Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(62)

“Then cry, babe.”

I fell forward, my head collapsing into his chest. His long arms wound around my back, and he held me until I let go of a few more tears and then fought the rest back.

There were so many emotions swirling, I didn’t know how to deal with them.

He was here. I’d missed him.

He was leaving. I’d miss him again.

I was excited for the studio to open. I was terrified that the studio would fail.

“What if it does?” I asked quietly into his black shirt.

“What if what does?”

I looked up. “What if the studio fails?”

“It won’t. You won’t let it fail.”

“But what—”

He pressed his finger against my lips, cutting me off. “When I bought my first rental, I asked my uncle the same thing. You know what he told me?”

I shook my head.

“He told me to ask a different what if. What if I hate being a landlord? What if a tenant asked to buy the place, and I sold it sooner than I’d planned? What if a house got struck by lightning and burned to the ground? Would those things make me a failure?”

“No.”

“No. It just means that you live and learn. This might not be the thing you do your entire life. But if you give it your all, you’ll never be a failure.”

I sagged against his chest again. “Thank you.”

He had no idea how much I’d needed to hear those words.

My biggest fear wasn’t just failure but disappointment. If this studio flopped, I had no idea how my family would react. I was so nervous I’d sworn Aubrey to secrecy months ago, making her promise to let me tell the rest of them in my own time. I’d even managed to avoid Dad at Kendrick Enterprises when I’d gone into work.

But a week and a half ago, with the opening looming, I finally had to confess and tell them about what I’d been up to. Their excitement had just made my anxieties worse.

“I don’t want to let my family down,” I whispered. “Not again.”

“You might.”

“What?” I stood back, making sure I’d heard him right.

“You might.” He nodded. “You might not do exactly what they want or how they want it. But take it from a guy who has disappointed his family for years. It doesn’t matter. Don’t do this because you want to make them proud. Do this because it’s going to feed your spirit. My guess? They’ll be damn proud, no matter what happens.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” I let his words sink in then gave him a smile. “You always know the right thing to say.”

He chuckled. “Glad you think so because I’m just winging it.”

“Come on.” I took his hand and led him out of the studio and back to the hallway. “I’ll show you the offices. Then we can explore the city. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“How about you take me to your favorite places? Give me the Sofia Kendrick tour of the city.”

I smiled. “You don’t want to see the tourist stops?”

He shrugged. “I can hit them another time.”

My heart leapt. “You’re coming back?”

“Maybe someday. It’s a cool city. I’ll have to hit up the landmarks one day.”

“Oh.” My excitement died. Of course he wouldn’t be back to visit me. He was here as a one-time favor because I’d practically begged him to come.

The sex was a bonus, though if I’d taken it off the table, he still would have flown over. This was nothing more than a weekend affair. Wasn’t it?

So why had he gone through a four-month dry spell? Why had I? Was there more here than just occasional, long-distance lovers?

Maybe there was a future. Maybe this short-lived affair didn’t have to be short-lived. Maybe we had something real.

For once in my life, I’d found a man who was worth my attention.

Except when I looked into the future, I couldn’t picture us together. I couldn’t see myself living in Montana. I couldn’t see him here with me in the city. Was there an in-between? A lifestyle that fit for us both?

My mind came up empty.

What did that mean?

I didn’t have time to dream up answers. We reached my office and I gestured for him to walk in first. “Here’s my office. It just got finished the other day.”

“Nice.” Dakota walked in and ran his fingers over my white desk. Then he turned and perched his ass on a corner.

“I like it.”

I stared at him as he took in the bookshelves along one wall and the painting on the other. He’d be the finest man I’d ever have in this room. Dakota was more than just a good guy. He was top-shelf. His moral fiber ran so deep it was ingrained in his very being. With him, there were no games. No tricks. No ulterior motives.

He was just pure and honest.

If he wanted more of a relationship, he would have told me so. If he saw a future between us, he’d have clued me in.

Which meant this was it. This weekend in New York would be our last together.

And I was going to make it count.

I walked over to him, fitting myself between his bulky thighs. “Would you mind doing one more thing for me before we go exploring?”

“Shoot.”