Betting on Love in Vegas (Building Love Book 1)

by Stacy Hoff

“No Dad. I think it’s high time I listen to me. I’ve gotta go—”

  “Catherine, if you hang up on me—”

  Without thought, or fanfare, she clicked off the call. Before she knew it, her back was slumped against a wall of the now-empty corridor. A second later, her butt settled on the carpeted floor, her arms wrapped around her knees.

  Maybe she was screwing everything up. First with Ty. Now with her parents. The headache she had been fighting came on full force, strong as a surging sea. Like a little fishing boat, she was adrift without safety, bouncing along a stormy surface, wondering if she was going to plunge to the depths below.

  She was going to live to regret today, she was sure of it.

  Then a thought came to her. Without wasting a second more, she called her father back.

  “Ah, that’s more like it,” her father answered. His voice still as cold as ever. “I see you’ve thought better of your decision, and you’re going to do as you were told.”

  “No, I’ve decided to do something I should have done a long time ago. I’m giving back the Big Bear property to you and Mom. I don’t need the apology for what happened so many years ago. I’m moving on. In my own way. I hope you’ll still support me in making my own choices. Because I can’t live under anyone’s shadow anymore.” She gulped hard and said through a tight throat to her speechless father, “I love you and Mom. I’ll have my lawyer send you over the deed in the morning.”

  Chapter 16

  Ty searched the packed ballroom in vain. If Cat was here, she was nowhere to be seen in the mass of people. The Association had been thrilled when he confirmed he’d be giving this class as scheduled. Maybe re-committing to doing this lecture was a way of trying to bring back good karma. He sure as hell couldn’t be certain about bringing back Cat.

  Who was still nowhere to be seen. He watched the double doors of the converted ballroom like a hungry hawk desperate to spot a slow, fat mouse. Only Ty’s intended catch was a sleek, beautiful Cat.

  Mechanically, he stood by the podium as the Association’s chairman of the board blathered on and on about Ty’s credentials, service to the industry, yadda, yadda, yadda. Ty tuned it all out. The only words he needed to hear were Cat’s saying she forgave him and wanted to be with him forever.

  He realized the audience was staring at him, and the room was silent. Damn. Missed my cue. Time to start blathering.

  And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her. Cat was sitting in the back row, in the corner of the room’s left hand side. Her blonde hair was pinned up, loose tendrils stuck to her face from the heat. She wore the same navy suit she’d had on when they met. He almost wished it was the crazy tee shirt he got for her instead. Anything to show they still had the connection he desperately wanted. Needed to have.

  “Ahem,” the board chairman said in an obvious attempt to get Ty’s speech kick-started. The guttural sound echoed off the microphone and reverberated throughout the room.

  “Yes, thank you, Chairman Sterling. I am glad to speak to the members of this proud Association. As you know, this scheduled talk is on budgeting. We’re still going to talk about this, of course, but in a slightly different way than I had originally planned.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Cat, determined to ignore the opening remarks, typed away on her smartphone to Vanessa. I gave back the Big Bear land to my folks. Can you have the lawyers arrange to have the deed conveyed?

  Minutes later, her phone vibrated and a message appeared. Cat swiped the screen to read:

  I’ll handle first thing tomorrow. Don’t worry, Cat. You can do this on your own. Turns out profits are actually up this quarter. And the lawyers think we can finally get the variance with the town to expand the historic site giving us so many problems.

  OMG. Great news! Finally.

  How did it go with Orland?

  Less great.

  Sorry to hear it. For what it’s worth, at least I still think you’re great. And you should think you’re great, too.

  Cat felt herself smile for the first time the whole day. Maybe she was great, after all.

  But it sure would have been nice if Ty thought so. Enough to have trusted her with the truth. But “business before people” was Ty Orland’s motto.

  ~ ~ ~

  The Association’s chairman looked momentarily confused but gave a nod to Ty to continue.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Ty said when the stage was clear, “I’m here to tell you about my own budgeting issues. One of the biggest aspects of teaching is to practice what you preach. Well tonight I’m going to give you a ‘do what I say, not as I do’ scenario.”

  Ty almost laughed. The crowd looked as confused as the chairman.

  “My company bought a bunch of parcels for the development of one large resort. The site was in an expensive tourist location, so a large amount of cash flow went into these acquisitions. And now for a sub-point—management. By allowing unskilled people to handle these independent parcels for Orland Premier Properties, Inc., we were left one parcel short. The main parcel, of course, the one with the lake access our resort desperately needed.”

  He paused to see Cat’s reaction to all this. Her open-mouthed expression mirrored the rest of the crowd. He must be packing one hell of a doozy with this lecture. If he’d wanted privacy before, he certainly wasn’t going to be getting it now. Every newspaper’s business section would print a snippet of this for sure. He wouldn’t be surprised if every smartphone in the audience wasn’t set on “record.”

  “So that’s where the budgeting issue comes in,” he continued. “Because spending so much on one project, only to have it hit a snag—like the owner of the key parcel doesn’t want to sell—can give a company a major financial hiccup. One that could put it out of business. So budgeting the expenses on any one project, no matter how critical the project may seem, is the most important action any businessperson can take.”

