"Well, hell. Now I have to really try."
"Landon? Your mom said you don't date much since you and Vanessa divorced."
Not surprisingly, his eyes widened at the sudden shift in topic. "My mother talks too much."
"Your mother is amazing." She wished she'd kept her mouth shut. Because she was edging very close to the very territory she'd just told herself she wanted to avoid tonight.
But the question of Vanessa had been bothering her, and dammit, it had just popped out.
He'd mentioned her almost in passing to Taylor one day when they'd taken a picnic basket into Austin's Zilker Park. He'd been matter-of-fact, but she'd sensed real hurt beneath the words. And after talking with Gayle, she feared that he'd pretty much sworn off relationships.
And if he had, what did that mean for the two of them?
"Landon?" she pressed when he stayed quiet.
"Mom's right," he said. "Once bitten, twice shy, I guess. Plus, I'm in a hard profession. Tends to scare off anyone who wants stability. You know, sane people. And anyone who does get caught in the net ultimately tears themselves free and runs far and fast."
She nodded, hating that she understood where he was coming from. And hating even more that his view of the world might be a view that didn't have her on the horizon.
She blinked, aware of the tears filling her eyes. "It was like that with my mom," she said, as much because it was true as to camouflage her tears. "You're right. People don't stick. Things get hard, and they fail you." She drew a shaky breath. "But I really am sorry about your wife."
He took her hand, then held it to his heart.
"And I'm sorry about your mom. But Taylor, whatever happens with Beau, I'm seeing this through to the end. You can take that to the bank."
She nodded, those damn tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
And still the one big question remained--when exactly was the end? And would they still be together afterwards?
* * *
By seven o'clock, Taylor was a live wire of anticipation, so hyped up that not even the Fizzy Watermelon she was sipping took the edge off her nerves.
By eight o'clock, she was parked at the cocktail table by the stage squeezing Megan's hand so tight she was probably shattering bone.
By eight-thirty, her body had started to feel cold, even though she'd started to sweat. She caught Landon's eye from where he stood on the stage, having just walked the red carpet as contestant number six. He made a campy silly speech about protecting and serving the community by displaying himself half-naked at the contest, then proceeded to strip off his shirt to a chorus of wolf whistles and applause.
If she'd been paying more attention, she might have been jealous of the high level of female appreciation compared to the previous contestants. As it was, she hardly noticed. All she could focus on was his subtle shake of his head. And her own disappointment reflected on his face. No sign of Beau.
By nine, she was so frustrated by Beau's failure to show that she didn't even hear when the emcee announced that Landon was the winner, and it wasn't until Megan shoved her forward that she leaped to her senses and started applauding.
He did the usual bow-taking, then hurried down the stairs to her side.
Immediately, the nearby women surrounded them.
Megan, thank goodness, swooped in, telling everyone to give Mr. August some space, and he'd circulate for autographs and pictures in just a minute.
"Nothing," Landon said to Taylor. "Not even a hint of a sign. Goddammit."
Her lips felt cracked and dry, her entire body cold. She'd been so certain that the nightmare would end tonight. "I can't--I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder."
"He may have left town. Realized we had a bead on him, and gotten himself lost. He knows he's got a stack of warrants following him. He gets caught, he's in a cage."
"Maybe."
He took her hand, then held it tight in his own. "You don't sound convinced."
She exhaled. "It's just that even if he did leave, he'll be back. When does it end, Landon--" Her voice broke, and she felt like a fool. But, dammit, she wanted this to be over.