When We Met (20 page)

“Getting on with your life.”

“I am.” Bailey paused. “I know you hear this all the time, but I have to say it. You're an inspiration, Taryn. I admire all you've accomplished. You're successful and tough, but you do it with your own style. I mean, seriously—look at how you dress. It's fantastic.”

Taryn glanced down at her Dolce & Gabbana silk brocade dress. It was sleeveless and bright with a floral print. “This old thing?” she said with a grin.

Bailey flung her arms around her. “You know what you like and you go after it.” Bailey released her. “We could all learn from you.”

“I don't understand why my clothes are such a big deal.”

“They signify who you are. You don't care if it's Fool's Gold or Los Angeles. You're going to wear what you want and do what you want and live how you want. You have style and you're good at your job and you're a great friend. I guess I'm saying I want to be like you when I grow up.”

The tears were back. Taryn didn't try to stop them. Instead she sniffed. “That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me. But I have to tell you, I'm a complete mess. Just so you know.”

“We're all a mess, Taryn. But you always look good.”

Taryn laughed. “Style over substance.” She wiped away her tears. “I'm glad about Chloe. She's wonderful.”

“Thanks. I can't take all the credit, but I think she's pretty amazing, too.”

The women hugged. For a second Taryn thought about creating a position for Bailey at Score. Only they didn't need anyone and she knew Bailey would prefer to find a real job on her own. There was a difference between getting a little help—like a dress—and living the life of a fake job.

“Let me know if I can help in any way with the job search,” Taryn told her.

“I will. In fact, I'd appreciate you looking over my résumé.”

“Happy to.”

Bailey waved and headed back to her car. Taryn walked into the office. There was still a giant hole where her heart had been, but she thought maybe, just maybe, she'd taken the first step in what would be a long journey to healing.

* * *

“I
NEVER
THOUGHT
anything like that could happen here.”

“I've never heard about anything like that!”

“The water came up so fast.”

“I couldn't stop screaming, which wasn't helpful.”

Angel had already endured far too many hugs and pats since showing up at the Grove Keeper meeting. Everyone wanted to know if Taryn and the Acorns were okay. Then it seemed there was going to be a real-time recounting of the night's events.

Denise finally got them all to sit down.

“We have a lot of end-of-year business to discuss,” she said. “Next Saturday is the parade. All the groves will be marching together. Once again Plants for the Planet is kind enough to donate the wreaths for everyone to wear. So if you need a new plant or want to take someone flowers, please give them your business and tell them how much we all appreciate their support.”

“Wreaths?” Angel asked the Grove Keeper sitting next to him.

“Like little crowns,” the woman told him. “They have ribbons flowing down the back. They're completely adorable. Each grove has its own color. The girls love being in the parade. At the end, they get their family bead and then move up to the next level of FWM. Later, there's a graduation ceremony for the girls who are now leaving the organization.”

“Thanks,” Angel said, thinking he really had to read the entire Grove Keeper Handbook. But every time he went past the Acorn pages, he found something that made him uncomfortable. Like lessons on the feminine cycle.

Thinking about that reminded him of how Taryn had laughed when he'd first mentioned it. She'd pointed out he wouldn't have to deal with any cycles for a while and that if it came up, she would handle it. Only that wasn't going to happen now. She wouldn't be around. Not in the FWM. He'd made sure of that.

It had been over a week, he thought grimly. He'd caught sight of her twice but was pretty sure she hadn't seen him. Which was how he wanted things. Fool's Gold was small enough that eventually they would run into each other, but he would prefer that to be later rather than sooner.

Thinking about her made him wonder how she was. If she was doing okay. He hoped so. He wanted her to be happy. There was a part of him that wanted her to be happy with him. Only he knew...

His gut twisted as longing washed over him. He missed her more than he would have thought possible. He missed her laugh, her humor, her shrewd intelligence. He missed how she loved her “boys” and terrorized them at the same time. Probably because that reminded him of Consuelo, who was like family to him. He missed her sassy walk, her ridiculous shoes and the way she smelled. He wanted her in his arms and his bed and he wanted to be able to tell her that, yes, he loved her, too.

Only he couldn't. He got it—the irony. That he could save her from a flood only to dump her because she'd been stupid enough to fall for him. Talk about a hero. He'd gotten her to trust him, then punished her for doing just that.

He wanted to tell her that he'd done it for her own good. That he wasn't anyone she should count on. He hadn't been able to protect Marie and Marcus and he sure as hell couldn't protect her.

