The Gambler (11 page)

“Lib?” he asked, concern in his eyes. One minute she’d been playing around with him, the next she’d practically turned to a statue, her hand glued to his chest.

She forced a smile and stepped back. She would
not
make things awkward between them. She needed Noah. No matter what her heart wanted, her body wanted, she couldn’t afford to do anything that would risk pushing him away, especially now. She tugged on the sweatpants in his hand. “Thanks.” Confusion wrinkled his brow as she pushed him out of the bathroom. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

When she emerged several minutes later, he was looking at his laptop again. He glanced up at her with a sly grin before closing the lid.

He wanted her to try to wrest his secret plans from him, so she gave him a haughty smile instead. “I’m starving.”

“Good thing for you they have a continental breakfast here,” he teased, packing his computer into his messenger bag. “We can take our things downstairs and leave after we eat.”

She noticed his bag on the bed, the lid open. He brushed past her, and into the bathroom, as she turned her attention to the wedding dress he’d arranged on the bed next to it.

Noah came back out and packed up his toiletry bag. “What do you want to do with your dress? It won’t fit into my bag.”

“Leave it.”

He spun around to face her. “You’re the one who picked it out, not Mitch, right?”

She hesitated. “Yes.”

“Do you love it?”

“What?”

He released a sigh, looking embarrassed. “Megan’s mother picked out her wedding dress, but she had her heart set on another one. Josh bought it for her.”

“I know. I was there,” she teased.

He forged on. “Libby, do you love the dress?”

She tilted her head to the side and gave him an ornery grin. “If I say no, does that mean you’re going to buy me a new one?”

Groaning, he grabbed her shoulders, then enunciated his words slowly. “Do you love the dress?”

She did, but she couldn’t very well wear it again. What man would tolerate her wearing a dress she’d bought for her wedding to another man? She could hardly explain that her reasons for almost marrying Mitch weren’t exactly honorable.

Noah grabbed the room key and walked out the door without another word.

Had she pissed him off? She couldn’t figure out what she’d done other than borrow his toothbrush.

But she didn’t have long to contemplate it. The door opened a few seconds later, and Noah walked in with a clear trash bag. “Hold this open.” He shoved it toward her.

There was no denying him, so she did as he’d asked. He folded up the gown and crammed it into the bag. When he finished, she looked up at him with an inquisitive gaze and he shrugged. “We couldn’t leave it. If nothing else, you can sell it on eBay or make an art piece out of it.”

She sucked in a breath, then released it, thrown off by an unexpected rush of emotion. “Thanks.”

She slipped on her wedding shoes, then stood in front of the full-length mirror. Noah’s black T-shirt hung to her thighs and his gray sweatpants were rolled up to her ankles. The drawstring in the waist was pulled so tight it looked like she had a life preserver hidden under her shirt. The beaded, two-inch white heels topped off the ensemble. “I look like I’m about to join to the circus.”

Noah grinned. “You look better in that shirt than I ever did.”

She’d seen him in this shirt before, and she had to admit he filled it out quite nicely. It swam on her. “You liar. You’re loving every minute of this.”

“Okay, you look like a homeless person who stole a bride’s shoes. Happy? Let’s go eat.”

He insisted on carrying his bag and her dress down to the lobby. The obvious wedding dress crammed into a trash bag drew strange looks from other guests at the breakfast buffet, but they flat-out gawked at her. She was used to getting attention, but not like this.

A couple of younger women sat at a table together, snickering as they watched Libby pick up a tray from the counter and follow Noah in the food line.

“Is this some new fashion craze?” a woman behind her asked.

“Yes.” Noah leaned around Libby with a serious expression. “It’s taken over Lesser Mongolia and Kurdistan. It’s all the rage.”

“Kurdistan?” she asked in amazement. “I had no idea it was a high-fashion country.”

“Until a few months ago, they had no fashion at all. They used to go around naked. Do you know how cold it gets there?” Noah asked, heaping his plate with bacon. “Let me tell you, it’s not pretty. I had to draw the line when Libby tried that one.” He shook his head with mock disapproval. “You can only imagine how many times I had to bail her out of jail.”

