Chaperoning Paris (Collins Brothers)

by Victoria Pinder

  Chapter 28

  After the beaches at Normandy, Gigi’s body temperature calmed back down. Sean had arranged for the students to meet with local students for a mixer. Gigi loved the idea. Now her students had the opportunity to learn more about a local flavor of French and not her Parisian. Her ears had stopped the insistent pounding, and she relaxed. She quietly listened to her group interacting, and they asked quite a few questions.

  The noise of the students dimmed the further into the garden they went. The French teenagers asked her students about Cape Cod and the movie sets there.

  Kendra walked backward and whispered to Gigi, “Ms. Dumont, I thought the Europeans were smarter than us on geography.”

  “Of course. They get taught it more,” Gigi whispered back to not offend the hosts. “They are smaller countries to our massive big country neighboring another massively huge country.”

  Sean added for measure, “Then why do they not know Massachusetts is not next to Virginia or Chicago? Our country is massive. They know country lines, but not state lines.”

  Sean had a point. But she explained, “Not everyone here tonight is on the path for college. Some are them are going to trade school. In the US, we give everyone the opportunity for college. You and your group are highly intelligent, making you see the world differently. We have plenty of people who live in our state who don’t know where Virginia or Chicago is on the map.”

  Kendra shrugged. “I guess.”

  The girl wandered off, and Gigi decided to give the teenagers space to mingle.

  She turned around and her shoulders suddenly became cold. Sean had disappeared somewhere. He had been there a second ago. Strange. She rubbed the back of her neck and wandered off. How many times today had she almost fallen into his arms, declared her love for him, and stopped feeding the black hole in her heart? Her heart raced near him, and she forgot about everything else. She fiddled with her necklace and discovered a path to a garden.

  She fanned herself in the garden, but nothing stopped the heat. Despite the prickles on her skin, she followed a garden path in the evening moonlight and stepped into a well-maintained garden.

  “No.” Sean’s voice wafted in the air from the right.

  Gigi squinted and saw two people near what appeared to be an ancient ruin. Without thought, she trekked closer, and her mouth fell open. She stared and froze in place.

  Sean had a woman with him, but she was on her knees crying.

  Finally she crept closer. “What’s going on?” Gigi asked, hearing the sharp edge to her tone. “Sean?”

  “Gigi.”

  He stepped away from the woman, surprised, then came toward her.

  She evaded his arm and asked, “What happened?”

  “I received a text message.” Sean showed her his phone with a message.

  She refused to stare down at it, and she gazed straight at him.

  “Don’t look at me like I wounded you, Gigi.”

  “Mr. Collins is pulling his support of free trade against the general populace of French needs,” the woman stated and she stood up.

  “Politics?” Gigi took stock in the body language. The woman on her knees, Sean pulling away. Her brain yelled at her to not be stupid. Gigi swallowed. “No. Do not lie to me. I hate lies.”

  Scratch that she’d planned on telling one, but her lie would benefit Sean and hurt herself.

  She stormed off, but Sean chased her. “Wait.”

  Every instinct was to run, but she turned to face him. With her hand on her hip, she asked, “What?”

  “Gigi.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know who she is. What you walked into was me saying no to the young woman wanting me or, should I say, my money. And there was a text.”

  He handed her his phone.

  “You expect me to believe you would say no to her? She went down on her knees.”

  “I didn’t do anything other than agree to listen to her ‘proposal’ which I thought concerned our schools and politics. Read the text.”

  She didn’t need to read it. She believed him. Sean had this gullible issue every time he came near a woman in distress. He trusted everyone. Gigi pushed her chin in the air. “Doesn’t matter, Sean.”

  “Yes it does.”

  “No. It doesn’t matter. I believe you.”

  “Good,” he said, and dropped his arms to his sides.

  Gigi changed her mind and stared. She had spent years refusing to believe in happy-ever-after, and this nonsense needed to stop. Opening up meant forgiving the past. She’d have to try. If she found a way to prove it to herself, she’d tell him she loved him.

  “I’m tired and my feet hurt,” she told him. “Watch the children for a while. Don’t go meeting another woman in there.”

  “Okay.” He nodded then followed her direction and went back inside. “I’ve only ever had eyes for you.”

  Her gaze never left his, but she watched him walk away. She lost sight of him and her shoulders rolled. She let his comment sink in. Finally. He told her how many times now on this trip? She’d be a fool if she didn’t listen. Clenching her fists together, Gigi swore she’d prove to herself and him that she was worthy. She loved him, and she’d find a way to show herself she deserved this love again.

  She kept herself out of sight and out of reach for the next hour and snuck on the bus. Soon, she lost track of time and opened a book.

  Her thoughts crystallized. Why that plan hadn’t surfaced earlier she didn’t know. She’d demonstrate to herself how love can win.

