Chapter 10 #2
I thought about that all the way into Lafayette as Ethan pointed out parts of the bayou and talked about the city with affection.
As the lush and wild bayou thinned out for more houses and concrete, giving way to high-rises, skyscrapers, interchanges, and the bustle as the city rose in the distance, shining brightly in a background of green.
He said they had a great nightlife here and beignets almost as good as New Orleans.
“I’ve never had one.”
“Oh man. We’ll have to fix that,” he said.
He pointed to his left. “That’s Lafayette General. Aubree plans on doing her residency there when she graduates from med school four years from now.”
“Booker’s wife, right?”
“Right. She’s going to be taking over Doc Rust’s practice.”
“I remember Brax saying something about that. He’s planning her graduation bash. Should be a lot of fun.”
“And, a lot of work for us.” He smiled. “But she’s worth it.”
“Hard work never hurt anyone. Builds character,” I said.
I knew from experience. I’d never had to do anything until I had to fend for myself.
It was an eye-opener, but I couldn’t begrudge it at all.
I’d learned a lot about myself and one of the main things I’d learned was that I was capable, persistent, and determined.
Whatever else came out of leaving everything I had known, I was proud of what I had been able to accomplish.
Soon we were pulling up to the curb and parking outside a metal and wood structure with River Art lettered in metal on a wooden sign.
Ethan came around and opened my door. We headed for the door knocking since it was locked. We waited a bit, but no one came. “Her car is here, so she must be, too.” He knocked again, this time a little harder.
Finally, we saw a woman, tall, lithe with long honey brown hair walk briskly toward us. She had a harried look on her face, and I got the immediate feeling this was going to be a bumpy morning.
She didn’t smile, but opened the door and said, “Am I glad to see you, Ethan.”
“Is something wrong?”
“So many things. I have a major show tonight and my assistant and her husband, who is also my employee are out sick with the stomach flu. They can’t even get out of bed, so my last remaining assistant is helping them. I am without staff.”
“Well, we’re here to help.”
River Pearl looked at me and finally smiled. “I am so sorry,” she said, still flustered. “What a way to meet someone who I want to employ. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“No worries,” I said. “Lawson Edwards.”
“It’s a pleasure. Come on in and let’s get busy.”
The next few hours were full of movement as she got Ethan to hang some breathtaking paintings. I set up the tables, got prepared for the caterers and insisted she give me their number. I would take the food and beverage situation off her hands.
I had everything situated and worked out with them in a half an hour.
I went looking for River Pearl to see if there was something else I could help with.
Ethan was handling hanging the last few paintings, while River tilted her head this way and that way, studying the wall space and each painting Ethan held up.
Until she finally made up her mind and gave him her final instructions.
He nodded and got to work as I came up to her.
“The food and beverages are all set. Is there something else I could do? It’s almost lunch time. Why don’t I get us some food? There’s a deli across the street that looks great.”
River smiled warmly. “Brax speaks so highly of you and now I can see why. If you ask me, you’re all saints to put up with him.”
He talked about me to his wife? I got this wonderful glow inside at the obvious affection and praise in her voice. “He’s such a pain,” I said affectionately.
She turned to look at me her eyes dancing. “That he is, but we all love him.”
“That we do,” I said, genuinely meaning it. “He’s been so good to me.”
“That’s Brax, a heart of gold.” She nudged me.
“How about Ethan? He’s got a heart of gold, too.
And he practically built the inside of this gallery for me.
Wouldn’t take a red cent for all his work and dedication.
Said it was a labor of love for people he loved.
I swear he is one of the nicest guys ever and if his sister wasn’t my amazing best friend, and I wasn’t head over heels in love with Brax, I’d have been very interested.
” She gave me another glance. “He seems to like looking at you.”
I shifted and caught Ethan staring, then he focused on his work again. My cheeks flushed, I said, “We’re…good friends.”
“Friends, huh? I’d say Ethan wants to be more.”
I changed the subject back to lunch, and River insisted on buying. She gave me the money and I ran across the street and ordered us sandwiches. But I kept grinning for no apparent reason.
When I got back, we chowed down, all of us famished and satisfied that the gallery was in good shape for her showing. Ethan went off to do some last-minute adjustments while River brought me up to her glassed-in office and we started to talk about her books.
“With the kids and making time for my gorgeous husband, I’ve been neglectful.
Brax and I have talked about hiring a professional, but we’ve been reluctant to involve someone from the outside.
Sure, we have someone who does our taxes, but other than that we handle everything for two thriving businesses.
Anything you can do to help would be so appreciated.
Brax tells me you are a whiz and your inventory program has saved him a boatload of time. ”
Her desk was covered with photos of three babies in different stages of development.
They were so freaking adorable with the dark hair and deep blue eyes, a carbon of their very handsome daddy.
She also had pictures of her and Brax on the walls and desk as well.
They looked so in love, I felt a deep longing twist inside me.
“I’m happy to help. I love all this stuff, and I confess to reading the tax code every year to see what’s different.
It’s like putting a puzzle together after the pieces have changed.
I love it. I know that’s a bit sick, but there you have it. ”
“That is a little bit sick,” she said with a soft chuckle, “But we’re oh-so-glad you love it because we…ah…hate it.”
We both laughed at the same time and I was finding that I wanted to be friends with this woman. I wondered if Aubree Outlaw was as sweet, generous and kind as River and Verity. They were her best friends as she’d mentioned a couple of times. How fun it must be to belong to such a tight-knit group.
When I brought up all her accounting, I smiled with glee. She was just as unorganized as Brax. I rolled my shoulders and got to work. Spreadsheet city. Oh joy. I giggled to myself. I was completely sick.
After about three hours of working hard, I got her books in better order.
She came up with a delicious latte and two chocolate chip cookies.
