“What are you thinking?”
Her question caught him off guard, interrupting his musings. “Honestly? I was just thinking that I’m glad if Errol is engaged in illegal activities, someone else besides his wife will know.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it, that ethics can sometimes be so gray when we think that they’d be black and white?”
This question caught him even more off guard. “Yeah. I mean, for me, I follow the orders that I’m given. I don’t spend any time thinking about right or wrong in the middle of a mission, I’m focused on just completing the mission. And if you told me that you were going to simply turn everything over to Mrs. Hightower and walk away, then I couldn’t blame you. I certainly couldn’t judge you. And yet, knowing that he could be brought to justice makes me feel better.”
They were quiet for another moment, and he hated the heaviness that had filled the air. Looking for a lighter topic, he asked, “So, what do you plan on eating for dinner? Remember, our meal is part of the package, so you can have anything.”
Laughing, she said, “I’m so hungry right now, I could probably eat anything they put in front of me. But, if they have a surf and turf meal on their menu, I wouldn’t turn it down!”
“Steak and lobster… now there’s a girl after my own heart!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how the quip turn of a phrase had seemed so right. So far, everything about her had fit him perfectly.
Now that the heavy tension in the truck had been released, they chatted amiably for the next hour until pulling up to the Smoky Casino and Resort. The resort was a tall, dark brick building that blended in well with the thick forests of the mountains all around. Having never been there, he’d checked it out online and discovered it had over a thousand rooms described as luxury accommodations on their website. It boasted three restaurants, four bars, a fitness room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hiking trails and, of course, the casino.
“Wow, it’s huge, isn’t it?”
Nodding, he replied, “Yeah. I looked at it online and it seems to have everything anyone could want for a weekend getaway.” As soon as he said those words, it hit him how much he was looking forward to a few days’ getaway with Lynn. Not just to have a break from his family or thinking about his recuperation and rejoining his team, but to spend more time with her. Giving his head a little shake to dislodge those thoughts, he said, “Let me get our bags.”
Lynn walked beside Nolan as they entered the lobby of the resort. Polished tile reflected the huge chandeliers overhead. The room was massive, and as Nolan approached the reception desk, she slowly turned in a circle, taking in the space. Having never been in a casino resort, she was surprised that it almost resembled a mall with the various high-end shops off to the left. A decorative sign indicated the fitness area and swimming pools were also down that hall. To the right were a pizzeria and the entrance to one of the bars. Other signs pointed to the various restaurants and their locations. The largest sign pointed the way to the casino. If the lobby was so overstimulating, she wondered what a casino would be like.
“Just one?”
Hearing Nolan’s surprised voice, she hurried over to his side. He dragged his hand through his hair, and she was uncertain what the problem was.
“Yes, Sir. The Cupid of The Mountains Wedding Chapel made the reservation. It’s a lovely suite, I assure you.” The receptionist tilted his head slightly, his forehead scrunched. “You wanted more than one room?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Bell! I see you made it!”
The voice coming from the side had them swinging their heads around in unison. Errol Hightower! Offering a polite smile, Lynn greeted, “Mr. Hightower. What a surprise to see you here.”
“Oh, once a month or so I like to come and have a little fun at the tables. Nothing serious, you understand. I have a few old friends that I meet up with.” His gaze moved between her and Nolan before shifting over to the receptionist. “Is there a problem with your reservation? Junelle is always so efficient with these things.”
“No!” she and Nolan said at the same time. She quickly shot her gaze up to him and reached out to take his hand, giving his fingers a reassuring squeeze. “No, I’m sure everything’s fine. It was lovely to see you again and thank you so much for your… um… assistance today.”
Errol’s smile was wide and he turned to the receptionist. “Make sure their honeymoon suite is perfect.” He then offered a slight wave before continuing down the hall toward the casino. Turning back toward the receptionist who now appeared utterly confused, she breathed a sigh of relief as Nolan mumbled, “The one suite is fine. Thank you.”
Since everything had been paid for, Nolan simply had to sign and then they were given their room cards. The receptionist handed them a map of the casino resort and began marking the places to eat, the bars, and anything else he could think of in his rote, practiced speech. She tuned him out, her mind now turned toward the fact that Errol was here in the casino. As Nolan took her hand again, she jumped and looked up toward him.
“You ready to go, sweetheart?”
She glanced between his tight jaw and the receptionist staring at them and plastered a smile on her face. “Absolutely, honey. I can’t wait to get upstairs.”
Nolan threw his bag over his shoulder and grabbed her bag before linking fingers with her again and heading toward the elevators. The resort was crowded, and they had no privacy until they stepped out onto their floor. They were the only ones exiting the elevator on the ninth floor, and as the elevator doors closed behind them, she jerked her hand from his.
“What’s going on?”
“I thought Mom made a reservation for us separately. I mean, I know the chapel had one room reserved, but I thought Mom made a separate reservation. Obviously, she skipped that step when she found out they did that, so we just have the one suite.”
“Oh.” Unable to think of anything else to say, she snapped her mouth shut. While the thought of spending the night with Nolan would have fulfilled her teenage dreams, now it was simply... awkward. Especially since it appeared sharing a room with her was the last thing he wanted to do. It was obvious he was not happy about having to spend the night with her. She followed as he stalked down the hall toward their door. Even though she had no illusions of being with him, the sting of rejection hit once again.
He unlocked the door and threw it open, stepping in. She followed, looking around. While she would not call the accommodations luxury, they were certainly nice. They stepped into a room complete with a deep-cushioned sofa and two chairs facing an entertainment center with a wide-screened TV. In the corner was a wet bar and refrigerator. As Nolan stalked over to the windows and drew them open, she spied a view of the thick mountain forests. A door led into the bedroom, with a king-sized bed centering the space, complete with the requisite nightstands and chest of drawers with another wide-screened TV on top. To the left was a large bathroom, beautifully appointed with a soaking tub and a massive shower.
When she walked back into the living area, Nolan was standing at the room-size window looking out at the view. His back was straight, and his hands were on his hips, but she had no idea how to read his body language.