proud of his family and the legacy his grandfather was leaving to him and his siblings. Marrying a woman whose last name was Taylor-Reese was pretty much impossible for him. Which meant there was no going back, no fixing this, no nothing.
She’d thought she’d finally found the man who would love her unconditionally and she couldn’t have been more wrong. Whose fault that was, well, it was hard to say at this point. Unfortunately, right or wrong, she was going to have to live with it.
33
It was late when Everly got home. Thankfully, everyone was in bed and she tiptoed through the house. She got into the shower and stayed under the warm spray until the hot water was all gone and her skin had gotten wrinkled and pink. She was so tired but wasn’t sure if she would sleep, and her heart was so heavy it felt like a rock was weighing it down.
She dried off and pulled on panties and clean pajamas. She combed the tangles out of her wet hair before padding into the kitchen in search of a snack. Margot usually kept cheese and crackers in the house and that would be something to help settle her stomach after a long, depressing flight. She’d dozed for a few hours, but mostly she’d stared out at nothing, wondering how she was ever going to get over this.
Losing Ian was far more painful than she’d imagined a broken heart would be. He wasn’t just another guy or a relationship-gone-wrong. He’d become her everything in a very short time and without him, there was a loneliness in her soul she’d never thought possible.
Filling a plate with cheese, crackers and strawberries, she walked into the living room and sat in the semidarkness. She was still reeling from her final conversation with Ian and hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to Constance or Isla. Of course, they probably hated her too, but for a brief time she’d been immersed in their lives and it had felt real, like friendship and family.
God, this sucked.
“Welcome home.” Margot’s voice made Everly look up and she managed a soft smile.
“Hi. Sorry, I was trying to be quiet.”
“I heard you come in but I wasn’t sure if you were going right to bed or not.”
“I needed a snack.”
“You’ve been crying.” Margot knew her better than almost anyone.
“Yeah.”
“What happened?” Margot joined her on the couch, tucking her legs under her.
Everly let her head hit the back of the couch. She was so tired and heartbroken and jet-lagged and miserable. Her life had gone from the best it had ever been to the very worst in a matter of hours, all because of her father. Again.
“Ian found out who I am and lost his shit,” she whispered.
“I thought you were going to tell him.”
“I was. But the time was never right and we were so busy, so attuned to each other, I forgot. I also forgot Dad’s parole hearing was coming up.”
“He was denied.”
“Good. Doesn’t help me, though.”
“Oh, Evie, why didn’t you tell him?”
“I was going to.” Everly’s eyes filled with tears again. “And he literally put his finger over my lips and said he didn’t care, that I could tell him when I was ready. Then he found out on his own and said some really mean things.”
“I’m sorry.”
Everly covered her face with her hands as she started to cry again. It didn’t seem like she should have any tears left, but here they were. Margot leaned over and wrapped her arms around her, holding her while she cried, pressing her head against the side of Everly’s face.
How many times had Everly done this when Margot had cried after Greg left? This felt so different somehow and she finally pulled away. Margot got up and brought her a box of tissues so Everly could blow her nose.
“Have you talked to your mother?”
“No. I’m too hurt, too angry at myself and at him, all over again.”
“You can’t blame him for what you did this time.”
Everly lifted her head. “Really? That’s what you’ve got for me after I just cried my eyes out?”
“I’m sorry. You know I’ve always got your back, but you were worried about this exact thing happening and instead of being proactive, you let it come back to bite you on the ass.”
Everly groaned. She hated when Margot was right.
“I know you’re going to be upset about what I’m going to say, but the truth is, it’s like you sabotage yourself. You did this in college too and yet you keep repeating this pattern of hiding your identity and then freaking out when people figure it out. At some point, you have to come to terms with the past. You didn’t do anything wrong. Your father is the criminal, not you, and while I understand the need not to spend your life constantly defending yourself, there also comes a time when you need to stand up and own it. You were a kid. People need to accept that and so do you. Nothing that happened was on you. Your father, definitely. Your mother, probably a little. But you? No. And instead of fighting to move past it, you stick your head in the sand and pretend it never happened. This time it really hurt you.”
