by Herron, Rita
That stopped her. She gathered her composure and schooled her expression as she faced him. She was still on the floor, and therefore still required to maintain an upbeat, positive experience for every guest. Her feelings were irrelevant. The security cameras catching this exchange from every possible angle would only see a valued customer speaking with an employee. Wyatt hadn’t taken a threatening position or been rude. She had to respond properly.
“Of course we can talk.” She smiled. Cool, detached. “What would you like to discuss, Mr. Jameson?”
Flags of color stained his bold cheekbones and his lips flat-lined, framed by the fashionably scruffy beard.
“Evie—”
“Ms. Cotton,” she corrected. “Please. We pride ourselves on our superb and always-appropriate customer service, Mr. Jameson.”
“Would you stop?” He crowded her without moving a muscle. “It’s me.”
Yes, that was exactly why this entire encounter pushed the needle well beyond bizarre. “Are you with the weather service now or something?” It was the only plausible explanation she could think of for Wyatt’s appearance in a Deadwood casino.
“What?” He shook his head. “No. There has to be somewhere we can speak privately.” His voice rumbled over her, abrading her senses as effectively as his whiskers might. If she gave him the chance to get that close. Which she couldn’t do here. Or anywhere.
While holding the professional smile, she shook her head slightly. “Not here.”
For her ‘here’ included the casino, the shops, the restaurants and Deadwood as a whole. She wouldn’t go anywhere with him. Couldn’t. Being this close, recognizing the flare of heat in his blue gaze, made her want to forget everything he’d put her through and hit a reset switch.
She knew better, had to cling to logic and reason, even if her body was a traitor and didn’t care about the way he’d crushed her heart. Yes, he looked good enough to eat and the slight hitch in his step somehow added to the swagger.
“Maybe a manager can be of more assistance,” she suggested.
“Damn it, Evie. We were friends.”
“We were.” She folded her hands at her waist to keep them still while she waited for whatever he had to say.
“I’d like to reconnect.” His gaze turned intense and she had the feeling she was supposed to parse out some meaning in what he wasn’t saying. “At least let me buy you a coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
His nostrils flared and his gaze narrowed. “I deserve that.”
And more. She smiled when she wanted to snarl. “You deserve the best experience possible at the—”
“Please don’t say it.” He tucked his hands into his pockets, that blue gaze slicing right through her. “You’re at work, I respect that.” He glanced over her head, scanning the rows of slot machines.
Old habits, she supposed. At least now he was old enough to be in here legally to look around. His mom had been gone at least three years now. There had been an obituary in the paper and a graveside service. Evelyn hadn’t attended the service, but she’d sent a sympathy card and a donation from Cottonwood Adventures.
“When are you off?”
“I’m afraid it’s all hands on deck through the storm,” she said. It might be true, but she wouldn’t know for sure until she actually got to the breakroom. As much as she didn’t want to deal with six feet or more of snow, she could use the extra shifts.
“You expect me to believe you’re working straight through for the next three days.”
“That’s right.” She dared him to contradict her. “Minimum.”
“I see.” He rocked back on his heels. “Sounds like an abuse of the work force. Maybe I should call it in.”
“Is that what you do now? Go around causing trouble for happy casino employees?”
“You’re not happy here,” he stated with too much confidence.
Her chin lifted. She wasn’t unhappy here and she didn’t owe him any explanations about why dealing poker was an important part of her life. “My happiness isn’t your concern anymore.” She pushed the words through her clenched teeth and tight smile.
He reeled as if she’d slapped him. If only. Maybe she should agree to meet him somewhere. It would have to be somewhere outside and well off the established trails where she could finally let loose with all the pain-filled words and hateful thoughts she’d aimed his way through the years.
That bubble of old hurt and anger swelled in her chest and it took every ounce of willpower to keep her temper locked down while they were in public. At last, the bubble popped, leaving her weary with herself and with him. She was over Wyatt. It had been eleven years. What kind of loser would still be so desperately hung up on a high school boyfriend?
“If you’ll excuse me.”
“Come with me.” Again his gaze swept the area behind her.
“No, thank you.” If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was part of the casino security team. Whatever he was looking for was none of her business. They weren’t a couple anymore. “I really need to take what’s left of my break.”
His eyes locked with hers. “Evie, please.”
A piece of her heart lurched toward him, hammering against the walls she’d built to protect herself. “I can’t,” she repeated, managing not to rub the pain in her breastbone. “If you’re only here because of me, you need to go.”
She turned on her heel and strode toward the employees-only door. As if he didn’t matter at all.
Once she was through and out of his reach, she leaned against the cool wall. She’d expected walking away from him to feel better. Instead, she wanted to curl up in a corner and cry. Or run back into his arms. Would his embrace be familiar or different? She couldn’t deny he’d changed. Grown. Matured. All those things she’d thought she’d done too.
The door swung open as one of her coworkers walked through and she peeked out, startled to see Wyatt still standing there. Almost as if he was keeping watch or waiting for her.
Absurd. He’d leave. He’d go back to the tables. When it came to leaving her behind, Wyatt was a pro.*
The STORMWATCH Series
Holly, the worst winter storm in eighty years…
Holly blows in with subzero temperatures, ice and snow better measured in feet than in inches, and leaves devastation and destruction in its wake. But, in a storm, the weather isn’t the only threat—and those are the stories told in the STORMWATCH series. Track the storm through these six chilling romantic suspense novels:
FROZEN GROUND by Debra Webb, Montana
DEEP FREEZE by Vicki Hinze, Colorado
WIND CHILL by Rita Herron, Nebraska
BLACK ICE by Regan Black, South Dakota
SNOW BRIDES by Peggy Webb, Minnesota
SNOW BLIND by Cindy Gerard, Iowa
Get the Books at Amazon
About the Author
USA Today and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job!
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA stories, but she especially loves writing dark romantic suspense tales set in southern small towns.
For more on Rita and her titles, visit her at:
www.ritaherron.com. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @ritaherron.
Also by Rita Herron
Also by Rita Herron
If you liked Wind Chill then please write a review on Amazon! You can also contact Rita at www.ritaherron.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @ritaherron!
The Keepers Series
Pretty Little Killers (Book 1)
Good Little Girls (Book 2)
Little White Lies (Prequel, Dead Little Darlings, Book 3)
Dead Little Darlings (Book 4)
The Manhunt Series
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br /> Safe in His Arms (Book 1)
Safe by His Side (Book 2)
Safe with Him (Book 3)
The Graveyard Falls Series
All the Beautiful Brides (Book 1)
All the Pretty Faces (Book 2)
All the Dead Girls (Book 3)
The Slaughter Creek Series
Before She Dies(Prequel)
Dying to Tell (Book 1)
Her Dying Breath (Book 2)
Worth Dying For (Book 3)
Dying for Love (Book 4)
The Demonborn Series
Heartless (Book 1)
Mindless (Book 2)
Soulless (Book 3)
Rita’s Lighter Side
Marry Me, Maddie
Sleepless in Savannah
Love Me, Lucy
Husband Hunting 101
Here Comes the Bride
There Goes the Groom
Single and Searching
Under the Covers
Don’t Miss
THE EXPLOSIVE SUSPENSE SERIES
A ground-breaking, fast paced 4-book suspense series that will keep you turning pages until the end. Reviews describe BREAKDOWN as "unique," "brilliant" and "the best series of the year." The complete series includes the dead girl by Debra Webb, so many secrets by Vicki Hinze, all the lies by Peggy Webb and what she knew by Regan Black. You'll want all four books of the thrilling BREAKDOWN series!