by Julie
It was a lot for Gareth to think about.
After Tony left, Gareth tested his theory by visiting with the Bates family. Once in a while Laura made a comment, but it wasn't given the weight of Vickie's ideas or Janice's opinions. Was that because Laura hadn't gone to college but rather had become a paralegal? Was it because she was the middle child?
Finally, Gareth knew he had to turn over the whole evening in his mind. When he made a move to leave, saying good-night to everyone, Laura walked him out.
On the front porch he asked, "Are you busy this weekend?"
"No catering jobs, but the Spring Fling's next Sunday."
"A lot of preparation?"
"Yes. Most of it just requires organization. I have to call in orders and make sure I have what I need when I need it."
"Is the van running okay?" He knew she'd gotten it back today because it was parked in the garage again.
"It seems to be. The mechanic said we have to be careful where we buy our gas. I don't want that happening again when I'm on the way to a catering job."
Gareth examined her closely, looking for signs that she didn't feel well. But there were none. She looked beautiful tonight and seemed as energetic as always. The stress and the heat had done a number on her yesterday, and he didn't want to see that happen again. Yet right now, he didn't have any say in what she did or didn't do.
"What's wrong?" Laura asked.
"I didn't say anything was wrong."
"No, you didn't." Unexpectedly she reached up and touched his jaw. "But this muscle is working, and you're sort of frowning."
Laura knew him so well. She could read him so well. But he understood tonight that he couldn't always read her. Lack of trying on his part? "I was just wondering when I was going to see you again. How about if I give you a call tomorrow afternoon, and we can do something tomorrow night?"
"A date?" she asked, looking pleased at the thought.
"Yes, a date."
Sliding his hand into her hair, he lowered his mouth to hers. He didn't have to coax her into the kiss. She seemed to want to give to him again. She'd been giving to him throughout their marriage, and it was time for him to give back. Now he didn't care about messing up her lipstick, or what her parents might think if she looked "just kissed." All that mattered was the two of them, what they had lost and what they could find again.
His tongue mated with hers, giving her a taste of what their next union could be. His hands stroked through her hair, trying to convey how much he wanted to take care of her. When she softly moaned into his mouth, he broke the kiss, but enfolded his arms around her. .
"I can't wait for our date tomorrow night."
She looked a little dazed as she smiled up at him, and he liked that look. He wanted to daze her. He wanted to impress her. He wanted her back home. Maybe tomorrow night he could convince her that was the best place for her to be.
Gareth lay in his king-size bed, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head. Usually he fell asleep and slept solidly. But not since Laura had made herself unavailable to him while he was away... not since she'd decided to stay at her mother's.
When the phone rang, his first thought was of her. Glancing at the clock, seeing that it was 3:00 a.m., he snatched it up. "Laura?"
"No. It's Tony."
It took a moment for Gareth to orient himself to the fact that Tony was calling him in the middle of the night. "What is it? Is something wrong? Has something happened to Laura or - "
"No. No, nothing like that. It's just - " He stopped. "Maybe I shouldn't have called."
"You did, so tell me what's happening."
"I'm in San Antonio."
"Still?"
"Yeah, well, I don't have my car. You know, the guys picked me up."
"What's going on?"
"They're all smashed. We're at a party. I only had a couple of drinks. But the rest of them...they drank down that vodka like it was water. I'm not getting in the car with them."
Thank God, Tony had that much sense. "Do you need me to call your parents?"
"No! I mean, that's why I called you. Can you come pick me up, and then I can sneak in? They don't have to know."
Aiding and abetting. Gareth didn't know how much he liked that idea. But Tony was a good kid and it had been smart of him to call. Maybe once Gareth had dropped him off at home, he could convince the kid to tell his family what had happened.
"Give me your address and how to get there."
An hour later, with Tony beside him in the car telling him about a girl at the party he particularly liked, Gareth pulled up in front of the Bateses' house. "I think you ought to tell them," Gareth said again.
Tony unfastened the seat belt. "I will, but tomorrow morning, not now. I know Mom will just make a big ruckus. I want to remember how good tonight was, just for a little while longer."
"Do you have your key?"
"I'm going to go in the back door. I can turn off the alarm system there, too, and they won't hear me, I hope."
"I'll go with you, just to make sure you get in okay."
Gareth felt responsible for the teenager now and wasn't going to leave until he was safely inside.
As quietly as they could, they closed Gareth's car doors, went across the lawn and walked around the side of the house. The back-porch light glowed.
"Think they knew you were coming in this way?" Gareth joked.
"No. It goes on automatically at dusk."
However, after he opened the door and stepped inside to punch in the code for the security alarm, Gareth was aware they weren't alone.
A small, dim light glowed above the oven and he supposed the family used it as a night-light. It only took him a second to see Laura sitting at the kitchen table. She stood now as they came in, and everything in Gareth's body went taut. She was wearing a raspberry-colored nightgown of some soft silky material, and on top she'd belted a robe of the same fabric. But they both barely came to her knees, and she looked as enticing as he'd ever seen her.
