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The sound of Calvin’s soft voice made Mary smile. He sounded so much like Charles on the telephone. The first year after Charles passed away she found it hard to talk to Calvin on the phone. In person, it wasn’t so similar. Now the familiarity comforted her. She sat down on the blue-and-white flower-patterned couch, drawing her legs up under her. “How are things?”
“Busy, as always, but I finished a big exam yesterday,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
“Glad to hear your test is over,” Mary said. “I hope you plan to do something fun this weekend.” Calvin didn’t only sound like Charles, he also acted a lot like him. Both were driven and focused on their careers.
Mary always thought that’s what she brought to Charles’s life—she loosened him up a little and got him out of his stuffy suit. When she met Charles, he was working twelve-hour days. In the year before he got sick, she had got him down to working a standard eight hours.
“You know, Mom,” Calvin said with a laugh. “Most parents are pushing their kids to study harder.”
“You work hard enough,” she said, staring at the family pictures on the fireplace mantel. Pictures that had Charles in them. “How is Sam??
??
“He’s good—closed on a big property earlier this week. We’re celebrating tonight at a club.”
“Sounds fun.” Calvin had come out to both her and Charles when he was in high school. Not that he needed to say anything; they had known Calvin was homosexual from a very young age. But she was happy he felt comfortable enough to tell them.
Love is hard to find. If you are lucky enough to find it with a person that makes you smile every day, then it doesn’t matter who it is with, Charles had said to Calvin the night a nervous and teary Calvin had sat them down.
Mary shared Charles’s feelings—love was hard and didn’t happen often, at least not true love. Charles had never met Sam, but Mary wished he had. Sam was a positive young man with a bright future in real estate. He also made Calvin very happy. Besides, Sam was one of the best shopping partners Mary knew.
Calvin asked, “What about you, any exciting plans?”
Mary flinched, knowing that she could have a fabulous weekend, if only she would call Elliott. Tomorrow was the deadline he had given. If she didn’t call by then, she knew that her chance for another night with him would pass her by.
She doubted he’d give her a second chance.
As she stared at the picture of Charles with his arms wrapped around her and her daughter, Cassie, with Calvin and Christian on either side of them, her heart clenched. It would be so easy to give in to Elliott. That day in the doctor’s office only reminded her how much she wanted him, but she had made promises to Charles.
Promises that had been forged into her soul.
Her heart clenched and darkness slid like a disease through her at the thought of disappointing the man she’d vowed herself to. She gave a heavy sigh. “I plan go to see Cassie in New York on Saturday. Is that exciting enough?”
Calvin laughed. “Oh, yeah, visiting your daughter is the definition of excitement.”
—
The chime of the elevator sounded right before the steel doors opened. Elliott stepped out onto the office floor of Dmitri’s casino with his briefcase in hand. He approached the receptionist, who greeted him with a smile.
“Elliott Foster to see Dmitri,” he said.
“Yes, sir, he’s expecting you.” The dark-haired woman rose from her seat and came around her desk. “Would you like a coffee or some water?”
“No, thank you,” he replied.
She gave a slight nod, then Elliott followed her down a hallway and past another young brunette, who he assumed was Dmitri’s personal assistant. The receptionist stopped at one of the office doors and gestured for Elliott to enter. He immediately spotted Dmitri sitting at his desk, talking on the phone.
Elliott took in the richness of Dmitri’s office, with large windows overlooking the Vegas strip, and deep cherrywood furniture. He took a seat in one of the leather chairs across from Dmitri’s desk as Dmitri said into the phone, “Yes. Fine. Do it.” Then he hung up, and when his gaze met Elliott’s his features softened with his grin. “Thanks for making the trip over.”
“No problem.” Elliott sensed such an odd tension riding him, tightening muscles along his shoulders. “The documents are ready to sign for that new project?” The very project that had brought Elliott to Dmitri’s house, where he first met Mary.
Dmitri raised his brows. “In a good mood, I see.”
Elliott sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. He hadn’t slept well since last weekend, almost dreading today, since Mary hadn’t called. All day he’d been hoping she’d surprise him, but she hadn’t. “The week has been rough.”
“Business?”
Elliott lowered his hand, looking at a man he respected. He was hesitant to talk about Mary with Dmitri. They were too connected and it seemed wrong to discuss the matter more than he had with him. He shook his head. “Personal.”
