Page 65 of Dancing in the Rain

“Can I? She asked me if I’d come but I thought I should check with you.”

She was his daughter. It was her birthday. It made Peyton’s heart stab that he had to ask like that. His courtesy touched her. And how on earth could they say no after what he’d done for her today? “Of course.”

“And I thought maybe I could come get her Sunday to do something special.”

She followed him to the door. “Sure.”

“Okay. G’night, Peyton.” He opened the door and stepped out onto the veranda.

“Good night.”

She closed the door but watched him jog down the steps and the sidewalk to his car.

It would probably be better if she didn’t spend any more time with Drew. But Sara wanted her to be there when he saw Chloe. She’d promised Sara that. And this wasn’t the time to do something that would upset Sara.

She’d just have to be stronger. She could resist the attraction she felt to him. She could do it.

Chapter 13

Something weird had happened to Drew. The paralysis he’d been feeling lately had changed into energy. He felt keyed up, but not sure what to do about it. He rejected hanging out at Jimmy’s in favor of workouts at the gym. But he did agree to meet up with Dougie for a happy hour drink down near his office after a workout.

In the gym, he let his mind wander freely while he worked his body. He thought about a lot of stuff. He thought about Chloe and how she’d bounced back after being pulled out of class and humiliated. The discussion they’d had over spaghetti and how her friends felt annoyed by all the talk about dress code and how it was aimed mainly at the girls, and that the school’s reaction to Chloe’s appearance was more distracting than her appearance itself, and the unfairness of it. She and her friends wanted to do something to try to change that, and he’d cautiously suggested that they take a measured approach—do some research and present some facts to the school administration.

He also thought a lot about Peyton and the way she’d looked at him that night after she’d heard about what had happened at Chloe’s school. Her eyes had been brimming with gratitude and admiration, along with a look that was almost…surprise.

She apparently hadn’t expected that of him.

That annoyed him unreasonably. In fairness, they really didn’t know each other well, although they’d been pulled together into a situation that required a lot of personal sharing.

What really annoyed him, though—he kind of thought she was right to be surprised.

He’d felt like such a loser lately. He’d lost his wife, his job…his whole identity. He didn’t even know who he was anymore. And he’d been down on himself—angry, irritable, hopeless. He knew he had to do something, but he just didn’t know what or where to start. He’d felt as useful as a Zamboni in a puddle.

Now…he wanted to be better. He wanted to be worthy of Peyton’s admiration. And Chloe’s. Was it weird to think that they brought out something good in him? Something he hadn’t even known he had?

Ofcoursehe’d stood up for Chloe. It didn’t seem very heroic to him, but the look on Chloe’s face had been almost worshipful, and Peyton…her wonder and awe had also been mixed with something more….

He’d felt that awareness sparking through his veins, that tug of attraction. There’d been goddamn electricity arcing around them.

He pedaled harder on the stationary bike and wiped sweat from his forehead.

Yeah. She’d looked so fucking sexy in that snug little suit, the silky blouse beneath it opened in a V that revealed shadowy cleavage. He’d watched her run upstairs, the tight skirt hugging her ass in a way that made his depraved hands itch to touch. Squeeze. Fondle. He wanted to run his hands down those sleek bare legs, yank that ass back against his groin and grind into her.

It was getting that way every time he saw her, whether she was dressed in jeans, yoga pants and T-shirt, or a business suit.

On top of that, when she’d talked about her work and her face had lit up and been all animated, he’d been fucking mesmerized. Not only intelligent, she was vibrant and confident, too. She knew exactly what she was talking about and he could totally see her getting shit done.

That was a surprising turn-on.

Maybe that was what was making him feel different. He’d admitted he envied her for having that. He wanted that for himself again. He just didn’t know how to get it.

He wanted to be better. He wanted to be worthy of the way she’d looked at him.

In the shower after his workout, he closed his eyes. Thinking like that about Peyton was unacceptable. He needed to wash that out of his mind just like he was scrubbing the sweat off his body.

Chloe, on the other hand…being worthy of the look he’d seen on her face, too…thatwas something he could strive for.

He changed back into the dark jeans and striped button-down shirt he’d worn to the gym, then drove to the bar Dougie had suggested on West Wacker. It was upscale and full of men and women in expensive suits, big windows overlooking the river. They sat at a small high-top and Drew ordered a Rusty Nail. He’d just have one.

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