Only this was Taryn and he knew that she would tell him she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She didn't want a knight in shining armor; she wanted a partner. Someone she could count on. She would say she believed in him.

The problem was, he couldn't believe in himself. Not enough to risk her.

Mayor Marsha walked into the meeting. She spoke to Denise before addressing the Grove Keepers.

“I've talked to all the parents,” the mayor said. “Everyone appreciates how well the unexpected flash flood was handled. You especially, Angel.”

All the Grove Keepers turned to look at him. Denise smiled as if he'd just done something brilliant.

“You went back into danger,” the mayor continued. “Risking your own life to save our girls.” Her expression shifted to stern. “I hope you'll be talking to Chloe and Regan about following instructions.”

“I already have,” he assured her. “We're also discussing it at the grove meeting.”

“Good.” Mayor Marsha shook her head. “The flash flood surprised everyone. The storm wasn't supposed to park over the mountains. We were very fortunate. The situation could have been much worse.” She sighed wearily. “I don't like to think about how bad it could have been. We really need to get serious about a search-and-rescue group in town.” She smiled at them. “But that is not for you to worry about. Thank you, everyone. You handled our emergency extremely well.”

With that, she nodded and left.

The meeting continued. Angel took notes because he wasn't listening and he would need to know what to do later. He kept thinking about Taryn and how he'd failed her. He wanted what she offered, but at the same time, he knew the danger of going there. Better for both of them if he didn't mess up her life, too. If he didn't let her think he would take care of her.

In his head he knew that the storm and single-car accident that had claimed his wife and son weren't anything he could have prevented, but his gut told him otherwise. His gut warned him that giving in, leading with his heart would end with the destruction of the one person he most wanted to keep safe.

CHAPTER TWENTY

T
ARYN
NODDED
AND
the head designer clicked on the next slide. “Market projections make it clear that the trend is going to continue for at least the next five years. While consumers can be fickle, the market research firm we used has a ninety percent accuracy rate. By staging the campaign, we'll be able to judge success at predetermined points and make any adjustments necessary.”

The presentation for Living Life at a Run had started early. Or maybe the problem was she still wasn't sleeping, she thought as she smiled at Cole, then took her seat at the conference table. Jude turned on the overhead lights.

Jack rose. “You can see why we keep Taryn around,” he said with a wink. “She could easily moonlight as a field general.”

Cole, a short guy with broad shoulders and a stocky build, nodded. “I see where you're going and I like it.”

That was something, Taryn thought, careful to keep her expression pleasant. Cole was one of those people who rubbed her the wrong way. She hadn't liked him from the second he'd walked into Score that morning. But she had worked with clients she didn't like before. She and Cole didn't have to be friends.

The thought of an “outdoor weekend” with him in a couple of weeks made her skin crawl, but she'd survived worse. The boys would be there as a buffer. And thanks to Angel, she would be able to hold her own whether kayaking or hiking. As long as there wasn't another flash flood, she would be fine.

As soon as those thoughts formed, she pushed them away. Thinking about Angel was a mistake. She could get lost in the memories for hours at a time, and right now LL@R was her primary focus.

Cole looked at her, then back at Jack. “Okay, great. You've shown me you're all about equal opportunity and all that nonsense. Now can we lose the eye candy and get on with the presentation?”

The words were delivered so casually, at first Taryn was sure she'd misunderstood what he'd said. Kenny, Jack and Sam seemed equally stunned. But when Cole flicked his finger from her to the door, she knew she'd heard exactly what he'd said.

She started to stand. Before she could do much more than get the thought formed, Sam, Jack and Kenny rose as one. Each of them leaned toward Cole.

“You didn't just say that,” Kenny told him.

Cole leaned back in his chair. “Come on, guys, seriously?”

Sam smiled. But it was the smile of a wolf about to take down a rabbit. “Over her, over any woman, anywhere.” He looked at Kenny and Jack. “I know you had high hopes for this campaign, but we don't work with assholes.”

“Damn straight,” Jack said. “Cole, you're going to apologize to Taryn and then you're leaving.”

Cole sat up straight. “What? Are you kidding me? Do you know what my account is worth? We had an afternoon planned. What about playing golf with Josh Golden and Raoul Moreno?”

“Not happening,” Kenny told him. “Now apologize to the lady.”

Cole bristled. “I was just calling a spade a spade. A woman dressed like that, who
looks
like that, what could she be here for?”

