Page 37 of Nothing Stays in Vegas

Lara peered out into the night at the black sky pressing down on the explosion of light and motion below.

It had been two weeks since Cal walked out of her parents’ house. He’d asked her to give him some time. It was a simple request, fair by any standard, and it received the most excruciating acceptance of her life. She’d followed him to his room and watched him pack, keeping the pleas that choked her throat at bay. He knew she loved him and she wanted him. And the rest was up to Cal to figure out.

That had been two weeks ago. Two crazy weeks more confusing and tumultuous than she ever could have dreamed. It was almost enough to distract her from the feeling that her heart had ceased to beat the minute Cal said good bye.

Lara looked over at her sister. “All things considered, I’m surprised you chose Vegas for the honeymoon.”

Holding her left hand out at an angle from her body, Dette swiveled it back and forth. “This is the best lighting in the world for watching my ring sparkle. Where else would I go?”

Dette was right, the three karat rock perched on her finger was pretty spectacular against the backdrop of flashing neon that surrounded them. Lara leaned her forehead against the glass and smiled at the sight of her sister playing with her newest trinket. Dette was happy. She finally had what she wanted and the sacrifice to get it had been one she was prepared to make.

The door to the suite opened behind them allowing the commotion of the Sinclairs, Norton and Beverly, chatting up their new son-in-law to spill inside. “But, Dale, if you’ve never tried fly-fishing, you can’t know you won’t like it,” pressed Norton.

Lara chuckled softly. Her father had been trying to convince Dale to go fishing with him for two days straight.

The younger man shook his head and walked over to Dette, curled her into his arms. “Nort, it’s that catch and release business you’re talking about. It’s not my style. Once I set my mind on wanting something, I never let it go.”

Dette started giggling and spun around to face him, planting a solid kiss on his mouth. Pulling away, she stroked his cheek. “Lucky for me.”

Norton stretched an arm across his wife’s shoulders and beamed at his oldest daughter.

Lara couldn’t help but share their sense of pride. She’d been as shocked as they were when, upon arriving back from Mexico, her parents had found Dette waiting for them in the front hall. She’d announced in no uncertain terms she wasn’t going to settle for a suitable man like Adam. She was going to marry Dale Edwards and they could keep their money.

Dette had looked sick when she said it but then Dale walked in, and with one glance at him, she was as confident and secure as anyone had ever seen her.

Norton had stared the two of them down, making them wait for his response. Finally, he’d asked Dale if he was willing to take Dette without her money. There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation, not even a flinch, when he’d said he loved her. Dette’s bottom lip trembled and she’d had to swallow hard before she responded. She’d finally realized the money wasn’t important without Dale.

It was the most important choice of her life and Dette had chosen well. Norton and Beverly embraced the couple. They assured their daughter she had chosen a perfectly suitable man and the money was hers. Dette squealed and stomped her feet, dancing around. Dale had laughed and shaken hands with his soon-to-be in-laws. The only awkward moment was when they realized Dette hadn’t waited until Adam was gone to make her announcement. The poor man was forced to drag his luggage straight through the middle of the celebration. But Lara couldn’t feel too bad for him. His heart hadn’t been on the line.

True to form, Dette ran right out and bought herself the exact ring she wanted, something flashy and extravagant that perfectly reflected her taste and style. Dale didn’t mind at all and picked out a solid gold wedding band to accompany it on her finger. Dale and Dette were married the following Monday.

Because Dale hadn’t gotten to know the Sinclairs yet, the newlyweds asked that Lara and her parents join them for a week in Vegas.

It had been wonderful to see Dette finally acting like a woman, confident in her choice and herself. Dale had apologized profusely for the misunderstanding when he’d grabbed Lara, using techniques only his bride appreciated. Lara hadn’t really wanted to know those details about her sister but, in the end, she was happy for them both.

Happy and more than a bit jealous. She still hadn’t heard from Cal, and the hurt of not being with him wasn’t diminishing. She missed his silly jokes and his steady touch.

She’d never really known what she was missing until she’d had a taste of heaven and then thrown her chance at it away. She wasn’t angry with Dette anymore. Her sister had her quirks and limitations. Lara needed to stop using them as an excuse and own up to her own

role in her loss of Cal.

Bitty had told her from the start to be honest. If she had been, maybe she and Cal would be together right now.

“Lara. Stop your sulking,” Dette chided. “Look, our dinner reservation is scheduled across town and we’re not quite ready. Since you’re the only one ready, is there any chance you can take the car over and hold the table for us? You know how they are.”

“Sure, no problem,” she said wrapping a light scarf around her shoulders. “I’ll see you guys over there, but don’t take too long.”

She rode the elevator down from the twelfth floor and headed past the casino without stopping. After a few days in town she almost didn’t notice the din and flash anymore.

Dressed in a metallic sheath with matching shoes and bag, something she would never be caught dead in at home, she could almost see how easy it would be to lose yourself in another identity here. Lara stepped outside through the lobby doors and the sounds of the casino died away. Only then did she realize her phone was ringing. Her heart stalled, just as it had every other time the phone sounded over the past two weeks. Bracing herself for the sinking sensation of disappointment that would come when, as with every other time she’d answered and it hadn’t been Cal, she pulled the phone out of her clutch and flipped it open.

One text message.

Her legs went weak, her feet lost direction. She stopped where she was and pressed retrieve.

What are you wearing?

Tears sprang to her eyes. Her heart started to pound with a force she hadn’t felt in weeks. What an opening. God, she’d missed his sense of humor. Her manicured thumbs danced over the keypad.

---