When Lightning Strikes (Whiskey Creek #1)(82)
Author: Brenda Novak

Fortunately, she’d caught herself, and a few minutes of standing outside his immediate orbit had made it easier to think. He’d basically told her she was a good lay. He would not want “I love you” in response when he’d warned her not to take their relationship too seriously in the first place.

The whole time they were at Sophia’s, Gail was lecturing herself on how she’d handle being alone with him once they returned home. She wouldn’t say anything, not one word about any kind of feeling. There was no need to send him into a panic. She’d let her body do the talking, since he didn’t seem able to tell the difference between sex with a woman who lived for his every smile and sex with a woman who was merely in it for another celebrity conquest. Men were obtuse that way, she decided, and Simon didn’t seem to be an exception.

“Would you like more mashed potatoes?”

Gail glanced up. Sophia had put on an impressive spread—medallions of beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, carrots and a salad—and was now standing next to the table holding a bowl. Gail had expected Alexa, Sophia’s daughter, to be with them, but she was spending the night with a friend because they had a school project they’d be presenting the next day. And Skip was gone again. Gail wasn’t even sure Sophia had said where. They sat in her big elegant dining room in her big elegant house and it was just the three of them. She wondered how Sophia handled being alone so much of the time.

“No, thanks.” Gail smiled and tried to think of something else to say but a moment later went back to her meal. Simon was doing fine carrying the conversation. She was too busy worrying. What was she going to do after their marriage ended? She’d be looking at some long, dreary days ahead. Would she ever get over him? Be able to fall in love again? If so, she doubted it would happen soon. She’d waited thirty-one years to fall in love the first time. Now that she had, she knew what she’d harbored for Matt had been nothing by comparison.

“You’re quiet. You okay?” Simon murmured when Sophia went into the kitchen to get another bottle of wine.

She swallowed the piece of asparagus in her mouth. “Fine.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Maybe we should leave early. Get you into bed.”

“We can’t be rude. She’s gone to so much work.” She checked to make sure Sophia was still out of earshot but lowered her voice anyway. “And I think she’s really lonely.”

“I have no doubt of it.”

“Callie believes she’s after you.”

“I can promise you she’s not. She’s being very polite, but she keeps looking at you as if you’re the one she’s hoping to impress. Take it from a fellow reprobate, she wants to win your friendship. If you weren’t so preoccupied, you’d notice.”

Gail had noticed, which was why she hadn’t concerned herself with Callie’s warnings. “I’m just stewing over that interview I gave Hollywood Secrets Revealed this morning.”

“You said it went well.”

“The reporter was receptive, but let’s hope it was the right move. We don’t want to create a backlash to our claims of peace and happiness with the media rehashing everything that happened in the past year.”

“It’ll be fine even if they do. We’ll keep pointing to my track record since we got together. I’ve been perfect. That’s all the judge needs to know.”

For him, it really was about getting his son back. She smiled at the pride in his voice. He was feeling a lot better about himself, and that pleased her. Regardless of what she’d face in the future, at least she would know she’d made a difference to him.

“Dessert’s almost ready,” Sophia called.

Simon leaned halfway across the table. “I want to mention that bruise on her cheek again and see how she responds. Do you think I should?”

Gail considered whether or not it would do any good. In her opinion, it would just make Sophia uncomfortable. “No. She’s too self-conscious about it. Keeps moving her hair to make sure it’s covered.”

“I bet her husband did it.”

Gail wondered about that, too, except she couldn’t picture Skip ever striking anyone. “I don’t know. Maybe not. I’d hate to accuse him and be wrong, especially here. It’s such a close-knit community. Gossip like that can do so much harm.”

“It’s a tricky situation,” he agreed.

“If she’s being hurt, she needs to speak up. She can’t hope someone will guess.”

“But not all women can—”

His cell phone interrupted them with the buzz that signaled a text message. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at it, although he didn’t seem particularly interested in what might be coming in. He obviously wanted to get back to their conversation. But then he stiffened.

“What is it?” Gail asked, but that was just as Sophia walked in.

He glanced from her to their hostess. “It’s Ty,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me.”

He got up and walked out, leaving Gail to entertain her old nemesis while he placed a call in the other room. Judging by how low his voice was, how urgently he was speaking, Gail knew he could only be talking to Bella.

* * *

Simon didn’t want to look at Gail. He knew she didn’t agree with what he was doing, and he hated to disappoint her. She’d just started to trust him. But he had to go back to L.A. Bella had been sobbing on the phone. He’d never heard her sound quite so desperate and brokenhearted. She’d told him how much she still loved him. That she’d always love him. That she was terribly sorry about what had happened between her and his father. That her own insecurities had gotten the best of her yet again. That there’d never been anyone in her life who could even compare to him. That she and Ty needed him.

Simon was so used to running to her rescue that it seemed natural to go now, even after everything she’d done. But he wouldn’t have let that sense of obligation influence him if not for Ty. He believed Bella when she said his son needed him; he’d thought so all along, and wanted to be there for him. Although Simon wasn’t interested in picking up where he’d left off with Bella, as she seemed to want, he was hoping for some type of relationship that would enable him to see his son on a regular basis.

Gail sat against the headboard of their new bed, hugging her knees to her chest as he randomly threw clothes into his suitcase.