Embezzled Love (18 page)

For the first time, she noticed the wild pattern of the draperies in the posh, but overdone room. "Does everything in here conflict with the carpeting? Honestly, someone should have contacted a decorator."

Evan yanked her out the door and closed it behind them, ending her critique.

On the ride back down to the Casino in the elevator, Cassie stifled a giggle. Feeling like a little kid going to Disneyland, she relished the freedom of being in a totally different environment. No work, no clutter on the back porch, bills or stress. She intended to enjoy this two-day break no matter what happened.

The doors parted, and Evan made a beeline for a bank of dollar slots. Cassie's extended hand hung midair, and taken aback at his failure to grasp it, she chalked his behavior up to the same excitement she'd realized a few moments ago. She followed and stood at his shoulder, watching. He'd already deposited coins and yanked the handle. The reels blurred the images of cherries, plums, and the elusive sevens. When the tumblers stopped, a loud bell sounded. Evan turned and smiled, pointing at three bars aligned perfectly across the screen. "Look at that. I'm a winner."

Cassie quickly scanned the colorful pay schedule for his reward. She widened her eyes. "Wow, five hundred dollars. Babe, you're pretty lucky at this."

Evan fished in his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed her several bills—several large ones. "Here, take this and find your own machine." He stuffed his billfold back and immediately grasped the slot handle.

Cassie pulled out the stool and sat. "This looks like a good one."

The crease in his forehead showed his displeasure. "No, I meant go somewhere else. I don't like being watched when I gamble."

She slid to her feet, her mouth gaping.

Evan stretched taller on his stool and grazed her cheek with a kiss. "You understand, don't you, baby girl? It's an anxiety performance kinda thing."

No, she didn't understand, but she sure as hell wasn't going to hang around where she wasn't wanted. Clutching the bills he'd given her, she ambled off in search of another place to sit. Her excitement waned. Only a short while ago he'd wanted to marry her, and now he didn't want her sitting next to him. She let go of the hurt. Since she'd turned down his offer of marriage, maybe now they were even.

She eyed a bank of dollar slots but decided she wasn't ready for that denomination just yet. Better to start with something smaller. She unrolled the wad of bills in her hand, looking for something smaller than a hundred, but all five were the same. Cassie summoned a roving attendant and received change. She inserted a twenty into the machine and tucked the remaining money in her pocket. Before long, she lost herself in the hypnotic spinning of the reels. Sadly, no bells sounded for her, and she'd lost far more than she planned.

Her eyes blurred from watching whirling fruit, and her back ached from hunching on the stool. Dare she go back and check in with Evan? Hours had passed, and he hadn't come looking for her. She wouldn't stay, that's for sure.

Her watch forgotten at home, she estimated the time to be in the wee hours of the morning. Why didn't they put clocks in Casinos? Time shouldn't be a secret. Regardless, the day had been long, and she needed sleep. Maybe Evan was tired, too.

She wandered back in the direction she'd come, searching machines until she found the one where she'd left Evan. The stool sat empty.

On tiptoes, she scanned the area. In comparison to the earlier crowded room, only a handful of late-night gamblers remained. She walked up and down each aisle, and perused each machine and table, but Evan was nowhere to be found. Panic made her heart race. Where could he be? Had he already gone upstairs?

She traced the outline of the room card in her pant pocket and headed for the elevator. On the way up, she pondered why Evan hadn't bothered to find her. Her emotions ran high with a mixture of hurt and anger.

At their door, she struggled to get the card into the narrow slit, and when she walked inside, her heart sank. Evan wasn't there. The luggage sat just as they'd left it, and the bed was undisturbed. She heaved a huge sigh and plopped onto the king-sized mattress. Where could he be? Disappointment mingled with frustration and tiredness, bringing tears to her eyes. Should she look for him? Report him missing? Surely, she overreacted. She'd wait. There were dozens of casinos, hundreds even, and she had no idea where to begin her search. If she weren't so worried, she might really be pissed.

Stretching out on the bed, she stared hopelessly at the ceiling. The acoustical dots ran together, creating crazy patterns, and finally blurred.

* * *

Extreme brightness attempted to creep beneath Cassie's closed lids. She turned over and sleepily opened her eyes, wrinkling her nose at the offensive morning light. The room-darkening shades only worked if someone closed them. The sunshine spread fiery fingers across the sky and blazed through the hotel's drape-less window. Still groggy, Cassie checked for evidence of Evan's return. Nothing. Her stomach knotted at a glance of the clock on the nightstand—seven a.m. Surely, something awful had happened to him. He would never let her worry for this long.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cassie paced. It was now almost nine o'clock in the morning. Morbid thoughts circulated through her mind. Had Evan been robbed and murdered? Had he found someone he considered more alluring and abandoned Cassie? He wouldn't disappear without good reason…at least she didn't think so.

Needing to share her fears with someone, she went to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Pushing aside the Gideon's Bible, she took out the telephone directory. Her fingers flipped pages, looking for the police, then slid down the page to the number. She finished dialing the third digit when the door opened.

"Hi, baby girl," Evan drawled with a tongue thick from drinking. He stumbled across the room, his arms open for a hug.

Cassie flattened her palm against his chest. "Is that all you have to say…Hi, baby girl?" Her breath came out in a huff. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick about you. Do you realize what time it is?"

Evan, eyes blurry from lack of sleep and spirit indulgence, flashed a silly grin she might have considered comical if she weren't so angry.

"Ah, baby, don't be mad." His comeback sounded even more slurred than his salutation.

He reached into his pocket and produced a thick fold of cash. "I jes' got on a lucky streak and didn't wanna quit. Smell all this moolah." He waved the money beneath her nose.

