Love Is the Drug (27 page)

“I don’t think so. I think she would have hated him still. Just like I do.”

Gabe sat back and sighed. “So this is it then? You’d rather let hatred for a poor dead Marine color your decisions for the rest of your life than open your eyes and have it all. It’s right there, you know. All you have to do is reach out and take hold of it.”

Jason’s throat filled with tears. It was a goliath struggle, but he managed to keep from breaking down right there in the restaurant.

Gabe got up and stood next to him. He patted him on the shoulder and said, “You’re my kid and I just want you to be happy. You
can
do this.” And then he leaned down and kissed him on the top of his head, just like he used to do when Jason was little. “I love you, son,” he said, and then he walked away.

Jason’s chest ached. The tabletop grew blurred and out of focus. His dad hadn’t told him he loved him, or called him ‘son’, since before he’d shown him the diary. It was painful how happy—how relieved—he felt.

But the other—was his dad right? Was he letting hatred—for Will Dillon and for himself as his progeny—diminish his life? It hadn’t really seemed like it until recently—until Julie.

Julie had nailed it, too. He did like kids. It’d only been since
the diary
that he’d changed his viewpoint.

But, God. The thought of continuing that guy’s bloodline made him physically ill. How the hell could he have kids then?

His right leg started to bounce. He had to get out of here. Now. He flagged down his waitress and tossed a twenty on the table. He didn’t wait for her, though. He was out on the Strip again in three seconds flat.

* * *

An hour later, Jason took a long swig of his beer at the bar near the blackjack tables. He was calmer now, after his long walk up the Strip and then back over to the Hard Rock, but he wasn’t ready yet to deal with Julie and that photograph.

What he needed was relief. Relief from the pressure that had been building, like an H-bomb in his chest, since he opened that letter from the old lady, and relief from his thoughts.

He figured a few games of craps, maybe some blackjack, oughta do the trick.

The bartender came back over with his bar cloth and wiped up the moisture rings that the two guys who’d just walked off had left on the top of the bar.

The man gave him a quizzical look. “Hey, weren’t you here about a month ago?” He grinned and pointed at him with the hand that held the cloth. “Yeah, yeah. You were with that dark-haired chick—you two were on a real heater.”

Jason perked up. “Yeah, that’s right.” He leaned toward the man slightly. “We ended up having a drink with a guy named Lou—you don’t happen to know him, do you?”

“Hell, yeah, I know him. In fact—” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Jason again. “You’re that guy that that actress accused of rape, or something, right?”

Jason was shocked to realize that old story didn’t raise his blood pressure anymore in the slightest. “Yeah, I am.”

“Did you really do it?”

“Dude, do you really think you’d ever get the truth out of anyone who
had
actually done that, just by asking him?”

The bartender laughed. “No, I guess not. But your answer tells me right there that you didn’t.”

Jason shrugged. He didn’t give two shits what the guy thought. He took another swig of his beer and then said, “So—Lou. Do you know where I can find him? Some stuff happened that night that I’ve got a total blank on. For my own peace of mind, I’d like to at least know what all happened.”

“Oh, I can tell you that. Lou needed a story real bad. He owed his bookie thousands and it was at the point where he was going to be ‘swimmin’ with the fishes’—know what I mean?—if he didn’t come up with the money fast.”

“Hold it. We’re not talking about the same guy. My guy was a retired postman.”

The bartender shrugged. “Nope, Lou lied to you. He’s a reporter, man. And he recognized the two of you.” When Jason just shook his head at him, the man sighed and said, “Medium height, right? A little overweight, dark hair with a bald spot in the back.”

“Shit.”

“He gave you a roofie, man—in fact, he’s been in jail since the day after for possession of narcotics. Seems he tried to make a few extra bucks at one of the casinos by selling one to an undercover narc.”

“What else happened?”

“He took you to some clubs—he told me that he thought he would get some real good stuff off you two once you were looped, but neither one of you had any juicy stories to tell.” The bartender shrugged. “So—when you started proposing to that dark-haired chick—the sister—”

“I
proposed
to her?”

The bartender chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, man. Lou said you even got down on one knee at one point. Man! You two must have been really out of it.”

Jason’s mind reeled. He couldn’t focus for a second. “Yeah, must’ve been.”

“Anyway, it was like, two or three in the morning by this time and too late to get a license, so Lou called in an old favor and got one of his buddies to perform a mock ceremony.”

“Don’t tell me: dressed as Elvis, right?”

The guy actually cackled. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Course, it was sans the license, but with a certificate. Lou figured that by the time anybody found out you two hadn’t really done the deed, he’d have been paid for the story and be out of here. Plus, there was a good chance
he
could break that part of the story, too.”

Jason got up without saying another word and walked toward the craps tables.

He
had
proposed to Julie that night. That hadn’t been a dream. And it hadn’t been some drunken—or drugged—lark, either. It’d been for real.

He remembered.

* * *

When Jason returned to his and Julie’s room in the wee hours of the morning, he was relieved to find her in their bed and no sign of the photograph anywhere.

They still hadn’t made love. Not since before that day he found that pregnancy test and those damned useless condoms. And for the first time in his life—well, other than that highly embarrassing episode with Giselle—he really didn’t want to.

What he did want—needed more than anything—was to feel Julie’s arms around him.

So he got out of his clothes as quickly as he could and slid under the sheets with her.

She half-awakened when he put his arms around her and rolled her into his side, but an unutterable peace descended soon after when she snuggled into him even more, kissed his chest and settled her arm over him, giving him a hug at the same time, too.

