Page 29 of Some Saviors Can Break You

“She and Susannah were excited about painting each other’s nails, apparently they have little stick-on hearts or something they were going to put on them or something like that. I don’t know, but Bessie was very excited when she was telling me about it.”

“And you don’t want to put hearts on your nails and paint them?” he asked with a snicker.

“If Bessie asked me to I would,” Elliot said, coming into the office and dropping down onto the chair on the other side of his desk. “I've dressed up in tutus, and had tea parties with a bunch of dollies, and danced around to Disney songs. I'd do anything my little princess asked.”

“You really would, wouldn’t you? What changed? I heard about you, the way you spoke to people, the way you treated your employees, that you were always in a bad mood, and now you're the guy who turns into a puddle of goo over the small things.”

“Puddle of goo, huh?” Elliot asked, amused.

He shrugged. “That’s how I always thought of my brother and how he was with his son. With his wife too.”

“Falling in love changes things.”

“It certainly changed you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way. I can't imagine my life without Susannah in it. She might drive me crazy sometimes, but she’s everything to me. She’s an amazing woman, an amazing wife, an amazing mother and step-mother, every day I'm thankful that she spilled coffee on my car. If she hadn't, then I don’t know what my life would be like.”

“Did you two fall in love at first sight?”

Elliot chuckled. “Actually, I think Susannah hated me at first. I didn't make a very good first impression. I may or may not have made a huge deal out of the fact that she spilled coffee on my brand new Porsche. I eventually wore her down though, convinced her to see me as someone other than the rich jerk shethought I was. But she was hesitant at first, had this notion that because we came from two different worlds that we wouldn’t work.”

“How did you convince her to give you a chance?”

“I wanted her from the moment I saw all her sass, but she had this idea that we had to do something in each other’s world before she would commit to anything. It wasn't an easy road, especially once we found out about Bessie, but we fought for us. Sometimes we didn't always fight in the right way, and sometimes we let other people and our pasts get in the way, but we figured things out. I think the fact that I got a tattoo just like the one she had helped,” Elliot finished with a wink.

“Tattoos, huh?” He’d store that idea away.

“Worked for me with Susannah. I take it this isn’t just a random conversation. You're thinking about the cop.”

“I haven't been able to think of anything but Florence since I met her.”

“I take it she’s still hesitant and turning you down.”

“Kind of. I picked her up last night, and we got takeout on the drive back to her apartment, and we’ve kissed a few times, I know she’s interested, and I know she feels this attraction the same as I do, but she’s scared.”

“Do you know what about?”

“I know that her childhood wasn't great, her dad left when she was a baby, and I take it her mom wasn't much of a mother. She has a brother that she seems to like, but I get the feeling she doesn’t let people get too close to her.”

“How are you going to get past her fears?”

“I have an idea.” He grinned. Before he’d made this last work call he’d made a few phone calls to set something up.

“From that grin, I'm guessing you're pretty pleased with whatever you cooked up.”

“I made some pretty awesome Valentine’s Day plans.”

“Dinner at a fancy restaurant?”

“That’s something you would do. Nope, my plans are on a much bigger scale. I have everything set up, but my biggest problem is going to be convincing her to go with me. Any tips from the expert?”

“You know you're talking about a guy whose Valentine’s Day plans are dinner at home with a five-year-old and a baby, and then if we’re lucky and the stars all align we’ll get one shot at hot, mind-blowing sex before we both pass out.”

“Beggars can't be choosers.” He grinned. “And you got the girl, so between the two of us you're definitely the expert.”

Elliot pondered for a moment. “Trust your gut and follow your heart.”

“That’s very poetic,” he said, surprised.

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