Amber’s heart beat hard and a sick feeling settled in her stomach. “I don’t need those kind of ups and down. I was talking about how you make me feel. That’s all the thrill I need.”
“You like unpredictability, you thrive on it. I saw how easily you left me in Vegas. No matter what your reasons were, you jumped first and explained later.”
She pulled in a deep breath and tried to think. He was right. Abandoning him in Vegas and taking his money had ripped the foundation out from under any relationship they might have had. “I would never do that again.”
But she already saw in his bleak expression, her words didn’t matter. Her past actions did.
“You don’t think so now. But you don’t know what the future holds.” He grabbed her hands. “Being with you, though it’s fun and exhilarating, it’s also like a roller-coaster ride.”
She remembered his words in Vegas all too well. “I really don’t like roller coasters. In fact, I hate them.” And hearing them now applied to her was like a punch in the stomach.
She stiffened and turned away. “I get it, Mike. We both know how you feel about roller coasters.” She paused and forced the pain back down her throat before continuing. “It’s too bad though, because we could have had it all.”
Gathering her pride, she turned and headed for the bedroom to pack. “Make sure you call the psychiatrist for your father,” she said before closing herself alone in the room.
She needed to get the hell out of Stewart and let Mike Corwin return to his safe, certain, stable life.
The one without her in it.
KING BOBBY PRIDED himself on being as good as his word. Unless something happened to change the circumstances during which he gave it. He’d been planning on leaving town and heading back to Texas. Yes sirree Bob, he had. He already knew there wasn’t a hotel room available in this town or any surrounding it thanks to the press.
But then, as he was walking on back to his car, the King felt it again. A presence. A distinct feeling of being shadowed.
More than once, he’d turned back around only to find no one behind him, but King Bobby knew something was off. So he wandered for a while, finally ducking out of sight and peering out to see who was there.
Hot damn! Marshall, the lying, cheatin’ SOB!
Unbelievable, King Bobby thought as he weighed his options. He could grab him now, but he had a feeling the coward would scream bloody murder before King Bobby ever found out where his cash was. Or he let him go and turned the tail on the weasel, following Marshall instead.
King Bobby had no idea why Marshall would be following him, but it had to have something to do with the pretty filly in denial about her ex-partner’s feelings.
Between the two, one of them had the King’s cash. All King Bobby had to do was let things play out. Even if it meant going back on his word and spending more time in this rinky-dink town.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
MIKE SAT in front of the television in his father’s family room scarfing down a microwaved bowl of mac and cheese, wondering why the hell he felt so damn bad. He’d accomplished everything he wanted. Well, almost everything. Amber was safe and out of his life, he was single again—or at least, he would be—just the way he liked it. And if he didn’t have her half of the hundred fifty grand, who cared? It wasn’t the money that had been important to him anyway.
Then what was?
Before he could reflect on that question, he flicked on the television set and turned the channel to the local news, hoping for some sort of diversion from his thoughts.
“And now, here is our own Cathy Carmichael, reporting live outside the Diner on Main Street in the small coastal town of Stewart, where reporters have flocked seeking information on disgraced Olympic hopeful Jason Corwin.”
“Oh, shit,” Mike muttered. So much for diversion.
“To date, there hasn’t been any sign of Jason Corwin, but his uncle Edward was spotted inside the diner with a lady friend. But that’s news, too, due to the infamous Corwin curse and the fact that Edward Corwin has been a loner…” The reporter’s words droned on, but Mike didn’t hear the rest of what she said.
He was glued to the sight of Edward and Clara trying to make their way through the throng of reporters. His father appeared pale, hanging on to Clara’s arm for dear life.
Suddenly Gabrielle appeared, looking beautiful as ever in a flowing dress that resembled one of Clara’s outfits. A rosy, determined glow stained her cheeks. “Leave him alone!” she yelled to the crowd, pushing her way through.
When his cousin Derek got a load of this, he was going to hit the roof, Mike thought. He rose, wanting to go help, but needing to see how things played out here first. He’d never get there in time anyway.
“What a treat! Our local celebrity author, Gabrielle Corwin. Have you heard from Jason? Is he guilty of doping? Where is he hiding out?” the reporter asked.
As she spoke, Mike noticed Clara led Edward a few steps away from the large group of people. Thank heavens for that woman. Mike couldn’t believe his own thoughts, but they were true.
Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed at the reporter. “My standard answer would be no comment, however your stupid questions warrant a different response. Jason Corwin has never done drugs in his life. And if you did more than make your money off of this town, if you knew this town, you’d be rallying behind him and not hurling stupid questions that sound like accusations!”