by Lexi Wilson
“Who said anything about making up for anything? This isn’t some kind of tit-for-tat arrangement. I think your little girl’s great, and she should have a nice birthday.”
“But…I would’ve thought of something.”
“You can’t tell me between work and whatever it is going on in your life that this isn’t a big help.”
She pursed her lips, and I knew I’d had her there.
“It is. You’re right about that. And I know she’ll love it.”
“Then don’t worry about anything else. This is all about Jamie and making sure she has a great time.”
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and I could sense I was winning her over.
“That’s what I want, too. But next time make sure to give me some advance notice when you want to drop a bomb like this. I don’t want to come home one day and see a pony in the middle of my living room.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
“And thanks again. I’d always been meaning to take her there, but never had the chance.”
“Now’s the time. I’m sure she’ll love it.”
She nodded. “Then let’s break the good news to the little lady.”
Together we went back into the house, Jamie’s eyes on the both of us like we’d decided the fate of the world.
“Well?” she asked. “Are we going?”
Amber glanced at me one more time, this time smiling.
“We’re going.”
Jamie jumped up, standing on the chair, her fist raised in the air in triumph. “Yeah!”
The next couple of hours were crazy blur of activity. The ladies all packed their bags for the weekend, and while they did I made the necessary arrangements.
When you’re a multi, multi-millionaire, it makes planning a little easier. I called Disneyland, quickly getting one of the high-up park managers on the phone. After a quick conversation I had a master suite booked, along with a weekend pass for each of us.
And there were a few surprises in store, too.
Then I called for my driver and he pulled up at around the same time the ladies were ready.
“Wow,” said Nan, impressed, as we got into the back of the Land Rover “This is a heck of a car.”
“So,” I said. “Here’s the plan – we fly to Disneyland tonight. I rented out the top floor of one of the best hotels in the area. We can have some dinner, chill out this evening, and get ready for the big day tomorrow.”
“Can we get room service?” asked Jamie. “I’ve never had it before.”
I laughed. “Like mother like daughter, huh?”
Right when I said the words, I realized I’d let slip a little bit of personal information. Nan raised her eyebrows, and I could tell what she was thinking.
We took the car back to Horvath HQ. Once there, we rode the elevator to the rooftop where the helicopter awaited us. Jamie was thrilled the whole time, happy to take in the sights as we flew over Los Angeles.
And though she wasn’t my kid, seeing the excitement on her face, knowing I was using my money and influence to make someone else’s life better…it filled me with a happiness I hadn’t known in a long while.
We touched down at the airfield near Anaheim, another car waiting for us. From there it was a short drive to the hotel, a massive, impressive building not too far from the park itself.
After checking in, we didn’t waste any time getting up to the rooms and getting settled. Nan had her own room, one that had a smaller bedroom for Jamie. For me and Amber I choose a double suite, one with two bedrooms but a shared living room. I still wasn’t sure what our situation was, and didn’t want to push my luck by assuming we would be in the same bedroom.
Not only that, it might’ve been a touch confusing for Jamie if her mom and me were sharing a bed.
But damn, did I want to make love to Amber again. And not only that, I wanted to fall asleep with her, to wake up with her in bed next to me, to feel her warm body against mine.
Something was happening between us, and it wasn’t a simple matter of wanting to sleep with a beautiful woman.
But as much as I wanted her, I made sure to keep in mind she was dealing with some problems of her own. There was something major in her personal life, one that seemed to be not only a source of stress, but a source of fear. I was relieved I didn’t have anything to do with it, but I still wanted to know.
Because if there was someone out there threatening her, I’d do anything to keep her safe.
Anything.
Once we were settled in our rooms, we gathered in me and Amber’s living suite to watch TV – Disney movies, of course. We let Jamie order whatever she wanted from room service, which meant pizza and hamburgers and ice cream.
We were all cozy together, me and Amber on the couch, Nan dozing in one of the easy chairs, and Jamie happy on the ground, cuddled among all of the blankets, her food close at hand.
But it didn’t take much time before the excitement of the day caught up with her. Amber helped Nan to her room, then Jamie was next. I carried her, Jamie sleeping soundly as I tucked her into bed.
Then it was me and Amber. We arrived in the shared room, and there was an immediate, unmistakable tension in the air.
“Thanks again,” she said. “For everything.”
There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn’t know how to say it. At the very least, I wanted to share a drink with her, to sit on the balcony like we’d done in London, the mellow weather and the quiet night coaxing from us what we wanted to say.
But instead, I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
She smiled as I took my mouth away, her eyes closed.
“My pleasure,” I said.
I didn’t know if she wanted more than that, and I didn’t ask. I slipped off to my room and was soon in bed, thoughts of Amber the last ones on my mind before I drifted off into a restful sleep.