  He cleared his throat and surveyed the room. Nope. Expressions hadn’t changed. Except for the chairman. His mouth was now closed, but he was frowning.

  “And then there’s the emotional aspect. I’m maybe going to surprise some of you here by saying this is actually the most important consideration to factor in. In life, as well as business. Because even if you know you need to take a business action to rescue your failing budget, you’ve still got to do what’s morally right. In my case, doing what’s right means not unduly pressuring the owner of the key parcel to sell. Because they may have reasons important to them, and those reasons need to be respected. Or if they’ve decided to sell to a different developer, for whatever reason, then that choice needs to be respected, too. Because ultimately people are what’s important. Not land. Not hotels. Not money. People.”

  With that, Ty waved politely at the stunned audience and the chairman. He walked straight up the left-side aisle and quietly held out his hand to a shell-shocked blonde in the left-hand corner of the room.

  “What’s he doing?” someone murmured near him.

  “Has he lost his mind?” another questioned.

  “I think he’s in love,” remarked a third.

  “I wish it were me,” some other woman whispered. A nice comment, sure, but Ty didn’t agree. He wanted no other woman than Cat.

  Biting back a grin, he said nothing. He’d either be a hero or look stupid standing there with his hand extended. But he’d be damned if he was going to sweat. Looking foolish wasn’t important to him anymore and impressing people was no longer his concern. Winning Cat’s heart was.

  He watched Cat get up and slowly weave her way through the cramped row toward him. Trying not to crash into people’s knees or step over the purses and computer bags in the aisle. Until finally she stood before him and reached for his hand. But he didn’t let her take it. Instead, he swept her up into his arms and carried her,
like he had the other day when she twisted her ankle on the Strip.

  He felt her head nuzzle against his chest. Under her weight, he was the lightest he’d ever been. Cat let out the softest sigh. Classical music could not have been more melodious. He was only vaguely aware of the audience’s reactions as he carried her out of the ballroom. It sounded like they were applauding. One guy stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.

  Yeah, this will make front page of Business Weekly. Ironically, his biggest achievement wasn’t a business achievement at all.

  Chapter 17

  Cat felt like she was floating back to the penthouse suite. Some conference attendees were following them, taking pictures with their smartphones. People were reluctant to let them through. The crowd around them was growing stronger, light from cameras and cellphones flashing in their faces. Ty pulled Cat close to him as if he were a great bird taking her under his protective wing.

  “Wow. I feel like the hottest celebrity,” she uttered. “All this paparazzi. These people must think I’m some kind of big deal to wind up with someone like you.”

  “You are a big deal. To me. They would think so, too, if they knew how wonderful you are.” He pulled her even closer to him. “I’m the lucky one.” He laughed. “Looks like I finally hit the jackpot in Vegas.”

  Out of nowhere, Ty’s security man, Charles, appeared and ordered people to stand back and give them space. Yep, life with Ty Orland would be well-coordinated. After the stunt he pulled, and the words he spoke, she could finally start to feel hope he wanted her long term.

  More applause broke out, slow at first, and then stronger.

  “Thank you, everyone, for your well wishes,” Ty called out. They had made it to the elevator. With a loud ding the doors opened and they stepped inside, whisked away.

  ~ ~ ~

  “It’s so romantic to have you carrying me, I’m reluctant to have you put me down,” Cat murmured when they’d reached his floor. “But I think you’d better.”

  “Oh? Why?” Ty asked calmly.

  “Because I need to go on a diet, and you’re going to get a hernia from carrying all this weight.”

  “No on both points. Next.”

  She laughed. “How about this? If you don’t put me down, you’ll never be able to get out your key card.”

  “No need,” Ty said. He smiled as he carried her off the elevator. As if on cue, the doors to his suite were opened by the butler. Where had the staff been hiding? Well, better late than never.

  “Welcome, Mr. Orland. And Ms. Warner.” The butler nodded and disappeared down the corridor. Without putting her down, Ty followed.

  “I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long, but I’m going to get heavy, you know,” she remarked.

  “I couldn’t care less.”

  “Determined, aren’t you?” she teased.

  “More than you know,” he retorted with a smile. “But I’ll do as you wish.”

  Suddenly, her feet were on the ground. She surveyed the suite, which was very different from how she’d left it. A sea of roses bathed the room. Pastel petals of every color. A floral scent, sweet and strong, wafted up her nose.

  “You did all this for me?” she asked in a quiet voice.

  “Cat, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. And that’s because nothing matters to me but you.”

  Her lungs, though filled with air, couldn’t breathe. Her heart, strong and healthy, couldn’t beat. Time, the most powerful force in the universe, stopped.

  Could this be true? Could the day have finally come when someone really wanted her? For who she was?

  “Cat, I should have figured this out from the moment I laid eyes on you. You are kind, strong, and have integrity. You care about people and always do what’s right by everyone. I can finally accept myself because you accept me, even with all my flaws. I am in love with you.”

  If her heart could crack open, the gaps filled with love, she could feel no different than she did now. “Before you, I thought I could only be loved by being what people wanted, not who I really am. I feel valued for the first time in my life. Thank you for believing in me. For allowing me to see your true self. Funny, kind, and generous.” She leaned forward to kiss him. “I love you, Ty.”

