Page 47 of Sweet Surrender
He said, “I went to college, got my diploma, started my business and here we are.”
She fixed him with a sharp look. “I see how it is. I tell you about my life but get nothing in return?”
“What do you want to know?”
“I think you left something pretty big out, a big change you had?” she said.
Embarrassment heated his cheeks and he felt his walls sliding back into place. His weight loss was a prickly topic, especially given that it was her rejection of him that spurred him into action. He had always wondered what she thought of the way he looked now but was too scared to find out.
“And what’s that?” he gritted out, his palms starting to sweat.
“Why didn’t you go to culinary school? I thought you wanted to be a chef?” She blinked at him innocently and he felt like an ass. He always jumped on the defensive with her, never stopping to consider what she was really saying.
He willed his body to relax. “I guess it wasn’t as much of a passion as fitness turned out to be. I got work experience in a gym, trained various clients and discovered a new passion for helping people. I got investors for a gym; Dean saved the day again.”
Her warm chuckle trickled over him. He continued, “And my friend Will as well. He started out as a client and when I got him in shape, he saw the potential in me. Will was already something of a celebrity so he hooked me up with a few influential people and then came Hollywood.”
Taylor leaned forward, drawn deeper into their conversation. Her eyes sparkled up at him. “What made you give up all that glamor to come back to Citrus Pines?”
He laughed. “L.A. does have a dark side. A toxicity. I got my fill of it. It was getting in the way of my passion to help people. Not help people to become unhealthy by living up to unrealistic beauty standards.”
She smiled softly at him again and he wanted to hold onto this moment forever, the thought surprising him.
“So, what about your love life, anyone special?” She tried to sound casual but he heard an edge creeping into her tone. An edge he wanted to explore but couldn’t right now.
“Not since Tracy.”
“Tracy?”
He rolled his neck, getting ready to go over a painful memory. “She was the last woman I was seeing in L.A. and one of the reasons I left. She became obsessed with her weight and her looks. She demanded I help her lose more and more weight. It became unhealthy, and when I refused, she went ballistic, accusing me of cheating on her. I tried to end it and…” he broke off, getting flashbacks of that night. He pressed his eyes shut, trying to block them out. The heat from Taylor’s palm penetrated his, soothing him.
“It’s okay, Beau. I’m here,” she murmured gently. His eyes popped open and took in her face. So beautiful, so comforting.
He cleared his throat. “She tried to kill herself. Locked herself in the bathroom and swallowed a bunch of pills, washing them down with alcohol. I eventually broke down the door and got her to throw everything up. Then the paramedics arrived and that was that.”
Her grip tightened around his. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“I’m fine. It was Tracy who-”
“Beau, don’t try to diminish the impact it had on you. Yes, it was horrible for her and I hope she’s okay, but it was traumatic for you too. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
He smiled. Of course she would call him on his bullshit. They stayed like that, just staring at each other, small smiles playing at their lips and as he took in the details of her face he felt like he was staring at her for the first time. When the bill came, he got his credit card out and Taylor didn’t make a move to stop him.
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Really? You’re not even going to fake offering to pay?” he teased.
“Absolutely not. You’re a famous Hollywood personal trainer. You probably havemillionsstashed away.”
“Famous, huh?” he grinned at her. “I guess you did follow my career a little more than you let on.”
“No! I just…”
“Just what?”
“Dean’s a little gossip queen, so I heard a lot,” she finished. He thought for a second. Yes, she was right, Dean was a gossip queen.
He paid the bill and they got up to leave, his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the restaurant. He held the door open for her and as she walked past, he dipped his head to her ear.
“And not millions, plural. Just the one,” he teased.