“She's here because she's smart and capable and because she wears the pants around here, figuratively speaking,” Jack said without missing a beat.

Cole seemed to realize he was seriously outgunned. He swallowed, then turned to Taryn. “No offense, ma'am.”

“Yeah, I don't think so,” she told him. “You did mean to offend because you're a misogynistic jerk.” She stood. “You have five seconds to leave this building or I turn them loose on you.”

Cole blinked, then scrambled to his feet and literally ran from the room. A second or two later, they heard him yelling, “Where the hell is the exit in this place?”

And then he was gone and she was alone with her boys.

“Well, that sucks,” she said. “Do you know how much time and effort we put into that presentation? Face it, gentlemen. We're not meant to have retail clients. We'll make do with our niche markets. Frankly, I can't go through this again.”

Sam walked over to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then he put his arms around her and squeezed. She hung on until he released her. Kenny followed. He, too, kissed her, then hugged her. Jack was last. Only he didn't let her go.

“He was a jerk,” Jack told her. “You okay?”

She stared into his brown eyes. “I will be.”

Because the pain in her heart had nothing to do with the jerk who had just scurried out of the building and everything to do with the dark-haired man who had stolen her heart.

She leaned against Jack and thought for the millionth time how much easier everything would have been if she'd been able to fall in love with him. But no. Her heart was nothing if not difficult.

“Thank you,” she said as she stepped back. “You were all great.”

“Anytime,” Kenny said.

* * *

T
ARYN
GOT
HOME
, changed clothes and contemplated the long hours until she could realistically go to bed. The fact that she hadn't been sleeping didn't help things. She was exhausted and yet every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was Angel.

The killer of it was, she got why he'd freaked. He'd told her about what had happened with Marie and Marcus. She knew he blamed himself for their deaths. She knew his emotions ranged from feeling that he hadn't been able to protect them when he should have to the sense that loving anyone else was a betrayal of what he'd had before.

She wanted to tell him that she knew he would always love Marie. That loving Marie was part of what
she
loved most about him. That she respected his past and his devotion. But he wouldn't listen and if he did, he wouldn't believe her.

Someone knocked on her door. For a second she allowed herself to hope. It fluttered like a trapped butterfly in her chest until she opened the door and saw Kenny standing on her porch. He had a stack of DVDs in his large hand.

“Hey,” he said. “Am I the first one here?”

“First one?” She groaned, realizing she was about to have an invasion. “What's going on?”

“We played basketball this morning,” he said. “Angel wasn't there. Jack asked why. Ford told him the two of you weren't seeing each other anymore.” Kenny's blue eyes were sympathetic. “If you dump a guy, you're all about calling him scum. You haven't said a word.”

“We broke up. It's no big deal.”

Kenny stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. “No. He left you? Want me to kill him?”

Kenny was taller and had more muscle, but Angel knew things. “You've seen the scar on his neck,” she said.

Kenny nodded.

“You don't want to be the other guy.”

Kenny put down the DVDs, then rested his hands on her shoulders. “What do you need? Are you pregnant?”

She swore and drew back. “Don't you dare propose.” That had already happened once in her life and she wasn't going to repeat it. “I'm not pregnant.”

“Want some revenge sex?”

She held in a sigh. While it was a nice suggestion, he didn't mean it. They were family. It would be like sleeping with his sister. “You're sweet to offer.”

“We could do it. You're hot.”

She raised her eyebrows.

He took a step back. “Okay, yeah. Not gonna happen.” His face brightened. “You could sleep with Jack. You two had sex before, right?”

“I don't need help getting laid, but thank you.”

There was another knock on the door. She opened it to find Sam and Jack. Sam held bags of takeout and Jack had a couple of six-packs and a bottle of tequila.

Five minutes later they were all in her living room. Jack had put in the first DVD. It was all highlights from his career. Next would be Sam's DVD and then Kenny's.

The DVD began and an announcer's voice filled the room.

“The Stallions are down by three with the clock ticking. McGarry's playing with a bad shoulder, but everyone knows if the Stallions are going to make it out of the play-offs, it's up to him. We're watching the clock. There's the snap. McGarry steps back and finds...”

“Rib?” Jack asked, passing her an open container.

She was about to refuse when she realized she was kind of hungry. She took one and a napkin.

Sam and Kenny had each taken one of the oversize club chairs, while Jack sat next to her on the sofa. She'd already had two shots of tequila, so it was just a matter of time until the ache inside faded just a little.

