Laid Bare
Page 63
Ben turned to her first, surprised she’d been watching, but then his smile hitched up a notch when he noted her ni**les.
“Let’s go then. Get this over with so we can all relax.” Todd looked at them both and laughed.
She drove, not wanting to deal with having to give directions. Plus she wanted to be in control right then as so many things in her life felt so distinctly out of control.
She didn’t know why Jeremy had just shown up in Seattle, but she knew she didn’t want him showing up at her condo or the café. She’d told him about Todd in detail the last time they’d spoken, which was just the morning before. She’d mentioned Todd before, but yesterday she’d told Jeremy straight-out that they were very serious. Erin was pretty sure that’s what had brought Jeremy up there. She dreaded it from stem to stern. She didn’t want to hurt Jeremy and she didn’t want Todd to feel anxious.
“Todd, I love you. There’s no need to feel jealous over Jeremy. You know that, right?” she asked as she punched in the code on Adrian’s gate and waited for it to slide open.
“I know you do, honey. But I want to see this guy face-to-face. I want to see how he looks at you.”
She did understand he’d want that. It was why she’d just told him, and invited him to come along. Todd was possessive and all manly-man and she knew he’d want to meet Jeremy. Funny, she had no desire to meet Sheila, the dainty ex-wife. And Ben had put his hands all over Erin, and Todd seemed not only unfazed but totally turned on. Men were a puzzle. But Todd was hers and she liked it that way. In the end, it would be good for Jeremy to see she’d moved on so he could too.
“This is some place.” They got out and Ben glanced around the house and grounds that overlooked the water beyond.
She’d helped Adrian choose this house. He’d mainly given her the task of finding him a house in Seattle to keep her occupied and keep her mind off the nightmare her life had been. But the place had always given her a sense of peace. The entrance that faced the drive and the gates down the hill made up the back of the house. The front faced a bluff and Puget Sound. Big trees kept the lot cool and shady and flowering plants and bushes gave lots of color. Working in Adrian’s garden gave her solace.
“I love it here. Our studio is downstairs; the control room has a wall of windows out to the sound.” Erin walked to the door and then let herself into the house with a bracing breath. Moved down the hall to where it opened into the main, open room.
Jeremy had been sitting on one of the deep club chairs looking out the windows. She’d often found herself in those very chairs as Adrian puttered around. She was far lazier than her brothers were, so she lounged and they puttered. It worked.
He unwound himself, standing with a smile she still found beautiful. Jeremy was a handsome man. Elegant really, with his expensive haircut and his non-shine buffed manicure. He knew how to make the perfect pancake and cup of coffee. And he’d been a stellar father.
“Erin, you look beautiful as always,” he said in that slightly East Coast drawl even years in LA couldn’t erase totally.
She smiled, hugging him. “I’m surprised you’re here. You didn’t mention it when I spoke to you yesterday.” She touched his arm and turned to Ben and Todd, standing there like contradictions to the man she’d just hugged. “This is Todd Keenan. He’s the man I’ve been telling you about. And our friend, Ben Copeland. He and Todd run the security firm that’ll be handling all my personal security for the shows I do.”
Todd stepped forward, wearing a smile of a man who’d just been officially declared the winner, while still managing to look gracious. He shook Jeremy’s hand without a hard squeeze.
“Good to meet you, Jeremy. Erin speaks well of you.”
Ben followed with a handshake.
Adrian walked in before anything else was said and caught her eye with a what the f**k look of his own. He’d been surprised by Jeremy’s visit too, it seemed.
Time to just deal with it. “Jeremy, let’s take a walk.” Erin headed to the French doors leading outside and Jeremy followed. The rest stayed inside.
“You look sad today,” Jeremy said once they’d settled on a bench near the edge of the bluff the property sat on. “Is this guy making you sad?”
“No, not him. A friend was beaten severely by her ex. She’s in the hospital and I’ve only just come back from visiting her. Why are you here, Jeremy?”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
She didn’t look at Jeremy then. Instead she watched the water undulate, watched the boats, the seabirds, watched a ferry chug off toward Bremerton.
“Yes. I love him. I told you I was serious about him. You knew I’d move on. I know you will. That’s how life works.”
He sighed. “I miss you. I miss us. You never talked about me like you talk about him.”
She turned to him, taking his hand. “Don’t. I loved you very much. I still love you. I had the greatest joy in my life when we were together. We made a precious gift. But she was stolen and I lost part of myself. It’s over, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you then and it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you still. This guy is the real thing and I’m sorry if you’re hurt. I am, because I don’t want you to be hurt.”
Jeremy squeezed her hand and let go. “All right. I love you. I always will, and I’m sorry we lost each other after we lost Adele too. I wish I’d been better to you, given you what you needed. But you pulled into yourself like no one and nothing could touch you. God knows I tried. I failed.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked very sad.
