Kept Secrets

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “In my profession, I know better,” Molly insisted. “There’s always a story.”

  * * *

  Devin scanned the interior of the comedy club as he entered. Round tables stood throughout the room, the chairs angled so everyone could see the stage along the far wall. The comedy show had been Cody’s choice. Caleb’s older brother and best man had flown in from LA the day before and had taken it upon himself to arrange for the entertainment this weekend.

  Cody waved at Devin and Caleb from a table in the center of the room, where he sat beside Sean, Caleb’s old college roommate. Devin thought it odd that except for the happy couple’s parents, all of the attendees at the wedding on Saturday were also in the wedding party. Caleb and Molly had wanted simple, and that was what they were getting.

  “Hey, bro.” Cody clapped his hand on his brother’s back and gave him a hard hug.

  “About time you got here,” Sean said.

  “Yeah, well, not all of us have Daddy’s private plane to fly us wherever we want to go,” Caleb said.

  “What can I say? It’s tough being a rich kid.” Sean’s father owned several car dealerships around Arizona and had done well for himself over the years. Sean extended a hand to Devin. “Good to see you again, Devin.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  They all settled into their seats, and Devin took a spot with an empty chair on either side of him. He didn’t realize he was watching for Grace until she appeared in the doorway, her hair falling in waves past her shoulders. A jolt of anticipation shot through him, and he frowned slightly. Where had that come from?

  “Is that Gracie Harrington?” Cody asked from across the table.

  Devin shot an irritated glance at Cody. He knew Grace hated it when people called her Gracie. “Yes, that’s Grace.”

  “Wow. She looks great.”

  She’s always looked great, Devin thought to himself. Sure, she’d been a little overweight in high school, but she had always been pretty. Her straight nose and expressive hazel eyes were set in a perfectly oval face. Then and now, he found her attractive enough to capture his attention regardless of her waistline. The sequins on her black dress reflected the overhead lights and shimmered as she moved.

  All four men stood as the women approached. Devin had been so focused on Grace, he hadn’t noticed the other two women following her and Molly until they’d wound their way through the tables and were nearly to them. He now recognized one of them as Caleb’s younger sister, Ellie. Her blonde hair was cut short, fringy bangs wisping across her forehead. He didn’t recognize the other woman, a willowy redhead wearing a fitted blue dress.

  He saw the interest in the redhead’s eyes when they approached, but his gaze shifted to Grace and held there.

  Molly greeted Caleb with a kiss before offering introductions. “Elyse, this is Cody, Sean, and Devin. I think everyone else knows each other.”

  They all exchanged greetings, and Devin pulled out the chair to his left intending to offer it to Grace. Elyse beat her to it.

  Grace clearly read his intentions but gave only a slight shrug before taking the only other available seat between Sean and Cody.

  Sean immediately turned to Grace. Devin couldn’t hear him, but Grace’s responding laughter carried to him. Distracted from whatever Elyse had said, Devin tried to focus on her now. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  Elyse smiled and scooted closer. “I asked where you’re from.”

  Swallowing an inward sigh, he focused on his end of the conversation. He learned that Elyse had attended Arizona State University with everyone else there, and even though he was disappointed he hadn’t been able to sit beside Grace, he could admit that Elyse was easy to talk to and appeared to be genuinely nice. She was even the sort he would consider dating if his attention hadn’t already strayed elsewhere.

  When Elyse mentioned studying accounting with Grace, Devin looked across the table.

  How was it that he had never run into Grace on campus while he was completing his undergraduate degree before moving on to Stanford? Come to think of it, how had he missed her every time he’d gone home to Sedona to visit?

  He wanted to ask her what she had been doing since high school, but with the din in the room, conversation with Grace wasn’t feasible unless he wanted to shout. He considered the possibility.

  When Elyse started chatting again, he wondered how long the comedy show would last. Even though it hadn’t started yet, he was already looking forward to it ending so he could spend some time with Grace.

  * * *

  Grace could feel Devin’s gaze on her. She lifted her eyes to meet his, and she saw the interest reflected there. Was she seeing things, or was it possible there was still a spark between them after all these years?

  The lights dimmed, and the host walked on stage. The first comedian engaged the crowd and used the perfect balance of self-deprecating humor and a slanted look at life to have the crowd roaring with laughter.

  The second comedian started out with a commentary on his relationship with his parents and the past twelve years living in their basement. Images of the past crashed over Grace, an unexpected reminder of what she had lost when her parents had died in a car crash a few days after high school graduation. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and fought against the familiar well of emotions.

  When the topic shifted, the short, wiry man on stage related his attempts to attract the right woman, describing his view of exactly what she would look like. When the jokes went from raunchy to downright crude, Grace decided it was the perfect time to take a walk.

  She collected her purse and whispered to Molly, “I need to get some air.”

  Molly nodded briefly before turning her attention back to the show.