Bliss.

* * *

It wasn’t until another day after that he was able to get her to the marriage bureau. The day before he’d spent on the links with several of the VIPs of his and Paul’s newest project and, by the lovely, dark-tanned tint of Julie’s skin, it was clear that she’d spent a good portion of the day poolside.

Jason strode into the bedroom of their hotel suite. “Wake up, sleepyhead. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Julie was curled on her side in bed, but she rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow when she saw him. The curtains were drawn, so the room was pretty dark. “What time is it?” she asked and turned on the lamp next to the bed.

“It’s just past nine a.m.”

She nodded and got out of bed.

“Here.” He handed her a garment bag.

She gave him a look, both quizzical and filled with suspicion. “What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and laid the bag on the bed before unzipping it. She scooted the plastic garment covering off the dress and brought the dress up for inspection. “Jason, it’s exquisite.”

“Hurry and take your shower and put it on, okay?”

“Wh
yyyy
?”

“I told you, I’ve got a surprise for you—and my dad.”

She shrugged. Then she gave him a sleepy smile and reached up and kissed him. “Give me an hour, okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll be back for you then. I think I’ll go down to the casino in the meantime.”

* * *

Julie watched Jason leave. Was he
whistling
? Yep, he was definitely up to something, all right. But, if his dad was involved, it was probably not anything too dangerous—like bungee jumping, or skydiving, or something. And no, she would not put it past him to make her wear a
dress
to do that. He’d probably get a real kick out of seeing it fly up on the way down.

What a guy.

She hung the dress on the hook over the door. It was really pretty, she’d give him that. It was satin, lined with silk, and close to the same creamy-white color as the nightgown she’d gotten on her last trip here. Sleeveless, and deeply vee’d, it had a long and lacy empire waist, with a straight, just-above-the-knee skirt.

Jason sure was full of surprises. Who’d have thought he could pick out something like this?

Leather? Yes. But satin and lace? What a shock.

Maybe he was taking them to one of the five-star restaurants for brunch, or something.

She looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Oops! She only had forty-five more minutes now. Better stop dreaming.

* * *

“Jason! I’m wearing red pumps, I can’t get married like this!” But they were already inside the chapel, so she didn’t see how she was going to get out of it now.

His eyes did a slow, hot burn down her torso all the way to her feet. “You look gorgeous. And I like the red shoes, they’re sexy.”

“But the pictures and the video….”

“Tell you what. I’ll ask the guy to only shoot us from the waist up, how’s that?” Then he bent down and rumbled low in her ear, “Except for one picture—just for me, okay?”

A thrill ran down her spine and she shuddered. “Okay, you devil.”

“Where’s Elvis?” Gabe asked from behind them. “I thought he said this would only take a few minutes. We’ve been in here at least ten just waitin’ on him.”

“Simmer down, Dad. The guy’ll be here in a minute. Go on up to that front pew and I’ll be there in a second, okay?”

Gabe nodded and took a step in that direction before swinging back around and planting a quick kiss on Julie’s cheek. “This is kind of fun, isn’t it little gal?”

Julie chuckled, “Yeah, I suppose.”

“Don’t worry, Julie. We can still have the other ceremony in Houston, like we were planning.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. To tell you the truth, I kind of like not being on display in front of all your friends and business associates. It was making me nervous just thinking about it.”

Jason gave her a hug and said, “You stay here, like Elvis said, and I’ll meet you up at the altar in a few minutes.”

Julie nodded.
Was this really happening?

But it was. Because a second later, Elvis came through the door with the cameraman-slash-photographer. It didn’t take long for everything to get set up and then he cued the music and sang to her as he led her down the aisle to Jason’s side.

All total, the whole thing took about five minutes. It was corny, but memorable and they sealed their vows with a kiss while Elvis sang
Viva Las Vegas.
And that was just fine by Julie.

Gabe even got up and started to dance and sing along.

One thing Julie knew for sure: Life with Jason would never be dull. He was like an amusement park ride gone out of control and for someone like her, who wasn’t used to taking risks, it was seriously scary, but fun. And totally amazing. Because no matter how panicky she got, when she was with him, she knew she was safe.

* * *

As the three of them walked across the lobby a half-hour later, Jason had one thing, and one thing only on his mind: Sex. Hot and steamy. Nasty and dirty. And sweaty as hell. “I’ve got to make a quick trip over to the pharmacy. Dad, do you want to have a drink with Julie at the bar while I’m gone?”

There was a definite twinkle in his dad’s eye when he said, “Sure, son. You bet.”

Jason hauled it out of there then. Twenty minutes max, he figured, he’d be up in the suite with his foxy bride. Naked.

But fifteen minutes later, when he strode across the lobby toward the bar, his heart jumped into his throat. He skidded to a stop and stared.

Then, slowly, he began to move. One step at a time, he came closer to the scene playing out before him, until finally, at last, he stood at Julie’s side. “Jason, you’re back. Meet my friend. This is Kelly Blanton—”

“Simmons now,” the young woman said with a smile and held out her hand to him.

Jason took it and gave it a friendly shake, but his eyes were drawn once more to the baby in Julie’s arms.

“And this,” Julie continued, “is Bella.” She bent down and rubbed noses with the infant and it cackled up at her. Its dribble-y lips were wide open with glee. “You
are
a bella girl, aren’t you?” she said to the baby.

Jason had never seen a glow like that on Julie’s face before. Never. Not even after they’d made love.