Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Archer was cracking up now. “Smith and I were so excited to be shepherds. And then it got a little confusing with the whole ‘it’s a metaphor’ and then a ram entering the scene, or something like that.”
Well, it was nice someone saw the funny side of it. He was feeling pretty humorless, himself. He was glad that Archer hadn’t video called and seen the sorry state he was in, still wearing his wrinkled suit and barely managing to keep the coffee cup from shaking in his hands.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “The evening got away from me.”
Archer, as Smith had done before him, turned serious. “Smith says you’re in love and that’s why you got plastered. You were drowning your sorrows because she rejected you.”
Jay’s stomach lurched unpleasantly. In love? Those were words he hadn’t admitted to himself. He just couldn’t go there. This was Erin. There was something about her unlike any woman he’d ever known. And now he was on the phone with her brother, who had all but said he’d cut off a vital body part if he so much as touched her.
How had he gotten himself into this mess?
He managed, “I don’t know about love. . . but she’s not like the others.”
Now Archer sounded just plain curious. “Who is she? Your heart never broke over any of the lingerie models you’ve dated.” Quickly he added, “No offense. But you are a one-track kind of guy.”
Jay winced. Those women were from another lifetime. “She’s not like that. She’s different.”
“That’s great. Who is it? Anyone I know?”
He shuddered. Holy hell—if her brother knew it was Erin, Jay would be in big trouble with his very talented and heavily muscled client and friend. So all he said was, “I screwed things up anyway. She doesn’t want to see me ever again.” Jay looked down at himself. If Erin could see him now, she would run a hundred miles to get away.
Archer was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking things through. After a few beats had passed, he said, “Jay, I hope you make things right with this woman. I never had a chance with Tessa until I told her how I felt. You have to get real and you have to be vulnerable. It’s the only way.”
Jay took a deep breath. Archer’s advice was good, but if he knew that he was giving Jay advice on how to win his own sister. . . Well, his head hurt too much right now to even contemplate all the complexities of that. All he knew was that dating Erin had always been problematic. Now, it was just plain hopeless.
“Hey, man, you should come over for dinner tonight,” Archer said. “Tessa will cook you something healthy to make up for your heavy night.”
Jay hesitated—it was such a genuine offer of friendship that he was truly touched. But he couldn’t imagine having dinner with Arch and Tessa while hiding the fact that the woman he was crazy about was Arch’s sister, so he thanked him and said he already had plans for the evening.
Jay put down his phone and wondered what on earth to do with himself. Even on a Sunday, he nearly always had work to do, but today he just wasn’t up to it. There were all kinds of things he could do, people he could call, but he didn’t feel up to any of that either. He couldn’t stop thinking about Erin. He wanted to apologize, but he didn’t know how. He didn’t even think he could face it today. He needed a day to lick his wounds, get himself back into fighting shape. Because he felt as though he was in a battle—a battle to win her back, or at least get them on the comfortable, friendly footing they’d enjoyed for so long.
It wasn’t until Jay had showered and shaved and come downstairs feeling a lot more human and ready to take Nelson for a proper walk on the beach. He opened the door and noticed an envelope sitting atop his welcome mat. His name was scrawled on the front in unfamiliar handwriting. He frowned—his first instinct always being to brace for trouble—but when he opened it, he found a note from Clark, thanking him again for the camera and a chance at his dream job in Hollywood. Jay smiled. A hand-delivered note was a nice, personal touch. The kid would go far.
But then he saw something else in the envelope. He pulled out a black and white photograph and his heart began to beat double time.
Clark had developed the shots from the coffee shop. All that fussing and moving of paper cups and changing of poses ever so slightly had really paid off. If a picture was worth a thousand words, this one was about two people who looked really, really good together. Erin was so pretty, beautiful in a way she didn’t even realize, because she’d always been so overshadowed by Mila and her movie-star and rock-star brothers. But quiet, unobtrusive Erin was a knockout. And the way she was looking at him, the way he was looking at her. . . He could feel again the sensation of her shoulder against his chest, how good she felt nestled in his arms.