A Taylor-Made Life (8 page)

Mom had bought the wig over a year
ago, but I’d never worn it before now. Though I’d never, in a
million years thought of going without my hat, I hadn’t wanted the
fake hair to lull me into a false sense of security. I was still
losing the battle, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t put up a
fight.

I squared my shoulders and smiled,
determined not to let cancer take center stage in my life. Tonight
with Gavin might be a small victory, but it was still a victory I
could build on.

He smiled. My world tilted. “Have I
told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

The sparkle in his eyes made my heart
flutter and my cheeks heat. “Maybe once.”

“Well, I’m telling you
again.”

With his hand warming the small of my
back, he guided me to a banquet table near the buffet. Manned by
tuxedo-clad servers, the long skinny rows held trays and chafing
dishes of delicious-looking food. The smell of rich sauces and
roasted meats teased my nose.

He pulled out my chair, allowing me to
sit then sat next to me. The other three table occupants shot us
skeptical glances, and I looked down to make sure my boob hadn’t
fallen out. Were they trying to figure out the relationship between
me and Gavin? Good luck with that. I was attempting to do that
myself.

Gavin stepped to the bar and got us
both a Coke. Setting mine in front of me, he leaned over and
whispered, “Would you care to eat now or wander around the silent
auction?”

Turning my head back over my shoulder,
I accidentally brushed his cheek with my nose. His smooth skin
heated. The scent of subtle aftershave sent slow-moving waves of
pleasure through me, and I took in a slow breath. I caught his
gaze. His eyes widened and his lips hovered so close, I almost....
Heat rose from my chest, up my neck, and to the top of my head
where little beads of sweat formed under all that dang hair. “Let’s
go take a look at the auction.”

I grabbed my drink and followed him
through the crowded banquet hall. In an adjacent room, hundreds of
auction items lined the rows of tables. Everything from Dallas
Cowboys season tickets, spa packages, trips, jewelry, and art
lessons dotted the aisles. I fingered a silk scarf from Neiman
Marcus, current bid: $500.00. The selection was outrageous, and the
prices steep.

Up near the front sat glass cases with
the high profile items. Apparently, people from around the world
had come to bid. The donations coordinator must’ve pulled some
serious strings to get the hefty selection. I could have used them
for the cheer squad’s fundraiser. A 1952 Ford Fairlane was up for
bid, as well as several classic motorcycles, and a five-carat
yellow diamond, donated by Bachendorfs.

I wandered past Gavin to get a better
look while he bid on items I was sure he didn’t need. But it was
for a good cause.

The fire-lit stone, set in platinum
and surrounded by white diamonds, caught my eye.

Whew.

Starting bid: $250,000.

A tall, lean man came up behind the
glass case. “Would you care to try it on?”

I searched the area to see who he was
talking to before I realized it was me. “Oh, no. It’s okay. Just
looking.”

The man studied my face and, more
specifically, my hair. Was it that obvious? I nervously smoothed it
back, making sure the wig wasn’t crooked.

“Come on. It’s a night for adventure,
right?” The gray-haired man winked at me.

I scanned the room for Gavin, who was
still placing bids and mingling. “Okay…sure.”

The man pulled the ring from its case
and held it out to me. I flexed my fingers and took it. The cool
metal and stones sparkled magically up close. The heaviness of the
ring surprised me. I placed it on my finger and held out my hand to
admire it.

“Stunning. Like it was made for you.”
The man smiled.

A lump caught in my throat as the
future descended. A whirlwind of might-have-beens swirled through
my mind. A wedding, a family and many years of love flashed in
bittersweet scenes. I stared at the sun-kissed jewel for a few more
seconds, then removed the ring, and handed it back because it, and
all that went with it, didn’t belong to me. The absence of its
sparkle and weight left my hand empty. “Thank you. It’s always nice
to dream.”

“That it is.” The man replaced the
ring.

