Page 16 of Unveiled

Mason shook his head. “Nah. I’m headed over to the Hilton to do some grunt work.”

“What’s going on there?”

He rolled his eyes. “Cheating husband. I have the pleasure of getting proof of his infidelity for his wife so she can screw him in the divorce.”

Jaxon winced. “Good for her, I guess.”

Swallowing the last of the beer, Mason glanced over at Jaxon. “Sure you’re good here?”

“Yeah.” Jaxon walked him to the door. “See ya next Monday.”

Mason gave a mock salute before jogging down the steps, and Jaxon shut the door with a sigh. What was he going to do for the next day and a half? He could wander the city a little, but the idea held little appeal. His gaze fell to the envelopes sitting at the edge of the counter, taunting him, Adalyn’s pretty face flashing in his mind’s eye, turning his stomach to knots.

As he did every time he began to feel anxious, he pulled the poker chip from his back pocket. He had picked it up in Vegas the day he had met Adalyn. It had been used at a table in the Bellagio, and he kept it with him at all times. He flipped it through his fingers, back and forth, back and forth, the familiar motion helping to soothe his nerves.

A harsh breath escaped his lungs, and he tucked it back in his pocket. Snagging another beer from the fridge, he snatched up the stack of mail and headed to the living room. No time like the present. If he was going to have to rehash his depressing past, he may as well be drunk for it. Maybe it would dull the pain of regret and failure that had followed him for the past year and a half.

He chugged the remainder of the beer and cracked the top off a new one, tossing the cap on the coffee table. Sinking into the soft cushion of the couch, he settled the beer between his thighs and flicked through the envelopes, trying to stall as long as possible.

With a sinking sensation in his gut, he finally ripped open the remaining letter. It was fairly hefty, and the pages curled from being folded in half. He slipped them from the large mailing envelope and skimmed the front page. His entire body stilled, his mind halting as he tried to process the words on the page.

Hands shaking, he flipped several pages to the tabbed documents, and his heart thudded to a stop, the papers fluttering to his lap.

How was this possible? This had been taken care of nearly a year ago… hadn’t it?

Unable to comprehend the words, he reread the missive twice more. He ran his fingers over the hard creases as he folded it and slipped the papers back into the envelope. Tapping it against his palm, he debated what to do. It seemed Adalyn Vale-Keller and he had some unfinished business.

Because, according to the paper in his hands… They were still married.

CHAPTER

NINE

Adalyn drummed her nails on the counter, her mouth set in a straight line. “She feels terrible leaving you guys here alone.” Despite the fact that it was already four o’clock and the salon would close in an hour, she was desperately trying to put off going home to get ready for her date that night.

“Please.” Amy waved a hand. “You just don’t want to go.”

No kidding. Adalyn rolled her eyes. “Of course she doesn’t want to go. Her mother set this up; it’s inevitably going to go badly.”

The ladies knew of Adalyn’s tense relationship with her mother, and they were always more than supportive of her. At least—they were usually. This time, however, it seemed as though Jenn and Amy had teamed up against her. “Why do you want her to go on this date so badly?”

“You deserve it,” Amy said, leaning her elbows on the counter. “It’s been…”

She trailed off, and Adalyn stiffened. She knew exactly how long it had been. Adalyn let out a sigh. “I know, but⁠—”

“Come on,” Jenn cut in. “It’s just dinner. How bad could it be?” Adalyn shot her a withering glare, and Jenn’s mouth tipped up in a rare smile. “Okay, so it is a blind date your mom set up….” She laughed when Adalyn cringed. “But you’ll never know unless you try. Right?”

Adalyn pinned her with a stare. “If it’s a disaster, I’m firing you,” she joked.

“Whatever.” Jenn laughed again. “You wouldn’t get rid of me.”

And wasn’t that the truth? Jenn was far too invaluable for Adalyn to toss her out.

“Fine.” Adalyn tipped her nose up in mock disdain. “Then I’ll hijack your Tinder profile.”

Jenn cracked a smile. “I don’t think my boyfriend would like that.”

Her statement took Adalyn by surprise. In the time that she had known Jenn, she didn’t think she’d ever heard her talk about having a boyfriend or going on a date. Jenn was quiet and reserved, but she was a hard worker, a trait that Adalyn most admired in her. “I had no idea you were seeing anyone.”