Winter Wedding In Vegas

* * *

“I heard a rumor today.”

Slade winced. He should have known better than to answer the phone when he’d seen who was calling. “Hey, Dad.”

“Is what I’m hearing true, son?”

“Depends on what you’ve been hearing.”

“You married?”

How did he answer his father? The best man he’d ever known through and through. A man who cherished the bonds of marriage, a man who had lost his precious wife, Slade’s mother, to cancer, and carried that bond still in his heart, despite the fact he’d remarried several years back to a good woman.

Slade couldn’t lie to his father. “Guess some rumors are true.”

Silence ticked over the phone line.

“Have to admit I’m surprised,” his father said slowly. More silence. “She pregnant?”

Slade’s face heated. Not that he could blame his father for asking. Everyone who really knew him knew he’d never planned to marry, that he had dedicated his life to medicine, to finding a cure for a disease he hated.

“Not that I know of. She does have a kid, though.” Hadn’t that one been a shocker? Not only had he married but he’d also become an instant father. Not that it really mattered. He wasn’t likely to meet Taylor’s daughter. They’d divorce, pretend as if none of this had ever happened, and that would be the end of their Vegas mistake.

Which was exactly what needed to happen, so why did the image of Taylor’s tears flash through his mind and make him wish life was different? That he was different?

Then again, hadn’t he learned at twelve years old that wishes didn’t come true? If they did, his mother would still be alive because he’d wished more than any kid had ever wished. He was sure of it.

More silence.

“For a man who just got married, you don’t sound very happy. You okay, son?”

Okay? Again, the image of Taylor’s tear-streaked face popped into his mind. No, he wasn’t okay. He’d married a woman he wanted physically, cared for as a person and whom he didn’t want to damage emotionally. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not in some kind of trouble, are you?” Worry weighed heavily in his father’s words. “This is just so unexpected.”

Slade could almost laugh. “I’m not in trouble, Dad.”

At least, not the kind his father meant.

“Well, then, congratulations.”

Congratulations. Because he’d gotten married. And become a father. Why did his tie feel as if it was strangling him?

He couldn’t even respond to his father’s comment.

“She must be something special,” his dad continued.

Images from the night before flashed through Slade’s mind, images of sharing laughter with Taylor, of holding her hand as they’d climbed into the limo to leave the hotel, of kissing her in the back of the limo, of how his heart had pounded in his chest as he’d slid a ring onto her finger and promised to have and hold her forever...

Maybe he was in trouble, because as much as he didn’t want to be married, didn’t want to think about the fact she was a mother, he did want Taylor in his life.

If only she weren’t so complicated. If only they hadn’t gotten married.

“Taylor is special,” he admitted, then realized just how much he’d revealed in his three softly spoken words.

“I’m glad to hear that. After your mother died you avoided getting close to anyone. I’m glad you’ve met someone worth the risk.”

Slade’s ribs threatened to crush the contents of his chest they constricted so tightly. He hadn’t avoided getting close to anyone. He’d just made a conscious decision to dedicate his life to finding a cure for breast cancer. His father didn’t understand that. Maybe no one could. But to Slade, doing all he could to prevent others from going through what his family had was his number-one life priority.

“Dad, I hate to cut you short.” Not really a lie. He loved his father, enjoyed talking to him normally, just not today, not when he was reeling from the past twenty-four hours, from the fact he’d woken up with a wife and a kid. “But I’m on my way to my dream job interview with Grandview Pharmaceuticals.” A dream job that would give him every opportunity of achieving his number-one life priority. “I’ll give you a call next week when I’m back in Nashville.”

* * *

“Hello, my darling, how was school today?” Taylor said into the phone to her daughter. The first rays of happiness were shining that day.

“Good,” the most precious voice in the world answered. “Aunt Nina said I was very smart.”

Although she was no blood relation, Gracie had called Taylor’s best friend “Aunt” for as long as Taylor could remember.

“Aunt Nina is right. You are a smart girl. And a very pretty one.”

Gracie giggled. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

“I miss you, Mommy.” Gracie’s voice sounded somewhere between sad and pouty. Taylor could just picture her daughter’s expression, see the sadness in the green eyes that were so similar to her own.

“I miss you, too.” More than words could convey.

“When are you coming home?” Gracie demanded.

