Page 21 of Vegas Baby

His chuckle vibrated against her back, strong fingers splaying across her belly.

“I take it the answer is no. Do you like kids?” she asked, unsure why she even asked such a ridiculous question. After they returned to Vegas, their marriage was over and his past, and his future, were his own business.

“I don’t dislike them. I actually find them amusing but I also enjoy it when I can give them back. My cousins have too many kids to count, all brats.” His affectionate grin belied the insult.

“How many cousins do you have?”

His smile fell and he dropped his gaze. “On the Rez, everybody is your cousin.”

She rolled her eyes at this little bit of information he’d neglected to share with her in the car. “You have a large family and you didn’t see fit to tell me?”

“What does it matter?” He dropped his hand from her waist and ran it through his wet hair.

The turn of conversation was obviously making him uncomfortable and she considered dropping the line of questioning, but her interest overrode her better judgement. “Because it defines who you are, where you come from.”

His bicep bunched, fingers settling at the back of his neck. The chiseled line of his jaw showed his discomfort and he avoided her direct gaze. “I come from a white dad and a part native mom. Neither of those things defines who I am. They’re labels.”

“I beg to differ. We are a product of our environment. I told you about my family. Turnabout’s fair play. Now out with it.” She turned around, treading water as she raised an expectant brow.

Howler hissed out a breath, his irritation at her pushiness palpable. “My mother was Spokane Indian, but I don’t go around broadcasting it or the fact my father’s family is Norwegian and as white as you can get without being albinos. Nobody is going to ask.”

“I’m asking.” Why did she have this crazy need to find out all she could about him? It was illogical given the temporariness of their relationship. Except something about his closed-off persona pricked her curiosity.

“Because you’re nosy,” he said, sarcasm dripping from the insult.

“So I’ve been told. I planned to be a public defender before I went into contract law. In case anyone asks, Brandi is from Romania. Miller is generic European white bread, nothing far out there for me.”

“Why did you decide to do contract law instead?” he asked, moving from the pool wall and circling around her, his back to Patel.

How much to admit? Her reasons were purely cowardly, and given the nature of their rivalry, she couldn’t admit to any weakness. “Because it’s a steady schedule and unlike this week, it’s pretty tame. I still do pro bono work and while rewarding, it’s…hard to deal with all the drama in the world, especially when kids and domestic violence are involved.” Why had she blurted that out? Way to put a damper on an already stressful evening. From the tightening of his features, the subject bothered him. Why? It’s none of your business.

Jaydeep jumped into the pool near them, splashing water in her face, a much-needed distraction. Time to stop with the questions and the confessions and get through the next few days with some semblance of sanity.

Chapter Nine

The kid’s timing couldn’t be better.

He never wanted to change a conversation quicker. The entire purpose of this endeavor was to convince Patel of his dedication to Raina, not spill his life story to her. He’d reconciled himself with the raw pain of his past a long time ago and he had no desire to relive the tragedy. The minute people heard he was part native, they acted differently toward him, a specimen to be examined, an oddity they either admired or condemned simply because of his ancestry. He wasn’t ashamed of his history, but he didn’t go around broadcasting it.

Raina wiped a hand over her wet face, a few stray strands of hair sticking to her forehead. He curled his hands into fists, resisting the desire to brush them through her hair. If he could escape out of the pool and head back to the room, he would. Alone. Patel wouldn’t notice since he was on the phone, but the entire purpose of this trip was to convince the man to let Veer sign with him.

A dark head popped up from the water and Jaydeep stared up at him. From the tilt of his shoulders, he tried to stand. Panic lit his eyes before he blew his cheeks out and dropped under the water. Howler grabbed his skinny arm before he could disappear, pulling him above the waterline.

“Whoa kid, it’s a bit deep.”

“Jaydeep, get out of the pool now. You know you’re not allowed in the deep end without an adult,” Mr. Patel called out, tucking his phone into his pocket.

The boy’s body went rigid, his expression hardening. He spoke out of terse lips. “Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were in the deep end and Mr. Hamilton plays soccer, and—”

“I don’t want to hear it, young man. Thank Mr. Hamilton for saving you from drowning and get out of the pool,” Mr. Patel said, hands on his hips.

Defiant chin aimed high, Jaydeep flashed a glaring look at his father before he met Howler’s gaze. “Thank you, Mr. Hamilton for helping me. But I wasn’t drowning.”

Yep, the kid was cocky, just like Howler had been twenty some years ago. He’d rushed headlong into things without a trace of fear. Apparently, he hadn’t changed much, hence the wife standing next to him.

“Come on, we’ll walk you to the shallow end,” Raina said, approaching from the other side, a gentle smile curling her lips.

Mrs. Patel reached the pool’s edge, her daughter in tow. Jaydeep rushed past her, snatched up his ball and began to kick it across the grass. “Sorry about my son.” Patel’s mouth quirked the slightest bit and he shrugged, the first hint of friendliness toward Howler softening his features. “He’s a rambunctious boy, takes after me, I suppose.”

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