The woman eyed Libby up and down.

“I can see what you’re thinking, what with her swimming in these clothes,” Noah said, moving to the next food station, “but I can assure you she has the figure for it. She used to walk around town and cause massive car pile-ups from all the men gawking at her. In fact,” he winked at her with a conspiratorial grin, “she wasn’t arrested for indecent exposure. She was arrested for breaking up so many marriages—those men got one look at her and they knew no woman could ever compare to such a goddess.”

The woman’s mouth dropped and she stared at Libby wide-eyed before she realized what she was doing and jerked her gaze back to Noah. “I had no idea someone could be arrested for that,” the woman said.

Noah nodded. “They had to make an emergency law. It’s called the Libby Law. In Hedonista, Iowa.” Noah shot Libby a wide grin and moved to the other side of the room to get some coffee.

The woman kept sneaking glances at Libby, but Libby ignored her, trying to keep a straight face as she walked over to join Noah.

“Walking naked in public?” Libby whispered.

Noah shrugged.

He started to say something to her when one of the seated young women snickered, then stage-whispered, “She’s so tacky. There’s no way she could break up a marriage.”

Noah’s back stiffened as he glanced over his shoulder, but Libby simply reached for a mug and poured herself some coffee.

“I have no idea what that
fine
looking man is doing with someone like her,” the woman continued.

The second woman giggled. “Must be charity work. Girls like her make guys feel sorry for them, which is why they never give us a chance.”

Noah’s eyes hardened, but Libby put her hand on his arm. “Ignore them. They’re not worth it.”

He stood still for several seconds, but then he set his coffee cup on the counter and handed Libby his plate. “Could you take this to the table for me? I’ll bring your coffee over.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. “Why? What are you going to do?”

His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Trust me on this one, okay?”

“Okay . . .”

“I’ll join you in a minute.”

Libby took the two plates to their seats and watched as Noah wandered over to the table with the two women. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to their table, angling it between them. “Good morning,” he said, pouring on the charm.

Their eyes widened and one of the women held back a giggle.

“How are you two lovely ladies this morning?”

“Good. We’re good,” they mumbled, their words slurring together.

If Libby hadn’t known better, she would have thought Noah had gone over there to flirt with them. And even though he’d clearly stood in line with
her
, they were falling for it hook, line, and sinker.

He placed his forearm on their small table and leaned forward. “I couldn’t help overhearing what you said about my lovely bride over there.” He tilted his head toward Libby and they at least had the grace to blush. “Now, I have to ask you two, do I look like a fool?”

One of them turned from pink to scarlet while the other shook her head and mouthed “no,” horror in her eyes.

Noah’s voice took on an air of condescension. “I can assure you that Libby has more class in her pinky finger than the two of you put together, and even if I had never been lucky enough to meet her, I wouldn’t have given either of you the time of day. I don’t care for mean, gossipy women.” He stood and grabbed the back of the chair. “Now that we’ve got that clear,” he added, his charm restored, “you ladies have a good day.”

The other hotel guests stared at Noah and several began to clap as he replaced the chair at a nearby table.

The two women hastily gathered their things and headed for the elevator.

Noah grabbed his coffee and Libby’s and headed back to their table.

She pursed her lips in disapproval. “Noah, you didn’t have to do that.”

He picked up his fork, concentrating on his food. “Of course I did. Those two imbeciles were trash-talking you. I had to set them straight.”

“You could have just let it go.”

He glanced up in surprise. “I’m your friend, Libby. I can’t stand by and let you get hurt. Why do you think I changed my mind about coming to Kansas City?”

His question caught her off guard. “I thought you came because you were supposed to be in my wedding.”

Something unreadable flickered in his eyes and he looked down at his food. “I thought you were hungry.”

“You’re hiding something from me.”

He hesitated for a long moment, then met her gaze and held it. “You wanted me at the wedding. I couldn’t let you down.”

