Romancing the Wallflower

by Michelle Major

  “A real date.”

  “I’ve heard that offer before,” she countered. “Yet here we are.”

  Right.

  Although he knew how to work, he’d never needed to try to get a woman. “Saturday,” he continued. “All day. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

  “What about Rhett?”

  David must be more out of practice with women than he even realized. The fact that her first question was about his nephew made his heart clench in ways he didn’t want to examine.

  “I’ll work it out.”

  She bit down on her lip as her gaze skittered away. “I don’t want to force you to take me out. I wasn’t lying when I said you have nothing to prove to me. You don’t owe me a—”

  “I do have something to prove. I need to prove that I’m not the guy I keep showing myself to be. Go out with me, Erin. Please.”

  She took a deep breath, then met his gaze again. “Do you know I’m a sucker for the word please?” she asked, her tone almost annoyed.

  He laughed softly. “I didn’t before now, but you can bet I’m going to use it to my advantage.”

  “I’ll see you at noon on Saturday,” she whispered.

  “You’ll see me this week,” he corrected, “with Rhett. But Saturday is going to be special.”

  “Can I ask what we’re doing?”

  “You can ask, but I won’t tell. I’m going to wow you. Just wait.”

  She rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded like, “If you only knew.”

  With a small wave, she got in her car and pulled out of her parking spot and down the street.

  David glanced up at the apartment windows again but before he went upstairs, took a quick detour into Elevation.

  Tracie was tending bar, and he grabbed her shoulders and spun her to face him. “I need to impress a woman,” he said. “With a date.”

  “Take off your shirt,” one of the women sitting at the bar told him. He turned to see three women who looked vaguely familiar staring at him. He thought he recognized them from dropping off Rhett at school. Great. Now he was going to be known as the incompetent guardian who couldn’t handle women.

  Had he really just asked Tracie for dating advice in the middle of his bar?

  Two of the women giggled, then the blonde with a short bob leaned forward. “My divorce was final last week.” She winked. “I think you’re damn impressive just standing there so—”

  “Enough,” Tracie interrupted the woman, and waved over the new bartender she’d hired to work evenings while David was with Rhett. “Hey, Mark, will you pour these three lovelies a round on the house? No need for the ego-stroking, ladies. I’ll take it from here.”

  She pushed David toward the end of the bar. “What in the hell are you talking about? From the stories I’ve heard, you went out with half the single women in Pennsylvania in your day. Why do you suddenly need dating advice?”

  David gripped the edge of the bar, almost wishing he was still the hot-tempered young baseball phenom who could get away with throwing a fist through the wall. “I asked Erin out.”

  Tracie stared at him for several moments, then prompted, “And...”

  “I told her it was going to be special.”

  “So make reservations at some swanky place in Aspen,” Tracie told him. “I know beer is your thing, but you do remember how to pay for expensive food and wine, right?”

  “I need to wow her.”

  She held up her hands. “Dude, if you’re looking for bedroom advice—”

  “No,” he said quickly. “But Erin is a...a...”

  “A woman?”

  He blew out a breath. “A lady. I’m not trying to wine and dine her to get into her pants.”

  One side of Tracie’s mouth curved. “You don’t want in her pants?”

  “Of course I want—” He stopped, growled under his breath. “She’s special. I don’t want to screw it up. Any guy with a phone and credit card can make a reservation. I need it to be something more.”

  “I’ve never seen you like this, boss.” She shook her head. “Thank God.”

  “Forget it.”

  She laughed, then chucked him on the arm. “I’ve got an idea. But your prim and proper teacher lady is into you. You know that. I know that. It’s a small town, and the school district set likes Elevation. I’ve seen the way she looks at you when she’s here with her friends, and that was before Rhett.”

  “I never noticed her.”

  “Because men are idiots.” Tracie tsked. “My point is that she’s kind of...a sure thing. She crushed on you hard.”

  “I still need to earn it.” He leaned in closer. “Help me. Please.”

  Tracie rolled her blue eyes to the ceiling. “I bet that sad puppy-dog face and the please work on her every time.”

  “Kind of,” he admitted.

  “That girl and I need to spend some time together.” The new bartender called to Tracie as a line formed in front of the bar. “I’ve got to get back to work,” Tracie said, giving him one of her patented smirks. “Don’t want the boss to catch me slacking. I’ll come in tomorrow after my run and we can plan world domination—or at least kindergarten teacher domination.”

  “That sounds kinky.”

  “You never know,” she called over her shoulder as she headed back to the bar. “That might be how she likes it.”

  David’s mind started to wander to an image of Erin dressed in nothing but—

  He slapped his palm against his forehead several times. That kind of daydreaming wasn’t going to get the five-year-old boy waiting upstairs bathed and ready for bed or his mother dealt with in any sort of productive way.

  After scanning the interior of the bar one more time to make sure things were under control, he headed for his apartment. He had to keep things on track this week. He had one more chance with Erin, and he wasn’t going to blow it.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I’ve never heard of a therapy rabbit.” Erin watched in wonder as her Kidzone students took turns petting the bunny that happily hopped up to each of them on the activity rug.

