Waiting for You (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

by Abigail Strom

  If she liked hearing that, she didn’t show it. She wasn’t showing much of anything at the moment. She was sitting back with her arms folded, a slight frown on her face as she listened to him.

  He took a deep breath. “I’m not looking for a relationship, but I could use a friend. There aren’t that many people I feel like spending time with these days, and you’re one of them.”

  He stopped talking then, and waited to hear what she would say.

  She didn’t say anything for a minute. She looked down at the table, biting her lip, and he told himself not to look at her mouth. Looking at her mouth was what had gotten him into trouble in the first place.

  Finally she met his eyes again. “Let’s start with the website.”

  It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it was a start. “Fair enough. Why don’t you stop by the garage sometime? If you come Friday around five o’clock, Mark and I can show you around and then take you to dinner. A business dinner,” he added with a smile.

  “I can’t Friday. I have a date.”

  It was like a punch in the gut, completely unexpected.

  “A date,” he said, trying to sound unconcerned. “Good for you.”

  It shouldn’t bother him. Hadn’t he just finished telling her he wasn’t looking for a relationship?

  He cleared his throat. “So, who’s the guy?”

  Erin studied him for a moment. Her gray eyes were serious, and he was reminded of how seriously she’d always taken life as a kid. She never blew anything off, never left a job unfinished…never let anyone down who was depending on her.

  Any man would be lucky to have her in his life. Hell, a guy who had a chance with Erin Shaw was the luckiest man on the planet.

  She didn’t answer his question. “Like I said before, let’s stick with the website. I don’t want to talk about my love life with you. Okay?”

  Because he’d been looking at her so closely for the last few minutes, he saw when the hint of vulnerability came into her expression.

  She was protecting herself. From him.

  Which was a smart move on her part. Wasn’t that the reason he’d turned her down that night? To protect her?

  Getting her to meet him today had been selfish. He wanted her friendship for his sake, not for hers. It might be better for Erin if he stayed out of her life.

  But the thought of not seeing her again made his heart tighten in his chest—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

  The truth was, he hadn’t felt much of anything in a long time. And selfish or not, he wasn’t willing to let go of the one person in his life who could make him feel something that didn’t belong in a nightmare.

  “Yeah,” he said. “That’s okay.” He looked down at the web pages. “Should I look at this stuff now, or—”

  She shook her head and started gathering up the pages again. “No, not now. Let’s reschedule this meeting, all right? Maybe I could come by the garage sometime next week, to see your work and to meet Mark.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “I’ll call you Monday to set something up.”

  She gathered everything together and put it in her leather portfolio, and then stood up with the portfolio over one shoulder and her laptop case over the other.

  The hint of vulnerability was gone now. She looked cool and professional, like she was already thinking about her next meeting. Jake remembered the way she’d trembled in his arms that night, the way she’d arched her head back so he could kiss her throat.

  He got to his feet, too. “Can we shake on it?”

  She held out her hand, and he covered it with his. They stood like that for a second, and when her face turned pink he felt a rush of male satisfaction he had no right to feel.

  Erin wanted to keep him at arms’ length, and he agreed wholeheartedly with that decision.

  But at his deepest, most primitive level, he was glad he could still bring that flush into her cheeks.

  ***

  A week later, Erin stood looking up at the weather-beaten sign advertising Hayner’s Garage. Below it was a glass door leading into a cramped and cluttered customer service area. She took a deep breath before pushing open the door and going inside.

  In spite of all her efforts to put Jake in the “business” part of her brain, her heart was racing as she rang the bell on the counter and waited for someone to come through the door that led into the garage itself.

  She waited five minutes and rang the bell again. When no one came, she went over to the inner door and peered through the dusty glass.

  There he was. He had his back to her and was talking to a dark-haired man, but the only one she really saw was Jake.

  He was wearing a dark blue tee shirt and faded jeans, and she’d never been more conscious of how perfectly sculpted his body was.

  His broad shoulders and powerful back were sexy enough. But the short sleeved shirt left his arms bare, and the hard curves of his biceps made her mouth water.

  Her gaze drifted down. There was a wrench sticking out of his left back pocket, and the sight drew her attention to another part of his anatomy that was worth a second look.

  Would there ever come a time when she wouldn’t react like this? When she could look at Jake without this fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach?

  She was tempted to chicken out, to slink out the door and tell Jake later she couldn’t work with him after all.

  But then she remembered the conversation she’d had with Allison a couple of days ago, when they’d met for breakfast one morning.

  “So…Jake told me he gave you a ride home after the wedding.”

  Erin felt herself blushing but hoped her friend wouldn’t notice. “His truck is better in the snow than my car.”

  “Uh huh.” Allison’s look was speculative, and Erin tried to head her off at the pass.

  “Nothing happened, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “That’s what he said, too.”

  He’d talked to his sister about her?

  “He also told me you’re designing a website for him and Mark.”

  That was a much safer topic. “Yes. I’m no expert, but I’ve seen pictures of some of his bikes, and they look amazing.”

