by Bella Andre
“You are wonderful and marvelous and the absolute best,” Kelsey gushed. “I’d love to go to Chicago to meet the couple who took such good care of you. And what you did for Mom today is huge. Thank you, thank you.”
Kelsey’s enthusiasm made his heart flip. She made him feel like a hero.
In business and finance, everyone demanded a piece of him. They either wanted his money, or they wanted him to tell them how to make money. But Kelsey was different. She’d asked him to help, out of the goodness of her heart. And somehow, he’d dredged up the goodness inside of him to do it.
“You’re doing so much for us,” she continued, “we’ve got to do something for you. I don’t know what. But we’ll think of something. Something huge, I swear.”
“I don’t need you to do anything, Kelsey.”
“That’s the whole point,” she said, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. “We want to do something because we don’t have to. You’re awesome, Evan Collins.”
She hung up before he could set her straight. Before he could tell her he’d done only what he’d needed to, what any person with a soul would have done.
Before he could remind her that helping out her mom didn’t mean he was ready to accept Theresa as his mom again.
* * *
So, really, how was she supposed to fight for Evan?
Paige finished the notes from her last session, then quickly checked her email while her mind mulled over what to do about Evan.
She was determined to fight for him. But how?
Evan had wanted her last night. His kiss, his touch, and the fire in his eyes had confirmed what her body knew. But she couldn’t use his desire to bring him closer. Couldn’t use it against him. That was Whitney’s modus operandi—ensnaring men. As far as Paige was aware, Whitney had never cheated, but she still loved to gather men around her.
In any case, Whitney aside, Paige didn’t want to fall into bed with Evan only to have him deny his feelings in the morning.
Because what Paige felt for him was so much deeper. On some level, she had to believe he knew it too. Their souls seemed to speak their own special language. She’d felt it all those evenings they’d talked for hours in his library about books, movies, politics, her work, his work. The connection had existed between them even in college, all the nights they discussed classes and students, science or high finance; daydreaming about how they would shape their futures; talking about their goals, what they wanted to accomplish and how; or even something as simple as what the best classic sci-fi movie was. They’d both chosen The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Forbidden Planet a close second. If she was going to fight for him, she had to do it by showing him how much more they had between them than desire.
Her eyes skimmed the headlines online and flitted over a sidebar without really seeing it.
She wanted to do something special, something that would help Evan see they were meant to be together, no matter how many obstacles stood in their way. But what could possibly convince him? What, what, what?
Suddenly, her gaze was snagged by a brief mention containing the words science, fiction, and Mars. Oh my God. It was the absolute best thing imaginable. It wasn’t obviously romantic. It wasn’t flashy and sexy. But it was so absolutely them. Grabbing her phone, she tapped in a quick text.
Andy Weir is speaking tonight at a bookstore down the street from your office. Do you want to go see him with me?
They’d both loved The Martian. They’d read it at the same time, marveled over it, dissected every chapter. And seeing the advertisement right on the heels of her thoughts about their favorite classic sci-fi movies had to have meaning. Evan answered almost immediately.
Sounds good. Mortimer can pick you up from your office and then we can come home from the city together.
Come home. Yes. The words were sublime, all she could ever have asked for. They made the rest of their arrangements through a few quick texts.
Mortimer picked her up for the ride to San Francisco, but the traffic was horrendous getting into the city despite it being a weeknight. She dashed into the bookstore with no time to spare as the emcee for the evening tested the microphone. It was standing room only, but Evan had saved her a seat, and she squeezed past an elderly couple to slip into the chair beside him.
“You’re here.” He reached out to squeeze her hand, and she wanted to hang on forever. He was scrumptious in his dashing dark gray suit and white shirt, his tie a shade of topaz and green that somehow emphasized the flecks of gold in his eyes. She wanted to eat him all up right then. But she’d promised herself this night wouldn’t be about sex. Or desire. Or need. Or all the physical things she desperately wanted from him.
Before they could exchange another word, the bookstore owner introduced the author to a round of deafening applause. Andy Weir was an incredibly interesting guy. And his publishing story was amazing. When he talked about selling his AOL stock options at the absolute high after he was laid off, Evan gave her a thumbs-up and whispered, “This is my kinda guy.” She loved that he could share this with her.
The talk was fascinating, even as Andy got technical. And yet, like his book, he presented the material in layman’s terms she could easily understand. He was extremely self-deprecating, and when asked how he came up with the idea for The Martian, he said he was a geek who liked to sit around daydreaming about how it would be possible to accomplish this thing or that.
She nudged Evan and murmured, “Just like you.”
And yet it was more. It was like all those nights in college discussing their plans for the future. Daydreaming. Evan had made all his dreams come true.
Except the one about a family and a loving wife.
The emcee opened the meeting up for questions, and the audience went wild with hands in the air. One man wanted to know why the main character in The Martian hadn’t taken his situation more seriously, that he was actually a little flip, even sarcastic. And Andy said that he hadn’t wanted to write a deep, dark character study, that it was more about figuring out how to solve a really big problem.
