Payton’s eyes lit up. “I love live bands. Will you dance with me?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss dancing with you for the world.”
We finished the award ceremony and dinner within an hour and the band got started immediately. It was a slow song and I offered my hand to Payton. “May I have this dance?”
“Yes, you may.”
The band was playing their version of ‘Faithfully’ and it was actually pretty good. There were only a few other couples on the floor, but we could have been the only ones and I wouldn’t have cared. Having her in my arms felt so good, so right.
“So, what’s this surprise you have for me? Are you gonna teach me to shoot a shotgun?”
“No. Tonight’s plan doesn’t include guns.”
“You know, teaching me to shoot a pistol might not have been the smartest move on your part. If I ever caught you cheating on me, you’d stand a far better chance of surviving if I didn’t know how.”
“Baby, I’m not worried. I’m just like this song says. I’m forever yours. Faithfully.”
She was amused. “You can be nauseatingly sweet sometimes, did you know that?”
“I try.”
“You know you changed the subject on me.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, you did. Are you gonna tell me what the surprise is?”
I was nervous, but I had to tell her at some point so now was as good a time as any. “Promise me you won’t freak out because this doesn’t mean I’m asking for or expecting more. This is only about us having some alone time.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I promise I’m not going to freak out on you.”
I took the keycard for a hotel room out of my pocket and held it up for her to see. “I got us a room in this hotel. If you need to think about it or if you don’t want to go up with me, I completely understand.”
“Nick, I don’t have to think about it at all. I want to.”
We stopped dancing and she stroked her fingertips over my lips. “Like now.”
“Let’s tell everyone we’re leaving and then we’ll go up.”
After we told everyone goodnight, we were standing alone in the elevator as it rose to our floor. Being so close to Payton, I couldn’t resist the urge to touch her, so I stroked the back of my fingers down her bare arm and watched the chill bumps rise on her skin.
“Oh, Nick. I forgot my purse on the table. I’m sorry.”
“No big deal. It won’t take but a minute to go back down to get it.”
I reached over and pressed the button for the ground floor and we made a stop at the third floor on the way down so Payton and I moved to the side to allow the couple onto the elevator. The petite blond woman and tall dark haired man were laughing when the doors opened and they immediately went solemn when they saw Payton.
The silence was thick as they stared at each other and then the doors closed without them getting on or saying a word. “What was that all about?”
Payton looked pale. “That was my mother but that wasn’t my father. It was his business partner.”
Oh, shit. Not good. Not good at all. “I don’t know what to say. Are you all right?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think my brain has had time to process what I just saw.”
I tried to think of anything to better the situation. “Maybe you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
“What other conclusion could I jump to? She’s supposed to be at one of her Women’s Auxiliary meetings and I’m pretty sure they don’t hold those one on one in hotel rooms with men.”
Payton’s mom was definitely gettin’ it on with her dad’s partner. “Do you need to go home?”
“I think I have to. I’m sorry I’m screwing up our night.”
I put my arm around her and pulled her close. “Baby, it’s okay. You’re not screwing up anything, but I don’t think you’re in any kind of condition to drive. I’m taking you home and I’ll get Jake and Gabbi to follow us and pick me up at your house.”
She waited by the entrance while I got her purse and made arrangements with Jake. When we started driving toward her house, I had no idea if she wanted to talk or not, so I left that ball in her court. If she wanted to talk we would. If she didn’t, that was fine, too.
We were almost to her house when she finally decided she wanted to talk about what happened. “She’s gonna try to turn this on me.”
“What do you mean? Her affair with your dad’s business partner has nothing to do with you.”
“You don’t know how she is. She’s gonna try to deflect from what she was doing onto me being in a hotel with you.”
I pulled into the driveway and Jake parked on the street to wait for me. “Do you want me to go in with you?”
“No. That would only make things worse, but I truly appreciate it. This is something I have to handle on my own.”
She leaned over and gave me a light kiss. “I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how things went.”
“No, I can’t wait until tomorrow. Promise me you will call me tonight or I’ll be worried sick.”
“Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
She gave me another kiss and then hesitated like she wanted to say something. I wanted to take the opportunity to tell her I loved her, but the timing was all wrong. It would have to wait until another time.
21 Refuge
Payton
My mother beat me home and was waiting in the living room when I walked through the door. “Your father’s in bed and you will keep your voice down.”
I sat on the couch across from her and waited to see which approach she would take to turning all of this away from herself and she didn’t disappoint me. “Who was that boy you were with?”
“His name is Nick Hawke.”
“What were you doing with him in that hotel?”
“Nick’s father was being honored at a banquet and we went to see him accept his award.”
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “And his father was receiving his award in a hotel room instead of the banquet hall?”
If she wanted to call me out, I could do the same. “No, Mother, I was going up to that room with Nick to do the same thing you were doing with David.”
“You have no idea what I was doing at that hotel.”
“Regardless of what you may think, I’m not stupid.”