Vegas Love (26 page)

I study the marriage certificate. Granted, I’ve never been married before, but this thing doesn’t look legal.

I grab my computer and pull up a frequently asked questions page about getting married in Vegas.
 

Most all chapels will perform a ceremony without a marriage license so that you can have the fun experience of a Vegas wedding, but if you want that marriage to be legally binding, please go to the License Bureau first. They are open 365 days a year from 8am until midnight.
 

“We’re not really even married,” I say out loud. “That’s just a—”

“She thinks you are,” Harper says, startling me. I turn around to find Harper and my sister Chloe, along with Carter and Maddox.
 

“Harper told us the truth about everything,” Carter says. “I’d just like to go on record and say that Chloe owes me five hundred bucks.”

Chloe smacks Carter on the back. “I do not! We redid our bets, which voided our original agreement.”

“No way. You owe me. No fancy schmanzy purses for you,” he teases.

“I hate you,” she says, laughing.

I roll my eyes because I’m not in the mood for their stupid joking around. “I’m going to finish packing.”

“No, you’re not,” Harper says. “I talked to Ashlyn. I know why she told you she wants a divorce.”

I run toward her. “You do?!”

“I’m pouring some drinks first,” Maddox says.
 

“Good idea,” Carter agrees. “This is going to take a while.”

I sit down next to Harper, but Chloe squeezes between us. “I’m in on this too.”

Harper agrees. “We’re working together on this. All of us. Because we love you both. Think of this as an intervention.”

Carter hands me a glass of amber liquid on ice. “Scotch, first. Intervention, second.”

“Intervention?” I ask.

Maddox laughs. “Kind of funny that we’re drinking scotch at an intervention. Aren’t these things usually reserved for addicts?”

“Cash is an addict,” Harper says with a smirk on her face. “He’s addicted to Ashlyn.”

“I’m not addicted to her. I love her. And nothing you can say is going to make me stop, so don’t bother.”

“We want to help you get her back,” Chloe says sincerely. “I mean, we’re mad at you and all, but we still love you.”

Her words touch me deeply. This is what I wanted Ashlyn to experience—a family who loves you unconditionally.

I wrap my arm around my sister and give her a hug. It takes all I have not to cry again.
 

Maybe I am addicted.

“Drink,” Carter says to me.

“What were you saying about not really being married?” Maddox asks.

“We didn’t get a marriage license. Never even thought about it. For a marriage to be legally binding in Nevada, you have to get a license first. We had the ceremony. Got a pretty certificate. Thought it was legal.”

“Oh, that’s classic,” Maddox laughs, handing out more drinks and taking a seat. “An attorney not knowing if he is legally married or not. Sounds like the makings of a bad lawyer joke.”

“She loves you,” Harper says. “Even though she’s saying she doesn’t.”

“How do you know?” I ask her.

“Because she told me so. At the premiere, I said something about her and Cash, teasingly. About how I thought she had a crush on him. She totally spilled her guts and made me promise not to tell anyone.”

Maddox narrows his eyes at his wife. “You’re supposed to tell me everything.”

“I couldn’t tell you this. She made me swear on your pecker.”

“My pecker?”

“Yes, if I would have told you, it might have, like, fallen off or something.”

Maddox laughs. “Well, I guess it’s a damn good thing you kept me in the dark.”

Carter interrupts his joking. “Alright, it’s time to get down to business. Cash, tell us everything.”

I tell them everything, keeping the sexy times to myself. But mostly, I let them know that we had decided we wanted to get married and that we were going to tell them the truth.
 

Then I tell them how she overheard all the things Cade was yelling at me. How I was fired. How disappointed he was in me. And how Mom cried when she learned the truth.

“I bet she feels horrible that she came between you and your family,” Harper says.

“But I told her they’d forgive me.”

“I don’t know a lot about her childhood, but I know that isn’t the kind of family she’s used to.”

I smack myself in the head. “So she broke up with me because of my family? Not because she doesn’t love me?”

“That’s what I think,” Harper confirms. “She’s afraid she’ll pull your family apart. She’s being selfless. She wouldn’t be able to stand knowing she’d broken up a family.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” Chloe asks.

I smile. “I think I might have an idea, but I’m going to need everyone’s help. Including Cade’s, which may be impossible to get.”

