Winnie tapped her lips with her forefinger and then pointed toward the space next to me and then back to me. “For another woman, or for yourself?”
“For another woman.” As much as it pained me to say it, that was the truth.
“But you said he opened up to you yesterday.”
I moaned. Why had I even told her that? It wasn’t like I’d given specifics, and she knew better than to ask, because I didn’t betray my clients. The thing was, with Liam, those lines were blurred and scratched over and crossed every which way. It was all I could do to remember that I was supposed to be working with him in a professional capacity. He was just so unpredictable and … fun. I hadn’t had fun with a man in a long time.
But no. I couldn’t dwell on that. When his paid week was up, we could hang out as friends. Until then, I was his therapist and he was my client. Period.
I met Winnie’s questioning gaze. “It’s my job to get him to open up, and it’s his job to explore his personality and think deeply about who he is and who he wants to be.”
The more I contemplated our time together yesterday, the more I realized it had been a great session. One of my best, because he’d come in so willing to share. With other clients, I would walk them along the path as they discovered parts of themselves. Liam did the homework and brought me up to speed. That was all.
Had he progressed? Yes.
Did I learn to catch a football? Not hardly. I could get my hands up and protect myself, but really playing catch when he stood farther than five feet away was not in my wheelhouse. Maybe, if I could get over the mental block created in the 6th grade, I could eventually be a horrible amateur flag football participant. But I wasn’t banking on that.
Liam didn’t seem to mind that I had zero skills on the field. At the end of our session, he’d told me it was okay if I never got it, because he had enough skill for both of us. I smiled, remembering his half-cocked smile and confidence in that moment. He’d accepted me for me—like any true friend. Friend. Could there be a more disgusting word in the English language? Just saying the word in my head made me want to puke.
“So this is all part of the job?” Winnie asked as she waved to the clothing.
I nodded.
Then Winnie turned to face me. “I’ve never seen you pay this much for just a job.” She narrowed her eyes, and I wanted to melt under her scrutiny.
If I didn’t leave now, she was going to discover my secret. My deep-down, never-to-see-the-light-of-day secret. And I couldn’t have anyone reveal that.
“Heather,” she said, dragging out the syllables of my name.
I grabbed another dress and draped it on my arm. “No,” I said as I hurried to another rack.
“Heather,” Winnie said, following close behind me. She wasn’t going to let this go. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill off Heath.”
My jaw dropped as I whipped around to face her. “You wouldn’t.” Heath was my all-time favorite character of hers. I may have had a life-size cutout created of him. She hated the book he was written in—it was one of her firsts—but I’d fallen head over heels for that fictional character.
She shrugged. “It would be easy. One push down the elevator shaft …”
I jutted out my lower lip. “You can’t kill Heath.”
“Then tell me your secrets,” she whispered, leaning in.
“This is not fair.” I wanted to hold my ground, but Heath’s life was in danger, so I threw my hands over my face, scrunching the dresses against my chest. “I think I might like Liam.” I barely said it loud enough for me to hear, so I didn’t know if she’d heard me.
She shook my arms. “How much?”
I dropped my hands and cringed. “More than I should.”
She squealed and threw her arms around me, bouncing up and down. “I’m so happy for you.”
I shoved her away. “You shouldn’t be. The man drives me crazy half the time, and the other half he’s melting me into goo. I’m not smart around him. I think doing things like kissing my client is a good idea—”
“The best idea!” she echoed with a grin, completely missing my point.
“Winnie! He doesn’t see me as viable girlfriend material. We’ve become good friends, and as far as I can tell, he’s happy to park us in the friend zone for eternity.” I wilted, leaning against a display.
She frowned. “Then he’s dumb.”
My hackles rose up. “Don’t call him that. Liam is anything but dumb.”
A slow, wicked smile spread across her face. I had the odd feeling that I’d just stepped into one of her books and found out that the sister was really a wicked stepsister in disguise. “We need to make him suffer.”
“Excuse me?” I pushed off the display and poked her in the shoulder. “I’m not the type of person who goes on a revenge rampage.”
“No!” She waved both her hands as if trying to erase what I’d just thought out of the air. “Not that kind of suffering. We need to show him what he’s missing. Make him want you so bad he can hardly stand it.”
I wrapped one of my curls around my hand. “I don’t think that will ever happen.”
She cackled and cracked her knuckles.
“Oh my gosh—why do I feel like I’ve unleashed an evil mastermind on an unsuspecting population?”
“Because, dear sister,” she said in a theatrically menacing voice, “you activated my older sibling, ‘I got your back,’ ‘thank goodness you have me’ side.”
“Now I’m afraid.” Winnie was known for taking on big projects and conquering the world. Write a book? Sure, no problem. How about 27 of them?
“You should be thanking me.” She walked me deeper into the store to a dress that screamed from the hanger, I’m yours. “Because this is the dress that’s going to turn Liam into a salivating caveman.”
I would have argued that he was well beyond that influence—after all, I’d spent a week getting him to use his brain when it came to women—but this dress … This dress was so gorgeous. It was done in royal blue, and the batwing sleeve and tie around the waist would accentuate my curves, while the dipped back would allow a glimpse of my freckled shoulder blades. It was the perfect combo of sexy and smart.
“I’m trying it on.” A surge of something foreign and powerful raced through my veins. I grabbed it and rushed to the changing room, only to have to come back in search of the clerk to open it for me. She rolled her eyes at my request and moved slowly enough to make me want to scream.
In the changing room, I undressed quickly. It was like my body couldn’t wait to wear this piece of fabric. I’d never had this reaction to any piece of clothing before. I certainly loved tee shirts and sweatpants—enjoying the comfort they offered. But I’d never wanted to put on a garment and become the woman I pictured wearing it.
More than that, though, I wanted Liam to see me wear this dress. Which made me either a hopeless romantic or a pathetic groupie longing for a man who would never desire me.
I finally stepped out for Winnie to see. She gasped as her eyes welled up with tears. “You’re so beautiful.”
I hugged her, not caring that the sales lady scowled. She probably didn’t want us to wrinkle the dress. Too bad. I was taking it with me today, so I didn’t care if I hugged my sister in it. I stepped back. My dear, wonderful sister believed that I was this amazing woman who should have men tripping at her heels. I hated to argue with her, but I couldn’t stand how high her hopes were—especially because they were bad influences on my own hopes, encouraging them and such. “He’s not going to fall in love with me because of a dress.”
She flapped her hand as if I’d offered a concern about the weather. “He confides in you. He trusts you. He’s closer to you than he has been to any other woman.”
I slumped farther. “All those things tell me I’m a confidant, not a girlfriend.” I glanced at myself in the mirror, seeing the defeated woman in front of me.
And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a surge of confidence raced
through my veins. If I was honest with myself, I was tired of being the same old scared Heather. The one who refused to take risks because she didn’t want her heart broken. As much as I didn’t want to admit that Liam could have an influence on me, I was beginning to wonder if that was such a bad thing.
He was the kind of guy who took things in stride. Maybe I could too?
I turned to face Winnie. “You know what? I’m buying the dress, and I’m going to wear it. Because it’s stunning.”
“Okay …” She drew out the word and added a question mark to the end.
“And I’m going to be the therapist Liam needs—even if it means making him the best boyfriend for someone else.”
Winnie tried to protest, but I ducked back into the changing room and shut the door. My feelings didn’t matter in this situation. So what if I liked Liam—what was I, twelve? No. I was an adult with a brain and a degree and a private practice to grow.
I didn’t have time for a boyfriend with all that going on in my life.
I’d survived up to this point without a warm body to snuggle up against, and I would continue to survive after Liam found an amazing woman to keep his heart safe.
I clutched my arms around my chest, suddenly overcome with a sense of loss. As much as I didn’t want to do my job, I couldn’t drop him as a client now if I wanted to. Because a part of me was selfish enough to want him all to myself—at least until Saturday night when I had to let him go.
Chapter Thirteen
Liam
Wednesday
I was nervous—which was stupid. After all, Heather and I had talked about our relationship, and she’d informed me that she was interested in me as solely a friend and client. That was it. So the fact that I stood in my room with my heart pounding and butterflies dive-bombing my stomach made me feel like an idiot. I didn’t feel anxious about things—especially not a date with a girl.
Dating was my jam. It was my wheelhouse. It was the only thing besides football that I could do blindfolded and with an arm tied behind my back. And the fact that this was not a date in any sense of the word made me feel even more pathetic, because I had plans tonight. Big plans. Brave plans. Plans to take things to a whole new level—if it all went well. If it didn’t, then I’d move to Texas and pretend I’d never let my heart get involved in this whole affair.
I pushed my hand through my gelled hair, messing it up. I didn’t want her to think I tried in any way. I was taking her on a practice date to have her critique my skills. My normal moves worked on girls I’d previously dated. With the new type of woman I was attempting to woo, I needed advice on what was okay and what was not.
My phone chimed, so I waved my hand to dismiss my reflection and hurried over to my nightstand to grab my phone. I was done with obsessing about my appearance and what it did or did not say about my feelings for Heather. I was going to pretend that this date meant nothing, even though my heart begged for it to mean more.
Jaxson’s name appeared on my screen. Good, I needed the distraction my best friend gave me. “Hey, man,” I said as I brought the phone to my ear and pinched it between my head and shoulder so I could put on my shoes. I went with a more casual look, a dark blue button-down shirt with gray dress pants. I didn’t want to go formal, but I wanted to look nice.
“Hey, Lottie and I are two minutes away. We want to drop off the list of to-dos for you.”
“To-dos?” I asked as I shoved my foot in the other shoe. That wasn’t exactly the distraction I was looking for. I had plenty going on in my life right now; I didn’t need more.
“Yep.” I heard some scraping on the other side, and the image of Jaxson shifting in his seat so he could create distance between him and Lottie entered my mind. “It’s long, dude. Your sister has become quite the bridezilla.”