Chapter 27
AMBER
Jamie was already up when the alarm went off, and I recognized her little fist knocking against the door like it was Christmas morning and she couldn’t wait to get up and open her presents.
I was excited. Birthdays had been for so long a source of stress. I always wanted to give Jamie one she’d remember, but even those few years when money allowed it there was still the matter of work. I couldn’t remember the last time I was actually able to celebrate the day with her.
Not to mention the fact that she’d never had an easy time making friends. And whenever she did, news of my work would always somehow get back to parents. Needless to say, they were never thrilled about the idea of their sons or daughters being friends with the child of an exotic dancer.
But that birthday was different. Nick had gone out of his way to make sure she’d have a special day, and I couldn’t wait for it to begin.
I threw on a robe and stepped out into the living room, Jamie still knocking away.
“Mom!” she said through the door. “Come on!”
A smile on my face, I opened the door and there she was, already dressed and ready for the day.
Nan hurried out of the room, looking like she’d been dealing with a little ball of energy the entire morning.
“She was up before I was, believe it or not,” said Nan.
“Happy birthday, baby!” I said, kneeling and giving her a big hug.
Nan glanced over my shoulder, looking in the living room. I realized she was looking for Nick.
“This is really something special,” she said, lowering her voice as Jamie rushed into the room, looking out of the window at the theme park off in the distance. “Most men run screaming in the other direction when they find out a woman has a kid. This-“ she waved her hands vaguely in front of her “-is unheard of.”
“I know, I know,” I said. “But I’m not thinking about that right now.”
“What?” asked Nan. “How can you not be thinking about that? He’s crazy about you, baby.”
“Well, there’s the little matt
er of my husband-“ I said the word at barely above a whisper “-who’s out of jail.”
Nan nodded, as if agreeing with me. “Yeah, you’re right. But you should tell him about it.”
“What?” I asked. “Are you serious? You want me to tell him about Marcus?”
“Of course! He might be able to help you out. “
“’Help me out’ how?” I asked. “Hire some goons to beat him up?”
Nan looked aside. “Well…”
“Not going to happen,” I said. “That’s a part of my life I’m not comfortable sharing.”
“It’s going to come out sooner or later,” she said. “You might as well have control over the how and when.”
There was nothing to be said in my defense – she was right, simple as that.
But before the conversation could go on, the door to Nick’s bedroom opened. He stepped out in jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt and comfortable, but stylish sneakers.
“Happy birthday!” he said.
“Good morning, Mr. McQuaid!” said Jamie, still at the window. “Come over here and look at the view!”
“That’s all yours today, kiddo,” said Nick. “You’re going to have a VIP pass to see whatever you want. And no lines!”
“Are you serious?” asked Jamie, beside herself.
“Serious,” said Nick. “But first, I think we should start out with some breakfast. How does French toast in the hotel restaurant sound?”
“Awesome!” said Jamie.
Nick came over to me and Nan, that usual, confident smile on his face. “Good morning, ladies.”
“Morning, Nick,” said Nan with a warm smile.
“I still need to get ready,” I said. “You guys go downstairs and get a table. I’ll meet you there, OK?”
“Sounds good,” said Nick. “Come on, Jamie – French toast awaits!”
She rushed over so fast that I worried she might trip over her little legs.
The three of them headed downstairs and I jumped into the shower when they were gone.
I couldn’t stop thinking about two things – what Nan said, and the kiss last night.
Nan was right. I needed to tell Nick about my situation, that I was freaking married. Knowing Marcus, it’d only be a matter of time before he was back in my life. He was the persistent sort, and possessive on top of it.
And then there was the kiss. If there was any doubt I still wanted Nick, that kiss blew it away. Part of me wished he would’ve given me more than that kiss, that he would’ve wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into the bedroom and made me come only the way he could.
I sighed as I turned off the shower.
Nick needed to be told. And he needed to be told that night. The Marcus situation was a mess, but it was a mess I’d created. There was no ignoring it.
I dressed and got in a good headspace, ready to spend a day with my daughter before possibly ending things with Nick by letting him know my story.
They were all downstairs in the hotel restaurant, the food arriving just as I did.
It was delicious. We pigged out, getting good and full on some of the tastiest food I’d had since, well, the last breakfast with Nick. When we were ready a private car took us to the park, and Jamie was ready for the best day of her life.
The look on her face as we approached the front gates, the Disney castle looming large in the distance, was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I was so thrilled she was going to have a special day, and so grateful to Nick for making it happen.
And what a day it was. We spent the rest of the morning going on all the rides, Jamie leading the way as we did. Some we went on more than once, which was where Nick’s connections that allowed us to skip to the front of any line came in handy.
Not going to lie – it was nice hanging out with a man as wealthy and powerful as him. It was like living in a different world.
After a quick break for lunch we were right back at it. And Nick had some special surprises planned, like arranging for all the characters in costume to meet with Jamie. She took her picture with all of them but was most thrilled about Cinderella – her favorite princess.