“Let’s go then. Get this over with so we can all relax.” Todd looked at them both and laughed.
She drove, not wanting to deal with having to give directions. Plus she wanted to be in control right then as so many things in her life felt so distinctly out of control.
She didn’t know why Jeremy had just shown up in Seattle, but she knew she didn’t want him showing up at her condo or the café. She’d told him about Todd in detail the last time they’d spoken, which was just the morning before. She’d mentioned Todd before, but yesterday she’d told Jeremy straight-out that they were very serious. Erin was pretty sure that’s what had brought Jeremy up there. She dreaded it from stem to stern. She didn’t want to hurt Jeremy and she didn’t want Todd to feel anxious.
“Todd, I love you. There’s no need to feel jealous over Jeremy. You know that, right?” she asked as she punched in the code on Adrian’s gate and waited for it to slide open.
“I know you do, honey. But I want to see this guy face-to-face. I want to see how he looks at you.”
She did understand he’d want that. It was why she’d just told him, and invited him to come along. Todd was possessive and all manly-man and she knew he’d want to meet Jeremy. Funny, she had no desire to meet Sheila, the dainty ex-wife. And Ben had put his hands all over Erin, and Todd seemed not only unfazed but totally turned on. Men were a puzzle. But Todd was hers and she liked it that way. In the end, it would be good for Jeremy to see she’d moved on so he could too.
“This is some place.” They got out and Ben glanced around the house and grounds that overlooked the water beyond.
She’d helped Adrian choose this house. He’d mainly given her the task of finding him a house in Seattle to keep her occupied and keep her mind off the nightmare her life had been. But the place had always given her a sense of peace. The entrance that faced the drive and the gates down the hill made up the back of the house. The front faced a bluff and Puget Sound. Big trees kept the lot cool and shady and flowering plants and bushes gave lots of color. Working in Adrian’s garden gave her solace.
“I love it here. Our studio is downstairs; the control room has a wall of windows out to the sound.” Erin walked to the door and then let herself into the house with a bracing breath. Moved down the hall to where it opened into the main, open room.
Jeremy had been sitting on one of the deep club chairs looking out the windows. She’d often found herself in those very chairs as Adrian puttered around. She was far lazier than her brothers were, so she lounged and they puttered. It worked.
He unwound himself, standing with a smile she still found beautiful. Jeremy was a handsome man. Elegant really, with his expensive haircut and his non-shine buffed manicure. He knew how to make the perfect pancake and cup of coffee. And he’d been a stellar father.
“Erin, you look beautiful as always,” he said in that slightly East Coast drawl even years in LA couldn’t erase totally.
She smiled, hugging him. “I’m surprised you’re here. You didn’t mention it when I spoke to you yesterday.” She touched his arm and turned to Ben and Todd, standing there like contradictions to the man she’d just hugged. “This is Todd Keenan. He’s the man I’ve been telling you about. And our friend, Ben Copeland. He and Todd run the security firm that’ll be handling all my personal security for the shows I do.”
Todd stepped forward, wearing a smile of a man who’d just been officially declared the winner, while still managing to look gracious. He shook Jeremy’s hand without a hard squeeze.
“Good to meet you, Jeremy. Erin speaks well of you.”
Ben followed with a handshake.
Adrian walked in before anything else was said and caught her eye with a what the f**k look of his own. He’d been surprised by Jeremy’s visit too, it seemed.
Time to just deal with it. “Jeremy, let’s take a walk.” Erin headed to the French doors leading outside and Jeremy followed. The rest stayed inside.
“You look sad today,” Jeremy said once they’d settled on a bench near the edge of the bluff the property sat on. “Is this guy making you sad?”
“No, not him. A friend was beaten severely by her ex. She’s in the hospital and I’ve only just come back from visiting her. Why are you here, Jeremy?”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
She didn’t look at Jeremy then. Instead she watched the water undulate, watched the boats, the seabirds, watched a ferry chug off toward Bremerton.
“Yes. I love him. I told you I was serious about him. You knew I’d move on. I know you will. That’s how life works.”
He sighed. “I miss you. I miss us. You never talked about me like you talk about him.”
She turned to him, taking his hand. “Don’t. I loved you very much. I still love you. I had the greatest joy in my life when we were together. We made a precious gift. But she was stolen and I lost part of myself. It’s over, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you then and it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you still. This guy is the real thing and I’m sorry if you’re hurt. I am, because I don’t want you to be hurt.”
Jeremy squeezed her hand and let go. “All right. I love you. I always will, and I’m sorry we lost each other after we lost Adele too. I wish I’d been better to you, given you what you needed. But you pulled into yourself like no one and nothing could touch you. God knows I tried. I failed.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked very sad.
