Page 256 of Vegas Heat

I glance at Gabby, who looks like she’s about to throw up, and I clear my throat to say something—anything—to answer his question.

I come up short, and Gabby steps in first.

“Cooper and I are together,” she blurts.

Joanie gasps, slapping a hand over her mouth as the truth comes out, and Gabby and I both stand stock still as we await his reaction.

“You’retogether?” Troy asks. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“We’re seeing each other,” Gabby says, trying again and giving exactly zero more information.

“That’s ridiculous,” Troy says, shaking his head. He looks at me as if this just doesn’t add up. “You’re in your thirties.” He turns to his daughter. “And you’re still in college. What do you mean you’reseeingeach other?”

“I’m in love with him,” Gabby whispers, and she reaches over to grab my hand.

We both brace ourselves for the fallout. I open my mouth to admit that I love her, too, but Troy cuts in first.

“Love?” he practically roars. “Like you know what love is. You’re twenty-fucking-one!”

“You were twenty-one when you had me,” she argues.

“Yes, and admittedly I was stupid,” he says.

“Whoa.” I hold up a hand to stop him from saying something he’ll regret. Implying that his daughter is stupid because of her age is crossing the line, and I don’t give a fuckwhohe is. I’m going to stand up for my girl.

But this time Joanie cuts in before I get the chance to say anything else. “You had all the time in the world to tell him, and you choosetodayto get caught? Ourweddingday?”

“We didn’tchooseit—” Gabby begins, but her father cuts her off.

“Wait a second,” he says, turning toward Joanie. “How much time did they have, exactly?”

Joanie’s eyes widen as she realizessheis caught, too.

“You knew?” he asks her, that flint in his eyes turning even colder. “And you kept it from me?”

She sputters with something to say, but she comes up short.

“I can’t marry someone who thinks it’s okay to lie to me. God damn, I can’t even look at the three of you right now.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Fuck this,” he mutters, and he walks out of the room.

CHAPTER 30: GABBY

All three of us stare at the door in total shock over what just went down, and the worst part is that I don’t even know what comes next. Is he angry that we lied? Or is he angry that Cooper and I are together?

“Shit,” I mutter. Do we chase after him? Do we give him a minute to cool off?

Is this too much stress?

Is it any more stress than the season will be?

This wasn’t how he was supposed to find out.

“Joanie, I—” I begin, but she turns to me with a glare.

“Don’t,” she hisses. “Just…don’t.” Tears fill her eyes, and thenshebolts from the room, too.

I don’t know where Jade or Amber or Raven are. I don’t know where Joanie’s parents are—they’re supposed to be here today, too.

Cooper and I exchange a glance.

---