“I’ll be flying home tomorrow evening. You and Aunt Nina are picking me up from the airport.”

“Are you bringing me a prize? Aunt Nina said if I was good while you were gone that I’d get a present.”

“Aunt Nina said that, did she? So close to Christmas? Well, I’m sure if she said that, then she’s right.”

Gracie talked to her a few minutes more, then handed the phone to Nina.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?” Nina immediately said into the phone.

“I hope she’s not been too much trouble,” Taylor told her best friend.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve loved having her here. She’s helped me decorate my house and you know me, I’m one of those who never has things done the week after Thanksgiving. This year, I’m way ahead of the game, and she and I have had a blast getting everything done.”

Taylor understood. Gracie was a blast and loved Christmas almost as much as her mother did. No doubt the little girl had garlands and lights strung all over Nina’s apartment.

“Good. When they told me I would be going on this trip, my first thoughts were what I’d do about Gracie. I’ve never left her before.”

“Are you sure your first thoughts weren’t about getting an early Christmas package from a certain sexy oncologist? Or perhaps the two of you just got carried away beneath some Vegas mistletoe?”

Taylor sighed. She had known Nina would ask about Slade. Especially since she hadn’t answered a single text message from Nina or any of her other friends and colleagues. What was she supposed to say? Yes, I messed up again. It’s what I’m good at when it comes to the opposite sex.

“You might as well tell me, because you know you’re going to. Best friend, remember?”

“I remember.”

“So what’s up with you becoming Mrs. Dr. Sexy?”

Taylor winced. “Please tell me you didn’t ask me that in front of Gracie.”

“She’s watching her favorite television program and is totally oblivious to what I’m saying.”

“Don’t count on it. She picks up on a lot more than people give her credit for.”

“Fine, I’ll walk into the kitchen.” There was a short pause. “Now, tell me if what I read was true.”

“It’s true.”

Nina squealed. “You and Dr. Sain got married? How romantic! Tell me everything.”

“There wasn’t anything romantic about it.” Which wasn’t exactly true. Drunk or not, he’d been sweet when he’d slid the wedding ring onto her finger, had lifted her hand and placed a kiss over the gold band. Just the memory goose-bumped her skin.

“You got married to the sexiest man we know and there wasn’t anything romantic about it?”

She sank her teeth into her lower lip. “Not really.”

“Which means there was at least something romantic going on,” Nina concluded. “Hubba-hubba. This is huge. You got married. I can’t believe it.”

“That makes two of us.”

“This is so unlike you. You’re, like, never spontaneous. I just...” Nina paused and Taylor could just imagine her friend shaking her head while she tried to make sense of what was being said. “So, tell me the details. How in the world did you and Dr. Sain get married?”

“A bunch of us had dinner, went to watch a Christmas show and then I ended up in a limo with Slade. We drove to a cheesy year-round Christmas wedding chapel and exchanged vows. Alcohol was involved.”

Nina moaned. “Please tell me it wasn’t a drive-through ceremony.”

“It wasn’t.” Although if it had been, would it really have mattered? “Santa Claus married us.”

“Santa?”

“An impersonator, but, yes, Santa. There were even elves snapping pictures and throwing fake snow at us.” Ugh. Taylor rubbed her temple. “What am I going to do, Nina? I got married last night.”

“Celebrate the fact that you married the hottest guy around and will be the envy of every female at the clinic?”

“I’m serious.”

“Me, too. So, how was he?”

“Nina!”

“That good, huh?”

“That good,” Taylor agreed, unable to lie. “Better than any man should be.” Better than she’d thought any man could be. He’d set her body aflame and made her ache for more. “But I can’t stay married to him.”

“Why not?”

“We never should have gotten married in the first place. We were under the influence and made a huge mistake. Besides, he is about as opposite from what I want in a man as possible.”

“You want ugly, not sexy and not good in bed?”

“You know what I mean.” Would her temple please stop throbbing?

“Fine. I know what you mean, but you did get married. Show a little more enthusiasm, please. Didn’t you joke last year after Christmas that you should have asked Santa for a man? Well, girl, you must have been at the top of the nice list this year for Santa to have delivered Slade Sain.”

She did recall joking with Nina that she should have asked Santa for a man. She didn’t want to be alone, raising Gracie without a father. But she’d much rather that than to have let the wrong man into her life. She sighed.

