Page 23 of Can't Win 'Em All
I froze with my spoon halfway to my mouth. “What?” The question came out as a squeak. “Why would you think that?”
“Because I saw you leaving the party together and knew back then.”
“Knew what?”
“Oh, don’t.” Olivia shook her head. “I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my business. You and Rex are adults … and I figured maybe it wasn’t the first time. You guys are kind of flirty with one another.”
“That’s just an act.”
She waited.
“It was the first—and last—time.” Exasperation had my shoulders sinking. “Listen, please don’t make a big deal out of this. We were drunk. It happened. I told him he doesn’t have to be involved if he doesn’t want to be involved.”
“And what did he say to that?”
I shrugged. “Nothing so far. He needs to think it out. This is a big decision, and I didn’t go into this to trap him. We made a mistake. I don’t think that mistake should change the entire course of his life.”
“Um … I do. He’s going to be a father.”
“Not if he doesn’t want to.” I was firm on that. “Don’t go pressuring him, Olivia. I only want him involved if he truly wants to be involved.” I slurped some of my soup before continuing. “Also, I need you to keep it to yourself until he makes his decision. I refuse to let my family hound him either way. Do you understand?”
Olivia opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off with a firm headshake.
“I need you to agree. This is my show, and I’m deciding how the performance is going to play out. That’s the only thing I have complete control over at this point.”
“Fine,” she said on a disgruntled sigh. “I don’t like this, though. I can’t believe Rex doesn’t want to be involved.”
“He’s in shock.” Honestly, I felt bad for the guy. “Give him time. He might surprise you.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll do it on my own. It will be fine. Trust me.”
Doubt etched across Olivia’s face. She nodded all the same. “Eat your soup. Then we’ll start making lists. I know you like lists.”
“Idolike lists.”
Her expression softened. “It’s going to be okay. Everybody in your family will come around.”
“I know. It’s been a big day for all of us. Once the dust settles. It will be fine. I have faith.”
It was easy to say the words. Believing them was something else entirely.
7
SEVEN
For the first time in forever, I didn’t want to go out.
When you live in Las Vegas, especially on the Strip, the night life is just as important—maybe more important—than anything else. I’d cultivated a sophisticated list of bars I liked to frequent. When I’d started the day, I expected to go to one of them. Heck, maybe even three of them.
Instead, I found myself hiding in my room. And, yes, I was hiding. I was nothing if not a brutally honest man, especially with myself. So, yeah, I was hiding … and it wasn’t helping in the least.
The sound of a pounding fist on my door drew my attention away from the television I’d been staring at blankly for the last hour. Like everybody else, I lived in the casino. My suite wasn’t as nice as the one Zach and Livvie shared, but it was nothing to sneeze at.
“I’m not in the mood,” I called to the door, figuring it was one of my men wanting to head out to a club. We often went together. Zach and I used to go out together five nights a week. Then he fell in love with my sister, and that ended. I’d been spending more time with my coworkers ever since.
More pounding came from the door.
