Chapter Nineteen
Zoey desperately wanted to kiss Archer and this moment felt ripe for it, but at the last second, she chickened out.
After she’d spent several seconds staring at his mouth, he didn’t make the first move.
She liked to think of herself as bold and ready to take charge in every area of her life, but when it came to Archer, she froze every time.
Instead of kissing him, she scooted closer as they both stared into the flickering yellow-and-red flames.
“We should really be doing this outside.” Archer stoked the fire the way she’d seen done in countless Hallmark movies, then returned to sit beside her. “Have you ever slept under the stars?”
She had a difficult time admitting the truth: She’d led a privileged life. Her mother’s idea of camping was a four-star hotel, and her father claimed he hadn’t worked so hard all his life to pretend he was literally unhoused for a week.
“No, I’m afraid not.” She sighed. “My parents weren’t into camping.”
“I should take you camping and show you what real roughing it is like. Do you think you could handle that?” He chuckled.
“Yes.”
Her heart raced every time he talked about a future that included her in it.
She’d mentioned keeping him on or sending for him every autumn and then worried she’d overstepped.
But whether joking or not, the words rang true.
She didn’t want this time with him to end but didn’t see how they could continue.
Sooner or later, this assignment would be complete.
They were quiet for several more seconds and were close enough for Zoey to lay her head on his shoulder. And she did, because it felt easy. Natural.
“After a while, I resented my father for wanting to keep me home after my mother died. He didn’t recognize that we were each handling our grief in different ways.
His idea of grieving was to make our world smaller and to retreat, to hide.
He grew paranoid, worrying he had enemies everywhere.
He fired a bunch of people that first week. It was awful.”
“When you’re in the public eye, with people talking about every aspect of your life and taking it all apart to be examined…that’s got to be difficult.”
“Until then I hadn’t realized how much he’d counted on my mother, but I guess we all did.
She was our balance, our center. With her gone, he fell into an abyss.
Instead of dealing with my own grief, I had to rescue him.
I didn’t mind, because he needed me. He deserved my compassion.
But when I wanted to leave, when I wanted to find something for myself, the guilt trip came and it came hard. ”
Somehow, Zoey had wound up in Archer’s arms, him sitting right behind her, pulling her into the circle of his arms. She leaned back, feeling safe and protected. Everything felt so easy with him, the affection and emotional intimacy. It was as if she’d known him for years.
“Funny,” Archer said. “One of the reasons I haven’t gone home since my injury is my concern that my family won’t let me go once I get there.”
“You haven’t been back?”
“No. They came to see me in the hospital, but I made them go back home. If I hadn’t, I would have never been able to pull out of it on my own. I have a hard time relying on others.”
“No kidding.”
“The truth is I own my decisions, even if there are times I’ve regretted some of my choices. But when I look at where I am, how far I’ve come, it has all been worth it.”
“I like the sound of that. No regrets.”
“It’s the only way to live.”
They were quiet then, watching the fire until it faded away.
* * *
Still thinking of Archer’s words to her last night, Zoey pulled a shipment of sweaters out of a box.
She’d probably only sell these to customers who were leaving town to visit family and friends during the holidays.
The weather was still in the seventies today, bright and sunny, although there was some rain in the forecast. She’d love an excuse for another fire like the one last night.
She wondered what the weather was doing in the Panhandle.
Until Archer mentioned it, Zoey hadn’t really considered whether she was being fair to her father.
He was the kind of man who had everything: wealth, a legacy, family, fame, love.
But without her mother, and now without her, he might be lonely.
He hadn’t taken her leaving Amarillo well, and yet she had, eager to get away from his control.
She’d also gotten away from Peter, which at the time seemed most important because he’d ingratiated himself once again with her father.
In retrospect, she’d simply walked away from two men who thought they knew the kind of future she should have: A safe and predictable future as little more than a trophy wife, throwing parties for her father and her husband.
Traveling to places predetermined by her husband.
She’d wanted and chosen this life, starting over in a small coastal town, with her found family, creating her own legacy of love.
Now that the party was no longer in her immediate future, she had to wonder whether she’d been celebrating the day to honor love or her mother.
When asked, she had to face it: the party was all about her mother.
And there were many other ways to honor her.
Last night, after the fire had died out, she and Archer made phone calls. She took most of the list. He’d offered to take half, but Zoey thought it best her friends hear it from her.
“Aw, no party? But we do this every year. Why not? Are you sick?” Debbie had asked.
“No, it’s just… I’m…” Having a change of heart, moving on, making different choices? “Having some remodeling done, and it’s just gone over time and budget. I’m so upset.”
She didn’t have the heart to tell them she had to cancel a party because of a lone obsessive football fanatic.