  Allison nodded. “He really is good. He’s a genius with engines, and he can do anything with metal. He’s got an eye for design, too.” She hesitated. “I’m glad you’re doing his website, Erin. I’m glad you’re in his life. I mean, I know you guys are just friends, but…I think you could be good for him.” She bit her lip. “Sorry. That sounds weird, right?”

  Erin shook her head. “You’re worried about him.”

  Allison looked almost ashamed. “I am. The whole family is. He’d be furious if he knew I said that to you, or to anyone, but…yes, I’m worried. If he’d only talk to us…” she sighed. “You didn’t see him right after he got home, did you?”

  Erin shook her head again. “I didn’t see him until the night of your wedding.”

  “He came home about three months before that. When we first saw him…Erin, it was awful. He was like a different person. Like…like he was dead inside. He’d never been like that before, on any of his leaves or anything. Up until a year ago, he’d tell us about the war if we asked. Not everything, of course. He was awarded the Silver Star a few years ago, and he would never talk about that. I think a lot of soldiers died that day. But he’d tell us about his daily life, the guys in his unit, the local people he met.”

  Allison frowned. “But after he got out…nothing. He won’t even talk to Jenna, and they used to be so close.” She took a deep breath. “He blows up at the idea of seeing a therapist. I don’t even suggest it anymore.”

  What Allison was telling her fit in with what she’d seen herself—the cool impassivity of his expression, and the flickers of something else underneath. “What does Irene think?”

  Allison sighed. “Mom says we just need to be patient. He does seem a little better, lately. A little more…alive. He’s d
ifferent when he talks about his work, and—” she met Erin’s eyes “—when he talks about you. And that’s why I think you could be good for him. As a friend, of course,” she added quickly. “Or, you know, web designer.”

  So Jake’s family was worried about him. From the little she’d seen, she thought they probably had reason to worry. She couldn’t even imagine the kind of things he’d experienced in the last ten years, or what had happened in this last year that had changed him so much. But to keep it all bottled up the way he did couldn’t be healthy.

  Allison thought she’d be good for Jake, and Erin hoped it was true. As long as they kept things on a business footing, she could protect her heart and still be in his life. Maybe they could even be friends, eventually.

  At least that’s what she’d thought until she actually saw him again, and all her bones felt hollow.

  But she wasn’t going to chicken out. Jake was a good man, and the only real hero she’d ever known. He might not be her knight in shining armor but he was a knight in shining armor, a veteran who’d given ten years to his country, serving in the most difficult and dangerous situations imaginable.

  And she was a grown woman capable of putting her own feelings aside to help him settle back into civilian life—even if all she was doing was building him a website.

  So she took a deep breath, opened the door, and went into the garage.

  Her resolve faltered the moment Jake turned around and saw her. He grinned, and her stomach did a little flip.

  But she kept walking forward, hoping her own smile looked polite and professional.

  “Hey,” Jake said when she reached him. “You’re early, aren’t you?”

  She glanced at her watch and saw that she was actually a few minutes late.

  Jake glanced at a clock on the wall and saw the same thing. “Wow, sorry. I lose track of time when I’m working. I hope you weren’t waiting out front?”

  Another voice broke in. “Hey, Jake—you can introduce me any time.”

  She’d been so absorbed by Jake, and by her efforts to not seem absorbed, that she’d forgotten all about the guy he was with. Now she turned her head and saw a nice-looking man about Jake’s age, a little shorter but just as muscular, with long dark hair in a ponytail.

  She saw something else, too. She could be pretty oblivious when it came to male interest, but since her lunch with Beth she’d been making an effort to open her eyes. And she knew, immediately, that the man standing next to Jake was interested.

  She took his proffered hand, and nodded her acknowledgement when he said, “I’m Mark Hayner. And you have to be Erin Shaw.”

  Except for the fact that he held her hand a little longer than necessary, there wasn’t anything inappropriate about his words or the way he looked at her. But she was sure he was attracted.

  She couldn’t help glancing at Jake, and she felt a purely feminine thrill when she saw him frowning.

  Then she told herself to get a grip—and to remember she was a professional here to do a job.

  “Okay,” Jake said brusquely. “You said you wanted to learn more about the business. Let me start by giving you a tour. After that, we can sit down with Mark and—”

  Mark interrupted, his eyes still on her. “I can give Erin a tour. It’s my garage, after all, even if you’re the design genius.”

  Jake looked at Mark and then back at her. “We’ll both give the tour. Then we can sit down in the office and talk.”

  The tour was actually interesting enough that she was able to focus on what she was here to do—learn more about the business. She saw motorcycles in various stages of the design and build process, and a couple of finished products.

  “That’s gorgeous,” she said, looking at the bike Jake had just completed.

  “Have you ever been on one?” Mark asked.

  She shook her head. “No, but I’ve always loved looking at them.”

  The garage and machine shop were the most masculine places she’d ever been in, from the tools and engine parts everywhere to the scent of metal and machine oil that hung in the air. And the motorcycle in front of her was like the distilled essence of all of that.