  “Fritzi is special.” She glanced at Caden Sharpe, the local rancher who also ran an animal rescue center out of his property, his hard features suddenly surprisingly gentle.

  Emily Whitaker Crenshaw, the mom of one of Erin’s former students, had suggested she call Caden. His manner was gruff, and Erin had been certain he’d refuse her request to bring the kids to his ranch. Instead, he not only set up a time for them to visit but also offered to stop by the community center with a couple of the animals he’d trained as therapy pets.

  Caden had been a few years ahead of her in school and had been so surly and mean as a boy she’d barely had the nerve to make eye contact with him. She’d heard rumors that his early life had been tough and wealthy rancher Garrett Sharpe had adopted him when he was ten years old. But even the stable home and the brothers he’d gained in his new family hadn’t seemed to settle his restless spirit.

  He reminded her of some of the kids she worked with and hoped that meeting Caden, who was also an army vet, would help them realize they had other paths available to them.

  Although right now Fritzi the bunny and Otis, the yellow Lab enjoying belly rubs from a group of girls, were the real stars of the show.

  “You’re doing good work here,” Caden told her. Erin realized those were the most words she’d heard the man string together in a sentence.

  “I sometimes think I’m in over my head,” she admitted. “But as amazing as this community is, there was a need for these kids that wasn’t being filled. There are too many who have the potential to get into trouble if no one is watching out for them.”

  He shifted slightly and she colored under his intense gaze. “I wasn’t
talking about you.”

  A noise came from him that might have been a laugh, but it was rough like it had been closed in a drawer and forgotten for too long. “I remember you now,” he said. “You were always smiling.”

  Erin felt her blush deepen. “Did you know that smiling can reduce your blood pressure? Plus it’s an easy gift to offer another person.”

  “People used to be afraid to smile at me.”

  She raised a brow. “I think that’s how you liked it.”

  He laughed again. “Maybe. The animals help with that.”

  She gave him her brightest smile. “Thank you for bringing them here and the invitation to visit the ranch. It will mean a lot to the kids.”

  He studied her for another long moment. “Would you want—”

  A flash of movement over his shoulder caught her eye and she realized David was standing in the door watching the exchange.

  “Come on in,” she called, glancing at her watch. “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”

  “I’m a few minutes early,” David said. As he walked toward her, his hand came around from behind his back and she realized he held a bouquet of roses. “These are for you.”

  “Oh.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “No one has ever brought me flowers who wasn’t one of my students.” She wrapped her hand around the stems, her fingers brushing his. The current of awareness between them zinged to life and she had to fight to remember they were standing in front of ten kids, as well as Caden Sharpe.

  “You should have them all the time,” David told her.

  She heard a sound that might have been a growl come from Caden, but when she turned he was simply watching the kids and the animals.

  “Do you two know each other?” she asked, lowering her nose close to the flower petals and inhaling the fresh scent.

  “We’ve met,” David answered. “I get all my beef from Sharpe Pointe Ranch.”

  “Yep,” was Caden’s only response.

  “Great.” She glanced between the two men and wondered why it felt like there was some invisible swordplay going on. “Caden brought his animals to visit with the kids.”

  “I brought flowers,” David said immediately.

  She nodded slowly. “Um, yes, you did. And I love them.”

  David leaned a little closer to Caden. “She loves them.”

  A muscle ticked in Caden’s jaw. “I’m going to round up Fritzi and Otis,” he told her. “I’ll see you when you bring the kids to the ranch. You’re welcome any time.”

  “I definitely will. Thank you.”

  She watched him turn to David. “She’s going to call me,” he said under his breath.

  David’s shoulders stiffened but before he could respond, Erin placed the flowers on her desk and clapped her hands to get the kids’ attention. The noise level was surprisingly low given how excited the kids had been to see the bunny and dog. But she had to admit there was something inherently relaxing about the energy of the two animals. She sensed that with Caden as well, despite his gruff demeanor, and was happy he’d found a purpose in life.

  “It’s time for the animals to go,” she announced to a round of groans. “But Mr. Sharpe has invited us out to his ranch for a longer visit.” That got some cheers from the kids. “Can you give him a big thank-you for coming to see us today?”

  Caden seemed embarrassed by the attention, and left quickly after packing up the bunny and putting Otis on a leash. Parents started to arrive soon after for pickup, and she waved as David led Rhett from the room.

  Soon only Isaac remained, and he sat at one of the small craft tables, his head bent forward.

  “Your mom will be here soon, sweetie,” Erin told him, bending to clean up a few crayons that had been knocked to the floor.

  As she straightened, a tear dropped to the desk in front of the boy. He quickly wiped at his cheeks and turned away from her.

  Isaac had been a tough nut to crack. He rarely interacted with the other kids and usually stayed in the corner pretending to read a book that was far above his basic reading level or doing a puzzle. She’d talked to his classroom teacher and the school counselor, but both women had seemed at a loss for how to reach him. Phone calls to Joel and his mother, Danielle, had gone unanswered and voice mails not returned. Both mom and dad shut Erin down when she tried to speak to them at pickup.

