Part 17 (2/2)
”Regret isn't real,” Tuck said. ”It's something invented to punish ourselves.”
That hit her like a two hundred pound punching bag. She was still punis.h.i.+ng herself for what happened with Lance.
”So,” he said standing up, and slapping his hands on his thighs. ”You eat yet? How about some French toast?”
”Sounds good.” She followed him into the kitchen where he shared more stories that centered around his lack of clothing.
And for the first time in a very long while, she didn't feel all the weight of her mistakes on her shoulders.
She left Tuck's a little while later for her antique store so she wouldn't have to face s.h.i.+rley again. The floor s.h.i.+ned like new. Danny had put her shelves together. ”Pay, it's starting to look really good in here.” Her painted wall still looked like it had been brushed with kid fingers instead of bristles, but if she squinted, it didn't look half bad. She plopped down in the middle of the room to soak it all in just as her cell rang.
”h.e.l.lo?” she said with hesitancy. She didn't recognize the number.
”h.e.l.lo. Is Honor Mitch.e.l.l there please?”
”This is she.”
”Hi, Honor. My name is Beth Rhodes and I was hoping to hire you. Bryce Bishop gave me your number.”
Caught off guard and a little confused, she didn't answer right away.
”I'm sorry,” Beth said, ”Did I catch you in the middle of something? I'm happy to call back later.”
”Uh, no. No.” She jumped to her feet and went to her desk. ”Now's fine. How do you know Bryce?”
”He represents my husband. He was at the house this morning for a meeting and we got on the topic of antiques since I've been hoping to find a chest from the Victorian era similar to the one my great grandmother had. Bryce mentioned you were the best antique dealer on the west coast.”
Honor didn't know what to say. She could barely catch her breath.
”h.e.l.lo?”
She scrambled for a pen and paper. ”Yes. I'm here. Let me just write down your name and number and if you could email me exactly what you're looking for, I'd be happy to help you out.”
”That's wonderful. Thank you.”
Beth recited her phone number and Honor shared her email address. She asked for Honor's fee next and Honor spit out the first number to come to mind. A ridiculously high hourly rate she wished she could take back the moment she heard it aloud, but Beth simply said that sounded great.
Wow. Honor put her phone on the desk and brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth and nose in utter surprise and...excitement. She had her first real client thanks to Bryce.
She smiled against her palms. His faith in her made her believe anything was possible.
One text.
One text thanking him for referring a client to her and his resolve to stay away had crashed and burned. More texts followed. Honor had the power to permanently damage his heart, to ruin his chances with her brother.
And still being careless won out over caution.
How had a one night stand turned into more? He'd told himself to keep his emotions off the table, but that had been impossible the second she'd surrendered under his touch. She made him forget himself.
He'd lasted four days. Every day he'd told himself they were done. And every day his heart begged to differ. He couldn't remember the last time he'd played hooky from work, but when Honor texted him she was feeling under the weather and home alone, he'd decided to surprise her. Illness aside, she inspired spontaneity in him and he liked it.
He parked in front of her house and headed straight for the fake rock he'd noticed in the planter near her front door. A s.h.i.+ny silver key revealed itself when he slid the rock open.
Quiet filled the house so he walked down the hallway to Honor's bedroom and knocked lightly. When she didn't answer, he went inside. The covers were up to her chin, her hands tucked under the side of her beautiful face. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep. He'd never tire of staring at her.
She must have sensed his presence because she rolled onto her back and stretched her arms. Her eyelids fluttered open and when she finally focused on him, her pink lips curved into a s.e.xy morning smile that got an immediate rise out of him.
”Hi,” she said, her voice a little rough with sleep.
”Morning.”
Then she blinked herself wide-awake and bolted upright. The comforter slipped to her waist, revealing a low V-cut nightgown with thin straps. He'd wanted to kiss her lips. Now he wanted to kiss the freckle above her left breast. Her neck. Her shoulder. Everywhere.
”I thought I was dreaming. What are you doing here?”
”Thought I'd surprise you. Make sure you were okay.”
She twisted her hands in her lap. ”You could have just called.”
”I needed to see for myself how sick you are.”
She covered her mouth and gave a tiny cough. ”It's nothing serious. You really didn't have to drive all the way here.”
”But since I did, how about getting some fresh air with me?” He stood. ”Get dressed and I'll wait in the living room.”
A swallow worked its way down her throat. They hadn't talked about what keeping in touch meant, but he wasn't ready to give her up. Last weekend, she'd let all her barriers down and he'd never felt more connected to another person. He wanted that again.
She sighed deeply. ”I don't know if that's such a good idea.”
”You haven't heard what I have planned yet,” he pointed out.
”What do you have planned?”
”It's a surprise.” You like surprises, remember. He remembered every word she'd said to him. ”I promise it'll be fun.”
”And if it's not?” She twirled her finger around the hair falling over her shoulder. ”Fun, I mean.”
”You're looking at the King of Fun.”
That put a twinkle in her eyes. ”King, huh? What if I decide you're only a prince?”
”Then I'll make you my princess instead of my queen.”
She rolled her eyes, but laughed. ”That is so cheesy.”
G.o.d, her laugh did scary good things to him. ”There's plenty more where that came from. So?”
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