Chapter 9 #2
Sarah also wanted to be a part of his television world.
Maybe now that he’d seen her in action, he would give it to her.
All around Erin, happy things were going on.
Jamie had a job. The Dress for Success clothing drive was accumulating more and more career wear for women who needed it.
Remy and his daughter were communicating better.
Yet, if everything was so flipping great, why did she still feel like her life was falling apart?
By the time Remy shut off the camera and Jamie’s makeover had been captured on film, Erin applauded the transformation along with the rest of the people in the salon.
The change on the outside paled in comparison to how much this strong woman had turned her life around with grit and determination. Their clapping praised both aspects.
Afterward, Erin noticed Sarah scuttle off into a corner of the salon to text on her phone while Remy packed up his equipment.
Was this goodbye?
He’d only just strode into her life a week and a half ago, dripping wet and too damn polite for his own good.
He hadn’t wanted to get her floor wet, but now that she knew the circumstances of his wife’s death, she understood that night all the more.
He hadn’t wanted Erin to be alone in the store with a stranger—even when the stranger was him.
He was still trying to protect her now, keeping her at arm’s length.
Damning the consequences, she strode over and unplugged the equipment he was trying to untangle from a knot of hair dryer and flat iron electrical cords. She untwisted from her end until they met in the middle, crouched together behind an unused manicure table.
Their hands brushed, his touch making her whole body hum with awareness. His aftershave smelled spicy and masculine, enticing her closer. She paid attention to that rush of heat and attraction now, allowing herself to enjoy it. No more ignoring it.
“Have you got plans for the rest of the day before your flight?” She had the store covered until closing since she hadn’t been sure what time the event at The Strand would wrap up.
“I’m going to return some calls and then I need to spend time with Sarah to try and figure out what’s got her so upset lately.
” He shook his head. “I know she wants to spend more time here, more time with me, but it seems like there’s something I’m missing about this sudden need to drive all the way out here. ”
“I think it’s a good idea to be there for her.” Even if it meant that right here, right now might be the last time Erin ever got to be with Remy. “Let me know if you need a wingman. I took the day off for the filming.”
She told herself to stand up. Shake his hand. Find some way to say goodbye to this man who intrigued her far more than was wise for either of them at this point in their lives. He leaned closer, his steady gaze missing nothing.
“Don’t let yourself get comfortable behind the scenes, Erin.” His fingers stroked her cheek, a feather light touch that made her eyelids flutter. “You belong front and center, running the show.”
What did that even mean? She couldn’t concentrate on his words when his touch reminded her of what they might have had—if only briefly.
She would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t get to have one night with this man.
They’d both known so much pain. They deserved something happy.
They didn’t need to worry about the risk of getting too attached as he was leaving anyway.
“Dad?” Sarah’s voice, pitched at maximum teen excitability, brought Erin back down to reality.
Remy’s touch vanished as he edged away from her.
“There you are!” Sarah held her phone in one hand and a small floral backpack in the other. “I got invited to a party after the girls’ soccer game. Can I go?”
“What girls’ game?” Remy stood, his well-tailored clothes emphasizing his narrow waist and hips. He’d taken off his jacket hours ago, his blue shirtsleeves folded to reveal strong, tanned forearms.
“The local high school girls’ team. Ally Finley plays and so do some other kids I met the other night.
It’d be a nice chance to say goodbye to everyone before I have to go back to Miami.
” She held up the backpack to show it to him.
“I have everything I need in my bag, and you already have my suitcase packed in the rental car. We can meet at the airport before takeoff.”
“Whoa.” He held up both hands. “It’s a school night. They can’t stay out that late on a Wednesday, and I don’t want you driving around town alone late at night. I’ll pick you up at the field and we’ll figure out where to leave your car until I can have it transported.”
Erin was in the process of backing away from the conversation, remembering how Remy had not appreciated her input with his daughter in the past. But before she was out of earshot, she discreetly whispered to him, “You can leave the car at my house, if you want.”
Just in case that bit of information helped.
It’s not like she was trying to lure him to her place to back him up against a wall and kiss the hell out of him. Although, if she had him alone for two minutes, she’d find a way.
Giving Remy privacy, Erin took the time to thank Trish for all her help coordinating the drive and then sent two volunteers to the tent behind Last Chance Vintage to store the day’s donations.
At the sound of a girlish squeal, Erin turned to see Sarah fling her arms around Remy’s neck and squeeze him. Clearly, she was happy with the outcome of the day.
“Thank you!” She practically danced from foot to foot. “I’ll text you every hour, okay? I promise I will be safe.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you for letting me find friends.”
Erin could almost see Remy flinch at the last comment, but she didn’t understand their relationship well enough to know why. But she did know that Remy had the rest of the afternoon and evening free of commitments other than those calls he had to make.
A thrill tripped through her even as she told herself that didn’t necessarily mean he would spend it with her.
Sarah bolted from the store with a shouted goodbye, waving and texting.
Erin didn’t dare make eye contact with Remy for fear of spontaneously combusting. Now that she’d allowed herself to think in terms of the attraction and the chemistry that he felt, too, she could think of little else.
Following Sarah out the door, Erin headed to the parking lot behind the store and slid into the front seat of her car. She only had to wait about five minutes before Remy came out with his equipment and loaded it into the trunk of his rental.
Her heart beat fast as she rolled down her window.
She was a grown-up. She could handle the fallout no matter what happened between them. They deserved some happiness—a brief window of time to forget about the past.
“The invitation is still open if you need a place to hang out before your flight.” She squinted up at him in the sunlight. His gray tie lifted in a sudden breeze.
His gaze damn near scorched her as his eyes wandered over her.
“I’ll follow you.”
Her heart did a little backflip and she allowed herself a smile.
“If you can keep up.” Winking, she put her car in Drive and headed home.
She wasn’t thinking past the next five minutes, let alone the next five hours. All she knew was that Remy Weldon wasn’t going home until she got her hands on him.