Chaperoning Paris (Collins Brothers)

by Victoria Pinder

  She tapped her shoes and waited for the elevator, which gave her a minute to think. In the daylight, the sun’s rays argued with her intentions to fight with Sean and break his heart. She gulped. Tomorrow they had rehearsals and the day after the big competition. She folded her arms. Today was the day she’d end everything that happened with Sean. She closed her eyes and rocked on her feet.

  The indicator light showed the elevator one floor above her. What would happen if she stayed? The clicked her heels one more time. She trusted Sean, but she didn’t trust herself.

  The bell dinged and she took the elevator downstairs to the lobby.

  She scanned the area for Sean and saw him with the teenagers already on the bus. His blue eyes shone in that light blue T-shirt and blue jeans. She grabbed a cup of coffee from the buffet table, but she kept her gaze on him. How would she do this? He looked handsome and his killer smile made her knees weak, but she had to, for both their sakes.

  Then his nose turned upward and he gazed down at her with a frown. Chest tight, she stopped. What had she done?

  Chapter 26

  Gigi had sat with her arms crossed next to Sean on the bus for the past hour without saying a word. He decided to call home and speak to his son. But his stare returned often to Gigi.

  He hung up the phone and Gigi tapped her leg against him. Then she argued, “You never answered my question about your father.”

  “I’m not my father,” Sean answered, but packed his bag up.

  She whispered firmly, “Doesn’t mean you are a school teacher or principal when your talent is in banking. Why are you here when you should be in a boardroom?”

  “You wouldn’t understand.” He sighed. Gigi’s no-nonsense edge meant she’d not let that go easy. Still, he’d always admired her tenacity.

  She shook her head and crossed her arms. “Tell me.”

  Sean answered. “Dad inherited from his father, and my parents married, had the four of us, and lived happy ever after. I’m not the oldest or the youngest. I’m not the heir.”

  She shrugged her shoulders then stared at him in the eyes. “Bull. You are like your dad. You showed the most capabilities since birth, and your dad told you before your voice changed you were to take over the company,” Gigi reminded him. “Does one of your brothers now want the job? Is that why you hesitate?”

  “No,” Sean told her. “I didn’t want Jennifer to get anything else from me.”

  “Jennifer?” Gigi asked, offended. “She’s dead now.”

  “Gigi, I worked for my father and planned on taking over again.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “My ex-wife wanted more money every second of every day. When I realized what our marriage was, I cut myself off from anything she might want.”

  “Jennifer?” Gigi repeated. “She drove you to teaching?”

  “Funny, huh?” He smiled, and his gentle touch coaxed her to relax her hands.

  She dropped shoulder and sighed.

  “Gigi, we fought over this daily. I don’t want my father’s fortune. This led to my job and, funny enough, you returning to my life.”

  She choked then patted her hand on his knee and shifted her body. “You are to take over. It’s good. Your son deserves it.”

  “My son?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Yes. Your son wants a father who’s proud of what he does every day. If you are good at your job, responsible and loving, then you are everything they need to become capable, secure and responsible adults.”

  “My family is the most important thing to me, Geegs,” Sean told her.

  “Good. Your family is full of good people, and they need you.”

  “Let’s talk about you.” Sean’s eyes lit up, and he stared at her full bottom lip.

  “Me?” She gulped then blinked and dodged her gaze away from him. He remained still. Finally, she answered, “I’m hungry. I overslept and missed breakfast.”

  Something was going on. But he couldn’t find out. The bus stopped at a brick building in the middle of nowhere. Then the bus driver opened the door and said, “World War Two museum and luncheon. Be back in two hours.”

  The students scattered to check out the museum, and he followed the group. Inside the memorial, everyone closed their hands around their body. The place had an eerie ‘people have died here’ vibe.

  Gigi ran to stand next to him. He offered her his hand, but avoided her gaze and stared at the helmets, guns, and every other exhibit, and said, ‘Cool,’ ‘Interesting,’ ‘Wow,’ ‘Intense,’ and a variety of other one-word expressions.

  He found history interesting, but his gaze often returned to Gigi, too. Something was bothering her and it wasn’t the guns on the walls.

  Every so often, she stroked his muscles and glanced around the room. Then she squeezed his hand in a pattern.

  At the end of the tour, the students gathered close to them. They came to the room with the shoes and pictures that hung from the ceiling. The teenagers needed to be together to walk with the teachers through the Holocaust exhibit, effectively ending any one-on-one chance of a conversation.

  Sean and Gigi took their time with the students, letting them form their own impressions and opinions.

  The group stayed quiet and reflective for a short period. Tensions eased once they entered the area with the tranquil garden of hope, a stark difference to the horrors of the last room. Sean found that the natural beauty surrounding them enhanced how picture-perfect really Gigi was.