Now her eyes were filled with surprise. "Gareth! What are you doing here?"
Glancing at the teenager he'd rescued, Gareth responded, "I think Tony should tell you why I'm here."
Silence filled the kitchen until Tony asked, "Mom and Dad still aren't awake, are they?" He glanced anxiously toward the stairs.
"No. I convinced them that all-night parties after graduation weren't unusual. We thought you might stay over at a friend's.”
“I...uh..." Gareth placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's not going to jump down your throat. You did the right thing."
"Tony?" There was worry in Laura's voice now, and her brother could hear it.
"We went to a party and it got pretty wild. Manuel and Jack couldn't walk a straight line. I knew I shouldn't get in a car with them, so I called Gareth. He came and got me."
"I don't-understand. Why didn't you just call us?"
Shifting from one foot to the other, Tony looked uncomfortable. "Because Mom would have made a huge fuss. You know she would have. And Dad has to get up so early... I thought I could just let myself in and not wake up anyone."
"Why didn't you call me? You know I have my cell phone in my room."
With an embarrassed shrug, Tony answered, "I just didn't think about calling you."
Her brother's words were like a blow, and Gareth saw Laura take a deep breath. Then she swiftly turned and headed for the refrigerator. "Would anyone like a nightcap? I was going to pour some grape juice."
"No, I'm beat. I'm going to bed." Turning to Gareth, Tony said, "Thanks for picking me up."
After Laura set the bottle of juice on the counter, she crossed to her brother. "You did the right thing by calling somebody. But I want you to know you can depend on me, too. If you ever need anything, I'm here."
When Tony gave her a hug, he said good-night, then headed for the stairs. Crossing to the cupboard, Laura removed a glass.<
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Early on in their marriage, Gareth had appreciated the fact that Laura wasn't a woman of moods. She was usually calm and even-tempered. But he could usually tell when something upset her - her spine straightened, she did something until she composed herself, and then she blinked fast to prevent tears.
Stepping up behind her, he stood very close, though he didn't touch her. "What is it?"
She shook her head, poured the grape juice and took a few swallows.
With a clarity that hadn't been present before, he understood that if Laura really depended on him, really trusted him, she wouldn't hide her feelings from him. Had she gotten used to just handling situations on her own and not expecting him to notice if she was upset? How many times hadn't he noticed something was bothering her? How many times had he been away when she wanted to discuss something?
As he wrapped his arms around her, he drew her back against him. Her body tensed, but as he rested his chin on top of her head, she relaxed. The silk of her robe was soft and smooth against his arms. The glossy sheen of her hair encouraged him to rub his jaw back and forth over it. Her body, pliant against his, stirred a fire that he'd kept banked for too many weeks. "Tell me," he requested.
"It hurts that Tony didn't think about calling me."
"Maybe he's just not used to you being here."
"It's not that. Sometimes I just feel like a fixture in this family. I've never been able to compete with Vickie's successes. And Tony, being the youngest and a son." She shrugged. "Sometimes I just feel invisible, that's all."
Had he taken her for granted for so long that she felt invisible around him, too?
That had to change. She had to know how important she was to him. Although he didn't want to let go of her, he stepped back and nudged her around to face him. "I've changed my mind about this weekend."
"You don't want to go to dinner tomorrow night?" She seemed disappointed, but also almost resigned.
"I'd like to incorporate dinner into something else. I want you to be ready tomorrow morning around 11:00 a.m. Have an overnight case packed."
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to spirit you away. You and I need some alone time, and not just for a few hours." Now she looked intrigued.
"Where are we going?”
“It's a surprise and you'll find out tomorrow. Just tell your mom you won't be back until sometime on Sunday."
When she gave him a smile, it was the most natural smile he'd seen since he'd returned to Red Rock. A getaway was just what they needed, and maybe on Sunday he'd be taking her back to their house.
Chapter 5
Gareth greeted Laura Saturday with a bouquet of pink sweetheart roses and daisies. Her smile made all his planning and shopping this morning more than worthwhile.
"They're beautiful!" She tilted her head to smell the pink roses. "Thank you so much. I'll put them in a vase, then I can enjoy them tomorrow night when we get back. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"I'm going to show you." The tone of his voice brought her gaze to his.
"A day away isn't going to fix everything," she said softly.
"Maybe not. But it's going to be a damn good start. This will be a weekend you'll never want to forget."
When heat colored her cheeks, he closed the distance between them and took her hands in his. Lifting her palm to his lips, he kissed it and he felt her tremble. "Are you ready?"
Keeping her eyes on his, she nodded.
"Good. Let's pop those flowers in a vase and get going."
On the road ten minutes later, he drove northeast of Red Rock toward Houston. They'd traveled about ten miles from Red Rock when he slowed and turned off the highway onto a secondary road.
"I think I know where we're going!" Laura said in surprise. "Are you taking me to Las Monedas Resort?"
Now it was Gareth's turn to be surprised. Las Monedas, translated "The Coins," was a five-star resort. "You've been there before?"
"Not as a guest, but I've catered a few events there for the manager, Doug Cinek."