  Grace reached the lobby, not sure what to do next. She wasn’t ready to head back to her room, but she didn’t care to watch the show any longer. Even before the jokes had turned edgy, she had been more than ready to put some distance between herself and Elyse.

  She was pretty sure Devin had been about to offer her the seat next to him when Elyse had claimed it. Watching the way she had poured on the charm had felt just like the first time she had seen Devin with Bethany Whitaker only a week after he had broken up with her.

  “Not interested in comedy?”

  Grace turned to see Devin standing behind her. “Not that particular brand anyway.” She motioned toward the club entrance. “What about you? Why aren’t you still in there?”

  “I thought maybe I could convince you to go for a walk with me.”

  “What about Caleb and Molly?”

  “I’m sure they’ll be fine without us.” He held out a hand. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s outside.”

  She automatically put her hand in his. “I’d like that.”

  When his hand closed around hers, her heart experienced the same little lift it had when he had hugged her earlier. She remembered the sensation well from their dating days. Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember feeling like that with anyone she had dated since.

  Odd, she thought to herself, that she could still feel a connection to him after so many years.

  “Molly said you’re finishing your MBA,” Grace said.

  “Yeah. One semester left.” He released her hand so he could push open the glass door leading outside. “What about you? I assume you’ve graduated college.”

  “I’m finishing my MBA too.” She shivered when she stepped outside into the crisp December air. “We’ll graduate around the same time.”

  Devin shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

  “Thank you.” She pulled the jacket tighter around her, appreciating the gesture.

  “You’re welcome.” Devin guided her forward. “Where are you studying? ASU?”

  “Yes.”

  “How is it I didn’t see you the whole time we were going to school together there?”

  “I actually did my undergraduate work at Colorado State.”

>   He turned a curious gaze on her, taking her hand in his once more. “I thought you went to Arizona State like everyone else here.”

  “Not until I started my master’s.” She knew she should tell him the circumstances of her quick departure from Arizona and the events that had changed her life so drastically once she had moved to Colorado, but with the neon lights flashing overhead and his hand warm in hers, she decided such heavy topics could wait for another time.

  She pointed toward the roller coaster that cut through the New York– New York Hotel, a replica of the Statue of Liberty beside it. “What do you think? Are you up for it?”

  He gave her a crooked grin. “I am if you are.”

  “Then let’s go.” She tugged on his hand, and they left the wedding party behind in search of their own adventure.

  Chapter 3

  His first morning in Las Vegas, Devin awoke thinking about her. He rolled over and picked up his phone, pulling up a picture they had taken after their ride on the roller coaster. Grace’s hair was windblown, her cheeks flushed.

  A smile lit his face when he thought of the way she had thrown her hands up when they had reached the pinnacle right before the roller coaster had started its wild descent.

  He checked the time. 8:00 a.m. How was it that he was already awake? He hadn’t arrived back at his room until nearly two.

  Though he knew he should probably wait an hour or two before he texted Grace, he sent a message anyway. Breakfast? Call me when you get up.

  Expecting that she was still sleeping, Devin rolled out of bed and pulled on some sweatpants and a fresh T-shirt. After donning his running shoes, he headed for the workout room.

  A few people were already inside, two on the ellipticals and a woman on a treadmill, her ponytail bouncing with each stride. Devin drew closer, intending to leave a treadmill between them. Then he did a double take.

  “Grace.” He stepped onto the treadmill beside her, but she didn’t turn her head. He noticed the earbuds and the cord leading from her cell phone to her ears.

  Grinning to himself, he started his treadmill at a walking pace. He lifted his cell phone and texted Grace. Look to your right.

  As soon as he pressed send, he increased the speed, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was a little frustrated that she didn’t look at her incoming text right away, apparently content to ignore it while she finished her workout. The rest of her run took another twenty minutes.

  He was finishing his third mile when she slowed her treadmill for a cooldown. Hearing the motor slow, he glanced at her again, his amusement bubbling up inside him when she finally looked at the screen on her phone.

  She looked to her right. Stunned disbelief quickly faded behind an eye roll, then laughter. She pulled her earbuds free and asked, “How long have you been down here?”

  “Oh,” he glanced at the monitor, “a little over three miles’ worth.” He slowed his treadmill to walking pace once more so he could chat with her without stopping his workout completely.

  “I texted you a while ago to see if you wanted to grab breakfast, but I didn’t think you were up yet. I guess I was wrong.”

  “I’m not very good at sleeping past six.”

  “Admirable,” Devin stated. “Crazy but admirable.”

  “If you’ve already put in three miles, you’re on the crazy side too.”

  “Maybe a little,” Devin said. “I want to put in a couple more miles. Want to meet for breakfast in an hour or so?”

  “Sounds great.” She grabbed a towel from a nearby basket and wiped the sweat off her face. “Where do you want to meet?”

  “I’ll come by your room, and we can walk down together.”

  “See you then.”

  Devin punched up the speed once more, but the increased pace didn’t keep him from watching Grace toss her towel into the hamper and walk out the door.