  After they’d had time to debrief in the garden, Sean led the group upstairs to an amazing restaurant on the second floor of the brick building. At one point, the structure had been a factory and the design was more modern than most of France. The huge bay windows gave an amazing view of the surrounding countryside, and soon the mood turned chipper.

  Sean and Gigi took a seat near the students but separate. The waiter brought the pre-selected meals to the table.

  Sean took her hand. “Finally. What did you want to talk about earlier?”

  The warmness of her hand and the happiness of the students must have relaxed her. Her pupils were bigger. “I’ve lost my ability to fight.”

  “What?”

  “I’m conflicted on what I want, Sean. You make everything come alive.”

  “Don’t fight happiness.”

  “No. I’m not hungry anymore.” She cleared her throat. “Sean, you and I are new and—”

  “We’re not a new item.” Sean adjusted the hair that clung to her eyes and swept it behind her ear. “You’re the woman I want to live happily ever after with.”

  “Sweet.” She coughed. “But unwise. We hardly know each other anymore.”

  “What don’t I know about you?” he asked as the server brought over the second course. “Is there another secret?”

  “No, this isn’t a secret.”

  He gave her space to finish her speech, but her soft gaze and kissable lips turned toward him gave him something to think about. He beamed at her, then pushed the plate in front of her, and handed her a fork.

  “Eat, Gigi.”

  “If you think it makes me prettier.” She took a bite of her food and smiled. “I’ve not been a happy person in a long time.”

  “You missed me. It’s understandable. I often wondered what I did to you and where you were.” “You moved on. Married another.”

  “You didn’t save me, Geegs.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You joined the Marines. Was I to go to war and keep you safe there too?”

  “No, but a letter telling me you missed me would have worked.”

  “Mom would have found out.” She stared at her plate. “Tell me about Jennifer and what happened.”

  He glanced around the room, and most of the students sat at other table.

  “Why?” he asked in between sips of his soup. “She’s not a fun topic.”

  “Necessary though. Charges and photographers have popped into your life. Tell me about her.” She took his hand for a few minutes and sat in silence. “I�
�m here to help.”

  “What do you want to know?” He pushed her spoon into her creamy soup getting her to eat.

  “Tell me everything,” she said. “How did you meet?”

  “Nothing as memorable as you in your adorable pig tails.” He took back his hand and she fed herself. “Jennifer appeared in town needing help with her car. I gave her a ride home, and at first she acted sweet, old fashioned, and intelligent.” He shook his head. “I was blind. It wasn’t until after we were married that I saw the differences.”

  “I’m happy it wasn’t happy, but that’s selfish of me.”

  “Why? I’d have killed that Prince Rudolpho or whatever his name was, or any man who hurt you.”

  “I’m saying things I shouldn’t. You should be happy.”

  “You make me happy.”

  She shook her head and set her jaw. Then she cleared her throat. “Let’s fast-forward. Where were you when she died?”

  “At my parents’ house surrounded by nurses, doctors, servants, and family. Cancer treatments were going well. This is why I don’t understand the charges. She’d left me months before she died, leaving Patrick to me, with signed a full custody agreement. I was in the hospital, surrounded with well-caring people.” He took another bite. “She walked the streets of Los Angeles wheeling her luggage without care. She never made it to her hotel, but I only know this because of the police call.”

  “You’re right. The charges make no sense.” She broke a roll, but kept her thoughts to herself. “I trusted you had nothing to do with anything nefarious. Why would anyone suspect now?”

  He took half the uneaten roll on the plate without asking and answered, “No one knows. Gigi, being with you made the shock of the reporters easier.”

  Her face flushed and she darted her away then stare up at him. His warm gaze heated her, too. Despite the war going on in her head, he would win. She completed his life, and together, life would be better. All she needed again was guts.

  “You’re blushing, Geegs.” His dimple appeared.

  “The food is good here.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Life with you makes me believe in fairy tales.” She kept her gaze her eyes on her plate. “How’s yours?”

  “Life isn’t a story with us, Geegs. You and I are alive.” She kept her silence. He sucked in the side of his mouth, hoping he hadn’t pushed too far. “It’s good. Have some.”

  She shook her head no.

  He picked up a piece of his chicken with his fork and brought it to her mouth.

  She hesitated, pretended to be not hungry, but he didn’t stop. His son played that delay tactic too. She slowly opened her mouth, and took the food he offered.

  “Good, right?” he asked her.