Cassie shoved his hand away. "I don't give a damn how much you won. That's no excuse for leaving me completely alone and without a clue where you were. I worried you might be dead. Now I feel like killing you myself. I want to go home. I've had all the fun I can stand."

She picked up the unopened suitcase, grabbed her purse, and stormed out of the room. Evan staggered alongside her. "Baby, please don't be mad." She summoned the elevator and stepped inside. He followed.

In the lobby, Cassie checked them out of the room, then without a glance in Evan's direction, she proceeded to the valet area. From the corner of her eye, she saw Evan leaning against the wall, struggling to maintain his balance. When the attendant came, Cassie walked over and elbowed Evan. "Give him the claim check."

Somehow, when the car was delivered, Evan managed to get into the passenger seat before passing out. Her patience thinner than a bridal veil, she tipped the valet and buckled herself behind the wheel. Evan was on his own.

The young attendant bent, and sympathy in his eyes, nodded at Cassie. "Thank you, Ma'am. Hope you enjoyed your stay."

Her face burned with embarrassment. Did it look as though she enjoyed her stay? She flashed as pleasant a smile as she could muster. "Thank you."

When he closed the door, she accelerated so quickly, the tires squealed against the slick concrete. A thin trail of smoke marked her wake. So much for a Las Vegas weekend.

Once out of town, Cassie took her gaze off the road long enough to glance at Evan. Sleeping, his head lolled back against the headrest and droll pooled in the corner of his open mouth. He certainly stirred no desire looking like that. If only he'd sober and wake up so she could finish telling him off. Her feelings of anger and frustration still ran high, and she needed release. Sighing, she concentrated on the highway ahead, wishing for scenery more attractive than what high desert offered. Since conversation wasn't an option, she listened to smooth jazz and planned what to say to Evan when they got home. Why did all their problems seem to stem from money?

* * *

The three-hour trip passed quickly. Cassie pulled into the driveway and parked inside the garage. Evan didn't move. She nudged him, none too gently. "Wake up, we're home." She noticed her mother's car gone. Good, Cassie didn't want to argue in front of her.

Evan straightened, twisted fisted hands in his eyes, and then massaged his neck. "Woo, I've got a crick you wouldn't believe."

"Why wouldn't I believe you?" she snapped. "You rode all the way home in one position." She snatched her purse from the seat and left him sitting in the car.

"I guess you're still mad at me," he called out.

She walked back to his open door. "Mad? That's an understatement. I'm not only pissed, but disappointed that the weekend I thought was going to be terrific turned out horrible." Cassie stomped inside, upstairs and slammed the bedroom door.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom. They'd left Vegas so quickly, she hadn't even combed her hair. How embarrassing the valet guy had view her tangled locks, flat on one side from sleep. She picked up her brush and ran it through the snarls. "Ouch," she yowled. Instead of hurting herself, maybe she should throw something at Evan. If she didn't let go of her anger she'd surely explode.

She scowled into the mirror when she heard him coming.

Evan opened the door and stuck the suitcase inside. "Is it safe to come in?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm beyond wanting to murder you, but we do need to have a serious talk." Crossing to the bed, she perched on the edge.

A sheepish look on his face, Evan entered. "I know I screwed up big time. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Put the bag down and come sit." She patted the space next to her.

Evan dropped the luggage inside the closet and joined her. "Let me have it. I deserve both barrels." He hung his head.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Evan. I thought this weekend would give us a chance to have fun together. The trip was anything but that. Do you have any idea how I felt being left alone with no clue where you were? Besides scaring me, you really hurt my feelings."

He lifted his chin. "I guess I acted pretty selfish. I just got caught up in the gambling. I'm sorry, baby girl."

Cassie didn't know what to say. How could anyone be that distracted by a stupid machine? He did seem remorseful, so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Vegas was over and done. Next time, if there was one, maybe he'd act differently. Now he knew how she felt. She reached over and touched his hand.

"I accept your apology."

Relief washed over Evan's face. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her close. "I promise I won't ever leave you in the lurch again."

She took a deep breath. Letting go of her anger brought sweet relief, and she thanked God they'd made up. Still, she wanted to make sure he got her message loud and clear. She pulled away and gazed into his deep blue eyes. "I love you, Evan Dennis. You'd better not piss me off again." She giggled as she pulled him back into an embrace.

"Cassie Ann." Her mother's voice drifted up the stairs. "Are you home?"

Cassie reluctantly left Evan's arms and went out onto the landing. "Yes, Mother, we're home safe and sound."

"Good, how about you and I go get those fish you promised?"

Safe from the woman's view, Cassie grimaced. Tired from the trip and exhausted by emotion, the last thing she wanted to do was shop for fish, but she didn't have the heart to say no. "Okay, give me a few minutes and I'll be down."

Evan stood in the doorway. "Sounds like a good time for me to take a nap."

Now Cassie did want to throw something at him.

* * *

"Oh, they are beautiful, aren't they?" Cassie placed the last of the Koi into the pond. Twenty fish cost an appalling amount at the pet store, but seeing them in their new habitat justified the expense. The clerk had explained how fish survive the colder weather, so Cass felt safe introducing them into the water. Like it even got that cold in Southern California, she thought.

Her mother's gaze followed the biggest one as it swam beneath the water hyacinth. "Yes, they are beautiful. I've always loved fish. I think Evan was wonderful to build this pond for us."

Cassie recalled the goldfish that adorned the coffee table in their house when Cass was younger. "Mom, remember the time you came home and found your fishbowl empty? Did I ever tell you that Gloria was the one who killed your pets? Not the cat."