“His levity was what I liked best,” Evan said to her softly. It was what they’d both liked best. You couldn’t keep the hero down, no matter what nature threw at him. He always bounced back.
Like Evan? Would he eventually bounce back? She could only hope.
Some people got into the technical stuff. Others just wanted to know how much he sold his stock options for, or how much input he’d had in the movie, while still more questions delved into the book’s themes.
To her, the biggest theme had been about never giving up. With each failure, the astronaut solved another problem. After each setback, he dove right back in. The same with NASA’s efforts to save him. No one ever gave up.
And she wouldn’t give up on Evan. She would keep on showing him how good they were together. No matter what.
If the applause had been deafening in the beginning, it brought the house down afterward. They got their autographed books, had a few words with the author while Evan complimented him on an amazing story. Andy probably didn’t have a clue he was shaking the hand of a billionaire who’d waited in the same line as everyone else.
But that was Evan, equally as down-to-earth.
As they left the bookshop, Evan took her hands in his. “Thank you. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in…” He paused, his gaze roaming over her face, tracing the lines of her cheek, her nose, her mouth. As if he were memorizing her features. “Not since our last conversation in my library. Every conversation, in fact.”
Her pulse beat harder in the tips of her fingers that he’d captured in his. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“You couldn’t have chosen anything better.” His eyes scorched her, suggesting there was something he might have enjoyed equally.
But she wasn’t going to simply fall into bed with him. As badly as she wanted just that. Instead, she would show Evan that they weren’t about the power of sex. They were about
the power of connection.
Tonight had been the perfect start. And he had given her the perfect reaction, comparing this evening to all the nights they’d come together in his library. All the nights they’d shared their thoughts, their minds, their feelings.
She would not give up. Not on him. And not on herself.
And yet the pull of his body was magnetic, hers swaying into his as she drowned in his deep gaze. She might very well have kissed him if Mortimer hadn’t pulled to the curb at that very moment.
“Your carriage awaits,” Evan said as Mortimer hopped out to open the door.
She slid in, and Evan joined her. She wasn’t sure whether she regretted the lost moment or not. But once they were rolling and they started discussing all the new things they’d learned about their favorite book, Paige found herself transported back to those magical evenings drinking a glass of wine and talking. Tonight had been so right, without conflict or guilt, as they enjoyed each other’s company.
They were exiting the freeway close to her condo when Evan said, “I finally called Susan and told her everything.”
She could suddenly feel her heart banging right up against her chest. “Everything?”
Obviously recognizing that he needed to clarify what everything meant, he added, “About Theresa showing up again with Kelsey and Tony.”
Disappointment did its best to lay her low, even though she knew better than to think he would have told Susan about their kisses. She mourned the sudden loss of the closeness they’d shared all evening, but she also realized this new discussion had a closeness all its own. So she shook off the slight ache, especially after their wonderful evening together. “I’ll bet she’s dying to meet your brother and sister.”
“If we were on Let’s Make a Deal, you would have just won the car behind Door Number Three.” Despite his teasing tone, he drummed his fingers on the seat between them, drawing in a deep breath and blowing it out with obvious tension before he said, “She wants all of us to fly to Chicago this weekend.”
Paige knew he wouldn’t be this conflicted if all of us meant only his siblings. “She wants Theresa to come too, doesn’t she?”
“She does. She thinks it will be a low-stress environment for everyone to get to know each other.”
“She’s right.” Susan always was. “So are you going to do it?”
“Maybe.”
“What’s the deciding factor?”
He paused a long moment before saying, “You.” But before she could respond to that stunning answer, he held up a hand. “You’ve already done so much to help me with my family. It’s not fair to keep asking you for more.”
“I already told you, this is what family does for one another. You’d do the same for me.”
“But I didn’t.” Regret and guilt were clear in his voice. “So many times, Whitney lashed out at you. So many times, I let you be hurt by her.”
“No.” It was long past time for Paige to admit the truth. “I let myself be hurt by her.” She ducked her head a moment, bracing herself. “I never told you. But when my mom was dying, I made a promise to take care of my dad as well as Whitney after Mom was gone.” She still felt the anguish deep in her soul. “But I failed her. Dad went downhill, and I didn’t stop it.”
“Jesus, Paige.” Evan took her hand in his and squeezed it tight, offering her his warmth. “Your dad’s death wasn’t your fault.”
She wanted to fold herself into his arms, but she had to be strong enough to get through this. “I know in my head—” She tapped her temple. “—that he was lost and probably nothing could have brought him back, but…” She shrugged, and then she told him the bigger issue she needed him to know. “Whitney never let me forget it. She reminded me I was failing her whenever I didn’t take her side.”
“You weren’t to blame for your father, and you weren’t to blame for any of the lies Whitney told. And you’ve supported her in every way you possibly could. Until we both realized just how bad her lies really were.” He kissed her knuckles so gently she wanted to melt into him. “God, I am so sorry for all her crap.”
“Thank you for saying that. But don’t you see? I’ve always taken her crap because it was easier than standing up, or pushing back, or going for the life and the love I truly wanted.” She shook her head, feeling the weight of all the things she hadn’t done. But that ended now. “I’m done with all that. I’m done letting fear and excuses and, most especially, guilt hold me back.”