  It was sleek and heavy and powerful, an explosion of male energy in black leather and shining chrome, and yet it was graceful at the same time. If she’d been asked to pick an inanimate object to represent Jake Landry, this would be it.

  She squelched that thought and turned to both men with a smile. “I’m glad I came,” she said. “Seeing all this has made me realize that I’ve got to scrap everything I’ve come up with so far. I think you’ll want something more…” she groped for a subtle way to express it, but came up empty. “Something more masculine.”

  Mark raised an eyebrow. “Is that your way of saying you’re not interested, or are you still up for the job? I hope you are, because I’d definitely like to see more of you around here.”

  She ignored his flirtatious tone and concentrated on the question. Was she up for the job? Or should she suggest they might be better off with a different designer?

  She looked down at the bike again, and was suddenly conscious of how drawn she was to it, to everything it represented. And she knew she wanted to do the site.

  She almost smiled. Maybe this was the answer to her feelings about Jake: transfer them to his motorcycles, instead.

  They were certainly a safer object for her affections.

  “Yes,” she said firmly, looking at both men. “I’m sure I can come up with something you’ll like. But I’d like to take a week or so to work on it. Will that be soon enough? I’ve got some other deadlines coming up.”

  Mark started to answer, but Jake cut him off. “That’s no problem. Even if we do go forward with this business plan, we won’t be ready to launch for at least a month.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t I walk you out?”

  Mark frowned at him. “What’s the rush? Maybe Erin would like to—”

  “We’ve already taken up too much of Erin’s time,” Jake said shortly. “I’ll walk her out and then we can look at that design we were talking about.”

  He moved his hand to the small of her back and steered her firmly away, and Erin just had time to say, “It was nice to meet you, Mark,” over her shoulder, before they rounded a corner and were out of sight. A few moments later they were at the door to the office, and Jake pushed it open for her.

  She half expected to be hustled out of there, too, but Jake leaned back against the counter and looked at her. “How was your date on Friday?”

  She blinked at him. “What?”

  “Your date. You said you had a date on Friday. How was it?”

  It had actually been one of the most boring dates of her life. They’d kissed goodnight outside the restaurant, and when she’d felt absolutely nothing she knew she couldn’t see Evan again.

  But that wasn’t any of Jake’s business.

  She folded her arms. “I was pretty specific about not wanting to discuss my love life with you. Remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember. I guess I was just curious, because you seemed perfectly happy to flirt with Mark back there.”

  This was so unfair that her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding? I wasn’t flirting with Mark. If anything, he was flirting with me.” She took a deep breath. “Look. If you don’t want me to work on your website, that’s fine. I can recommend some other designers for you. But I won’t work with you if it’s going to be like this.”

  “I—” Jake ran a hand over his hair, his expression frustrated. He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again his voice was quieter. “Okay, you’re right. I was out of line. Your personal life is none of my business. I just…” He hesitated. “I’ve known you since you were a kid. I guess I feel protective of you.”

  So it wasn’t jealousy that had been bugging him—he’d gone into honorary big brother mode. In spite of herself, she felt a twinge of disappointment.

  “I’m not a kid anymore.”

  He looked down at her wi
th a slight smile on his face. “Believe me, I know that. And I want you to do our website. So…are we still okay?”

  When it came to Jake Landry, she had no idea how to answer that question.

  She shrugged. “Yes, we’re okay. I’ll call once I have some pages to show you and Mark, all right?”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her, and she looked back at him, and when she could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks she knew it was time to go.

  “Thanks for the tour,” she said briskly. “I’ll give you a call later this week.”

  He held out a hand. “Let’s shake on it,” he said. “So I know we really are okay.”

  She hesitated for just a second. Then she took his hand, and the rush of sensation made her stomach clench.

  “Goodbye, Jake,” she managed. She pulled her hand away and headed for the door like it was an escape hatch.

  Her fingers still tingled from his touch.

  Chapter Six

  Jake watched Erin through the glass door as she slid behind the wheel of her car, the one that wasn’t any good in the snow. A minute later she drove away.

  He wanted to put snow tires on that car. He wanted to buy her a new car—one with all-wheel drive and a five-star safety rating.

  He shook his head slowly. When had he started thinking about Erin Shaw like she was his business? She’d made it pretty clear that she wasn’t.

  Whatever was going on in his head, he’d get over it. And in the meantime, he had a few things to say to his friend and prospective business partner.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded a minute later, confronting Mark across a disassembled engine.

  Mark looked as pissed as Jake felt. “What’s wrong with me? I wasn’t the guy practically dragging our new web designer out of here. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “You were flirting with her.”

  “Of course I was. She’s gorgeous.”

  “We’re hiring her to do a job for us. Flirting is…unprofessional.”

  Mark stared at him. “Are you kidding? You didn’t say anything when I went out with our accountant. What makes this so different? When you first talked about her, you said there wasn’t anything going on between you. Is that the truth?”