  She nearly jumped out of her skin the second the doors opened, and she almost dropped her reader. Sean stood at the end of the staircase below, staring up at her.

  Kiss him had been her first thought. Pushing her instincts aside, she asked, “What’s going on?”

  “We’re going back to the hotel now. Students have a big day of rehearsals in the morning, and you and I will talk. Tonight.”

  Chapter 29

  Finally, Gigi stepped off the bus and she immediately spotted Cary at the café across the street. She sucked in her breath and stared at the lights. Reporters had lined the street to get a picture of Sean on this trip, but at least they hadn’t followed them to Normandy. And the door to the hotel was clear. A small blessing, if she had any say in what qualified. They entered, and she went over to Sean and whispered, “Cary’s here. He’s on the other side of the street with everyone else. I forgot he had some surprise for me. Take the children upstairs?”

  “No. Go in. Then ask hotel security to go get him.”

  She nodded. He had a good plan. Then he waved for the students to go to the elevator. She trudged to the front desk and signaled for a clerk to bring Cary over to the hotel bar. At the lobby entrance, the bright lights of cameras still blinded her.

  Sean motioned he had a call and she left and found a seat in a dark corner, away from the windows, and waited. Cary joined her a few minutes later, and she hugged him. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself. Did he kill his wife to be with you?” Cary took his seat ready to gossip. “I do love drama and that sounds better than any novella on air right now.”

  “No,” she flatly stated. No one should suspect Sean of criminal anything. “He’d never hurt a woman.”

  “Good, though I do love a good obsession story. I was looking forward to helping him find new clothes, become friends, and all. I’d have forgiven him because he loved you.” Cary changed his tone from serious to excited. “I have my surprise for you.”

  Her friend had given her a place of safety for years. She trusted him, too, didn’t she? “What is it?”

  “I spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Collins—” Cary began.

  She choked out, “What? Excuse me?”

  “I spoke to your man Sean’s parents. I know you, Gigi, and you told me before you couldn’t be with the love of your life because his parents might object. I decided to straighten everything out for you. No one should give my sweetie a hard time.”

  Interference hadn’t b
een necessary. “It’s not his parents. You shouldn’t get involved.”

  “Aren’t you curious what they said?”

  The tease in his voice made him sound happy. “What did they say?”

  “If I can get you to go back to Sean Collins, and make up for lost time, then they’d cover the price of me owning my own theater, the wedding, and whatever else you wanted. Gigi, go back to Sean. You love him, and now I get money in this deal. We’re going to follow my plan, and you need good clothes, not the drab school teacher garb. I made arrangements and the Kate Sparrow Company has already offered you a wardrobe for getting your picture taken in this time of need.”

  “Stop. I’m not pimping myself out for a few shoes and handbags.”

  “You need them, honey.”

  She laughed but refused to believe his nonsense. “The Collins are nice people. Good people, but in no way, shape, or form are you bamboozling them.”

  Sean took the empty seat at the table between Cary and her. “Gigi, who’s bamboozling my parents?”

  Cary smiled with his flirt face. “Sean Collins? You are even more handsome in person. I thought the photos were doctored to make you look handsome.”

  Sean laughed, and she had no idea what to say. Cary had called his parents? Had Sean heard? She watched and waited until Sean shook Cary’s hand. “Good to meet the man who took Geegs in when she ran away. I owe you my thanks.”

  “I didn’t run away,” she said. “I ran for my life. There is a difference.”

  Both men stopped talking and looked at her strangely. She maintained the silence and stared back at them.

  Sean broke first. “Your mother makes the evil stepmother with a poison apple sound sympathetic.” Sean stared straight at her. “When you left, we were seventeen. She forced you into doing something you regret. We were too young.”

  “Mom had the opportunity to earn a higher investment if she remarried,” she said in a quiet voice. “I didn’t want to put you or your family through my troubles, when mom sent me away. Your family deserves wholesome, and I was screwed up. I ran.”

  “Your mother spent more hours being jealous of you than parenting,” Sean said. “Plus, she came on to me and every man in the family.”

  “She did?” Gigi blinked. “My mother had two distinct personalities. She flew into rages all my life, and I ran to you most of my girlhood to get away.”

  “Not when you needed me the most. But, Geegs, she can’t hurt you anymore. She’s dead.” Sean fixed her hair. “You are no longer in danger.”

  Cary laughed to ease the tension. “I disagree. She’s in danger if she doesn’t follow her heart and marry you like she wants. Gigi gets jittery a lot. Is there any way you can marry her immediately, before you return home? Take off the pressure.”

  “No,” Gigi shouted and stood up. “This is getting out of hand. I am not marrying Sean for you. You don’t negotiate my life. I choose my life.”