  * * *

  Grace opened the door and fought against a frown. Did her heart have to pick up speed just because Devin was looking at her?

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. Let me grab my purse.” She crossed to where she had left it on her bed, her thoughts racing. Last night had been so much fun, and she wondered how their friendship could feel so easy after so many years apart.

  He took her hand in his when she stepped into the hall beside him, and her heart experienced a slow, slippery meltdown. She straightened her shoulders and reminded herself that she probably wouldn’t see him again after this week.

  Enjoy the moment, she told herself.

  “Do you have any idea what the plan is for today?” Devin asked.

  “We have a luncheon at one and a dinner show at seven. Thankfully, they decided to skip the traditional bachelor and bachelorette parties.”

  Devin chuckled. “That’s not surprising. Those two are practically inseparable.”

  “I know. It took some major effort to get Molly to fly up early with me to take care of the wedding details.”

  “How did you manage that?” Devin asked.

  “I reminded her that she gets carsick.” They stepped into the elevator. “That’s also the reason they decided to spend their honeymoon in San Diego instead of on a cruise ship.”

  “Good call.” Devin punched the button for the lobby. “That also explains why I get to drive Caleb’s car back to Phoenix.”

  “What?” Grace looked at him with a combination of surprise and concern. “I thought I was going to drive his car back for him.”

  “Sounds like someone got their wires crossed.” Devin leaned against the back of the elevator. “I gather you don’t have other transportation back home?”

  Slowly she shook her head. “What about you?”

  “My plan was to drive to Sedona to see my folks before continuing to Phoenix to catch my flight back to school.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out. Worst case, we can drive down to Sedona together, and you can drop me off.”

  “That would work.” She let out a sigh. “For a simple wedding, Caleb and Molly have sure managed to make it complicated.”

  “How so?”

  “First, they couldn’t pick a date. Then they chose a wedding chapel, but when we got here, Molly hated it, so we had to find a new one. And instead of a weekend in Vegas, they wanted almost a whole week. Now the car.” Grace shrugged. “I’m starting to think eloping in the traditional sense might hold some appeal.”

  “I don’t think your parents would approve of that idea.”

  She swallowed hard, then drew a deep breath and prepared to tell him the truth. The elevator doors slid open, and before she could form the words, Devin led her into the lobby and they found themselves face-to-face with Molly and Caleb. Disappointed that they were interrupted, Grace tried to push aside the past and focus on the present.

  “Looks like old times,” Caleb said. “You know, it’s not too late to turn this into a double wedding.”

  Grace could feel her cheeks heat up. She tried to pull her hand free, but Devin had anticipated the attempt and held firm.

  “Not a bad idea.” Devin pulled her another step forward and shocked her when he pressed on and asked, “What do you say, Grace? Do you want to get married?”

  The romantic in her had imagined dozens of ways her future husband might propose. An off-the-cuff comment in a crowded Las Vegas lobby didn’t measure up to any of them. The ill-timed delivery didn’t prevent the image of such a future together from forming in her mind.

  “I think I’ll wait a bit longer to get married, but thanks anyway.”

  “Are you sure?” Molly asked, half serious. “You two do make a cute couple.”

  Grace shot her a look that told Molly she was venturing into a sensitive area.

  Gratefully, Devin changed the subject. “We’re going to grab some breakfast. Did you want to join us?”

  “No, we’re heading out to pick up our parents at the airport,” Caleb said. “You two have fun though. Let us know if
you change your mind about the double wedding.”

  “See you later.” Devin tugged on Grace’s hand and led her to the hotel restaurant. The hostess took them to a table near the center of the room. As soon as they were seated, menus in hand, Devin said, “You know, we really could get married with Caleb and Molly.”

  “Getting married isn’t like deciding to go skiing together. I think it should take a bit more thought than a random suggestion.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “Maybe you’re my one true love, the person I’ve been pining for ever since high school.”

  “You broke up with me, remember?” Her voice was light, even though she experienced a little stab in her heart when she thought of that day once again.

  “Definitely the biggest mistake of my life.”

  “Right.”

  “Seriously. I saw you yesterday and couldn’t believe I’d been that stupid.” He brushed his fingers over hers. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Never had she expected to hear such words from him. “I think that forgiveness was granted quite a few years ago.”

  “That’s a relief.” He leaned closer and, to her surprise, pressed his lips against hers.

  Shock prevented her from pulling away, that and the rush of attraction that flowed through her. She shouldn’t let him kiss her like this, but that thought floated away when he cupped a hand behind her neck and changed the angle of the kiss.

  Past and present collided, the dreams of her younger self blossoming into something more permanent. She didn’t want to still love him, but her heart wasn’t listening. Regardless of their time apart, Devin Shanahan was the only man who had ever made her yearn for a happily ever after.

  When he pulled back, she glanced around, suddenly aware of the other patrons scattered around the room. As though the years between them had never happened, he edged back and said, “So you’ll marry me, right?”

  She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “You’re impossible.”