He nods, curtly and looks away.
“Good. Nice chat.” I let him fall back to the bed and turn around to face Rosie. “He puts one toe out of line, you let me know. One threat, one push, one unkind word… I will be here faster than he can blink.”
Rosie looks as shocked as her father was a moment ago, but she nods mutely.
“I mean it, Rosie. You have to let me know though. Promise you will call me if anything happens?”
“I promise,” she says as she steps into my arms and lets me hold her.
I want nothing more than to back her into her bedroom and finish what we started this morning in the hotel room, but I really do have to get back to the city. I kiss her on top of the head and give her one final squeeze.
“I’ll give you a ride to work.”
“That would be great. Give me five minutes to change and get ready.”
I stand outside of her father’s bedroom door listening for sounds of mutiny within. There is nothing but silence. Either he fell asleep again or he is cowering in fear hoping I’m gone. With any luck, it’s the latter, I think. I don’t want him to forget a word I said or to think it was just a bad dream. I’m so much worse than his worst nightmare and he better remember that.
Before I can go back into the bedroom to give dear old dad a reminder, Rosie appears again, dressed and ready for work. We head out to the car and drive the few blocks to Nooks and Books quickly.
“You really didn’t have to have that talk with my dad,” she says.
“Yes, really I did.”
“Well, thanks. Nobody has ever stood up for me like that before.”
“You can count on me, Rosie. I’ll always stand up for you.”
Chapter 13
Rosie
“And then Adam Smythe got up from the book signing table, left a whole line of women standing there waiting, flew across the shop and practically dragged Rosie’s dad out the door,” Vivian says.
“No way. I can’t believe I missed it,” Susie wails. “Why did I leave so early? Who cares if I had to work the next day. I should have shut this place down.”
“It was quite the show,” Joanne agrees. “He was just like Joseph in Moment of Lust. Do you remember the scene when Kate is being harassed by that unbelievably obnoxious man at the table next to them on their date?” Everyone nods along, knowing exactly where she is going with this. “And Joseph got up and told the guy off until he apologized to poor Kate and left with his tail between his legs.”
“I love it when they go all alpha,” Susie sighs. “It gives me the tingles all up and down.”
“He went alpha all right. It was awe inspiring,” Joanne gushes.
“It was nothing less than Rosie deserves,” Vivian cuts in. “I can’t believe none of the men around here have bothered to stand up for her.”
She puts her arm around me and gives me a squeeze. She really is the best boss ever. My father barges into her shop, disturbs her book signing event, frightens her customers, distracts her star author and she is comforting me instead of firing me.
I shake my head. “I’m just so sorry that everyone there had to witness the whole thing. They came out for a fun night and a book reading and instead they got reality TV come to life.”
“Honey, those women will remember that night for the rest of their lives. Reality TV doesn’t get that good. That’s a story they can tell their grandkids. I can just hear it now, ‘He was so handsome and strong. I thought I would swoon when he rushed in and saved her like that.’” She imitates a damsel falling to the ground with her arm over her forehead.
We all laugh together.
“So what happened after you left?” Vivian asks.
I was hoping she wouldn’t bring that up. I’m not sure I’m ready to share what happened between me and Adam with anyone yet. It’s a secret I’m still holding close to my heart.
Part of me is still scared to let anyone find out. If word gets back to my father that I spent the night with Adam, all hell will break loose. I know Adam will do his best to protect me, but he isn’t here and an after-the-fact phone call isn’t going to stop my dad from raging at me in the moment. I know he doesn’t mean to hurt me and that it’s the alcohol talking not him, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less when he grabs me. I rub my arm, feeling the tender spot where the bruise from last night is blooming red on my bicep.
Another part of me doesn’t believe it will last. We have all seen the pictures of Adam in the magazines. Every week he has a different gorgeous, famous, rich, perfect woman on his arm. He was with that actress, Scarlett Smith, for longer than I’ve ever seen him with anyone before, but even they broke up.