The Return of the Rebel

He cocked a dark brow at her as though gauging her sincerity before playing another hand. And losing again. Cleo’s anxiety rose. If he didn’t start to win soon, he’d quit. Or worse, take his business to another casino on the strip. Vegas was full of choices.

She wondered if that held true for her, too. At first, being a casino host seemed like an exciting challenge, but even though she was new to the job, she was finding that it didn’t give her a sense of fulfillment, either. Now the only reason she wanted this job was to help her family get the ranch out of arrears. Once that was achieved, she knew she’d be moving on to something else. Because one thing she knew for certain, being employed in a casino didn’t make her any happier than working on her family’s ranch.

The most fun she’d had since arriving in this town was buying a secondhand sewing machine and returning to a hobby she enjoyed immensely—creating fashions. Her family may think her passion was a waste of time, but it’d saved her a bundle of money by allowing her to dress in style for a fraction of the price.

After the last losing hand, Jax turned to her. “That’s it! I’m done. And don’t say a word. No platitude or hokey prediction is going to fix this. I just hope you don’t ever try to make a living off being a fortune-teller,” he teased. “Because you’re lousy at it.”

“I—I’m sorry.”

“I know how you can make it up to me.”

“How’s that?” She’d do it as long as it wasn’t too over-the-top.

“Have an early dinner with me.”

He was asking her to dinner? Excitement bubbled up inside her. She just as quickly tamped it down. He was her client. She had to stay focused.

“Thank you. But I don’t date clients.”

This brought an unexpected smile to Jax’s face. “That’s good because I’m not interested in a date. I just thought if you’re going to follow me around, you might as well eat, too. But if you’re not hungry that’s fine.”

“Oh.” Her stomach growled. Heat filled her cheeks. Strike that. She was a lot hungry. “I’ll join you if you tell me how you ended up going from ragtag jeans to designer ones.”

His brows lifted. “You really find it so surprising that a person can turn their life around?”

“From what I’ve witnessed, people say they’re going to change, but they’re usually lying.”

Jax stopped walking and turned to her. “Since when did Hope Springs’s very own Pollyanna become such a pessimist?”

She glared at him. “I was not Pollyanna.”

“Oh, yes, you were. There was hardly a time you weren’t smiling, and you seemed to think it was your job to make everyone else in town smile, too.”

She hated that he still thought of her as some foolish kid with unrealistic expectations. “I grew up and found out that life isn’t like in the movies. It doesn’t come with rainbows and happily-ever-afters.”

She started to walk again, not caring now if he followed her or not. Of course she’d always been smiling when he was nearby, it was how he made her feel. He surely didn’t think she was that happy around everyone. But then again maybe it was best she didn’t squelch his misconception. It was for the best that he didn’t know those smiles had been just for him.

“Hey, slow down.” He grabbed for her arm but she pulled away and kept on moving. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just miss seeing you smile and laugh. You’re always so serious these days.”

“I smile.” She lifted her chin and pasted on a smile.

“I meant a real one. Not one of those practiced smiles you use for guests.”

Cleo paused at the restaurant entrance, waiting for the hostess to seat them. She didn’t know why she still let him ruffle her feathers. She really needed to loosen up.

The hostess seated them in the corner where there was dim lighting and a candle burning in the middle of the table. She inwardly groaned at the romantic setting. She glanced around, finding the restaurant empty, except for one gentleman across the room.

Jax leaned back against the cushioned bench as though the atmosphere didn’t faze him. “So tell me about him?”

“About who?”

“The guy who made you stop believing in happily-ever-afters.”

Her initial instinct was to tell him to look in the mirror. He’d been the first guy to break her heart. But she didn’t dare admit it to him. He’d think she was being ridiculous. After all, she’d just been a silly kid.

But to this day she could still remember how crushed she’d been when she’d acted on impulse. She’d stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. He hadn’t kissed her back. He hadn’t said a word. Not even a smile. In fact, all he did was stare at her. She’d been mortified.

The next time she saw him, he’d been leaving her grandfather’s house. She’d run to catch up to him. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting him to say, but it sure wasn’t goodbye. Nor had she anticipated him leaning forward, kissing her cheek and saying, “See you, kid.”