“We’re going to get a divorce just as soon as it can be arranged.” She twisted the gold band on her left hand. Why hadn’t she taken it off? Why did it feel seared to her very being?

“Too bad.”

Taylor pulled back her phone to stare at it. “I can’t believe you said that. I made a horrible mistake last night. Can you imagine what my parents are going to say?”

“Who cares what they say, Taylor? You can’t keep trying to make up for disappointing them by getting pregnant out of wedlock. These are modern times. Women have kids without being married. You finished school and have made a great life for you and Gracie. If your parents can’t see what a wonderful woman you are, then phooey on them.”

In theory, Taylor knew her friend was right. In her heart, she hated to disappoint her parents again. They were devoutly religious, had the perfect marriage, couldn’t understand how she’d let herself become pregnant out of wedlock and although they loved Gracie, they’d never let Taylor forget how disappointed they’d been.

“I know you, Taylor,” Nina continued. “I’m not sure how you and Slade ended up married. There must have been some major Christmas magic in the air last night. But quit stressing and enjoy the rest of your honeymoon before planning your divorce. Reality will set in soon enough.”

“I’m not on a honeymoon and reality set in first thing this morning.”

“Technically, you are on your honeymoon,” Nina pointed out. “You got married last night.”

Taylor dropped backward onto the bed. “Crap. You’re right. I’m so stupid.”

“You’re the least stupid person I know.”

Taylor just groaned.

“Obviously, there was something between you two last night that triggered the ‘I do’s,’” Nina pointed out in her ever-optimistic way. “You married a superhot guy who you had really great sex with and now he’s your husband. Why not quit worrying about the details and the pending legal ‘I don’t’s and just enjoy your honeymoon?”

If only life were that easy. “You don’t mean that.”

“Why wouldn’t I? You never do anything for yourself, Taylor. You’re always working or doing things for Gracie. For the next twenty-four hours don’t worry about anyone but yourself. The act is done. You’re married and on your honeymoon with a hunk. Take advantage of that, of him and his skills. What’s going to happen in the future is going to happen regardless of whether or not you grasp hold of what life’s presented to you on a silver platter. Or, in this case, what Santa’s wrapped up in a pretty bow. I say go for it, work off some long-overdue steam, and make some memories before going your separate ways.”

Ugh. Her friend almost made sense. Almost. “You’re not helping.”

“Sure I am. I’m just not saying what your determined-to-be-a-prude ears want to hear.”

“I hate it when you’re right.”

Nina squealed again. “So, you’re going to do it? You’re going to let your hair down and rock Dr. Sain’s world?”

She wasn’t so sure she could rock his world, but he had seemed to enjoy the night before. They had been hot.

“I’m not sure I know how to let loose anymore,” she admitted, positive it was true. She enjoyed life, but all her free time did revolve around Gracie. “And I didn’t say you were right that I should let my hair down. Just that what you were saying wasn’t what I wanted to hear.”

“You want me to tell you that you should hightail it back home and file for divorce without indulging in some fun with your husband first?”

File for divorce. Pressure squeezed her heart. People in her family didn’t divorce. They didn’t get pregnant out of wedlock and they didn’t marry virtual strangers in Vegas and they didn’t divorce. That was her family.

But she would be three for three because she would be filing for divorce. To pretend otherwise was ridiculous. She and Slade had suffered lapses of judgement, clouded by lust and alcohol. That much she could admit to. She’d wanted him last night. When he’d kissed her, she’d melted and forgotten everything but him.

“I’m waiting for an answer.”

Taylor’s grip on her cell phone tightened. “I’m a mother, Nina. Regardless of what I want, I can’t just go around indulging in fun whenever I want to. It’s not that I don’t want to indulge in fun, because I do.” Oh, how she wanted to imbibe more of Slade. “He was amazing. An affair with him would be amazing, but I need to end this without doing anything that might complicate things.”

“Too late. Things are already complicated.”

Taylor’s gaze shot to the open hotel room door and the man who stood there. Crap. When had he opened the door and how much had he overheard?

“Sorry, Nina, but I’ve got to go.” Her gaze latched on to Slade’s and she refused to look away even when that’s what she wanted to do. How was it he made her feel so on edge with just a look? “My husband just walked in.”

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