  He held her hand to his heart. “Tell me you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

  She looked up at him to see the warmth and love she’d been searching for all her life radiate from him. She’d bet her heart in Las Vegas, and won. “I do.”

  “I do, too.” Gently, he kissed her knuckles. Once white with tension, they were now shivering from the effect of his kiss.

  “Thanks for all the flowers. I don’t need all this, you know. I’ve never needed anything more than love.”

  “You’ve got everything I have.”

  A knock on the suite door broke through their happy bubble.

  “Ahh, good. I was hoping for that,” Ty said mysteriously.

  “You didn’t order a singing telegram, did you?” she joked. “Or hire another truckload from the botanical garden?”

  “Why, would those things have worked?” he deadpanned. “If so, it’s not too late for me to get right on it.”

  “I’d rather you give me your message in person. And privately,” she whispered in his ear.

  “With an offer like that, it’s almost a pity I have to open the door. Almost, that is.”

  A moment after Ty disappeared down the corridor she heard two men talking. She didn’t need to wonder for long who he was talking to because the men soon reappeared.

  “You remember Jacques?” Ty asked Cat.

  “Yes, of course. How are you, Jacques?” She couldn’t put her finger on it, but Jacques seemed different somehow. Was he pleased? Prideful? Playful? Hmmm, what is it these two have in mind?

  “I came to say I’m delighted by the current events,” Jacques said, taking Cat’s hand and lightly kissing the back of it. “I’m glad I will have the chance to know you, Ms. Warner. Please keep in mind I am always at your service.” Then the French man gave a brief bow and headed out.

  “That was so nice of him,” Cat commented. “Dropping by to wish us well. Though I get the feeling something is up. Is he keeping a secret or something?”

  “Actually, he did drop by for one more reason.”

  “Oh? If you two have business to finish, no problem. Call him back. I can wait here until you’re done.”

  The corner of Ty’s lips quirked up. “It’s a type of transaction, yes, but it’s one you’ve got to do with me.”

  Before she could react, Ty was down on one knee. In his hand was a black velvet box she hadn’t seen. With his other hand he popped the box open.

  “Cat, my love, my life, will you marry me?”

  And for once, Cat didn’t wonder about whether to follow through with a request being made of her. The person she was going to please most was herself.

  “Yes!”

  Epilogue

  Cat sat out on the Adirondack-styled deck overlooking the lake, lounging on an oversized, pillowed chaise. The warm breeze caressing her felt almost as good as an embrace from Ty. Almost. Because even after a whole year of marriage, his mere touch would set her afire. The passion, she had expected. The tranquility, she hadn’t. Seeing him walk into a room would instantly give her mind a sense of calm, even as her heart raced. It was a good thing spouses couldn’t be accused of suffering from puppy-love, or she’d be a notable victim. And it looked like the symptoms were permanent. She’d pay a million dollars to ensure a cure was never found.

  Feeling valued and loved was her new reality. One she treasured every day, after having lived without it for so long. At least she knew to appreciate what she had. She’d hang on to it like a prized possession. Because there was no grea
ter gift in life she could have received than being truly wanted. As her own person. And not for what she could do for someone, but for who she really was.

  Thankfully, her and Ty’s professional lives blossomed along with their personal lives. Together they bloomed and grew like interwoven, floral vines. Separable, but so much more beautiful together. They had developed the Big Bear parcel better than she had envisioned all those years she held on to the land.

  The main deck of the resort alone, the one she lounged on now, sprawled out a quarter acre. It butted up to grassy fields, which then turned into sandy beachfront. Importing the sand had not been cheap, but the effect was fabulous. During the summer the resort had an oceanfront feel, despite its inland location. Cat closed her eyes, relishing the music of the Calypso band they’d hired, and after a moment of pure bliss, opened them to accept a piña colada from one of the ever-present wait staff. On the edge of the forest, visible from the great deck, orange and yellow Chinese lanterns hung on the trees, mimicking the setting sun.

  In the distance, sailboats on their lake carried hotel guests who were clearly enjoying the warm breeze. One particular boat was still moored to the last dock, bobbing in the summer wind. The miniature catamaran was a wedding gift from Ty. “A Cat for Cat,” he’d explained. At his insistence, the boat’s name bore her name. It suited her fine. Ever since they were married she felt as if she was floating through life. Now that Ty had taught her how to swim, her floating feeling was physical and emotional. Like she had dived into life.

  The end result of all their hard work was obvious. Their resort was as busy in the summer as it was in the winter high-season. Booked up solid for the next year. Profits plentiful enough to consider building another one.

  She was grateful her parents had ultimately refused to take back the land. But she and Ty eventually persuaded them to at least be paid back the original purchase price. Their concession to give up the value of the land’s appreciation was their wedding gift. Paying back the purchase price gave her equal footing with her folks, one as an adult. Let her talk to them as equals, professionally and personally. And the ‘personal’ factor was steadily being worked on. She was happy to see her parents actually warming up to her and her new husband. Instead of a business rival, they were starting to see Ty as family.