She'd specifically asked her female friends not to give her one of those “he's such a bastard, you need to feel better” parties. Looked as though she was going to have one anyway. In a kind of twisted way. With her family. Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be.

* * *

“T
HEY
'
RE
SO
PRETTY
,”
Olivia said as she opened the box from Plants for the Planet.

Angel stood behind her and glanced down. Yup, there they were. Wreaths done in tiny pink flowers. With matching ribbons. Nine of them. The girls would be—

“There's nine,” he said. “Who gets the ninth one?”

Even as he asked the question, a voice in his head screeched the answer. He held up both hands. “No way.”

Char grinned at him. “You have to. You're our Grove Keeper.”

“It's not for him,” Chloe said. “It's for Taryn.”

“Where is Taryn?” Sarah asked.

Angel knew fighting about the wreath would be easier. “Taryn's, ah, not coming to the meeting.”

Kate frowned. “But this is our last one. We have to be in the parade.”

Layla shook her head. “She's not coming. I heard my mom talking on the phone. I wasn't supposed to be listening.” She bit her lower lip. “Taryn and Angel are getting a divorce.”

Eight pairs of eyes stared at him accusingly.

“We're not getting a divorce,” Angel muttered. “We weren't married.” That wasn't making it better, he thought grimly. “I mean we were going out and now we're not.”

Regan's eyes filled with tears. “What happened?”

“Sometimes relationships don't work out.” He felt small and crappy. Worse, he knew that Taryn would know what to say way better than him. “We're still friends,” he added lamely, although that was a lie. They weren't friends. They weren't anything.

He waited for Chloe to yell at him, but she only turned away. He put his hand on her shoulder. “What is it?” he asked gently.

She looked at him. Her skin was pale and her freckles stood out. Gone was the happy, outgoing girl she'd become.

“We're getting our family beads today,” Chloe reminded him. “After the parade. You can't be part of a family if you don't have Taryn.”

There were a lot of different ways to answer, he thought. Telling her that his relationship with Taryn was a grown-up thing and she wouldn't understand. Explaining that he'd had a family once and lost it. That he hadn't been able to keep them safe.

As he stared at Chloe, he saw the flash flood again. Her fear and how she'd reached for him. He'd saved her. He would have died to save her—to save any of them.

He hadn't had the chance to try to save Marie and Marcus because he hadn't been there. He couldn't be there every second of every day. It was an impossible task. Even if he could make it happen, Marie wouldn't have wanted that for either of them. She had wanted to live her life and have him live his. They had stayed together out of love, but she wasn't looking for a bodyguard. She'd wanted a partner. He'd been that. He'd been a father and a husband.

“We miss Taryn,” Olivia said.

“Me, too,” he admitted.

There were no guarantees, he thought suddenly. No promises. There was only this moment and what he had accomplished so far in his life. If he were to die right now, he would regret not telling Taryn that she mattered to him. He would regret that he didn't admit what had been so obvious all along.

“We need to get to the parade,” he told the girls. “Now.”

He passed out wreaths. When Chloe handed him the ninth one, he sighed once, then stuck it on his head.

They went to the start of the parade and got in their place. The music began. Angel walked with his girls but searched the crowds on the side. Whatever had happened, Taryn wouldn't miss this. He was sure of it. She would be here and he would get his chance to talk to her.

He wondered how much he'd hurt her. Why couldn't he have figured this out sooner? That she was so important to him. That somewhere, when he hadn't been paying attention, he'd fallen in love with her, too.

He heard a loud whistle and saw Ford and Isabel. Ford gave him a thumbs-up. “Looking good, big guy.”

Angel smiled. He would get Ford back tomorrow—in the gym.

He saw a lot of people he knew. Parents of his Acorns, families from town. Montana with a couple of service dogs in training. The lady from—

The back of his neck tingled. He swung around, searching. Taryn was here. He couldn't see her yet, but she was here. He studied the crowd lining both sides of the street, then spotted Kenny, Jack and Sam and knew he'd found her.

“Come on, girls,” he said, breaking from the rest of the groves and heading to the sidewalk. All eight Acorns scampered along with him.

As he approached, the three large football players formed a protective flank. Angel knew that together, they could do a lot of damage, but he wasn't concerned. Taryn might have three football players watching her back, but he had eight Acorns and he would bet that heart beat brawn anytime.

He stopped in front of the guys. They all stood with their arms folded across their wide chests. Their expressions were menacing. At least until Chloe smiled and gave a little wave.