Making You Mine (41 page)

He recognized that venom in her voice. It was the same one from when she’d shown up at his place. He had to calm her down too if he was going to get anything more out of her. “Oh, it was. Things didn’t work out for us either. It’s this whole expanding the business thing. It has me real tied up right now. But tell me, Melissa. That night in Vegas… was I really that amazing or were you just saying that to make me feel good?”

The silence was like thunder. It took everything in him to not yell into the phone what he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs now. His life had been torn apart by what had happened in Vegas and now here was near proof that
nothing
had happened.

More silence followed by a nervous laugh was her response. Before she could say anything he added what he’d held in for a better part of their conversation. “You made the whole thing up didn’t you?” His words were harsher with every breath he took. “You made me think I slept with you, so I’d break things off with Grace and when I didn’t you made the pregnancy thing up too, didn’t you?”

“You’re crazy!” Her attempt to sound offended fell flat.

“No
you’re
the crazy one.” His heart nearly slammed through his chest as the reality of it really set in and he was yelling now. “Anyone that would go to these lengths has got to be a fucking crazy as shit mental case! And that’s what you are!”

The line clicked and for the first time in all the times he’d talked to her over the phone she actually hung up first. He sat there trying to catch his breath, the rage burning through him at how stupid he’d been to fall for her shit. Not even what should have been delight at knowing he hadn’t actually betrayed Grace did anything to calm him. Out of nowhere he heard a growl and he realized it had come from deep inside him.

Images of Grace’s agonized face and thoughts of all the pain she’d gone through and for what? For
nothing
. Deep inside he’d known it all along. He could never do anything to hurt Grace. Not even in a drunken stupor. But even now this wasn’t proof and that’s what he’d need if he even had a prayer of Grace believing him because he knew Melissa sure as hell would never admit the truth.

Between her mother, Rose, then Joey and Taylor, Grace had been talked into letting her hair down and dressing up for her night out. She now sat nursing her drink in the bar area with all of them except Rose at The Voodoo Lounge, the
neat
nightclub her mother had told her about, in a tight little black dress and three inch heels.

Taylor and Joey had done a number on her hair and makeup and though she’d argued she was overdone, they’d been right. She fit right in with all the other sexy-as-hell, single women at the bar who were there to find a man. Only in her case that was the last thing on her mind. And though she might look the part she certainly wasn’t feeling it.

Frank had yet to arrive and Grace hoped he’d be a no show. Of course her mother had made sure the chair next to Grace was the only one available for when he did arrive.

She took tiny sips, careful not to stir up any bad vibes in her stomach like she had earlier and had to rush to the ladies room, but it’d turned out to be a false alarm. As the music around her blared and the flashing lights bounced all over the walls, Grace was still trying to get over the annoying fact that she was at her first night club with her mom and Ruben.

Doing a double take she turned to see Frank walking toward their table. It was almost as he’d had a makeover as well. Instead of the usual drab colored suits he wore he was in black jeans with a dark long sleeved, firm fitting cotton shirt. He’d cut his hair to shorter, much more stylish ‘do. It was amazing how a few changes could make someone look so different. He even looked younger.

As he got closer, Grace noticed he carried two red roses. He handed her one as he reached her then gave the other to her mom. “You look fantastic, Grace,” he said, taking the seat next to her. Even his cologne was alluring although he wore a bit too much.

“Thank you,” she said softly then introduced him to Taylor and Joey. They shook his hand. Joey bobbed his eyebrows at Grace when Frank turned away to say hello to Ruben.

She smiled but he
had
to know any interest in a romantic relationship with anybody would be the furthest thing from her mind for a long,
long
time.

Frank leaned into her and whispered. “I hope the rose didn’t make you uncomfortable. I just couldn’t help myself when the guy outside selling them hit me up.”

“No, not at all,” she said bringing it to her nose, and smelled it with a smile. “That was sweet of you.”

The waitress came by to take their orders though Grace’s drink was still nearly full. While Frank was distracted putting in his order in, Taylor leaned into her and whispered in her ear. “Don’t look now but there’s this girl who’s been looking at you all night over by the rail to my left. It’s almost as if she’d trying to get your attention. At first, I thought she might be looking at me or Joey but her eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling when Frank arrived and sat next to you. She’s still looking now, so be casual about it.”

Grace nodded, smiling as if he’d just said something funny. She stirred her drink, glancing in the opposite direction Taylor said, then casually brought her eyes back to the area Taylor meant. Her heart sank and she felt her chest constrict when she saw her. Sofia smiled and waved. The last thing she needed was a reminder of that family. Immediately she felt the tension in her throat, but she smiled and waved back.

When she saw Sofia start toward her Grace stood up alarmed that Sofia would come over and talk about something that might upset her in front of Joey and Taylor. She was trying so hard to convince them that she was better now, but just seeing Sofia was added proof that nothing could be further from the truth. “I’ll be back.” She touched Taylor’s shoulder as she stood up. “I know her.”