I scarfed them down and the sugar gave me a boost for the rest of the afternoon.
River and Ethan were in constant motion.
When I looked up again, I realized it was time for the caterers.
I left the computer and headed downstairs.
River’s phone rang, and I answered. Sure enough, it was them and they were at the back door.
I called out, “River, the caterers are here. Where’s the back door?”
“This way she called, and I followed the sound of her voice toward the back of the gallery. She opened a door and I said, “I’ve got it. You can get back to what you were doing.”
“Bless you.”
I went through a storage area with many canvasses on racks, looking at what must be Ethan’s handiwork.
He was as good at organizing spaces as I was numbers.
We would make a great team. I stopped in my tracks, my stomach jumping at the thought.
I closed my eyes and pressed my hand to my midriff.
Ethan. Staying here with Ethan…oh God, that sounded way too good to be true.
The knock on the back door brought me out of my thoughts, and I opened the door, the whirlwind of getting the caterers set up and their wait staff briefed took what was left of the afternoon. As we headed toward the showing, I suspected that River wanted us out of her hair.
She was at the reception desk on the computer when I walked up. “Everything is all set. I think you’re going to be okay for tonight.”
She rose, came around the desk and hugged me hard. “I’m so thankful that you both were here today. How about you stay and attend. Enjoy the food and look at the art.”
I looked down at myself. “I couldn’t possibly attend such a grand function dressed like this.”
She scrunched up her face. “You’re right.
We do have an exacting clientele. I’ve got a closet upstairs in a room off the office.
It’s filled with dresses of all sizes for emergency purposes.
I think you’re about the size and height of Verity so keep to the far right of the rack and you should be fine.
There are also some heels there as well. Won’t you stay?”
Truth be told, I had missed going to parties. Who wouldn’t. “Okay, I’ll head up. Thank you for the invite.”
“No, you have my undying gratitude.”
Up in the office, I couldn’t resist doing a few more things to the spreadsheets before opening first one door which led to the bathroom, then another that opened into a large, rectangle room that was full of pottery, knickknacks and a long rack of clothes, shoes beneath it.
She wasn’t kidding. I noticed there was also a few tuxes here as well as some gorgeous suits. She was prepared for all contingencies.
I started going through the racks and found a stunning bandage style dress with a fringe hem in a gorgeous red.
I checked the size and smiled. It was perfect.
Crouching down, I spied a pair of peep toe heels in tan.
I slipped off my flats and tried them on.
They also fit. I went over to an area set with benches and stripped down to my bra and panties next to a full-length mirror.
She thought of everything. Smart to keep all these dresses here, and she wouldn’t have to haul clothes back and forth from home.
As I turned to check out the rack again, looking for a slip, I caught the reflection of my back in the mirror. My scars were faded and barely there, but up close anyone could see them. The bruises had faded a while ago, but the marks were a permanent reminder of why I had run.
I tried to ignore the visceral reaction, but stopped and held onto the rack, my gut tight and churning.
Had I been dreaming before downstairs when I had thought I could stay here?
Or was I changing because of the support I was getting?
The reluctance to leave wasn’t about the comfort of the sweet little apartment Ethan had made for me, or working with Brax, it was my building love for everything here.
But most importantly, it was about Ethan and how he made me feel.
I wanted to be with him, physically and that made me panic a bit inside.
It was the first time since I’d run that I had these feelings.
Maybe…just maybe Suttontowne had been sanctuary. But now, it was so much more.
I took in an uneven breath and blew it out.
I reached for the slip and put it on. Picking up the pretty dress, I stepped into it and drew it up my body.
Snugging the material over my hips, I slipped my arms through the holes and adjusted the back.
Reaching behind me, I tried to draw up the zipper, but could only get it to the middle of my back.
Now I had a terrible dilemma. How was I going to get it all the way up? Asking someone to help me was out of the question.
Just then the door opened, and I froze as the air wafted across the exposed skin of my back. I turned to look over my shoulder and met Ethan’s stunned eyes full of appreciation, then they narrowed.
Oh God. My scars.
He walked across the room without saying a word.
Before I could even ask, he grasped the zipper and the backs of his fingers trailed like fire, sending shivers every which way, neither of us speaking.
But it wasn’t a strained silence—just a heavy one, and I concentrated on breathing in, breathing out.
And it took every ounce of concentration I had to do that.
When his fingers slid over my scars, lingering tenderly there, briefly, before continuing up to the top, it was agony, knowing now that he could guess why I was running.
That now I would have to explain and all I felt was humiliation that I had let it happen to me for so long, lost in my own denial.
Regretting that I hadn’t stepped up and come clean.
I went to step away, to turn, to try to gloss it over, frantic to not involve him. He should just let me go. But he said my name, one arm coming around my waist, crushing me in a hard, fierce embrace, his other hand tangling in my loose hair as he bent his head to rest on top of mine.
Immobilized by the onslaught of need, I wrapped both of my arms around his, certain I would collapse if he let me go.
I had never experienced anything like it—the heavy, surging feeling of two halves coming together, the awesome power of two universes colliding, the stunning rush of wanting.
I had been so lonely and lost. And now it was all too much—too much need, too much unsatisfied hunger, too much raw emotion.
He raised his head and our eyes met in the mirror, my heart skipping frantic beats in my chest. I felt as if I was suffocating.
“Babe—”
“Okay. There’s no time for that,” River Pearl said, breaking us apart. “You need a tux. The rack is over there. Now let’s do something with this beautiful hair,” she said with a smile, drawing me over to a box full of hair accessories.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Ethan, and he stood there staring at me as if he could fix everything, make my world right, charge in on a white horse and save the princess.
Finally, I closed my eyes. If only fairytales were true, but I had given up a long time ago in happily ever afters.