He ran his hand through his hair. “But you love Grayson.”
She dropped her gaze to the carpet and nodded.
“He doesn’t deserve you.”
“I know.”
“I care about you. I only want what is best.”
“I know.”
“What happens if he never wises up and realizes how much you love him?”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t know.”
John hesitated, and then cleared his throat. “Will you be all right?”
“Eventually.” She attempted to smile, and failed.
“Okay.” He motioned toward the hallway. “I’ll leave you alone. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.”
She watched him walk away, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. “John?”
He stopped and turned. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He smiled tenderly, nodded his acceptance, and walked out of sight.
Ella hustled into the office, closed the door, and planted herself in front of the exit. “Shauna, we’ll need the press kits from everybody in two weeks.”
Shauna frowned. “Okay.”
Her secretary’s flushed face and rapid breathing had nothing to do with the message. Shauna had already emailed the updated notices to Grayson, and he’d replied that he’d pass the message on.
“What’s with you? Did Herbert Kendall come in again?” Shauna shut off her computer.
“No,” Ella said. “I haven’t seen him all week.”
Herbert’s habitual complaining about the city often flustered the even-tempered woman, until Shauna intervened on Ella’s behalf, promising to talk to the city council on his behalf. She removed her purse out of the bottom drawer of her desk, and then stepped around, ready to follow Ella out of the office.
“You can’t leave.” Ella widened her stance.
“Why not?”
“They’re spraying for bugs.” Ella crossed her arms.
“At six o’clock? I don’t think so.” Shauna shook her head and made to walk around Ella, but Ella grabbed her arms.
“Tell me what size advertisement you want in next week’s paper.” Ella’s brows rose. “Do we want to go with color or black and white?”
“Enough, Ella.” Shauna laughed and moved the stubborn woman aside. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I have somewhere I need to go. It’s already an hour past closing time. We’ve gone over everything we need to today, but I promise if you’re that confused we can go over it all again on Monday.”
“Fine.” Ella blew out her breath. “Just don’t fire me.”
“I think you need to go home, relax, and maybe go out for a few drinks. You seem stressed, and you know I’d never get rid of you.” Shauna smiled. “You work too hard and keep me focused. I’d be lost without you.”
With that said, she opened the door, turned left, and proceeded to the back of the building. Determined to make things right with her dad, she headed toward the street where she’d parked her car.
If she were lucky, her dad would still be in the garage working and she’d be able to have the conversation she should’ve had with him a long time ago. She’d been ignoring the fact her mom was back for the indefinite future and if she got this over with, she’d sleep better at night.
Her mom could go to hell for all she cared, but her dad had always been there for her. He’d scrimped for years to put her through college, even letting her live on campus when she knew he’d have to work longer hours to foot the bill. When her teen years became unbearable, no one was better at holding her while she cried and teaching her to stand up for herself.
He’d never left her and for that reason alone, she’d figure out how to make their father-daughter relationship work.
She rounded the corner and came to a complete stop. Every thought erased from her mind at the sight of Grayson leaning against her car. The hair stood up on her nape, and despite how much she tried to ignore the happiness bubbling inside of her, she couldn’t control the way her stomach flip flopped.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
She walked around the front of the car, keeping space between Grayson and herself. “I get it, Grayson. You want to make my life miserable the way I did to you. Fine. Whatever. Let me repay you back. I will not now, or ever, sleep with you. Now you can go on with your life and forget all about me, because that’s what I did. You’re not even a bleep on my radar. See how good it works.”
He moved over and held her door shut, not letting her climb in and drive away. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.” He lowered his voice. “I can see it in your eyes.”
She blinked. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Whatever you think about me, I do care about you.” He stroked her arm. “Maybe too much, and that’s the problem.”
“Grayson … ” She sighed, her determination not to fall for his pretty words fading with each second. “I need to go do something. My problems have nothing to do with you. You’re just the unlucky person who stepped into my path today.”
“Talk to me.” He lifted her chin. “You used to trust me with what was going on in your life. I’d like to help.”