  It sometimes felt like the only emotion the boy could access was anger, so to see him embarrassed by his tears broke her heart.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly, resting her hip on the desk across from where he sat.

  He shook his head and refused to meet her gaze.

  “Fritzi and Otis were really cool. I noticed Otis seemed to like you a lot.” What Erin had witnessed was Isaac planting himself at the dog’s side and refusing to give up his spot. He’d spent the entire visit gently stroking Otis’s furry head and bending down to whisper in his ear. Thanks to his training as a therapy dog, Otis had been patient with the attention. The other kids had seemed to take it as Isaac’s due that he got the prime real estate to love on the animal.

  “My dad gave away Jack,” he whispered, his voice cracking on the last word.

  “Was Jack your dog?”

  Isaac looked up, tears shining in his eyes. “The best dog ever. But sometimes he got scared when dad yelled and it made him pee on the floor.”

  “Some dogs get nervous with loud noises,” Erin agreed. Like Caden, Isaac rarely spoke more than monosyllabic responses to the direct questions she asked. It both thrilled her and hurt her heart that he was sharing this small piece of his life with her now.

  “He barked, too, but never at me. He loved me best of all.”

  She fisted her hands at her side, every part of her wanting to reach out and hug the boy but afraid of scaring him away if she did. “I can understand why. You were great with Otis.”

  “We’ll get another dog,” a soft voice said from behind Erin.

  She whirled around to see Isaac’s mother standing in the doorway, not bothering to wipe away the tears that stained her cheeks. Danielle Rodriguez was petite, with beautiful dark hair that fell to the middle of her back and wide-set eyes. Erin guessed they were about the same age, although Danielle’s features had a weariness and worldliness stamped across them that came from too many years of hard work, hard living and struggling to raise three kids on her own.

  “Your father is not living in my house anymore,” she said, switching her gaze to Erin, then back to her son. “And that two-timing jerk isn’t invited back. We’ll start looking for a dog when I get off work tomorrow. I promise.”

  Isaac was out of his chair in an instant, hurtling toward his mother and wrapping his arms tight around her waist.

  She bent to hug him close, and a lump formed in Erin’s throat at the tenderness of the moment. Maybe her program was having the impact she’d hoped for after all.

  After a few minutes, Danielle straightened. “Get your backpack and lunch box, Isaac,” she told her son, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “Your sister has dinner going at home.” Isaac moved toward the row of backpacks, and Danielle turned to Erin. “I know Joel sees this program as a way to get out of spending time with him on the days when I work late.”

  Erin acknowledged that truth with a small nod. “Whatever the reason, I’m glad he’s here.”

  “Me, too,” Danielle said, squaring her shoulders. “We’ve got a long way to go, but kicking Joel to the curb was a good start.”

  “Will he still be a part of Isaac’s life?”

  Danielle shrugged. “If he gets his act together. My boy wants his father in his life. But I’m done with Joel, and he’s mad as hell. Thinks being my baby daddy gives him a right to whatever he wants from me. He’s a cheater and a liar. I deserve better than that.”
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  “You do,” Erin agreed instantly.

  Isaac came over with his backpack. Although the scowl was back on his face, his little shoulders seemed to carry less of a weight than they did minutes earlier.

  “We’re going to get another dog,” he said quietly, leaning in close to his mother and glancing up at Erin.

  “I promise,” Danielle whispered, ruffling his hair.

  “I’ll text you Caden Sharpe’s number,” Erin told her. “He’s the man who brought the therapy pets to visit us today. He runs a small rescue organization out of one of the barns on his ranch. Maybe he can help you find a new dog.”

  “Thank you,” Danielle said. “For everything.”

  Erin nodded and spent another twenty minutes cleaning up and preparing for Friday’s class. She trimmed the stems of the flowers David had given her and put them in a vase before leaving the community center. Most nights classes ran past the time she finished, so there was always someone at the reception desk.

  She waved goodbye and walked out into the darkening night. The crisp breeze made her pull in a sharp breath. The change of seasons was a fickle time in Crimson. Summer could linger for weeks, then disappear within a day. Sometimes fall would last just as long, but more often winter inserted an icy blast of cold to remind everyone what to expect over the next several months.

  Colder weather made Erin wish for things she didn’t have, like someone to cuddle up to on a frosty winter night. Sugar was a great cat, but not much of a snuggler. It was time to put the heavier comforter on her bed and get out her cold-weather clothes. Maybe she needed to give Caden a call and adopt another furry friend.

  She knocked her closed fist against her forehead several times to stop pathetic internal ramblings. In her mind, she’d already skimmed past the date with David to when he inevitably lost interest in her. She’d become one of those single women whose only emotionally intimate relationships were with her pets.

  “I don’t know what you’re thinking,” a voice said from the shadows, “but I like that head of yours way too much to watch you abuse it.”

  She looked up to see David standing a few feet away, hands shoved deep in the front pockets of his jeans. He’d put a heavy canvas jacket on over the flannel shirt he’d worn earlier to pick up Rhett. The bulk of it made him look even broader than normal.