Zoey was beginning to hate the sport. Thankfully, the shop kept her busy as customers came in droves.
Some were shopping for Governor Tippy’s annual gala, others were already Christmas shopping, and she suspected there were women who were still coming to check out Zoey’s new “employee.” Rumors were rampant around town that he was a former model interested in opening up a men’s boutique in town, or that he was designing his own cologne and looking for investors. She thought it was hilarious.
“It is my understanding that women love leather,” Archer was saying a few feet away from Zoey. “So, I recommend this jacket.”
“But do you think it would look good on me?” This came from Tee, a young man who worked for Noah in his charter boat business.
Recently, there’d been more men coming into the shop than the norm.
But it made sense, since they’d heard Archer was making suggestions and doling out fashion advice.
They assumed that he had plenty of game and wanted to emulate his ways.
She’d had to order button-down shirts like the ones Archer wore every day, when both men and women started asking about them.
Zoey’s shop might wind up having the best last quarter of the year on record if this kept up.
In just a few days, she’d sold several designer men’s dress shirts.
She might run out of stock before the holidays.
“Do we have this in another size?” Archer asked Zoey, holding up the leather jacket she’d made him model for her a few days ago.
It would definitely be too large for Tee. “I think so. Let me look in the back.”
She went to the dark stockroom where she kept most of her poorer-selling items. A marked box on the top shelf was labeled “Men’s Jackets.” She’d just reached for it when she felt Archer come up behind her. His hand low on her back felt like a brand, heat searing through her clothes.
“Here, let me.” He reached for the box easily and put it down beside her.
But he didn’t look at the box or inside of it, simply locked those amber eyes on hers and cupped her face.
His gaze lowered to her lips, and in the space of a moment, he kissed her, long and hard and deep.
She responded eagerly to let him see this was what she wanted.
The two of them together, locking lips, holding each other tightly in the low light.
Then it was all over as quickly as it had started when Archer pulled away. “Sorry. I am sorry.”
“No, don’t—” But he was already out the door with the box.
* * *
Damn, what a screwup.
Archer needed to get a hold of himself or he would soon earn a reputation in this business.
First, for being a hothead, overzealous for the job; second, for being a Romeo and kissing his beautiful clients.
The truth was, his previous assignment, the reality TV celebrity, was another beautiful woman.
But not only had he never kissed her, he’d also never been tempted.
It was different with Zoey because it wasn’t just her looks that drew him to her.
There seemed to be an electric current firing between them that he could almost touch.
He told himself that was why he’d kissed her in a quiet moment filled with lust and weakness.
She’d returned the kiss with enthusiasm, and this worried him even more.
He couldn’t afford for her to get the wrong idea.
He wasn’t ready to sign up for an intimate physical relationship, and Zoey wouldn’t accept anything less.
Archer cleared his throat after digging through the box and finding another jacket for Tee. “Maybe this will fit better.”
Tee slipped it on and shrugged into it. He straightened and strode around the store a bit, modeling it.
“Yeah, this is sweet. I like it!”
“Looks good on you,” Archer said, though he had absolutely no idea. The point was it seemed to be the right size.
At the moment, he could only think of how good Zoey had felt in his arms a few minutes ago and how much he hated the fact that he’d met her under these circumstances. He could do nothing about the way he felt, nor should he.
“How much?” Tee said, looking for a tag.
There was none. “No idea, but I bet Zoey would give you a good deal.”
“I hope so.” Tee glanced in her direction, where she was now back to folding sweaters in a stack as if nothing had happened in her storeroom. “Hey, do you think I’d have any luck asking her out? Is she seeing anyone?”
“Don’t ask her out,” Archer said, shaking his head. “It’s not a good time for her.”
“Really? Why not? I heard she and Scott broke up.”
Archer’s illogical mind shouted: If you touch her, I will kill you with my bare hands.
Instead, he said, “That’s why it’s not a good time. She’s taking a break.”
“I guess you have the inside scoop, working with her daily and everything.” Tee looked longingly in Zoey’s direction.
Get in line, buddy.
“That’s right. We work well together.”
And they’d be good together at many other things, too, if they ever stood half a chance.
“Would you let me know when she’s ready to start seeing someone again?” Tee said. “I mean, before anyone else has a chance?”
It was an awful lot of trust from the kid.
“Yeah, sure. Just drop by the shop, buy something, and I’ll give you the 4-1-1.”
“Thanks, bro.” Tee clapped Archer on the back and headed to Zoey. “I’ll take it,” he said, bringing the jacket up to the counter.
Her face lit up with a smile. “Good choice!”
She exchanged a wink with Archer and rang Tee up.