"I thought the resort had its own restaurant."
"They do. On one occasion, I made and set up the cake and cookies for a wedding reception. On another, I catered a private party in one of the suites. Just last week there was a business retreat here, and I made the hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour before it began."
Laura certainly was getting around. He just hadn't realized how large her client base had grown. "We're lucky they didn't have any conferences booked for this weekend or we wouldn't have gotten a suite."
Gareth pulled into a slot in the large parking lot near the hotel entrance. "A suite?"
"I have lots of surprises planned." He grinned at her. "Come on. Come back to the trunk and I'll show you."
The resort was white stucco with salmon trim. Shade from the building fell over the car as he opened the trunk, and Laura met him there.
Handing her a pretty, gold-foil gift bag with pink paper peeking out over the edge, he explained, "That one you can save to open in the room."
"I can't peek?" she teased.
"You can if you want." He liked the idea she was acting like a kid on Christmas morning.
A pensive expression came over her face, and then, like a kid, she peered in the bag. The pink silk nightie flowed over her hand.
He let that gift speak for itself as he held up a bigger package. "Why don't you check out this one?"
As she did, she pulled out a bottle of champagne. "Wow! You went all out."
"See what else is in there."
A broad smile spread across her face as she spied the gold box. "My favorite chocolates. I can't believe you went shopping."
When her voice broke, he draped his arm around her shoulders. "Believe it. Come on. Let's drop these in the front seat and go check in."
The inside of the resort was elegant and cool, all cream and teal with lush foliage and freshly arranged flowers sitting about. In the center of the lobby was a large glass case holding ceramic pots overflowing with old coins.
When the clerk at the desk saw Laura, she exclaimed, "It is you. I noticed the reservation under Gareth Manning and wondered - "
As she broke off, Gareth frowned. What had she wondered? If he was going to bring someone else?
A man in a suit came out from an office behind the registration desk. He had black hair, snapping brown eyes and a smile that was all for Laura. "Well, hello."
With her own friendly smile, Laura said, "Doug, meet Gareth."
Doug came forward to shake Gareth's hand.
Gareth didn't know if he wanted to shake it. There was a look in this guy's eye when he'd spotted Laura that Gareth didn't like. At the same time Gareth was appraising the manager, Doug was giving Gareth the once-over. He wondered again what these people knew... or what they thought they knew.
After the perfunctory shake of Gareth's hand, Doug told Laura, "Mr. McMillen raved about your hors d'oeuvres the whole time he was here. His company will definitely demand your services the next time they're in town."
"I like having satisfied customers."
"We want you to be a satisfied customer. If there's anything you need while you're here, just give the front desk a buzz. Do you need a bellman for your bags?"
"I'll drive around to the closest entrance to our room and carry them in myself." Suddenly Gareth just wanted to be alone with his wife, eluding outside distractions.
Doug gave him a nod. "That's fine. Let's get you checked in."
With the manager of the resort himself overseeing the process, the checkin went quickly. As Doug gave Gareth the folder with key cards enclosed, he winked at Laura. "You have a great time."
With her cheeks pinkening, she responded, "We will."
Once they were seated in the car, Gareth drove around to the south entrance and parked. "Does that clerk at the desk know that we're... separated?"
After a short hesitation, Laura turned to face him.
"Glenda knows I was staying at Mom's. It just slipped out one day when we were talking. I guess she made her own assumptions from that."
"And then told everybody else on staff, I guess."
Placing her hand on his arm, Laura murmured, "I'm sorry if you didn't want anyone to know. But I was the one who was here and had to answer questions. Sometimes it was awkward."
"If you didn't want the awkward questions, maybe you should have moved back home." As soon as he said it, he realized he shouldn't have.
"Are we going to fight and spoil coming here?"
Six weeks ago Laura would have never asked him that question so bluntly. She would have been quiet and withdrawn. He would have wrapped himself in pride and kept silent for a while, too. But that wouldn't have gotten them anywhere.
Now he was glad that she'd put her thought into plain words. "No. We're not going to fight. We're going to go up to our suite, open that champagne and start our weekend."
He saw a little frown play around her lips, but then it was gone, and he thought maybe he'd imagined it.
While Gareth toted his duffel bag and Laura's overnight case, she carried the two gift bags. Setting her tapestry valise on the floor, he used the magnetic key to open the door, then let her precede him inside.
The suite was beautiful with its red and blue motifs, drapes, spread, love seat and sofa. They stepped into the sitting-room area and wandered over to the rich oak table with its two chairs. An archway led into the bedroom furnished with a huge king-size bed. Gareth set their luggage on the bed as Laura peeked into the bathroom, with its double vanities, sunken Jacuzzi tub and double shower.
"I feel as if I'm staying in the lap of luxury," she said with a laugh.
When Gareth joined her in the bathroom, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I wanted this weekend to be special. I wanted you to know - "
A loud knock at the door interrupted him.
Laura glanced up. "Did you order room service?"
"Not yet." Reluctantly, he released her and answered the knock. When he opened the door, he found Glenda.