Chapter 11

Haylee

I can’t believe I actually have a date with one of the most powerful men in Vegas. Throw in the fact that it pisses Ford off that I’m going out with Dante and it’s a winner all around. Does Ford think just because he forced his way in this house and kissed me without permission, he gets to stake some claim on my time and attention? Not bloody likely, so he can guess again.

I sweep the blush brush across the apples of my cheeks with extra pressure brought on by annoyance at Ford. All that does is cause me to have to wipe some of it away with a Kleenex since it’s making me look a little clownish. Damn Ford Caldwell all to hell. He’s infiltrated my brain, and now it’s spilling over into the rest of my life. And my life may not be fancy like his, but it’s mine. And it’s sacred. And he’s fucking with me in a way that I don’t understand and don’t like.

“You look so pretty, Mommy.”

Atlee climbs up on the counter to sit next to me. She loves to watch me put on makeup. Even though she’s already turning into somewhat of a tomboy with all the Wonder Woman emulation, she’s still a little girl at heart. I think most of her tomboy ways are because of her lack of a father to coddle her and the fact that her mother works so much, leaving her alone with a middle-aged woman whose husband is a welder. Mrs. Cooper only has sons, and some of the superhero worship is due to that.

I need to take more time to just do girl things with Atlee. With a firm resolve to plan more girl’s days with my baby girl, I finish up with two coats of mascara highlighting my thick, long lashes and some pearly pink lip gloss. Satisfied that I look presentable, I give my hair a final pat. My hair’s naturally wavy, but for this important date, I blew it out and flat ironed it. Dante Giovanetti looks like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine, and I have no idea why he chose me when he must be surrounded by far more sophisticated and beautiful women.

I’m not going to admit how long it’s been since I’ve been on a date. My hooha has become numb, and I’ve spent so much time being a mom instead of a woman, I’m not sure I know how to be anything else.

“Thanks, princess,” I say, patting Atlee on the top of her head. Her golden curls cascade down to the middle of her back. Prior to today, I’d given thanks that she looks more like me in coloring, but she still has those trademark eyes. It might have been more than I could bear to have Ford’s entire face mirrored back at me every day. It’s bad enough that I have to deal with him now.

“Where are you going?” she asks, picking up my lip gloss and painting her own a bright shade of crimson. I laugh and hand her a tissue. Atlee clucks her tongue and wipes it off, then blows a kiss at her reflection.

“I’m not sure. We’re going to dinner. Probably at his casino. Do you remember when we drove by that big casino on the way to your therapy? The one with the old-fashioned lady on the outside? He owns that casino, the Mona Lisa.”

A loud grunting garners my attention, and I stare as Gerald forages around on my bathroom floor for remnants of stale Cheerios and gummy worms. His little piggy ass wiggles underneath the strength of his efforts.

“Gerald’s eating trash again,” Atlee says, rolling her eyes, and giving the sigh of an exasperated pot-bellied pig owner.

She slides down off the counter and straight onto Gerald’s back. Startled, he takes off down the hallway with Atlee flopping around like a rodeo cowboy. After a few feet, she falls on her side, giggling the entire time.

“Gerald’s so funny, Mommy,” she says, huffing and puffing between laughs.

I love the sound of her laughter. In fact, I can’t think of anything I love more. If it takes owning an exotic pet to keep hearing it, I’m all in on all things swine.

“Hello, anyone home?”

I hear Judy’s deep voice calling from the living room. She has a key, so she just lets herself in.

“Hey, Judy,” I say, enveloping the older woman in a hug. She’s so great with Atlee, and she’s really helping me out on such short notice.

“There’s a shiny town car out front, Haylee Jacobs. What kind of a date are you going on anyway?”

I feel a blush creep onto my face. “I met one of the local casino owners modeling for that new job I told you about. He asked me out, and I decided I should take your and Dixie’s advice and go out more. What could be the harm in it?”

Judy grabs Atlee underneath her armpits and gives her a little toss into the air. More giggles peal out.

“Do that again, Mrs. C.,” Atlee says, gasping for breath.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it,” Judy says. “In fact, I was really happy to get your phone call about babysitting for an actual night out instead of just for an extra shift at the café.”

I look down at the one cocktail dress I own. I’ve worn it the past three years in a row to the Armónico employee Christmas party, pairing it with different accessories that I picked up at the Goodwill. Dixie’s remained silent out of love for me, even though she’s offered multiple times to get me a new one. It still looks pristine, and I pressed it again. It may not be expensive, but it’s mine, and it’s beautiful. The black crepe fabric clings to my every curve, and I love how it makes me feel.