Knowing that as soon as Joey saw Sofia, he’d remember her as Sal’s sister, she smiled big at him to squash any possible indication of what she was really feeling. She met Sofia halfway and they hugged but Grace pulled away quickly afraid anything longer might make for a more emotional reunion.

“Hey! Oh my Gosh you look
hot
!” Sofia smiled, looking Grace up and down.

“You do, too. As usual.” Grace tried to match her smile but simply couldn’t. The tightness in her chest was a living thing. “What are you doing here?

“Eric is out of town for a few days, so,” she turned back to the two girls standing nearby, “I decided to take a girls’ night out. Something I so rarely do. They’ve been going on and on about this place since it opened.” She glanced over to Grace’s table. “What about you? New man in your life already?”

The very thought of a new man in her life
ever
was such a joke. But why let Sal and his family in on how pathetic she was? He’d obviously had no issues delving into new waters the moment he’d had one night away from her. Now that they’d been apart for this long, he was probably meticulously planning his future with Melissa and their child. Grace shrugged. “New friend.”

Thankfully Sofia didn’t ask more about Frank or bring up Sal. Instead she reiterated how good Grace looked then almost brought her to tears when she told her how much she was missed at the restaurant. Sofia must’ve seen the hurt in her eyes because she hugged her again this time holding onto her longer, making the tears that had gathered in Grace’s eyes stream down her cheeks.

Grace would never get past the fact that the moment Sal had been away from her, his supposed love for her hadn’t been enough to fight off temptation. And that temptation would always be there, especially for a man like him. Women would always throw themselves at him. Her heart would never survive that kind of betrayal again.

Sofia stared at her, the sadness in her eyes as deep as what Grace felt in her heart. She wiped the tears away and shook her head. “It doesn’t, Sof.” She forced a very weak smile which made no sense at all because the warm tears still slid down her cheeks. “It was good to see you again. I gotta get back.” She motioned to her table. “They’re waiting for me.”

She turned around, taking a very deep breath and wiped her eyes gently, mindful of all the makeup she wore. Joey and Taylor both noticed as soon as she sat down but she waved them away with a smile, taking her compact out of her purse to assess the damage—not as bad as she thought. Once she cleaned it up she did her best to smile at Joey and Taylor who were both looking at her very concerned. “Who wants to dance?”

Frank was immediately on his feet. “Let’s go.”

Even as she stood and felt Frank’s hand slide into hers, the tightness in her chest nearly suffocated her. “C’mon let’s all go.”

Ruben and her mother didn’t budge. She knew this wasn’t their kind of music but Joey sprung out of his chair, looking very relieved that Grace had snapped out of it so quickly. And here he thought he knew her so well.

Romero’s connection still hadn’t had any luck with the surveillance tape from the casino. But after Sal let him in on his conversation with Melissa and told him how convinced he was now that nothing had actually happened that night, Romero had an idea.

Since Romero had so many clients who hired him to get proof their spouses were cheating he’d long ago acquired ways for tracking text messages and emails. If Melissa had texted or emailed even one person to tell them about what she’d done Sal would have his proof. Romero said he’d get on it ASAP, but he still had his guy trying to track down video of that night at the casino.

Sal had been at the restaurant reading through his emails when Alex walked into the back office where he sat. “Any news from Romero yet?”

“Nothing new,” he said, without looking away from the computer screen.

Sal had filled him in on the theories about the possibility that nothing may have happened. Alex was as optimistic about that fixing things as Sofia was.

“Have you heard from Melissa?”

Before he said anything to Alex or Sofia he wanted to have some kind of proof. He knew Alex and Sofia would be all about him going straight to Grace with the news, but he needed more. He didn’t want to open up any more wounds, before he knew he could back up his story with something solid. Still he thought Alex would be a little less gung-ho about it than Sofia so he spun around in his chair to face him as Alex stood there, pulling a restaurant polo over his head.

“Melissa,” Alex smiled, the excitement in his eyes said it all he
was
going to be gung-ho. “She called Sal and almost admitted nothing happened in Vegas.”

Sofia’s eyes immediately lit up. “You’re kidding me. What did she say? Have you called Grace?”

Damn it. This was exactly what he’d hoped to avoid. “No. She didn’t say it exactly but her reaction to my questioning pretty much said it all. She went quiet and when I all out accused her of making the whole thing up she hung up on me. She’s never been one to walk away or end a conversation with me. She’s always done just the opposite.”

Sal noticed Sofia’s level of a excitement take a sudden nose dive with that last question. “I’m working on it Sof. Romero’s doing some more digging for me. I’m hoping he’ll have something for me soon.”

“Grace won’t be moving on, Sof,” Alex said with a frown. “You didn’t see her the day Melissa told her about Vegas.”

Sal’s heart ached at the thought. Her agonized expression at Joey’s and Taylor’s when she told him she hated him would forever haunt him.

“You wanna bet?”

His thoughts were still so consumed in the memories of that horrible day that Sofia’s words barely registered, but he glanced at her as she pulled her phone out of her purse. “Does this look like someone who’s not moving on?”