A strong arm wrapped around my
shoulders, startling me, and warm breath filled my ear, making my
head tingle. “Would you care for another drink? All this shopping
has made me thirsty.”

I leaned against my handsome date and
smiled. “Thanks.”

He headed toward the bar. I followed
him with my gaze. He turned back to say, “Keep an eye out on our
items. Let me know if anyone overbids us.”

I nodded. Gavin had insisted we bid on
a weeklong retreat for two to an all-inclusive Caribbean resort. He
said it would be an early Christmas gift for my mom and dad. Then
he bid on a set of custom golf clubs for one of his friends at
work. Both items were well over five thousand dollars. I grimaced.
What must having so much money be like?

Wandering through the crowd, I made
sure we still had the high bid. After a while, I noticed Gavin in
the far corner. He held our drinks and stood casually conversing.
My heart caught in my throat. What a
hottie
. His dark hair
lay smoothed back, complimenting his handsome face. He caught my
gaze from across the room, smiled, then motioned for me. I walked
to his side. He slid an easy arm around my waist, pulling me close,
and introduced me to the distinguished man he’d been talking
to.

“Jason, this is the beautiful girl in
the flesh, Ms. Taylor Smith.”

I stared at the older gentleman. He
was familiar. Then it dawned on me. “Dr. Harmon, I forgot you were
chairman for this event. You look different without your white
coat.”

“Taylor. Sweetheart, how are you?” He
hugged me. “I asked Dr. Roads about you the other day.”

“I see Dr. Roads next week.” Then
another revelation hit me. “Are the Johnsons here tonight? I
haven’t seen them yet.” I must’ve been on another planet with
Gavin, because I just remembered that Rachel’s mom and dad had
helped with this event.

His face fell. “They aren’t coming.
Rachel took a turn. In fact, as soon as the auction is over, I’m
going to check on her.”

My heart sank into my stomach.
Familiar bad news always came with equally familiar dread. I’d lost
so many friends from the hospital in two years. More than I cared
to remember, but the possibility of losing Rachel was too much. I
absently said goodbye, barely noticing as Gavin took my hand and
led me out of the crowded room into the empty hallway. He pulled me
into his arms and held me tightly.

“I’m so sorry, Sweetness. I’m sure
they’re doing everything they can for her.”

I leaned against him, soaking in the
warmth and listening to his heartbeat. He felt strong and
protective, like he would never let anything hurt me. Wrapping my
arms around his waist, I snuggled closer. His breathing hitched. I
pulled back a little and glanced up to determine the
reason.

His eyes filled with heat, and the
look on his face was tense. Air froze in my lungs. He stared,
tracing the outline of my lips with his gaze. Oh
CROG
, he
was about to kiss me. My heart pounded, but I stood still, afraid
he might change his mind. And maybe even more afraid he might
not.

He bent his head and hovered right
above my lips. I held my breath, my pulse zinging in my head. His
chin quivered, but as if an invisible barrier kept him from
touching my lips, he turned his head and grazed my
cheek.

I loudly let out the breath I’d been
holding and swallowed hard.

His voice was strained and husky. “Are
you ready to eat?”

Still reeling, I nodded and followed
him back into the ballroom. My heart sank further. Rachel had to be
alright and Gavin had to admit what he felt, because I knew he felt
something.

We filled our plates and sat at the
table. An old woman, about Grammy’s age, occupied the seat next to
me. She smiled sweetly as I sat.

“I’m Edna Barrett, and this is my
husband Frank.”

I gave a nod to the old guy, who
looked like he’d rather be watching college basketball than sitting
at a charity ball. The tie on his ancient suit was cock-eyed, and
the swept-over strands of his thinning hair out of place. “I’m
Taylor Smith, and this is my—” I paused not sure what to call him
but then finally settled. “Date, Gavin Taylor.”

Across the table, a snotty young woman
in a low-cut gown sang seductively, “
You’re
Gavin Taylor?”
She eyed me up and down then turned her fangs toward Gavin. “Oh,
that’s so nice you brought one of the kids from the cancer
ward.”

