Part of me hoped she might give me a hug before she left, but I knew that was wishful thinking. We were closer now, but we still had a long way to go before we could have the relationship I really wanted. Even bonding over an illness didn’t make up for the last eight years of being away from her. I wasn’t sure anything ever would.
I ate a quick breakfast before I hurried out to the driveway. I wanted to take my car just in case I needed to pick Paisley up early again, but I knew it would take me longer to get to work if I did. I frowned, considering my options. Paisley really did seem to be feeling better and traffic would be a nightmare so early in the morning. Taking a deep breath, I decided to take the risk. I climbed on my bike and pulled out of the driveway.
The drive to Yates’ Motorcycles was a slow one. I passed by two accidents and sat in bumper to bumper traffic for twenty minutes. Even on my bike, it took me an hour to make it to the office. Still, I showed up ten minutes early. I thought about grabbing a coffee at a little place down the street, but I didn’t want to be late. After everything Tara did for Paisley, I didn’t want to repay her by being late on my first day back.
I hopped off my bike and hustled inside. Waving at the employees in the showroom, I hurried toward the elevators and pressed the button. The doors opened quickly and I jumped inside. I didn’t know why, but I was no longer dreading my time at Yates’ Motorcycles. For the first time since I agreed to work for my father, I found myself actually looking forward to being at the office.
When I stepped into Tara’s office, she looked up at me with a smile.
“How’s Paisley doing?” Tara asked. I smiled, thinking how nice it was for her to ask about my daughter.
“She’s better,” I said with a nod. “Thanks to you.”
“Me?” Tara asked.
“Yeah, that movie idea was brilliant,” I laughed. “I swear, nothing is better medicine than watching Disney movies on repeat for two days straight.”
“Which movies?” Tara laughed.
“Tangled and Brave,” I said. “Always Tangled and Brave.”
“Well, of course,” Tara said knowledgably. “Those are some great princess role models.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “I learned more about Rapunzel and Merida this weekend than I ever wanted to know.”
“You have a little girl,” Tara reminded me. “It’s only right that you know these things.”
“You’re right,” I smiled. “But seriously, thank you again.”
“It was my pleasure,” Tara said. “Paisley’s adorable.”
“She really is,” I agreed. “Her swim camp ends this week and I have no idea what I’m going to do with her for the rest of the summer.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Tara said. I’d never seen her smile so much. It was like she was an entirely different person. The more she smiled, the more I noticed how green her eyes were. They were the color of emeralds, and every time the light hit them, they captivated me.
“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “Should we get to work?”
“Yes,” Tara said. She instantly went into business mode. She pulled out a folder from her desk drawer and opened it. She handed me a sheet of paper. It was the exact same one from last week.
“Didn’t we already go over this?” I asked with a frown.
“We did,” Tara admitted. “And if you can promise me you were paying attention, we won’t go over it again.”
Tara grinned slyly as she waited for my response. She already knew the answer. My mind was a million miles away last week and she knew it. I couldn’t help but laugh at the knowing look in her eyes.
“Fair enough,” I said. “Go ahead. I’m listening this time. I promise.”
“Okay,” Tara said. “So, the first thing I need you to remember is…”
Tara launched into her speech about my appearance and my attitude. It was the same stuff from last week, but this time I did pay more attention. I took in every word she said, watching the way her lips moved while she spoke. They were full and perfectly pink. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from them, but what was worse was how badly I longed to lean over and kiss her.
It had been a long time since I last felt the urge to kiss anyone, let alone my boss. My boss at the repair shop was a burly old man who always smelled like chewing tobacco and moth balls. He wasn’t exactly my type. I hadn’t thought Tara was either, but after what she did for Paisley, my opinion was changing fast.
As she spoke, I took mental notes. I made sure to remember everything she said. I told myself I hadn’t been fair to Tara. In the beginning, I took out my frustrations on her when really, I was just angry with my father and brother. It wasn’t Tara’s fault that she worked with them. It wasn’t her fault that I’d spent years avoiding family gatherings like the plague. All she wanted was someone to come in and help the company. To her, I was that person. The least I could do was actually make an effort.
“So,” Tara said after about twenty minutes. “Any questions?”
“I think I got it,” I said. “Seems pretty straight forward. Dress nice. Be clean. Stick to the script. Don’t ramble about how much I hate my dad. That sort of thing.”
Tara chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be very good for our image.”
“Probably not,” I agreed.
“All right,” she said. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer today. I know you need to stay close in case Paisley gets sick again.”
I smiled at her ability to read my mind.
“Just remember,” she said. “You have your first event on Wednesday. Nothing big. Nothing formal. Just some press. They’ll come here, we’ll set you up in the showroom, and they’ll ask you some questions. It’ll be easy.”
“Okay,” I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“And you should bring Paisley,” Tara said suddenly.
“Paisley?” I raised my eyebrows.
“When her camp is over,” Tara explained. “You said you weren’t sure what to do with her over the summer. She can just come with you. I’m sure she would love to see what her dad does all day.”
“Maybe,” I said, highly doubting Paisley would have any interest in a motorcycle company. Still, it was nice of Tara to offer. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good,” Tara smiled. “Well, I’ll see you later, then?”
“That was an easy day,” I laughed.
“They can all be easy,” Tara said. “If you would be nice, that is.”
“I am always nice,” I said, feigning seriousness. I touched my hand to my chest in mock offense and looked at Tara with wide eyes. She laughed and shook her head.
“Who knew Sean Yates could actually crack a joke,” she said.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” I told her. My tone was flirtatious and I knew it was time to leave. I moved toward the door, turning to wave as I stepped out into the hallway.
***