  “Food here is delicious. Thank you.” Sean had a way of being a jerk. He had control issues and he never wrote a decent poem in his life. Yet with her in his life, he saw his partner who even everything else out. He loved her. And his heart told him she loved him back. She’d tell him soon. She squeaked out, “I like that we’re friends.’

  “Friends.” Her word choice had him tug his ear.

  But he refused to be detoured. He could play along for now. “Me, too. It’s nice to have you on my side and in my heart.”

  “Heart,” she repeated, and her mouth dropped open. He bite his tongue to stay silent. He wanted her to speak up on what was haunting her. Patience was his friend right now. But to wait sucked. His shoulders pushed back, and he stayed the course. He’d bide his time. She needed to open up. He loved her, so what stopped her?

  With time, she’d tell him. He’d show her that she could. Gigi deserved the best possible version of himself.

  Chapter 27

  Sean decided something must be wrong with Gigi. She opened her mouth to say something for the third time and then stopped without a word. To help, he gave her room and left her alone on the bus the moment they’d arrived on the beach.

  He kept a watchful gaze and she took herself up the trenches in rocks built by the Germans to shoot anyone who landed on the beach in an efficient, unyielding manner. Sean chose to head down to the beach and soak in the history on the shore. The students split up but knew the time and place they were to meet.

  At the seaside, Sean threw a rock into the ocean and stared at the ripples. Had his grandfather experienced the horror show that ran through Sean’s imagination at this memorial war beach or had it been worse? Gerard, his brother, and his grandfather talked more about the battle stuff, and Sean wished he had paid more attention. All four of them had served in the military, but Sean’s life at that time had been a train wreck. The military had been a way to find order in the chaos.

  With Gigi, life became normal again.

  “Ahh.”

  Students screamed from above. His nostrils flared. Something had happened. He raced up the incline to get to them.

  The second he joined them on the hill, Erica cried, “Ms. Dumont fell.”

  His heart nearly stopped. Then he raced to where Raphael and David leaned over, and shouted, “Take our hands. We’ll pull you back up.”

  Gigi screamed, “Get back, boys.”

  Sean tapped them on the shoulders and slid into the dirt. “Hold my feet to leverage me when I pull her.”

  Every cell on his skin was alert and ready. He refused to let anything happen to her. He reached down, grabbed her wrist, and said, “Grab hold of me tight, Gigi.”

  She cried out, “I can’t. I’m scared.”

  “I left you alone for ten minutes.” His hand reached lower and circled her wrist. If he had to, he’d haul her up without her help. Then she reached up with her other hand, held firm to his arm and elbow, and gave him the leverage power to get her to safety. He tugged, and she came back to him without a struggle.

  She started hyperventilating the moment he laid her on the ground beside him.

  The students surrounded them and cheered.

  She coughed. “Someone helped, pushing up on my leg. Check on the children.”

  Sean nodded for David to go count off and check on the others.

  He straightened her clothes and checked to ensure her body hadn’t been hurt. She appeared fine, and his pulse returned to normal. His heart beat again, and he kissed her forehead. “Who?”

  “Someone in the trench below.”

  “We’re checking on everyone.” He lifted her head and had to resist the urge to kiss every part of her. She’d disapprove in front of the teenagers. His pulse had to settle on a hug, then he told her, “You’re safe.”

  Her shallow breaths returned to healthy normal ones. Slowly, she told him, “Thank you.”

  “How did you fall off the cliff?”

  Gigi sat up, and covered her face with her hand. “I stopped paying attention to where I was going.”

  “How the hell does that happen?” he asked in a huff. His heart raced as he wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived on time. He could have lost her.

  “I was looking off in the distance and thought I saw ships. I wanted to see more clearly, and suddenly I fell. Someone below pushed up while you pulled. Hands were on my ankles, too. Who went down to the trenches?”

  “We’ll find out.”

  Gigi brushed her clothes and rocked to stand up. “Thank you. You saved me. Thank you,” Gigi surprised him and kissed his cheek.

  “I’d never let you go if you give me my chance.” Sean’s cheek heated.

  She blinked and stared at him. Her lips opened to say something again. He stilled and waited, but she held her silence.

  Kendra bounded up. “Is Ms. Dumont good?”

  Without a word, Gigi spun away from Sean, and asked the girl, “Were you the one under my feet?”

  “Yes. Are you okay? I freaked out when your foot dangled in front of me. I told Erica to hold me while I climbed up the trench.”

  Gigi hugged the girl. “Thank you.” She then gazed at the rest of the teenagers. “You were brave together and s
mart. I owe every one of you.”

  “We all get ‘As’ then,” David piped in.

  Raphael added, “Mr. Collins did the most work, Miss. He knew how to get you.”

  Gigi stared at him and her soft tears struck him in the gut. How could she have put him through so much?