“I know. Conn did it anyway.” Because it was the right thing to do. The safe thing to do. He would protect her from anything, even from her sister’s anger. And because he’d done that, she’d had her breakthrough. Of all the people around her saying they’d do whatever it took to support her creatively, Conn was the only one who did what had to be done. Even though he thought it would cost him her friendship. Her love.
“He left?” Emily’s voice was small, her shoulders hunched as she tallied up the damage she’d caused. “Or did you send him away?”
“Of course I didn’t send him away.” But Conn hadn’t waited around for her to kick him to the curb. He’d done what he’d been taught to do: move on when he made a mistake, angered someone, hurt their feelings. He’d gotten into the habit of living light, making it easy to leave before someone else could hurt him. “But I didn’t tell him to stay, either.”
Remembering the way she’d slammed out of the house, she rubbed her forehead with regret. She knew how Conn felt about making mistakes with people he cared about. She should have taken the time to reassure him, but she’d been so blindingly angry with him, and with Emily, she’d just bolted for the Audi.
“You should go after him,” Emily said. “I have to study anyway.”
She looked at Emily. “I said I’d stay the night tonight, and I will.” But finals started on Monday, and then Cady would tell Connor McCormick exactly how she felt. She was her mother’s daughter. She didn’t give up what was hers, and Conn was hers, now and forever.
*
Late on Monday afternoon, Cady parked in a visitor spot in front of Conn’s apartment building, relieved to see the flicker of a television in his apartment. It wasn’t quite five o’clock yet, but already the skies were dark, a few stars twinkling through the light pollution. Conn wouldn’t leave lights on when he went out, so he must be home. Maybe he’d gotten a few days off after guarding Cady around the clock.
Several of his neighbors were feeling festive, their little balconies sporting Christmas lights, a flashing Rudolph, even a small inflatable Santa, but Conn’s balcony was empty. Snow had drifted onto the lawn chair folded up against the railing, giving it a rather bereft look. But she knew how to fix that.
She opened her door and popped the trunk, then hauled out a moving box. It wasn’t heavy, just awkward, so the climb to the third floor didn’t take long. A young couple clattered down the stairs, flashing her a smile as they passed her, but neither one recognized her. She was grateful for the anonymity as she made her way down the hall to Conn’s door and knocked.
“Hi,” she said when the door opened. “I hope you don’t mind me coming by unannounced.”
He was dressed in a soft gray T-shirt and faded jeans, looking even more like a granite mountain with bleak eyes. His feet were bare. Surprise, perhaps even hope flickered on his face before he schooled his expression to nod at the box. “I know I didn’t leave anything behind. What are you doing here?”
This wasn’t going like she’d thought it would go, but she was tough. “Can I come in?”
After a second he stepped to the side to make way for her. She walked in. The apartment had been cleaned since her last visit; there was room on the dinette set for the box. She set it down, pushed back her hood, and pulled off her gloves. The Monday night game was on the television, a pizza box and a beer on the coffee table. She perched on the arm of the sofa and glanced at the TV. “Who’s winning?”
“Pittsburgh. What do you want, Cady?”
“Two things,” she said. “First, I want to offer you a job.”
He laughed. “A job. What kind of job?”
“Chief of security.”
“I’m not interested in being your kept man.”
“You are seriously the most obtuse human being on the planet,” she said. “After the last couple of weeks, you think you’d be a kept man? Imagine doing all of that, plus my tour security. A different city, night after night, different venues, different publicity stops, different hotels. I need someone who can handle all of that so I don’t have to. It’s the most important thing someone can to do support me creatively. Kept man,” she muttered.
“You want me to come work for you.”
“Well. Not exactly. I want you to be with me forever, but that’s kind of a big, scary thing to lead with, and I figured you’d get bored in about four seconds without something productive to do, so I thought a job would sweeten the pot a little.”
Conn stared at her, obviously flattened by this offer.
“You want me with you forever.”
“Yes.” Her heart was pounding as she gave a shrug far more casual than she actually felt.”I know it’s fast. I know it’s crazy. I know it means leaving Lancaster and the McCools, and your job. If it’s too much, I understand. But I’m asking, because I want you. Now. Forever.”
“Even though I installed the cameras when you asked me not to. Even though I threw a hand grenade into your family and your relationship with your manager.”
“I wish that hadn’t gone down the way it did. But blaming you for finding out what Emily and Chris were doing is just blaming the messenger. Emily is responsible for her actions, not you. So is Chris. And you were right to install the cameras.”