“So you say, but where were you when I needed you a few weeks ago? You talk big, but so far I haven’t seen that part of you who used to be friends with me. You’re hard and cold. I don’t even know you anymore.” She sniffed. Dammit, she was not going to cry.
“When did you come to me?”
“The night I went to your house and made an absolute fool out of myself. Later, I’d gone back to talk to you, to take you up on your offer, and you were gone. Now it’s too late. Everything has changed.”
“No, it hasn’t. I’ve been an ass, but I want to make it up to you.” He framed his hands around her face. “Go do what you have to do, and then I’ll come over to your house and we can talk. Just talk.”
She shook her head. “I’m not staying with my dad anymore.”
“Okay.” He frowned. “Come to my house. Please.”
She hesitated. Was she asking for disappointment again? When would she ever say enough is enough?
“Miss Marino!” Mrs. Bakkersten shuffled across the street and approached them, out of breath. “I’m so glad I found you, dear. Your dad’s been trying to get a hold of you.”
She reached out toward Grayson. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s been trying to call you for the last hour.” Mrs. Bakkersten tsked and shook her head. “He asked me to find you, and since everyone knows you’re living back at the hotel after your breakup with John, that was the first place I looked. I’m lucky to find you here.”
Grayson pulled her tight against his side. “Wait, you broke up with John?”
“Never mind that … ” She pressed her fingers into her temple. “Did something happen? Is my dad hurt?”
Visions of a lift malfunctioning and her dad pinned under a vehicle stole her breath.
Mrs. Bakkersten grabbed Shauna’s hand. “No, dear, but he said it was very important. He wants you to call his cell phone.”
She blew her breath out.
He’s not hurt. He’s okay.
“Thank you.” Shauna leaned against Grayson’s side, letting him hold her against him.
“You’re welcome.” Mrs. Bakkersten glanced back and forth between Grayson and Shauna. “I expect better out of you this time, Mr. Schyler. Don’t you go breaking this young thing’s heart, or sleeping with all those other women you enjoy parading around everywhere. Shauna has always loved you, and doesn’t deserve the way you treat her.”
Grayson grinned and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be careful.”
The older woman drilled him with one last condescending look and then harrumphed, pivoting on her two-inch heels and marching back across the street. Shauna shook her head.
“You’ve got some supporters in town.” Grayson chuckled.
Aware of how she was pressing her body against him, she stepped back and dug her phone out of her purse. She could’ve sworn she’d turned the phone on this morning, but the display wouldn’t light up.
Dammit.
“Here. You can use mine.” Grayson held out his phone.
“Thanks.” She punched in the number and paced, while she waited for her dad to pick up.
“Hey, dad. It’s me.”
“Buddy, you need to come over right away. This has gone on long enough,” Tony said.
Her back stiffened. Not one who particularly enjoyed having someone order her around, she hesitated before telling him she was on her way over now.
“Your mom’s packing.” He cursed under his breath. “She says she doesn’t want to come between us anymore, and is leaving.”
“Dad … this doesn’t involve me.” She clamped her lips together briefly. “If she wants to leave, let her go. Besides, she’s left before and we were fine without her.”
The conversation died. Shauna waited, surprised to find her hands shaking. There were too many things going on in her life to worry about the feelings of a woman who’d given her own child no thought when she’d hightailed it out of town.
“Shauna.” Tony cleared his throat. “Do it for me. Come talk to your mother.”
“She’s not what I would call a mother, dad,” she said.
“I know you believe that but you don’t know … just come over, please. I love her.” Tony hung up.
Shauna pulled the phone away from her ear, stared at it in shock, and then cocked her arm back to throw it when Grayson grabbed her hand, rescuing his phone. She glared at him.
“I would’ve bought you a new one.” She jerked her arm.
“That’s not the point.” He slid the phone in his back pocket.
“It never is with you.” She stomped away.
She wanted to hit something, or smash a window. Anger rolled up her back and she flung her arms out to the sides. “What is with people? They think they can manipulate and threaten whenever they want, and if it gets too tough … bam! They’re gone, leaving their shit behind and not giving another thought to anyone else.”
