Page 56 of The Proximity Factor

I inched my fingers toward his and allowed him to clasp my hand. “I get it. Really, I do.”

Parker’s thumb brushed across my skin. “The last thing I want is to screw this up. The risks are too great.”

I was kind of thinking the risks were worth it, but I said nothing. It was his company, and he’d been through an ugly divorce that had robbed him of his previous company. Who was I to convince him to change his mind? For all I knew, he was right. It could ruin our budding relationship.

All I could do was nod and give him a half-hearted smile.

He gripped my hand tighter. “Lanie, nothing is more important to me than making us work. It’s why I spent part of my day looking at places to live and office space to rent outside of Atlanta, closer to Goldenville. I’d still be about fifty minutes away from you, but closer than if I stayed in Athens.”

That explained his attire. It was also a reminder that in less than a month, we would no longer be living together or able to see each other every day.

“That’s great,” I managed to say with a little enthusiasm. It’s not like I expected him to move to Goldenville. People still had landlines there, and a few residents still believed Wi-Fi was just a fad and a way for the government to spy on you. It was no place for a gaming company.

He tilted his head to study me. Obviously, I wasn’t being my perky self. “Weekends are going to be yours. I’ll be at every football game, and I’ll let your mom grill me at Sunday dinners. Whatever you want,” he begged me to believe him.

“You don’t like football.” Mama would definitely try to fix that if she could. At the very least, she wouldn’t want anyone to know. I’d have to tell Parker to keep that on the DL. News like that could get us banned from tailgate parties.

“But I like you. Very much.”

“I like you too. A lot.” In fact, I was pretty sure I was falling in love with him.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Parker picked up my hand and brought it to his lips before pressing a kiss to it.

With closed eyes, I breathed in his touch.

“I’m going to do my best to make this work,” he promised.

He had a reputation for keeping his promises. Why would that change now?

“WHAT’S THE SCARIEST THING YOU’VE ever done?” Lanie asked while our clasped hands swung between us in the semi-sweltering heat of an August evening in Georgia. We were walking around Goldenville’s town square on Saturday before having dinner with Lanie’s mom, her brother, and his wife, Cheri. It would be my first time meeting Tad and Cheri.

“Besides having dinner with your family?” I teased her.

“I’m being serious.” She tapped me with her hip.

I knew she was. She was determined to know everything about me. While honored, I feared she might conclude when it was all said and done that I really was the grumpy old guy she first pegged me for. Especially after this past week, when I told her how I felt about us working together. The hurt in her eyes still stung. But I’d talked it over with my friends and even Daphne, and they all agreed it was a big risk to take, even if Lanie was the best person for the job. After some of the people I’d interviewed this week, I was wishing things could be different. Lanie had more energy and motivation than anyone else, but I wanted our relationship to be about us and not work. Besides, what if things went south? I couldn’t ask her to give up her teaching and coaching position. And I didn’t need any awkward office drama. Been there, done that.

Before I could answer Lanie, a few teenage girls squealed and ran up to us. “Miss Lanie,” they cheered as if on the football field. As Lanie showed me around Goldenville, several people had already stopped us. Everyone loved her and wanted to talk to her. Lanie was just as happy to talk to them. She made each person feel as if they were special and had her full attention. It was a gift. She was a gift.

“Hey, girls.” Lanie dropped my hand and hugged each young woman.

Each girl covertly eyed me with interest.

“Ladies, this is Parker.”

I noticed Lanie didn’t call me her boyfriend. Not that we had talked about titles, but she’d used the term at the expo, so I guess I’d just assumed that’s how she saw me. To me, she was my girlfriend, as juvenile as it sounded coming out of my mouth at my age. But I couldn’t think of another fitting term. I still felt like our conversation on Wednesday night hung over us. Or maybe I was reading too much into it. Lanie remained as affectionate and open as she’d been since the week leading up to the expo. Perhaps it was just my guilty conscience trying to read more into the situation.

“Parker, this is Emily, Paige, and Ava. They’re on the cheer squad.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied.

They all giggled.

“Are you ready for school to start next week?” Lanie asked.

They all nodded.

“I got you for PE,” Emily sang.

---