Free A Most Shocking Revelation by Kristi Gold

it.
    Valerie bypassed her quarters and opened the door to the room next to hers—Gavin’s room. The bed was king-size, framed in heavy oak and covered by a simple black spread. A blue-and-black-plaid sofa sat next to the window, and past that she noticed another door. She decided to take a peek in there first and pushed the door open to reveal an enormous bathroom. Straight ahead, four steps led to a massive whirlpool tub big enough for two, maybe even four, framed by a pair of ivory marble columns, a tall double window providing a gorgeous backdrop. To her right, an L-shaped marble vanity housed a sink, and to her left, an exact replica of the other vanity. Definitely a his-and-hers design. She walked to the sink and simply stared at Gavin’s toothbrush, as silly as that seemed, and remembered his mouth in great detail. She picked up his aftershave and gave it a good sniff, then set it down hard, as if she’d been caught going through his little black book. Did he have one?
    Valerie shook her head in an attempt to dislodge those thoughts. She couldn’t—or shouldn’t—be concerned about his love life. She didn’t plan to investigate his previous affairs. But in a fit of sheer nosiness, she opened the closet door to find a room bigger than any place she’d ever resided, lit by a high eye-brow window. On one side, several immaculately pressed shirts in white and beige hung from the railing along with a couple of suits, below that a row of slacks and jeans. Several pairs of boots sat lined up on a lower shelf like cavalry soldiers. The opposite side of the closet was bare even though it was built for more clothes. Maybe her clothes? Who was she kidding?
    Back in the bedroom, Valerie stopped short of leaving when she noticed the framed photograph set out on the top of the nightstand. She perched on the edge of the mattress and picked up the picture of the man and the woman smiling brightly for the camera. The man had a small cleft in his chin, and the woman had dark, dark eyes. Gavin’s resemblance to both was almost uncanny, as if he’d been born with an equal mix of their attributes. She didn’t look a thing like her mother and had no idea if she resembled her father since she’d never known who he was. Not even a name or any significant details, and she doubted she would ever know. She doubted her own mother knew for certain.
    â€œThat’s my parents.”
    Valerie’s gaze zipped to Gavin leaning against the door frame, thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets. Her mortification over being caught in his bedroom was second only to her heated reaction to his presence. Her heart fluttered wildly in her throat, threatening her speech, but somehow she managed to say, “They’re a very nice-looking couple.”
    â€œYeah, they were nice. The best.”
    â€œWere nice?”
    â€œThey’re both gone.”
    The sorrow in his tone, the sadness in his eyes, sent a sharp ache right in the vicinity of Valerie’s heart. She decided not to press him for more information since she certainly didn’t like people asking too many questions. If he wanted to reveal the details of their deaths, she’d allow him to do that in his own time.
    Gavin crossed the room, joined her on the bed and took the picture from her. “My dad had a wicked sense of humor. He was always teasing someone. My mom pretended she didn’t appreciate it, but she did.”
    â€œYou come by that teasing thing honestly, then.”
    His smile held a certain melancholy that couldn’t be ignored.
    â€œI guess we’re all products of our upbringing.”
    â€œI guess that’s right.” Although Valerie wanted so much to believe that wasn’t always the case. Especially for her.
    Gavin reached over her and replaced the photo on the nightstand, along with his hat, then laid a palm on her thigh. “You know, if you wanted to see my bedroom, you only had to