When the late afternoon arrived, we were all ready for a break.
“How about we head back to the hotel for a little while?” asked Nick. “We can rest up for an hour or so, and then grab some dinner before the nighttime fireworks.”
“I want to do some more rides,” said Jamie. But right after the words left her mouth she let out a big yawn.
“If you want to ride some more rides,” I said. “You’re going to need to get a little rest in first.”
“Fine, fine,” said Jamie, sleepiness in her eyes.
The driver took us back to the hotel, Nan going for a break in her room and Jamie following her.
Then it was just me and Nick.
I knew that was the time. I had to tell him before the day went on any longer.
But before I had a chance to speak up, he got my attention.
“I need to meet with the pastry chef downstairs,” he said. “I put in an order for a special ice cream cake and I want to make sure it’s ready when we get back. Alright?”
I nodded. “Alright.”
He smiled at me one more time before heading out.
OK, so it was going to have to wait for a little bit longer.
I dropped down on the couch, my legs aching from all the walking we’d been doing.
But as much as I tried to relax, all I could think about was the conversation ahead, and how Nick might take it.
Nothing to do but do it.
Then a knock sounded from the door. I got up, sure it was Nick having forgotten his room key.
But I wanted to be sure – the knock was heavy, almost like a pounding.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Room service. Got something to drop off for Amber Wax.”
The voice was gruff, and sounded strangely familiar.
I stepped up to the door and whoever was on the other side was so tall I couldn’t see their face, only the bottom half of a thick, dark beard. But the shirt was the white button-up that every member of the staff wore, and there was a small, red name tag. It seemed legit.
But the moment I opened the door, I realized just why the voice had sounded familiar.
It was him.
It was Marcus.
He grinned at me, his mouth a white slit through his ink-dark beard.
“There’s my lovely wife.”
Chapter 28
NICK
Everything was set. The plan was ambitious, but I was sure we’d be able to pull it off. We’d grab some dinner, then head back into the park just in time to catch the fireworks. After that, we’d come back to the room where the costumed staff would be waiting for us with the cake, along with all sorts of presents for Jamie’s party.
I was thrilled, beyond excited to be able to give her the princess party she’d been hoping for.
And after that, I figured at around ten she’d be wiped, ready for her and Nan to head off to bed. Then maybe Amber and I could have a little quality time, maybe grab a drink at the hotel bar.
“This is perfect,” I said, the chef showing me the cake, the vanilla-and-strawberry cake done up in the shape of a castle, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS JAMIE” written in elaborate Disney-style letters.
“And everything’s set for it to be delivered to the room?”
“You bet, Mr. McQuaid,” said the chef. “And let me just say how much of an honor it is to have you here at our establishment.”
I chuckled. “Of course. Thanks for all your help.”
I left the restaurant kitchen, ready to head to the room and get started with the rest of our night.
But when I reached the lobby my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out and saw it was a text from Amber.
“Hey. I can’t make it to dinner. Take Nan and Jamie and I’ll catch up with you later.”
This was strange. I fired off a quick response.
“No, just feeling a little more worn-out than I thought. I’ll get some room service and recharge here. But don’t come back before five-thirty, OK?”
“Sure.”
Man, did I have questions. Amber had always been truthful with me, but something about the text just screamed “lie.”
Something was up. I wanted to get answers, but more than that I wanted to make sure Jamie had a good day. No need to ruin it by starting some drama over potentially nothing with Amber.
So, I went up to Nan and Jamie’s room.
“Where’s Mom?” asked Jamie.
“She’s taking a nap – she said she meet us after dinner.”
Nan seemed just as surprised as I’d been. “It’s her daughter’s birthday and she wants to take a nap during dinner?”
Jamie was in the other side of the room putting her sneakers on, so I leaned in close to Nan and spoke quietly.
“This sounds strange, right? She’s never randomly tired like this.”
Nan nodded. “It’s strange, alright. And if an old coot like me can be fine for more park after a little rest, she should have no excuse.”
I glanced down the hall at her door.
“Let me check something out. Can you finish getting her ready?”
“Of course.”
I hurried over to the room door, gently placing my ear against it.
Right away I heard a voice speaking. I couldn’t quite make out what was being talked about, but I could tell it was Amber speaking.
Then there was another voice – a deep one.
Someone was in there.
My first instinct was to open the door, to barge in there and find out what the hell was going on.
But I checked myself, holding back. Maybe she was speaking with an employee, planning a surprise of her own. Last thing I needed was to barge in there all accusatory right in the middle of something innocent.
“Let’s go,” I said to Nan, Jamie at her side. “We’ll check in with Mom when we’re done.”
The three of us went down to the hotel restaurant, settling into one of the best seats in the house. It was on the second floor of the place, a view that looked out onto the park.