She wouldn’t wimp out this time. Not if there was a chance that she and Evan could make things work.
She’d been a wimp nine years ago—and look how that had turned out.
It was finally time to be bold.
They’d pulled up to her condo by the time she looked him square in the eye and said, “I’d love to go to Chicago with you and your family.”
“What did I do that was good enough to deserve you, Paige?”
She smiled then, despite the heavy tension of unrequited desire in the air between them. “Everything good, Evan. Everything.”
Then she kissed him on the cheek and slipped out of the car before he could argue with her.
Her fight for his heart was definitely on.
A fight she hoped both of them would win in the end.
Chapter Twenty
They arrived at Susan and Bob’s at two thirty Saturday afternoon. “How was the flight, dear?” Susan’s smile was so bright it lit up the room.
“Good.” Evan smiled, giving her a hug.
Theresa, Tony, and Kelsey had been utterly awed by his luxurious private plane stocked with gourmet food and drinks. Evan had done his best to make them all feel comfortable, but as he had an important Maverick contract the other guys were waiting on him to review, Paige was the one who truly smoothed the way for the three newcomers.
All the while, Evan had been almost painfully aware of Paige. How good she looked in her jeans and sweater. How soft her hair was when she flipped it over her shoulder, a few strands brushing his face. How beautiful her eyes were when she smiled. How lovely the sound of her laughter. On top of that, Paige’s fragrance had been something new, light and fruity and more intoxicating than the champagne they were drinking.
Every time they’d been together since New Year’s was still fresh inside his head, his heart. It wasn’t just their attraction that drew him to her. It was the way she made him think. It was how brave she was in facing up to her past mistakes with her sister and her father. It was how confident she was that anything truly was possible.
God, how she must have suffered over that promise she’d made to her mother. He should have known there’d been something like that in her past. But she was so strong, so courageous, so caring. Take the treat she’d planned in San Francisco, suggesting they see Andy Weir together. No one else would have known how much that would mean to him. But Paige did. She was everything a man could need.
But she needed a man who was worthy of her.
And now he needed to get it together. Especially when he was in the same room with Susan.
While Bob was hanging up coats and jackets, Evan made the introductions. “Meet my brother, Tony, and my sister, Kelsey.” He felt proud saying it. Theresa had done a good job there.
“Oh my Lord.” Susan grabbed Tony’s arms, held on to him as she looked up into his face. “You’re the spitting image of Evan.” Then she took Kelsey’s hand. “You’re beautiful, honey.”
Kelsey blushed. “Thank you.”
“I can’t wait to get to know you both better. Evan is so proud of the two of you.” Then she passed them on to Bob, who gave them each a big bear hug. That was where Daniel had learned how to hug, from his dad.
“And Theresa.” She’d hung back, still shy and hesitant, despite Paige’s cheerful chatter on the flight. Susan took Theresa’s hand in both of hers. “It is so lovely to finally meet you.”
“Thank you. You too.” But when Theresa’s eyes met Evan’s again, he read her clear confusion: How c
an she think it’s lovely to meet me when I abandoned my son to her?
Though Theresa had heard of Susan back in the neighborhood and knew she was a good woman, she couldn’t possibly comprehend Susan’s amazing capacity to love, her willingness to forgive a wrong, her need to make things right. If it was in her power, Susan would make this right too. It was why they were here, after all.
Evan wasn’t sure anyone had that power. Not Paige. Not even Susan. No matter how good their intentions.
“Paige, honey.” Susan opened her arms again. “Come give me a hug. I haven’t seen you since last year.”
Paige laughed as they hugged. “Last year was only a week ago.”
It seemed like a lifetime. A week ago, he hadn’t kissed Paige, hadn’t held her or tasted her skin, hadn’t dreamed of her, hadn’t needed to hear her laughter more than he needed food or water or air.
And he hadn’t known he had a family besides the Mavericks.
Susan herded them into the great room. “Have you eaten?”
“You wouldn’t believe the food they served on Evan’s plane,” Kelsey said with a smile that was still more than slightly awed. “And champagne too!”
He smiled indulgently, feeling a tug on his heartstrings. He still couldn’t quite believe he had a sister. Or that she could be so fun, so smart, so pretty.
“If you get hungry again, I’ve put out a few snacks.” Susan’s version of snacks was a smorgasbord of guacamole and chips, spinach dip with French bread, a platter of shrimp, and bowls of nuts on the coffee table. She’d spent years feeding five hungry teenage boys, after all. “Now come in, make yourselves at home.” The massive fireplace and brickwork filled one wall, and a blaze was pumping warmth into the room accompanied by the pleasant crackle of the fire.
Theresa sat on one end of the sectional sofa, and Susan took a place next to her. Tony relaxed into the couch on Susan’s right. Bob had pulled chairs to the other side of the coffee table, but before Evan could take one of the seats, Bob sat with Kelsey beside him. That left a corner of the couch for Evan, with Paige next to him. Which, truthfully, was right where he wanted her to be.