Romancing the Wallflower

by Michelle Major

  The principal had made it quite clear that Erin should keep her relationship with both Rhett and David professional and not allow herself to become involved in their personal lives.

  Smart advice, but Erin’s heart was already involved. It killed her to think of the boy in trouble and afraid when she hadn’t been there to smooth things over for him.

  She stepped up to the bar and waited for the bartender to serve the two beers to the men sitting next to where Erin stood.

  “Why don’t you pull up a seat and talk to us, darlin’,” one of the men, a scruffy-looking guy in a Broncos jersey, said.

  Erin swallowed. The only time she’d come to a bar before tonight had been with a group of girlfriends, and no one had paid much attention to her. “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t think so.” She leaned toward the bar and caught the petite blonde’s eye. “I need to see David,” she whispered.

  “He’s no fun anymore,” the second man said. “Doesn’t live up to his baseball reputation at all.”

  “Shut up, Donnie,” the bartender snapped.

  “You know it’s true, Tracie,” the man shot back. “If half the stories about Dave are true, he got more action than a fox in a chicken coop back in the day.”

  “Now all he does is work.” The first man darted a look at Erin. “No matter how many hot chicks throw themselves at him. We need some excitement around here.”

  Tracie rolled her eyes, and Erin wasn’t sure whether it was in response to the man’s complaint about David or the implication that Erin was a “hot chick.”

  “You’d better not let your wives hear you talking like that,” Tracie said.

  “Why do you think we want Davey to get some action?” Donnie took a long pull on his beer. “I don’t want trouble at home. But I’m not dead, just married.”

  The bartender huffed out a laugh and turned away without bothering to acknowledge Erin again.

  Erin should give up. David didn’t want her, and she could talk to Rhett when he returned to school after the suspension.

  Somehow she couldn’t force herself to walk away. That was what she’d ordinarily do, but she was done being ordinary.

  She stepped behind the bar and followed Tracie down the length of it, tapping the tiny woman on the shoulder when she got close.

  “Seriously?” the woman asked as she whirled around. “You can’t be back here.”

  “I need to see him.”

  “He’s used to handling things on his own.” Tracie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Erin. “It’s easier that way. No one gets hurt.”

  Erin was pretty sure the gorgeous bartender wasn’t only talking about David. “He doesn’t have to do this alone.” She made her voice purposefully gentle. “I’m not going to hurt him. I promise.”

  Tracie studied her for a few seconds, then reached in her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “The silver one unlocks the office and the staircase inside that leads up to the loft. You’d better make this right. David and Rhett both need that.”

  Erin had no idea how to make anything right at the moment, but she nodded and took the key ring. “Thank you.”

  “You’re different than you look,” Tracie said. “Stronger.”

  A bit of happiness trickled through Erin at the reluctant compliment. “You’re not quite as scary.”

  Tracie laughed softly. “Don’t tell anyone.”

  Erin closed her hand around the keys and headed through the brewpub. She unlocked the office door and flipped on the light, taking a moment to gather her courage before moving to the wood panel door on the far side. Away from the noise of the bar, every sound seemed amplified and the click of the lock as she turned the key reverberated in her ears.

  She let herself into the narrow staircase and locked the door behind her, as she had in the office, as well. Before she made it halfway up the stairs, the door at the top opened.

  David stared down at her, his expression unreadable with his face concealed by shadows.

  “Do you pick locks in your spare time?” he asked.

  “Tracie gave me the key,” she said, proud that her voice didn’t shake. She forced herself to keep moving toward him, even though her knees were practically knocking. As silly as it sounded, it felt like she was going into battle. “You wouldn’t return my calls and texts or answer when I knocked.”

  “Rhett was in the bath.”

  “I wanted to check on him.” She was on the step below him now, gazing up into the hard planes of his face.

  “You’ll see him when he goes back to school,” he said tightly. “Unless there’s another sub in his class.”

  “That’s not fair. What happened today isn’t my fault.”

  For a moment she thought he might slam the door in her face, and she wondered what had possessed her to come here in the first place. Maybe her fantasy life had truly taken over and she’d imagined the connection between them. Maybe she was so desperate to be needed by someone that she’d read more into the situation than was really there.

  Then he reached out and hauled her against him. His arms wrapped tight around her, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. She could feel the tension coiled in him, electric and barely contained. And she knew she hadn’t imagined any of it. This man needed her, and that understanding made her heart sing.

  “You’re right. I’m angry at Jenna for putting all of us in this position. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too,” she answered, speaking into the soft fabric of his shirt. She turned her head so she could feel the warm skin of his throat against the tip of her nose.

  He drew back, smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks.

  “No. I’m a jerk, Erin. You’re right. None of this is your fault. It’s easier to be angry at the school and you than to admit how badly Jenna has screwed things up. To admit that I stood by and let her.”

