“What happened?” He edged the words past the fear in his throat.
“I threw a hammer at him. Scott bowled him over with a box of used clothes.” She gestured to a bunch of dresses and blouses on the floor in the far corner of the room.
He hadn’t even noticed that before.
“You’re kidding.” He couldn’t decide if that had been quick thinking on her part or if she’d seriously endangered herself by throwing a potentially lethal item at an armed intruder.
His head hurt for thinking about all the things that could have happened to her.
“No. It was over fast after that.” She started picking them up. “The knife came out of his hand when Scott knocked him over, so I kicked it under those shelves.” She indicated a heavy piece of furniture against the wall. “The police took the weapon as evidence. They were here in about two minutes after I called since they patrol the park well on nights when Lucky’s hosts the outdoor dining.”
“Right.” He couldn’t absorb all the details, his chest aching from fears he might never be able to shake.
Sure, she was fine now. But how much worsewould this make his nightmares? His panic attacks that still came back? More importantly, how much danger did it put Erin in to work on her Dress for Success campaign?
“Remy?” She dropped the skirt she held and left it on a braid rug near the pie safe. “Are you okay? I can finish straightening this mess tomorrow. Let’s go get some food and try to put this behind us.”
How many times had he heard that over the past two years? “Put the past behind us” was the refrain everyone else came back to, but, damn it, he wasn’t budging when Erin’s safety was at stake. Maybe Sarah’s, too.
“I don’t think food is going to help.” This kind of queasiness wouldn’t be chased away easily. “I should probably check in with Sarah.” He was already texting.
“When she left here, she was going to change at the bed-and-breakfast, then go to the park to see her friends.”
“When was that?” Cold dread coated his skin. He’d forgotten that Sarah had planned to help the camera crew today. “Was she here when that maniac came?”
“No, thank God.” Erin hesitated.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Just…we had a good visit before she left. She hoped we’d be at Lucky’s tonight, but I’ll warn you—I think she’s trying to matchmake.” She traced the pattern in a paisley handkerchief draped under a display of snuffboxes.
“Matchmake? Between who?”
Erin’s eyes met his with disbelief shifting to something that looked like wariness.
Anger.
“Us, Remy. I think she likes the idea of you and me. And since she’s a girl who—you said yourself—is ‘all in’ when she likes someone, I didn’t know if you’d want to talk to her about that.”
“Right.” Did that mean he should warn Sarah there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d ever be the right man for Erin? Or that he should try harder to make things work with her? “Remember me saying last night I wanted to enjoy a day or two of no drama?”
Erin tensed. “I do.” She moved closer to him. Dropped a hand on his shoulder while he slouched in the chair. “I truly wish we could have had that.”
For a moment, he closed his eyes and enjoyed her nearness. But he couldn’t avoid the new realization that was becoming more and more apparent.
“I know you were ready to take a risk on us. To just enjoy the time we had. But I don’t think I understood how much I’d be risking, too.” Maybe he’d figured he was too numb after Liv’s death to have his heart tromped on. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Sarah could get hurt again. “However, now that I’ve seen my recurring nightmare come to life today, I understand the potential for fallout is damn high.”
“We still have a whole week together.” Her eyes were unnaturally bright and he regretted the fact that she’d already had enough much crap to deal with today. “And you’re giving up already?”
It tore him up to see her so upset.
“Erin, I know I should be comforting you right now, not raking through my own issues.”
Her silence told him how much she agreed. Normally, she was quick to offer reassurance. Comfort. Smooth things over. But not about this.
“Right.” He forged ahead, unwilling to hide from the truth. “Of course that’s what a good man would do right now. So what more proof do we need that I can’t do this yet? That I don’t have my life in order enough to offeryou the kind of relationship you deserve?”
She was quiet for so long he wondered if she would answer at all. But when she met his gaze, her voice was steady.