“Actually my girlfriend brought me
here.” He reached over and squeezed my hand.

The wicked
biotch
seethed.
“She’s your girlfriend? She looks so young.”

Right at that moment, the woman’s
date, a gray-haired man with a mountainous plate of food, sat down
next to her. He grumbled, “They were outta roast beef.”

I giggled. “I can see why you’d think
that since you’re here with your dad.”

The woman hissed and stormed from the
table, dragging her pot-bellied sugar daddy with her. Gavin shot me
a somewhat amused but scolding glance. I bit my lip and continued
to laugh.

Edna leaned over to me. “Good job
holding your own, sugar.” She flitted her gaze to Gavin. “He’s a
keeper, I think. He certainly cares about you.”

I blinked and bent toward her
conspiratorially. “Do you think so?”

Edna patted her hand. “Honey, I can
tell when a man loves a woman, and this man has it for you.” She
glanced around me again. “In spades.”

My chest felt as if it would burst
open. If only Edna were right. I loved Gavin the minute I saw his
picture, but meeting him in person had been nothing short of
magical. Being with him was exhilarating and comforting all at the
same time. We could overcome anything together.

Anything?
My mind froze on the
deceptively easy word.

Even cancer? Maybe.

I knew my hopes sailed too high, but
no matter how I tried, I couldn’t bring them back down.

Gavin talked quietly with a couple on
the other side of him as he finished his meal. Edna and I watched
the people and graded women’s dresses.

He leaned over and whispered in my
ear, “Would you care to dance? I’m not the most coordinated man,
but I can lead well enough.”

The soft blow of his breath sent
chills across my skin. “I’d love to.”

He stood and ushered me to the dance
floor. The band played a smooth jazz tune. Gavin swept an arm
around my waist and pulled me in tight.

Feeling safe in his arms, I spoke the
words weighing on my mind, “You’re going to leave me tomorrow,
aren’t you?”

“Yes.” His eyes glittered with…regret
maybe? Hopefully.

I frowned, my heart sinking low. “I
don’t want you to go.”

He cocked his head to the side in big
brother mode. “Taylor, it won’t do either of us any good to keep up
the pretense. And you’re still my friend.”

“Am I?”

“Of course.” His arm tightened around
my waist.

“Gavin, please stay. You can live in
the house with us. We can watch movies and play games. We can spend
time together.” I knew I was begging, but I didn’t care.

He closed his eyes. “Taylor, you don’t
know how much I wish I could do that. It sounds wonderful, but I
have to get back to my company.” We floated across the floor. “I’ve
been gone for too long as it is, and I have to finish a project
I’ve been working on before….”

Not wanting him to complete the
unfinished thought, I focused on his arm around me, and the soft
rhythm of the music. We danced for a while then I spoke again, “Why
did you sign up with that matchmaker lady?”

He gazed into my eyes, as if weighing
his words, his face open in honesty. “To find someone to love, a
wife.”

I quivered inside. My mouth broke rank
from my brain. “And you haven’t found that with me?” Crap. What was
I doing? I bit the inside of my lip, waiting for the
answer.

“No.” He squeezed me tightly, but it
didn’t stop the pain of hearing the words. “But I’ve found a great
friend.”

I spoke around my dry tongue, and the
tears clogging my throat. “Friend. Great. I can always use another
friend.” My words sounded less than sincere. I wasn’t sure I could
bear the answer to the next question, but I couldn’t keep myself
from asking, “So, will you keep looking? When you get
back?”

He stopped in the middle of the floor,
appearing stricken, as if I’d slapped him. Couples brushed by,
staring. I arched my eyebrows hopefully.

* * * *

Gavin’s heart rebelled against his
mind, and his body followed suit. He’d barely given one thought to
Marissa or her matchmaking since arriving in Dallas, since meeting
Taylor. Pain shot through his chest. The last thing he wanted to do
was search for another match.