  “You didn’t—”

  “I should have known more about her new guy. Should have realized he was bad news and protected her and Rhett. Hell, the whole reason I moved to Colorado was to take care of things, and I let myself believe that just my mere presence here would make everything fine. I was a fool.”

  “You’re here and you’re trying. Give yourself a break.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. The stakes are too high.”

  She wanted to wipe the pain from his eyes, to take some of that burden and carry it for him. He’d uprooted his life to take care of his sister and nephew. He moved halfway across the country and had become a successful business owner and part of this town. There had never even been a question that he would step in for Rhett and get Jenna the help she needed. David was a good man, but he refused to see that in himself. Erin wished she could find a way to show him.

  “I’d like to talk to Rhett.” She forced herself to step out of David’s embrace. It was too easy to forget that their relationship wasn’t actually a relationship. He needed her help with his nephew, and she’d made the commitment to give it.

  His attention wasn’t about her—not really. She’d had a crush on him for far too long and he hadn’t even known she existed. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’d inserted herself into his life, he’d still be nothing more than her fantasy man and she’d be...nothing to him.

  “We were watching a few minutes of television,” he said, then glanced at his watch. “It’s almost bedtime.” He reached around her to shut the door to the staircase, then led her down the hall toward the main section of the apartment. They passed through the kitchen, which looked like a cozier version of the pub decor. The cabinets were dark wood with dark gray concrete countertops. Four chairs were tucked against the long island, exact copies of the bar stools downstairs.

  “Dinner?” she asked, pointing to a half loaf of bread and jar of pean
ut butter sitting on the cluttered countertop.

  David shrugged. “I tried to make grilled cheese sandwiches but burned the hell out of them. PB&J was the best I could do.”

  “Grilled cheese can be complicated,” she said gently, earning a small laugh from David.

  “It’s better when I bring up food from downstairs,” he admitted.

  The far end of the kitchen opened to a family room, with wide-plank wood floors and oversize furniture. She could see The Lego Movie playing on the flat-screen TV that hung on one wall, and Rhett glanced up as they approached, then did a double take when he saw her.

  “I got aspended,” he announced, his voice solemn. “I can’t come to school tomorrow.”

  “I know,” she said, lowering herself to the cushion next to him. “That’s why I stopped by tonight. I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I wasn’t at school today to help you on the playground.”

  “Uncle David said I can’t hit people,” Rhett told her, “even when they’re mean.”

  “That’s good advice.” She reached out and gently smoothed away the hair that was falling across Rhett’s eyes. “You can always talk to another teacher or Ms. Henderson if I’m not there.”

  “I hate Isaac.” Rhett held his hands tight in his lap. “He called Mommy a bad word. It’s not her fault his daddy wants to be her boyfriend. Lots of people want to be her boyfriend.”

  Erin heard a sound from David that sounded like a growl but focused her attention on the boy. “You love your mommy very much,” she told him. “She’s lucky to have you and I bet she’s working hard to feel better and misses you so much.”

  “I miss her,” Rhett whispered.

  “I know you won’t be at school tomorrow, but I hope your uncle will bring you to the community center in the afternoon. You can draw a picture for your mommy that shows how much you love her to give to her when she comes home.”

  Rhett looked from Erin to David. “Can I go, Uncle David?”

  “Sure, buddy,” came the rumbly response. “As long as you promise no more fights.”

  The boy nodded, then yawned. “I promise,” he said sleepily.

  “Time for bed,” David announced.

  “Can Ms. MacDonald read me a story?” Rhett asked, scooting off the couch.

  David cleared his throat and Erin glanced back at him. He lifted one brow, silently leaving the decision up to her. Her life before last week had been so simple and straightforward. And boring.

  “I’d love to,” she told Rhett, and her heart melted a little when he grabbed her hand to lead her out of the family room.

  She loved the hugs and hand-holding from her students, but there were always some who remained physically distant and she tried to respect that, too. Rhett had been one of those this year, which made the fact that he was reaching out to her mean so much more.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw David watching them with an unreadable expression. Maybe she’d overstayed her welcome, but it felt right to be part of their lives.

  “Are you okay if I check in downstairs for a minute?” he asked. “I’ll be back up to tuck him in.”

  “Take your time.” She handed him Tracie’s keys and turned back to Rhett.

  The boy led her down the hall to a small bedroom with a bathroom connected to it. It was clearly a guest room, with just a bed and nondescript chest of drawers against one wall. Rhett’s stuffed blue dog sat on top of the plain beige comforter and there was a basket filled with random toys shoved in the corner.

  Rhett grabbed the same pair of football-themed pajamas he’d been wearing the night of his mother’s party from a pile of clothes stuffed into a laundry basket and spilling over onto the floor. “I need to get my pj’s on and brush my teeth before we read.”

  “Is it okay if I fold some of your laundry while you do that?” she asked.

  “I guess. Uncle David washes my clothes but says there’s no point in putting anything away when I’m just going to wear them again.”