“Well, thanks for the pep talk. I don’t recall giving you a lecture when Greg walked out on you.”
“No, you didn’t, but I also owned up to my foolishness about not using protection and it was purely my decision to have Gracie and raise her on my own.”
“I don’t think admitting I made a mistake in not telling Ian who I was makes things any better.”
“No, but you’re not me and the situations are completely different. You have to fight for your happiness, Evie. I didn’t and look at me—alone, a single mom struggling to get by every month, relying on her best friend to pick up the slack. Don’t make my mistakes. Stand up for yourself and for your happiness. I love you and I’m sorry if this hurts you, but you can’t keep doing this to yourself. Good night.” Without another word, Margot got up and padded out of the room.
Everly watched her go sadly, but there was nothing to say or do. Ian had made it clear he never wanted to see her again and she didn’t think calling him—again—would make any difference. There was nothing to fight for if he truly thought she was a thief like her father. Even if she could get him to talk to her, what kind of future could they have now that she knew what he thought of her? It was probably for the best that it happened sooner rather than later, like after he’d talked her into moving to Vegas or some other ridiculous thing.
It was going to hurt like a bitch, but she’d get through it. She’d been through worse, after all.
Getting back to Las Vegas after being gone for six weeks was weird. Dax picked Ian up at the airport and kept up a steady stream of chatter as they headed home.
“So Tore and Jen got back together for a week and then promptly broke up again. I have no idea what’s going on with them, but it’s nuts.”
“I think he might be better off without her,” Ian murmured, only half paying attention.
“I’m beginning to think you’re right.” Dax nodded. “So when are you going to see Everly? Are you flying to Seattle next week?”
Ian shook his head slightly. “No. That’s done.”
“Huh?” Dax looked over at him in confusion. “What do you mean it’s done? I thought she was the one?”
“Yeah, me too.” Ian stared straight ahead. “Turns out, she’s not who I thought she was.”
“She was married.” Dax sounded disappointed and Ian gave him a look.
“No.” He told him what happened.
“Okay…so, her dad’s a crook. And?”
“Do you not understand the professional implications of what I just told you? She can’t be associated with the firm in any way.”
“Well, she’s not. I mean, you’re not even associated with it. What difference does it make what her dad did?”
“Her dad is a world-class thief. He stole billions of dollars from people and, in case you weren’t aware, they never got the money back. They seized all of his assets when he was arrested, but that money was gone. Even after selling the house, cars and jewelry, it only came out to about ten million. The rest is still out there. Somewhere. The rumors have always been that he put that money away for his wife and daughter.”
“So his wife got remarried and his daughter lives paycheck to paycheck, working two jobs, because there’s a billion dollars in an off-shore account somewhere waiting for them?”
“I don’t know, but this isn’t something I can be involved in.”
“Is this you talking or your grandfather?”
“Look, can we drop it, please? Everly and I are done. Period. I don’t want to talk about her, think about her, or anything else.”
Dax gave him a sharp glance before turning into their driveway. “Whatever you say, but my final word on the subject is that I think you’re making a mistake.”
“Noted.” Ian got out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. Why the fuck was everyone taking Everly’s side? It was like she’d bewitched the lot of them, his family included, which made no sense at all.
He got inside and dumped his suitcase on the bed in his room and started putting his clothes away. Merrie had thoughtfully done all of his laundry just before he’d left, so other than the clothes on his back, he had nothing to wash. He really wanted to go to bed and sleep for a week, but it was only seven o’clock so he figured he’d get a few things done and make sure he was overtired. Maybe he’d actually sleep that way, because so far, he hadn’t slept much since Everly had left Scotland.
Five long days without her.
He hated himself for missing her and tossed his things haphazardly into drawers and the closet. He was taking out his bad mood on his clothes, but there didn’t seem to be much of a choice. There was a part of him that was mortified about the way he’d treated her, but he couldn’t get past the deception. He wanted to believe he would have found a way to work through the situation if she’d been honest with him from the beginning, but he honestly wasn’t sure. That’s what made this harder. He’d been a jerk, he was the first to admit it, but what choice did he have?