Tears stung her eyes. “You’re the only person in this whole mess who hasn’t let me down.” She shook her head, once again reminded of her humiliation. “I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, Lib.” His voice was soft and understanding. “You just got blinded by what you thought was love.”

Love?
The wedding had never been about that. Her
quest
for love, sure, but she’d never loved poor Mitch. She was beginning to doubt she’d ever find true love. Maybe someone like her was incapable of it. People modeled what they grew up around, didn’t they? If so, she was doomed.

They ate in silence for a minute, but then Libby found herself thinking about Noah’s nudist story and snorted out loud.

“How’d you come up with the town name so quickly for your nudist story?” she asked. “That was clever.”

“Well, I
am
pretty smart.”

Something in his tone caught her attention. She knew he hated being treated like an idiot, especially by his brother. And she’d seen proof of his intelligence time and time again. He could add huge numbers in a flash and he was the only person she knew who could divide a five-digit number by a three-digit number in his head. While he didn’t like to talk about it, she got the impression he’d started at his dad’s company when he was really young. She’d always wanted to ask about it, so she wasn’t surprised when she heard herself blurt out, “When did you graduate from high school?”

He gave her an embarrassed shrug. “Right before my seventeenth birthday.”

She gasped. “You’re kidding. I always wondered how you got your degree so young. I guess it’s a good thing since your father died at the end of your senior year in college.”

“Yeah.” He grimaced at the memory, but he recovered quickly and shot her an ornery grin. “Ready for your big day?”

She cradled a cup of coffee in her cold hands. “Where are we going?” She tried—and failed—to keep the excitement out of her voice. She’d loved surprises since she was a little girl and her abuela would show up on her birthday to take her out for a day of surprises and fun. There’d been too little fun in her life when she was younger.

He pursed his lips, then said, “Walmart. You can get clothes and toiletries. I can get a phone charger. It’s only a few miles away.” She started to say something, but he spoke first, a smug look on his face. “They don’t have a Target. Yes, I checked.”

He knew she hated the superstore. “And where are we going after that?”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”

“Can you give me a hint?”

He laughed. “Let’s just say I would never go there if you weren’t with me.”

She wondered what could be so repulsive to him and her eyes flew open in horror as an alarming possibility occurred to her. “Oh, God. Please tell me it’s not the Precious Moments chapel in Carthage, Missouri. All those little angels with baby faces give me the creeps.”

He burst out laughing. “That would serve you right for using my toothbrush.”

“Maybe I’ll just hitchhike home.”

“Not a chance. Now that Megan and Blair know you’re under my care, they’ll never forgive me if I don’t deliver you home safely myself.”

The thought of her friends sobered her for a moment, but she would sort things out with them later. Today she was going to have fun.

“Here.” He handed her his jacket before they stepped outside. “We’ll try to find you a coat at Walmart.” Then he snickered and led the way out to his car.

She would have preferred a thrift store, but on a Sunday morning in a small Kansas town, it wasn’t likely they’d find one. So she let him drive to the superstore, which was only a couple of miles away. The selection of clothing was just as abysmal as she’d expected. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts, along with some panties, night clothes, and a pair of canvas tennis shoes. Noah laughed when she opted for a bulky sweater instead of a coat. He headed off to find a phone charger cord while she picked up some toiletries. A few minutes later, he found her in the deodorant aisle, holding a new toothbrush in his hand.

She laughed. “Is that for you or me?”

He shuddered. “Me.”

“You big baby.”

They checked out and she felt guilty when she saw the total, knowing most of it was for her. “I’ll pay you back.”

“Consider it payment for all the meals you’ve provided me,” he said, keeping his gaze on his wallet.

They’d eaten plenty of meals together, sure, but they’d always split the cost of restaurants and pizza delivery. She didn’t say anything, figuring she’d pay him back when she got home.

She took the bag of clothes to the restroom at the front of the store and changed. When she came out, Noah was holding the charger cord in one hand and the empty case in the other. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed. “You didn’t use my toothbrush, did you?”