  Erin tried to keep her smile from showing. That was exactly something a single man would say. “Is that what you did with your mommy?”

  Rhett shook his head. “Mommy and me folded laundry after dinner. I did the socks.”

  “Then I’ll save the socks for you,” Erin said.

  “I’m good at them,” Rhett confirmed, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  She heard the sound of water running and then Rhett brushing his teeth. She folded the clothes and put them away in drawers, hoping that small thing would help him feel more settled.

  It made her feel like she was contributing something, making up for how she hadn’t been there for him earlier. Rationally she knew it wasn’t her fault. Her work on the district planning committee had taken her out of the building for a day of training. Teachers got subs all the time for a variety of reasons. But it didn’t change the fact that the boy had needed her, and she’d failed him.

  She couldn’t let it happen again.

  After a few minutes, Rhett returned to the bedroom.

  “Dirty clothes in the laundry hamper,” she said, pointing to a wicker basket next to the dresser.

  “You sound like Mommy,” he told her as he went back to retrieve his discarded clothes. But he was smiling as he climbed on the bed next to her. The first smile she’d seen from him tonight.

  He rolled the socks into balls, then handed her a Magic Tree House book from the nightstand. She made sure he was snuggled in tight, then started to read about ninjas and two time-traveling kids.

  She finished a chapter, then glanced down at Rhett to see his eyes had drifted shut, Ruffie tucked under his arm. She stood slowly and smoothed the covers over both the boy and the stuffed dog. Erin had so much in her life—a great job, good friends, a mom who loved her. But there was nothing she could truly call her own, and spending time with Rhett made it clear how much she wanted that.

  The relentless pounding in her chest sounded strangely like her ovaries stomping their tiny reproductive feet, as if to say, “it’s about time you remembered we were withering away here.” Well, not exactly withering. She had plenty of time to settle down. The scary truth was that she was already settled but seemed destined to be stuck alone.

  She wanted to change her life, but maybe it had been a mistake to focus on her professional life when her personal world was so sorely lacking any excitement. David McCay would be an adventure—the kind that could ruin her for any other man. It might just be worth the risk. She shook her head and commanded her ovaries to shut down the party. This was the kind of thinking that had led to her outrageous request, and she didn’t need to revisit that moment.

  After returning the book to the nightstand, she turned to find David watching her from the doorway. Color rushed to her cheeks as if he could read her thoughts.

  He stepped back just enough to let her out, then moved forward to place a gentle kiss on Rhett’s forehead and tuck the sheets around him.

  When Rhett was settled, David pulled the door shut and motioned her down the hall. “Did I hear you tell your ovaries to shut up?” he asked when they reached the kitchen.

  She clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a hysterical giggle. “Of course not,” she said in a rush of air. “That would be crazy. Do I seem crazy to you?”

  “At this point,” he said after studying her for several moments, “you seem like a gift from heaven.”

  Oh. Well, that was unexpected. And lovely.

  “I’m doing my job,” she answered automatically.

  “How does finagling the key to my apartment from Tracie fall under a teacher’s job description?”

  “I wanted to check on Rhett.”

  He moved closer, crowding her a little. But she didn’t step back even though that was her inclination. She stood her ground. “That’s not all you
want,” he whispered.

  There weren’t enough words in the English language to cover all the things she wanted from David. From life. From this moment.

  “Ask me again,” he told her, threading his fingers through her hair. The desire she saw in his blue eyes mesmerized her. A longing that matched her own, making her need grow that much more intense. “Ask me to have an affair with you.”

  “Kiss me,” she said instead. Those two words were the only ones she could force her mouth to form at the moment.

  He lowered his mouth to hers, claiming her lips with a force she felt all the way to her toes. How could the way he touched her feel both infinitely gentle and demanding at the same time? She wound her arms around his neck and gave herself over to the sensation. It was too much and not enough, and she whispered the one word that pounded through her whole body. “More.”

  Chapter Seven

  It was like the Fourth of July inside David’s brain. He’d kissed plenty of women—taken some of them to his bed—girlfriends and baseball groupies who made it their mission to snag a professional athlete. None of them had affected him the way Erin did.

  He wanted to blame it on his basically celibate lifestyle since settling in Crimson, but he knew it was more than that. It was the woman in his arms.

  A shiver passed through her when he sucked her sensitive earlobe into his mouth. He lifted her onto the edge of the counter and positioned himself against the sweet V of her body, even as he did his best to keep his raging lust under control.

  She deserved more than he could ever offer her in life, but the least he could do was refrain from mauling her like some sort of randy teenager. He wanted to savor each moment they spent together, to get down on his knees and worship every inch of her—to beg her to stay with him.

  His hands trembled as he undid the buttons of her crisp linen blouse, revealing a pale blue bra covering the most beautiful breasts he’d ever seen. His mouth went dry and all he could do was stare at the creamy skin, flushed with pink.