“Mrs. Hart is my mother-in-law.”
The three of us chuckle at the look of disgust on Reese’s oval face before Ford amends himself with a grin. “Okay then,Reese.”
My stepmom nods in approval, and Ford continues. “I worked as head of security at Rogue down in Tribeca for two years—practically lived in the place, for that matter—before striking out on my own. Private security was never my goal…” He shrugs easily. “It just kind of fell into my lap.”
“Don’t be so modest. I’ve seen that Sentinel has covered dozens of high-profile events.” Reese’s gaze shifts to mine. “Including the Frances Young Awards that you presented at in Los Angeles two weeks ago, Em!”
Ford’s attention shifts to his food and his tanned cheeks flush ever-so-slightly as he pokes at the salmon.
“I didn’t know that, Ford.” He raises deep blue eyes to mine. “Have you secured many events in the industry?”
“In the last three years, Sentinel has been contracted to run security for one hundred and eleven domestic and thirty-three international events where you have been in attendance, Emerson.” His gaze is unwavering, the intensity of his eyes setting my veins aflame. “I’ve been in attendance and ran point on every single one, including the Frances Young Awards.”
I stare unblinkingly, silence shrouding our table as my jaw practically unhinges. “I—I had no idea.”
My heart races, the sound filling my ears, when suddenly his eyes fill with mischief, and his lips twitch at one corner with a threatening grin. “The look on your face when you bit into that blue cheese appetizer.” He snorts, and I feel my eyes blow wide. “Good call on dumping it into Willow Grace’s clutch bag.”
As I gasp, he takes a sip of water, his eyes twinkling. “In your defense, theywerefoul.”
Ford’s deep chuckle sets Reese and Hayley off, and I can’t help but join them, holding my stomach when it aches from laughing so hard. I’m wiping tears from my cheeks when I shoot him a wide-eyed, innocent look as I squeak, “I did come clean later, I’ll have you know.”
“Yeah,sureyou did.” He winks broadly, his words laced with a heavy sarcasm that sets us all off again.
Hayley sobers first, sitting forward with wide, intrigued eyes. “Can we rewind a little bit?”
Ford chews another mouthful of his lunch, nodding so that she continues.
“Are the rumors about Rogue true?”
“What rumors might they be, Hayley?”
My sister glances to one side, shifting in her seat as she mutters something indiscernible aside from the wordssexandclub.
He quirks a devilish brow. “Might be.”
Hayley’s shocked face at his deadpan reply makes the rest of us laugh loudly when her cheeks pinken, but as the opening bars of “Iris” hit my ears, my features freeze and my gaze clashes with Ford’s.
I wait for the usual gut-wrenching sadness to overtake me, as it always does upon the rare occasions I hear this song, but it doesn’t come. Instead, the music surrounds Ford and me, drowning out everyone and everything inside Fern until it’s just us two in existence.
His eyes swirl like turbulent waves on a stormy sea as he watches me with a depth of emotion that takes my breath away. My skin comes to life beneath his fixation, and I’m wholly sure that I could happily stay in this moment forever.
Then, without warning, the music stops, and a flustered Inga appears at Ford’s back.
“I’m so terribly sorry, Miss Hart. I have no idea how this song made it onto today’s playlist, especially after what happened last week. I canassureyou, this will not happen again.”
Ford frowns, and I can feel my face heat at the thought of him finding out about my mini breakdown. Thankfully, he returns his attention to his meal, and I do the same, while Hayley and Reese chatter about Sunday night’s upcoming ICON gala.
Yet I can only focus on how his simple presence kept the memories at bay.
How at ease I still am with him by my side.
And what my life will look like when he leaves me once again.
CHAPTER 13
FORD
My feet continueto pace a hole in the floor of my temporary bedroom as I grit my jaw, dreading the afternoon and evening to come.
