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 thatisreally 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 atErin. 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 like 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 only just strode into her life 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 thestore 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 feather light touchthat 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.”