“I don’t — ”
“It’s sickening! I wish she’d leave. I don’t want her here. Everything was fine before she came back. Dad was happy. I was happy. We don’t need her.” She swung her foot out and kicked the hubcap on her car. Pain radiated up her toes to her ankle. “Dammit!”
She limped to the driver’s side door, flung it open, and threw in her purse. All the stress, confusion, and heartache she’d suffered through coiled into an angry ball in the pit of her stomach, and she rounded on Grayson.
“You’re no better than my mother.” She poked him in the chest, backing him toward the middle of the street. “You dangled me like … like one of your airheaded blonds who kiss your ass and don’t care that in the morning you’ll be gone. Well, guess what? I take back every second I wasted hoping and praying that you’d wake up and see how much I lo — ”
He moved forward, making her retreat, walking with that lazy long stride that had the ability to hypnotize her. His gaze was so intent, her breasts hardened and she forgot why she was wasting her time arguing. His hair lay over his forehead in a sexy I-don’t-give-a-damn way that tempted her to reach up and sweep it back. But she didn’t. She couldn’t get that close. Not the way her body sang when he was near.
The back of her thighs hit against the car, her breath barely coming through the constant throb of her body. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to take what’s mine.” He lowered his head, hovering inches from her mouth. “I don’t care if I get it here, in the middle of Main Street, or if you come over to my house and let me have you there. But I’ll be damned if we’re gonna pussy foot around this subject any longer.”
“But … ”
He shook his head. “I’m done fighting, Shauna. I want you. You hear me? I want you as much as you want me. For as long as you want me.”
Oh my God. She forgot to breathe. She’d waited forever to hear him admit his feelings toward her, to confess it wasn’t her overactive imagination dreaming up a future with him. Everyone thought her crush was one sided, but she knew better. She sucked in air, filling her lungs.
Then the magnitude of her dad’s phone call hit her. She stumbled backward.
“My mom … ” She pressed her fingers against her forehead. “My mom’s back, Grayson. Why did she come back?”
“Aw, sweetheart.” He gathered her in his arms.
His body was warm, and she leaned forward. Her body strained against her clothing while her head warned her that they were out in plain view of anyone who was downtown.
“You’re not alone. I’m here. You have friends.” He stroked the hair back from her face. “I’ll help you.”
“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” She gazed up into his eyes. “I don’t want to turn back into the person I was, Grayson. I don’t want to hurt inside anymore.”
“There was never anything wrong with you before.” He kissed her forehead. “I understood you.”
“But you’re so angry.”
“You painted my name all over town.” He grinned. “I get angry. It’s what we do.”
She laughed softly. “We’re screw-ups.”
“Yep.” He expelled his breath in a whoosh. “Let’s start over. Come to my house.”
She nodded. “I’ll come over.”
“No pressure. I’m not a jerk. I had no idea what else you were going through. Sweetheart, you have a lot going on. I’m sorry. If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have left town.” He studied her.
She gazed up at him. “We can talk.”
“Promise?”
“Y-yes.” She rolled her eyes. “After I go talk to my dad.”
He lifted his hand and traced a finger over her bottom lip. “Hurry.”
She sighed, and gave him a half smile.
I will.
Shauna scrambled out of her car and hurried up the walkway to her dad’s house, her heels clicking rapidly on the concrete. The house looked the same as it had the day she’d left. The lawn still needed mowing, and dad’s overalls still hung at the end of the porch in their usual place.
As she negotiated the steps and crossed to the front door, she paused, steeling herself for what was to come. She planned to support her dad the same way she’s always backed him.
She knocked, and let herself in. “Dad?”
Tony stood up from the couch. His thinning hair stood out from his head and there were grease marks smeared across his wrinkled forehead, showing her how many times he’d ran his hand through his hair. A sign that his frustration level was about to explode.
She walked into his arms and let him hold her tight. His chest trembled and he squeezed her tighter. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat.