Nights Under the Tennessee Stars

by Joanne Rock

  “You have family.” He put his heavy hands on her shoulders, his voice so certain. “I’m here for you.”

  “For now.” She didn’t want to think about next year and how things would unfold once high school was done. “And only because I drove nine hundred miles to be with you.”

  His expression froze as his body stilled. A slight wrinkle between his eyebrows was the sole sign that told her she’d hurt him. But didn’t he know how much he’d hurt her, too?

  She didn’t know what else to say, and—thankfully—he didn’t stop her when she walked out to dress for the clothing drive. Erin needed her, and something about that felt damn good.

  Not as good as a kiss from Lucas, of course. Something she was still determined to get even if—she checked her watch—she had only sixteen hours left to make that happen.

  Sixteen hours. She swallowed down the panic at the thought of returning home, back where Brandon could find her. She couldn’t leave. She grabbed her cell phone off the dresser. She needed to make a call to the only person who might make him listen to reason.

  With shaking fingers, she dialed her counselor’s number and hoped she would pick up.

  CHAPTER NINE

  TAKING REFUGE BEHIND his old camera—something he didn’t do as much since he’d been moved to producing multiple shows—Remy had too much time to think about all the ways his life was crumbling beneath his feet.

  He adjusted the lighting for an interior shot of Erin at The Strand as she spoke with a customer who’d brought in a clothing donation. Remy wished he’d been the one to put the smile on her face. Instead, he’d screwed up Erin’s nice dinner by unloading details from his personal nightmares that he hadn’t shared with anyone else. Who the hell would have guessed she’d come out with “hope springs eternal” for a toast?

  Strangely, he hadn’t experienced the same guilt he usually did when he thought about Liv. Instead, it’d felt like a ghostly slap in the face to get his act together and move on. Then, today, Sarah’s bombshell had pulled the rug out from under him completely. He’d called the family counselor—someone he hadn’t seen for months—and left a message, but the guy hadn’t called back yet. Sarah’s personal therapist was out today.

  And yeah, he freely admitted he needed professional help to run his own life. Despite the paid experts on the payroll, he was screwing everything up. What would Liv have said if she knew Remy hadn’t helped Sarah with those application forms?

  His daughter had been at the salon longer than him. She’d ridden her bike over as soon as she’d changed while he had hung back to check out of the B and B. And pull his head together after her suggestion that he wasn’t much of a family. After all the time he’d taken off to be there for her? Or at least to be around the house? True, they hadn’t spent much time together in those months, but they’d both been in mourning, and, honest to Pete, most days he could barely keep his head above water.

  “Remy?” Erin approached while he sent a few segments of the new video from his mini Sony camcorder to his laptop.

  He’d given Sarah the big Nikon to interview some of the customers coming into the store. He tried not to take up too much room with his equipment—he had set up in a corner of the nail salon—but Erin still had to step over cords to get to him.

  “Does the camera distract you?” He studied her face, wishing he’d been a better guest or a better friend when she’d been kind enough to invite him to dinner Sunday. “I’d hoped that by filming some preliminary shots of your work today, we’d have more cutaways available for the final episode. That means the full production crew won’t have to spend as much time in Last Chance Vintage.”

  “That would be great.” She had seemed at ease enough when she’d been talking to customers, but she regarded the equipment with wariness. “I wanted to mention that the salon will be giving away a haircut and makeover to one of the women who is in the Dress for Success program. If she’ll talk about her experience, it would be inspiring for others to hear.”

  “Definitely point her out to me when she arrives.” He turned the laptop so Erin could see some of his footage. “You look great, by the way.”

  “I tried to tone it down a little with the blouse.” She tugged on the hem of her white poet’s shirt with lace cuffs. “But it’s like my hand was calibrated to land on this leather piece.” She pantomimed the irresistible draw of it, her fingers landing on the studded collar of the black biker jacket she wore over the white blouse and black leggings.

  “You’ve got a rocker vibe.” He grinned. “In my dreams, I’ll always see you with an air compressor in one hand.”

  The words were laced with a flirtation he hadn’t intended to share but definitely felt. Despite the hum of hair dryers and salon chatter all around them, the rest of the room disappeared for the space of a few charged heartbeats.

  Erin quirked her eyebrow. “Dreaming about me? Maybe it’s your subconscious telling you a walk on the wild side would be good for you.” She hadn’t looked at him, keeping her eyes on his laptop, watching the live feed from Sarah’s outdoor shots on half the screen and the footage Remy had taken of her on the other half.

  His hands were drawn to her in the same way she’d described being drawn to the leather jacket. But he resisted. Did not move near her. But the pull was undeniable.

  “Believe me, I’m getting the messages loud and clear from my subconscious, my regular conscious and every other sentient part of my being.” He kept his voice low as he stood beside her, her ear at the level of his mouth and making quiet confidences easy. “But I’ve been leaving a path of destruction in my wake this year and I like you way too much to risk...hurting you.”

  There it was. The bald truth he hadn’t been able to speak out loud the other night at her place when they’d been alone. When he could have acted on it. He wanted Erin. No question. He knew it for certain as he stood beside her, the amber scent of her in his nose.

  He wanted her with a fierceness he hadn’t been ready to acknowledge until today. Now he was too raw to keep his feelings to himself when he had a flight booked for tonight that could take him away from her forever. Nothing had happened between them, but he wanted her to know he’d thought about it.

  A lot.

  “That should have been my choice, not yours.” Erin’s blue eyes found his with a laser intensity that drove straight through him. “My heart. My risk.”

  Their gazes locked, the tension between them crackling to life.

  She broke the connection and walked away from him, the studs on her jacket glinting in the overhead lights.

  He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until it rushed out in a gust. He thought he’d been doing the right thing putting the brakes on what he felt for her, when he still hadn’t come to terms with the past let alone mapped out any kind of path for the future. Apparently, Erin disagreed.

  How would he leave town tonight with that knowledge hanging over his head? Grinding his teeth in frustration, he picked up his camera and approached the woman she’d asked him to interview. He might have disappointed Erin in other ways, but he planned to make the best damn episode of Interstate Antiquer the show had ever produced. It wouldn’t be enough to make it up to her for leaving town so suddenly, especially after how kind she’d been to him and Sarah.

  For now, however, it was all he had to offer.

  * * *

  “THANKS TO ERIN and Dress for Success, I got an outfit for that interview.” Jamie Raybourn smiled for the camera, her eyes closed while a makeup artist worked on one of her eyelids with a dove-gray shadow. “Now I’m going back to work and I have a real chance of keeping my apartment, too. I’m so much happier out from under the shadow of a man who didn’t think I could do anything on my own. One day, I might even get my son back, too.”

  Erin’s heart tightened at the thought of all this woman had endured. She hadn’t told Bethany about Jamie’s circumstances, letting the woman’s skills win or lose her the job in the interview. She’d
wrestled with what to do. Bethany might have been swayed to hire Jamie if she knew what the woman had faced: an ex-boyfriend who wasn’t just a cheating bastard, but also liked to shove her around when he drank.

  Unfortunately, Jamie had never pressed charges after those incidents, so it was his word against hers when she could have used all the ammunition possible to maintain custody of their son. Now that she had a job, however, her chances of holding steady and keeping her child with her full-time were much improved.

  “I’m so happy for you, Jamie.” Erin squeezed the woman’s arm as Jamie opened her eyes and saw herself in the mirror.

  Jamie squeezed back. “You don’t know how close I was to losing everything.”

  Her voice broke, and the makeup artist stepped away, looking unsure what to do. Erin gestured to Remy to stop filming the interview segment, but Jamie held up a hand.

  “No. It’s okay.” She reached for a tissue box on the small counter in front of the mirror and pulled free a blue swath to dab under her eyes without smudging the makeup. “He asked me if I wanted to share my story and I said yes. I stand by that. Not all the parts are pretty.”

  Inwardly, Erin cheered her bravery and decision. But left in the camera spotlight alone with Jamie, she had no idea what to say.

  Help came from an unexpected source. Sarah rushed up behind Jamie’s chair and met the woman’s tearful gaze in the mirror.

  “You look amazing,” she said with the earnest honesty of a child, bending close so her face was beside Jamie’s in the mirror. “Concentrate on that part because that is really pretty.”

  Of course Sarah’s words made the tears Jamie had been holding back spill down her cheeks, but she was smiling again.

  “You sweet thing.” She patted Sarah’s cheek. “I do feel better now that I look better. I just hope I can do the ‘new me’ justice when I try to reproduce it in the mirror Monday, my first day at my new job.”

  Erin glanced at Remy while Sarah and the makeup artist chatted about the specifics of Jamie’s hair and makeup. Erin wondered if she should be doing something differently or if she should just back out of the camera shot now that her part was sort of done. But although Remy didn’t look through the camera lens, he wasn’t looking at Erin. His eyes were on Sarah as if seeing her for the first time.

  Was he surprised at her ease in front of the camera? Or maybe just struck by how grown-up she seemed? Erin didn’t know and didn’t pretend to understand their relationship, but it had to be a good thing that Remy was giving his daughter the chance she’d driven all the way from Miami to take. She wanted his attention, sure.

  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 as though 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 strode into her life only just 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 featherlight 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 wasn’t as if 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 had to wait only 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.

  CHAPTER TEN

  KEEP UP?

  Remy would have floored the gas if he’d been leading the way to Erin’s house. He’d been willing to sacrifice what he wanted to make sure she didn’t get hurt in the fallout when he left town, but Erin had made her stance clear. She wanted to take the risk.