Page 136 of Dancing in the Rain

“This is exactly what I’ve been working toward,” he said to Jack and Melody. “I know I can help him score more goals.”

“The confidence looks good on you,” Melody said with an approving smile.

“Thanks to both of you.” He inflated his lungs and slowly let the air out. “I know it’s just one client, but it feels like progress.”

And again, his determination to succeed was bolstered. He was going to fucking nail this.

“It’s huge,” Jack agreed.

Drew’s cellphone rang. He pulled it out to glance at the call display, not sure if he’d take it or not. He didn’t recognize the number. He was tempted to ignore it, but something made him feel he should answer.

“Excuse me,” he said to Jack and Melody. They both nodded and he swiped to answer the call. “Hello.”

“Drew.” He recognized Chloe’s wobbly voice. “I, uh, need you to come get me.”

He frowned. “Right now? Where are you?”

“I’m at the mall. At Suzy’s.”

“Who is Suzy?”

“It’s a store.” For once, her tone held no OMG-you-are-so-clueless attitude. “I need you to come.”

“How did you get to the mall?”

“Taylor’s mom drove us here.”

“Can’t she drive you home?”

Silence. He glanced at Jack and Melody and mouthed, “Sorry.”

“What’s going on, Chloe?”

“She’s coming, too, but I need you to come.”

“Okay. Be there as quick as I can.”

“Th-thank you.”

He ended the call and said, “Sorry guys. Chloe needs me.”

“Of course. We’ll meet again.”

His daughter needed him and that was all that mattered.

He drove to the mall and found a parking spot, no clue where this Suzy store was. Of course he entered through a door that was at the opposite end of the mall from the store, which he located on a directory.

Suzy’s was a very small, very crowded shop full of girly crap—jewelry, scarves, makeup, and all kinds of accessories, lots of Christmasy stuff. He looked around and didn’t see Chloe. Christ, talk about a bull in a china shop. He eased his big frame between two big racks of earrings and spoke to the girl at the customer service desk. “Hi. I’m Drew Sellers. My daughter called me and said I had to pick her up here. You don’t happen to know—”

“She’s in the back,” the girl said with a haughty look. “Come with me.”

She led him through more pink and glitter to a small door, which she opened for him. He stepped into an area full of cardboard boxes holding yet more feminine trappings, and a small office. He spotted Chloe and another young girl sitting on chairs over against a wall. He headed straight there.

“Mr. Sellers?” A woman popped in front of him.

“That’s me. What’s going on?”

“Chloe Watt is your daughter?”

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