“You’re my brother,” Cade says from the front door. “I’m already in.”

Forgive Myself

Ashlyn

I get the call that I’ve been expecting for most of my life.
 

“Is this Ashlyn Roberts?”

“Yes.”

“And are you the daughter of Bethany Roberts of Twin Falls, Idaho?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This is Doris from the regional hospital. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your mother was admitted to our hospital.”

“Did she overdose?” I ask, not even knowing how I know it. I just do.

“Yes. Does she have a drug problem?”

“She’s had both a drug and alcohol problem for years but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t convince her to get help. Will she be okay?”

“I can’t say for sure. She’s in very serious condition. We just wanted to let you know.”

“Thank you,” I say. “I appreciate that.”

I touch my face, not even realizing that tears had been falling.
 

My first thought is to call Cash and ask him to come with me.
 

I’m not sure I can face my mother by myself.
 

And he’s the only person I’ve told the truth about her.

I wipe my eyes, shake my head, and pull myself together.
 

Cash’s words echo in my head.
If you want someone to believe in you, then you need to believe in yourself first.

I can do this, I know I can, but I need to get there first.

After calling three different airlines and doing numerous online searches, I’m frustrated and desperate.
 

What if she were to die before I got there? I’d never forgive myself.

So I make the call I don’t want to make.
 

“Carter,” I say when he answers. “Are you in town?”

“Yeah, I’m at the office. Cash is still—”

I cut him off. “I have a big problem not pertaining to your brother. I have to go somewhere in a hurry. Can I please, please, borrow your plane?”

“If you’ll tell me why.”

“My mom overdosed and is in the hospital.”

“I’m sorry. Of course, you can use it. I’ll call ahead and have it ready for you. And Ash—”

“Please don’t say his name, Carter. I wouldn’t be calling you if I weren’t completely desperate. But I already called the airlines and no one can get me there tonight. I
need
to get there tonight.”

As soon as I hang up, I grab my bag and run to the garage. My Jeep is sitting in its usual parking spot.
 

My heart drops.

I immediately lose it. You’d think with all the crying I’ve done since I told Cash I wanted a divorce that my tears would have dried up by now. But they haven’t.

I remember telling Cash my garage code. That means he brought the Jeep back, put it in my garage, and didn’t even try to see me.

Although I don’t know why he would have. I slammed the door in his face when he tried to give me the shell. When he proposed again and held up the ring.

I wanted so badly to take it. To hug him. To tell him I love him.
 

But I couldn’t.

He has the most amazing family ever and has no idea what it’s like not to have that in his life. There are a lot of things I would let him do for me in the name of love, but that is not one of them.

I’d never forgive myself if I ruined his relationship with his family, because he would grow to resent me. Just like my mom did.

I hop in the Jeep, put the keys in the ignition, and move it out into the driveway. Then I carefully put my bag into the Firebird and get in. I don’t know why I’m compelled to drive this car today.
 

I never drive it. It just sits in my garage, like it sat in the garage after my dad died.
 

I curl my feet up onto the seat like I did when I was little. When somehow sitting in his car made me feel like he was still with me. When I used to believe that my mom would get better. That she’d love me again.

Part of me doesn’t want to see her. I mean, really, she doesn’t deserve my love. But part of me knows that she lost something too the day my dad died, and she’s never gotten over it.

And maybe that’s why she hates me. Because she thinks I did.

I wipe my tears and start the engine, thrilled when it springs to life, and get myself to the airport.

I board Carter’s plane and am immediately greeted by the pilots. I get some wine while they close the doors and get ready for takeoff. I’m getting myself buckled in when the lavatory door opens.
 

“What are you doing here?” I ask as Harper walks out.

“Carter called me,” she says, sitting next to me and giving me a hug. “I couldn’t let you go by yourself. You don’t have to tell me anything. I won’t go into the hospital with you if you don’t want me to, but I’m flying there with you and I’m flying home with you.”

“Why did Carter call you?”

“Because that’s what friends do for each other. And, no, he didn’t tell Cash. He was going to come himself, but called me on the way here and asked what he should do. I told him I would cancel my photo shoot and be the one to go. So here I am. But the question is, how are you?”