It’s my favorite piece of clothing that I own because it represents happiness. Maybe I’ll get some good luck by wearing it tonight.

“Goodnight, Atlee Marian,” I say, bending down to give Atlee a kiss on the forehead. “You be on your best behavior for Aunt Judy. My chariot awaits apparently.”

“Bye, Mommy. I’ll be fine right here with Gerald and Mrs. C.”

I slip out the door while Atlee gathers her Wonder Woman gear. Judy will probably be in for it tonight because Atlee’s had a nap and she’s ready to play for hours. A man in a black suit stands by the town car. I give him a tentative smile and slide inside. The buttery interior molds to my behind and I snuggle in even deeper, admiring the plush vehicle. The scent of money and man assaults my senses. An expensive cologne and something else. Something akin to power.

As we leave my dingy neighborhood in the dust, my purse vibrates. My heart races, thinking that Atlee’s already done something to hurt herself, and I’ll have to go home before I even get on the freeway leading to the strip.

Fuck you, Ford Caldwell.

I consider stabbing the ignore button and sending him to voicemail but I know that he’ll only leave a message and then he’ll be on my mind all night, a place he has no damn right to be. I’m pissed that he’s taking up any space in my life at all.

“Yes.”

“Haylee, it’s me, Ford.” Damn him and his sexy voice all to hell. I don’t speak. I just silently wait for him to start lecturing me. Before I even hear his words, I know that’s what he’s going to do. He’s been trying to control me ever since I saw him standing in the middle of Manzo, thinking he could save me. Indulging him seems ridiculous. Maybe it’s because he’s the father of my child, but I can’t seem to tell him where to go. “It’s important that I talk to you. It’s more like an emergency. You’re making a huge mistake.”

“What are you talking about?” The amazement at his audacity rings through my tone, and I can’t stop it. Don’t want to. Talking to him right now is going to ruin the only time I’ve taken for myself in recent memory.

“Dante Giovanetti is a criminal scumbag. Don’t put yourself in his hands because he doesn’t know how to treat a lady. He’ll charm you at the onset, but you need to beware of what lurks underneath the shiny exterior. Pure evil.”

“Hmm…your warning reeks of jealousy,” I say, sticking the knife in and turning it. An eye for an eye feels like the right thing to do in this moment because he’s shitting all over my date with this innuendo. If he wants me to listen to this, he better come up with something more concrete. “With a side of control.”

“I know it sounds that way, but it’s not. Dante’s partly responsible for the death of my dad.”

He speaks to me in a way that reminds me of the point in a suspenseful movie when everything turns on a dime. When the person you thought was the hero turns into the villain. It’s a careful tone, deliberate, and at another time in my life, my heart would have dropped to my feet. I would’ve reminisced about a time when I hung on Ford’s every word, every touch. To the life we could’ve had and all the Kodak moments that come along for the ride. But today, I don’t go back. I’m too worried about protecting Atlee, and if I finally admit it to myself, my own heart. Because he’s got the damn splintered thing right in the palm of his hand again, and I have no fucking idea how I let that happen.

“How is that possible?” I ask, heart racing in an erratic rhythm. “Your dad killed himself. And then you left. End of story.”

I don’t mean to sound so cavalier about the elder Caldwell’s death, leaving behind five innocent young men in the wake of such a tragedy. But Ford has taken it and made it about me. About not allowing me to experience even the narrowest sliver of happiness in my life as an adult woman.

I blow out a breath and press my fingers into my temples.

“Haylee? Haylee, are you still there?”

“Yes,” I whisper into the electric atmosphere of the town car. For a few seconds, I think he’s going to give up and disconnect the call. But then his voice takes on a pleading note, and I give in. And then I hate myself even more than I did just a minute ago. “Haylee, please.”

I sigh and lean my head back into the soft leather of the seat. “Please what?”

“Please be on high alert tonight. Please watch his words and actions and make sure they line up. Please don’t…do something you’ll regret.”

Ford should know that I’m not a fuck on the first date kind of a gal and the fact that he’s insinuating otherwise causes a white-hot sliver of rage to snake up my spine. If he were here, I’d slap him and delight in staring at the red hand mark breaking out on his handsome face. But he’s not here, and I can’t afford another phone, so I can’t throw it out the window like my trembling hand wants to do.

“I’ll be careful. I’m a smart woman and try not to do dumb things. That’s all I can promise.”

He lets out a sigh as if he’s been holding his breath underwater for minutes and he’s just broken the surface of the ocean to inhale. “That’s enough for now.”