So why had his conversation with Tess left him churning with emotions he’d long since buried?
If Tess was keeping something from him, it had to be about Val. But why would she hide it? Why would she hesitate to let him take her family to lunch?
There could only be one reason.
Val was here. And she didn’t want to see him.
* * *
Val huddled on the bed, staring at the silent room phone. Forty-five minutes had passed without another ring. Maybe the mysterious call had been nothing more than a misdial. Maybe everything was fine.
But what if it wasn’t? What if someone outside had recognized her, seen her go into the hotel, and called the room to confirm that she was there?
Hotel employees weren’t supposed to give out names or room numbers of their guests. But a few bills, slipped into a willing hand, could buy anything, including information.
Why hadn’t she been smarter? If she’d had her wits about her, she could have gone into a different hotel, taken the elevator up a couple of floors, and exited by way of the back stairs. Or she could have gone into the nearby arena. But the close call with the limo had left her rattled. She’d panicked and made a foolish mistake.
Maybe she was imagining things—Dr. Rush, her therapist, had suggested as much. But Val had learned to trust her instincts. And now, because of her bad judgment, if anyone meant her harm, they would know right where to find her.
She glanced at the door. There were three locks, including a deadbolt and a chain. Val had secured all of them, but she still felt vulnerable.
The TV was still showing her movie. Settling back on the bed, she willed herself to relax and watch the well-remembered scenes, catching glimpses of herself in the background. Tess should be here before long. By then, Val needed to be calm. It wouldn’t do to let her sister know how scared she’d been. Tess had never been afraid of anything. She would either laugh or worry about Val’s mental state.
Val’s pulse was easing back into its natural rhythm when she heard a sharp knock at the door. Her heart lurched. The knock wouldn’t be Tess. Tess had a key card, which she would try to use before discovering that the door was locked from inside.
The knock came again, louder this time. Should she answer or just keep still?
“Val? Are you in there?” The voice was Lexie’s. “I’m here with Shane. Are you okay?”
Val began to breathe again. “Hang on. I’m coming.” She sprang off the bed, hurried to the door, and released the locks. Lexie stood in the open doorway with Shane in his chair just behind her.
“Tess asked us to check on you,” Lexie said.
Val sighed. Tess would do that. “She probably just wanted you to make sure I was sober.”
“Don’t be like that, Val. Tess cares about you.”
“I know she means well. But somebody needs to remind her that I’m not sixteen anymore.” Val opened the door wide. “Hey, come on in. I was just watching one of my old movies. It’s almost over.”
“I’ve never seen any of your movies, Val.” As the door closed behind him, Shane steered his chair into the room and positioned it where he could view the screen. “I’ll be damned. There you are, little short skirt, high-heeled boots, and all.”
“Male-approved space costume for women.” Val sat on the bed and made room for Lexie beside her.
“And the look that captain is giving you as you walk past. Oh, my, what could he be thinking?” Lexie teased.
“Actually, he was a jerk,” Val said. “Once he trapped me in his trailer, and I had to fight my way out. He wasn’t much of an actor, but then, neither was I. Shane, if you’ve never seen this movie, believe me, there are reasons for it. Oh, wait for it—my single spoken line. It’s coming . . . three, two, one!”
On the screen a younger Val walked up to the captain, hips swaying with each step of her stiletto heels. She gazed up at him from beneath impossibly long false eyelashes. “No damage to report, sir.”
“Thank you, Corporal Riley.” The camera narrowed its focus to the captain’s chiseled face. When it panned out again to show the flight deck set, Val’s character was gone.
“And that’s the last you’ll see of me.” Val clicked the remote, turning off the TV. “So much for my brilliant movie career.”
“Can I ask you a personal question, Val?”
“You can ask. No promise I’ll answer.”
“I know how hard you must’ve worked to make it in Hollywood. Did you ever do porn?”
“Good Lord, Lexie!” Shane looked horrified.
Val laughed. Only her adored younger sister could get away with a question like that. “No, sweetheart, I never did. I had offers, and the money was good. But I wanted to be a real actress. I knew that if I were to make a porn film, I’d be branded. I’d never be asked to do anything good. Besides, the men were creepy. Just the thought of what I’d have to do . . .” Val swept her hair back from her face and changed the subject.
“So how did the commentary go, Shane? Do you feel like you did a good job?”
“He did great,” Lexie said. “And they even let me say a few words.” She frowned. “We were on TV, Val. Didn’t you watch us?”
Val shook her head. “Sorry. I turned off the TV after that first ride and went for a walk. I’d seen enough.” No need to tell anyone about what she’d experienced on that walk.
“So you did see Casey get tossed?” Shane asked.
“Yes, and I saw that he was fine. After that I left.”
The beat of awkward silence was broken by the sound of the door unlocking. Tess stepped into the room.
She smiled at Lexie and Shane. “Hey, thanks for stopping by, you two.”
“I was fine, Tess,” Val said in a flat voice. “I went for a walk. I didn’t go downstairs and drink in the bar or gamble away all our money. And I don’t need to be babysat.”
“I know that, Val. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Everything’s fine.”
“How were the bulls doing, Tess?” Shane asked.
“All right. I just hope Whirlwind puts on a good show tomorrow night. It could make all the difference for our ranch.”
“Do you know who’ll be riding him?”
“Not yet. We should know sometime tomorrow morning.”
“Well,” Shane said, stifling a yawn, “if they let me on camera at the right time, I’ll put in a good word for him.”
Lexie nudged her husband. “I think we’re all ready for a good night’s sleep. Let’s go, honey, and leave these ladies in peace.”
Peace? Val bit back a caustic remark as Lexie and Shane left for their own room down the hall. Spending the night in the same room as Tess was bound to be anything but peaceful.
As the door closed, Val secured the locks and turned back to face her sister. “You really didn’t need to check on me, Tess,” she said. “It’s insulting when you do that. I haven’t slipped up even once since I came home this summer. No booze, no drugs, and no men.”
Tess had taken a seat on the foot of her bed and was pulling off her boots. The thin wool socks beneath were stuck to her feet. One had a hole in the toe. “I know you haven’t slipped up,” she said. “That wasn’t what I was worried about.”