  Sean and Cary stood up with her, and she stormed away from the table. She needed to figure out how to help Sean. She was tired of being the damn victim in her head to her mother’s wrath. It was time to find a way to shut that woman up from her memory and prove to herself being happy with Sean would never be temporary.

  Chapter 30

  After Cary left, Gigi went to her room and washed her hair. Her dreams every night for years had been to return home to Sean. Now that she had opened her heart again, she realized how stupid she’d been. She needed proof everything changed. If she had that, if she found how to help him and that she made his life better, then she’d let go. She’d follow her heart.

  She switched off the shower, changed into her night clothes, and left. Part of her was surprised Sean hadn’t shown up in her room already. Her cotton T-shirt and pink leggings were designed for comfort and modesty in case a teenager needed her in the middle of the night. She changed into jeans and a nice blue top with a white undershirt, a pair of roman sandals, then she crossed the hall to knock on his door.

  Sean opened immediately, but he stayed on the phone, and signaled he needed a few minutes. She nodded and understood. He had a business call. She bit her lip and listened. Could she help him with business? Chief Financial Officer buzzed in her ear. He’d be amazing at that job. Sean understood math, and glanced at the numbers on the desk and beamed her pride at him. He followed his dreams, and deserved everything. She took a seat at the window and reminded herself to look for her opportunity.

  “Thanks. Looking forward to it, Dad,” Sean said into his phone then he came up next to Gigi. He kissed her forehead and said into the phone, “Good-night.”

  Empowered, she stepped away, paced for a few steps, then her heart soared. She needed to find out what happened.

  He hugged her from behind her back, then spun her around. “I did what you said.”

  “What did I say?” He finished his twirl and left her down back on her feet.

  She focused. “What happened?”

  “Dad suspected for years I’d end up working at Collins Holding and Trust LLC. I’d said ‘no’ in the past because I didn’t want to give Jennifer any satisfaction. Then to have something to do, I pitched in to help, temporarily. Sounds stupid saying it out loud. The truth is working with my dad at his company saved my life, and you are looking at the official Chief Financial Officer.”

  “Yeah!” She hugged him. “You should have done that years ago.”

  He held her close, and she inhaled his wonderful body heat. Sean deserved the best. She took a second then a final whiff of him before she stepped back.

  “I needed someone to push me,” he admitted. “Now let’s talk about you.”

  “Me?” What had she done? Her eyes opened in surprise. “What?”

  “Your friend conspiring with my mother. It’s okay. Mom still likes you.”

  She leaned closer to him, and she smiled. “Sean, what matters is finding that bridge—”

  “What bridge?” He stared at her with his eyebrows raised. “What are you talking about now?”

  “I’m trying to figure out how to believe in tomorrow.” She held back substituting tomorrow for love. It wasn’t right to get his hopes up.

  “I want you. You want me.” He traced her fingers. “This isn’t hard, Gigi.”

  “Not yet.” If she told him, she’d lose her argument. And she needed to be a good force in his life, and never turn into Lillian.

  “Not yet?”

  “Not yet,” she repeated. She’d find her way of being worthy then say yes.

  “What changed today? he asked in a subdued voice. “You can’t believe I touched that woman.”

  “Never. I just needed alone time.” She twirled on her heels. “I need to find my way to be happy, then to you, then we’ll make sense.”

  “I don’t understand,” he told her plainly. “But you need to remember what’s good. Just don’t take forever, Geegs.”

  “Trust me. Just a little while. I’m trying, but first we need to help our students win.”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “I need you to trust me. Hopefully this won’t take long.” She held her breath and exited the room. Her heartbeat stayed loud but she heard the click of the door. She let out a sigh, leaned backward, and simply breathed. Sean deserved the best. She prayed she’d find a way. If she found a means to helping him, all would be right with her world.

  Chapter 31

  The students stared at her strangely. Gigi squared her shoulders and joined them for breakfast at the hotel.

  Erica left her table and came over to Gigi. “Ms. Dumont, your pants are green and you’re wearing your blue dress like a shirt.”

  She ran her hands through her hair. She had thought she had picked out the blue jeans and blue shirt. She gazed down, and noted how mismatched she was this morning.

  Sean entered the restaurant, and she nodded at him with a stupid grin on her face. She stood up and told her students, “Stay with Mr. Collins. I’ll go change, then we’ll spend the day i
n rehearsal.”

  Gigi swirled to the door and bumped straight into Sean. He caught her and held her in his arms.

  Feeling her cheeks heat, she said, “I put on the wrong clothes. Watch the students.”

  “Geegs . . .” He stared at her with his mouth open, but his shoulders slumped. “Okay. What is it you need to do?”

  “I have to do this one last thing.” She straightened and added, “Then you won’t get rid of me.”