I chuckled. That sounded about right. Lottie was low-maintenance for the most part, until she got stressed. Then the demons came out in full force. “I’m heading out for a date, so be quick,” I said as I grabbed my wallet and keys from the dish on my dresser and slipped them into my pocket. Then I flipped off my bedroom light and headed into the hallway.
They were knocking at my door by the time I got down the stairs and flipped on the porch light. I opened the door only to have Lottie blow past me.
“Took you long enough,” she breathed out. Her hair was wind-blown, and I could tell she was in a full-blown panic. Jaxson gave me a sympathetic smile as he stood silently behind her.
“Good to see you too, Charlotte,” I said, dragging out her name.
She gave me a pointed look. “We’re dropping off your assignments,” she said, shoving a piece of paper into my hand. “We’d hoped you would have come to the past three meetings, but apparently your sister’s wedding isn’t as important as whatever you do in your free time.”
I raised my eyebrows as I unfolded the paper and glanced down.
Pick up grandparents from airport
Steam suits
Organize rides to the chapel
The further I glanced down the list, the higher my eyebrows went up. “Geez, Lottie. You need me to do all of this by next weekend?”
Lottie’s eyes filled with tears, and her bottom lip began to tremble.
Feeling like a jerk, I reached out and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She sobbed into my chest. She was stressed, and I wasn’t fulfilling my big brother duties nor my best man duties. “I just want the day to be perfect, and I feel like that’s not going to happen,” she said as she pulled away and then began to wipe at the water spot that had formed on my chest from where her tears had spilled.
I pushed her hand away to let her know that I didn’t care about that. “It will be amazing, trust me,” I said as I dipped down to give her a smile.
“Really?”
I raised my right hand. “I swear that it will be the biggest party this town has ever seen.”
She sniffed a few times and then nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. Then she stepped back and assessed me. “Are you going somewhere?”
At the mention of my evening plans, my heart began to pick up speed once more. I wanted to tell her that I was going out with Heather, but I knew that would only elicit knowing smiles and teases. And I wasn’t ready for that. Not right now. “Can’t your brother look nice for himself?” I asked as I grabbed my leather jacket from the hall closet and slipped it on.
“For yourself?” Jaxson asked.
I nodded. “I’m going to dinner and mini golf, alone.”
Lottie snorted. “Right. I’m sure that’s the truth.” Then she turned to Jaxson. “How much do you wanna bet that his not-a-date is with Heather?”
“Excuse me—”
“Fifty dollars,” Jaxson said as he extended his hand.
“Hello?”
Lottie and Jaxson didn’t seem interested in hearing from me. Instead, they shook hands and then turned to grin at me to settle their bet.
I blew out my breath, not at all interested in who won the fifty bucks. I grabbed my keys from my pocket and extended my arms. “Let’s go. I have places to be,” I said, catching them with my arms and pushing them toward the door.
“Wouldn’t it be great if they got together?” Lottie asked as they walked in front of me and I shut off lights.
“Yeah, it would be nice to finally double date with my bro again.”
I scowled. It had been a long time since we’d gone out together. When he and Lottie had first started dating, we’d doubled all the time. But that had tapered off as time went on. I’d thought it was because they wanted alone time, but maybe it had more to do with me and my superficial dating technique. Mason hadn’t been impressed with my game at dinner last week either. What I didn’t get was why no one said anything to me. No one but Mom and then Heather because I’d hired her to tell me the truth.
I locked the door and turned to find them standing at the bottom of the stairs, smiling expectantly. Jaxson had his arms around Lottie, wh
o stood in front of him. She had her hands up and was gripping Jaxson’s arms. The knowing glint in her eye irritated me.
“I’m not telling you anything,” I growled, and I headed for my car, determined to steer clear of my happy sister and best friend. I was glad that they had found love, but when I was around their joyful glee too much, it made me ache for something similar. And having that desire when I was minutes from seeing Heather was a recipe for disaster.
Lottie and Jaxson were still smiling at me in their I don’t believe you kind of way as I backed out. They waved, and I shook my head as I focused on the road. No matter what they said or how they felt, it didn’t change the truth. And that truth was that Heather didn’t think of me that way. At all.
I was her client first and pseudo friend second.
By the time I got to her apartment building and slipped through the security door while a mom shepherded her kids into the lobby, I felt a tad better. The ride up on the elevator and the quick stride down the hall to Heather’s door gave me the confidence that I could survive this night without having my heart broken or doing something stupid.
In fact, my knock on her door even sounded confident as I landed my knuckles with a thud. I felt great, on top of the world, ready to conquer my mental game tonight. After all, I hadn’t risen to the top of the NFL by being weak. I was a warrior—physically and mentally. No one got inside my head—ever.
Until Heather opened the door. She took my breath away as she stood there in a dark green sweater and skinny jeans. Her hair was down and curly, but the frizz that normally endeared her to me was gone, and in its place were her wavy curls that looked soft to the touch. The desire to run my fingers through it overcame me.
His Romance Coach (A McKnight Family Romance Book 5) Page 11
