“No. Why?”

“Perfect. We’re going to Mardi Gras.”

CHAPTER 31

This was the first night since Grace was gone that Sal had sat out in his backyard. He hadn’t wanted to enjoy the view without her. He sat staring out into the city lights and the ocean, feeling a deep emptiness.

His heart literally ached. Finally he understood how powerful depression could be. All those times he’d read about people who felt such despair that nothing, not any amount of money, fame, success could lift them out of it, he never understood it. Now he did, because at that moment, staring out into the distance not really focusing on anything in particular, the anguish weighed heavier than he’d ever felt it.

Everything, especially around the restaurant reminded him of Gracie, but nothing was a more painful reminder of her than his backyard. She loved it out here—could spend every minute at his house outside. Memories of the times they’d made love on the very lounge chair he sat on now, strangled his heart, forcing him to gulp back the tightness he’d begun to feel in his throat.

His phone ringing on the patio table pulled him momentarily out of his world of pain. He stood, breathing deeply. The name on his caller ID rattled him. It was Vincent and he had no idea what to expect.

“Hey, Vin. What’s up?”

“She didn’t say a whole lot, Sal. Only that Grace has been sick.” He was quiet for a moment and Sal waited for more as the image of Grace sick only intensified the pain in his heart. “She hadn’t told me before but she did tonight. I know why you guys broke up.” Again there was silence and Sal braced himself to hear about Grace hating him. “That’s pretty f**ked up, Sal. Rose said she’d never seen Grace so broken up. Not even when her grandma died. I thought you really liked Grace, man.”

“I did. I do.” Sal sat down resting his elbow on his knee and squeezed his temple. He hadn’t thought he could feel any worse. But hearing this nearly did him in. “I didn’t do it intentionally.”

“What? How do you not—”

“Look it’s a long story. I don’t have time right now. Did she say anything about Laughlin?”

Sal had told Vince not to probe too much but ever since he’d mentioned Laughlin, it killed him to think her mom might still be trying to set her up with the casino owner. He’d given Vince strict instructions to find out anything about that specifically. The more info Vince got him the more generous Sal would be with the use of the car. He didn’t even feel rotten about bribing the kid. The past few weeks had been torturous not hearing anything about Grace. At this point he’d do anything for even the tiniest bit of information about her, especially about this.

“All she said is that it was a vacation Grace needed. They did the usual vacation stuff, swam, went to the lake, rented jet skis. She didn’t say anything about the casino guy until…”

“Until what?”

“Sal, I feel like a jerk telling you, because she specifically asked me not to say anything to you about Grace.”

Normally Sal would agree that prying like this was wrong. But nothing had been normal in Sal’s life since Grace had walked into it. His entire world had shifted and it would never be the same again. He stood up, feeling his patience thinning. The thought of Grace with the casino owner burned him up. “You wanna be able to use that car again, outside of to and from work?”

He heard Vince sigh. “This isn’t right.” There was a muffed sound then Vince spoke again. “She texted me on the way home. And yes I waited until I was home to read it.” He sighed again, cutting deeper into Sal’s patience. “I guess that guy’s coming out this weekend and Grace is going out with him Friday night. She said Grace felt guilty about leaving her home alone since her mom and step-dad are also going so she actually suggested Rose and I do something Friday night.”

A slow heat started up inside him and Sal welcomed it. The past few weeks had been nothing but agonizing pain mixed with guilt. Hearing that Grace was going out with this guy this soon after their break up, at least lessened some of that guilt. Even if Grace thought she was only entertaining him having a few drinks and dinner with him for her mom’s sake, Sal saw the way the guy looked at her the night he came by to pick her up. He was expecting more. And now that she was free for the taking and more vulnerable than ever he wondered if she’d give in.

“Did she say where?” His words were as coarse as they felt coming out.

“No, but she did say Grace said it was a business date, so you don’t have to get all pissed about it.”

Sal didn’t even know why he was asking. What was he going to do—show up enraged and demand to know why the girl whose heart he trampled on was on a date?

Still, she was his not too long ago and as far as his heart was concerned she still was damn it. The truth was even though the choppy memories he had of his night with Melissa gave every indication that he had slept with her, there was still no proof of it.

Hearing about Grace from such a close source after not hearing anything about her for weeks had rekindled that feeling inside him. That feeling Taylor had snuffed the day he’d gone back to their apartment again, willing to beg for her forgiveness. Walk away. Taylor had said. Let her be. As if it were really that simple.

“Anything else?” Sal paced back and forth on his patio, feeling more determined by the second.

“That’s it. So you think I can use the car Friday night to hang out with Rose?”