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Her nose wrinkled but she was grinning again. “Shouldn’t he have caviar or something?”
He took her hand and started to lead her across the yard. There was a walkway made of natural stone that led up to the pretty cabin Rene’s grandfather had built seventy years before. “Rene’s a laid-back rich guy. There’s a reason he’s stayed here in Papillon when he could live anywhere he wants.”
“All the rich people I know are obsessed with the business.” She studied the cabin as he retrieved the key from the hiding place in one of the rocker’s cushions. There were three rockers now—two full-sized ones, and a tiny rocker Major had given Sylvie as a baby gift. His father had loved woodworking, and Major found comfort in it. He’d had Harry help him in Harry’s shop.
“I think that is a universal thing.” He opened the door and whistled because Dolly had gone completely rogue. She was running circles around the cabin, zoomies taking over. “All the cops I know are obsessed with cop stuff.” He followed her inside. Dolly would run off some of her energy and then come barking at the door when she wanted to be let in. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you’re worried about? Because I get the feeling you are rethinking the idea of giving me a second date. I should warn you. I’ll be let down. I was counting on it after the Sam Henshaw debacle. I need you to lift my profile in the parish or I might end up alone the rest of my life.”
“You were easier to deal with when you were grumpy,” she said, perching on the comfortable sofa.
He moved to the fridge and sure enough, Rene had it stocked. He pulled out two longnecks and popped the tops. “Talk to me, Brynn. Tell me why you went from happy to on the edge. It can’t be about that video going viral.”
She took the beer and took a long swig. “Yes, it can. You don’t understand what it means.”
“Are you sure this isn’t about your mom? Were you upset she found us together?” It was the explanation he was most afraid of.
“I don’t care that she found us together. Despite what she thinks, she is not in charge of my romantic relationships. I date who I want to date.”
That’s what he wanted to hear. “Good, then we can get back to it. Your mother doesn’t intimidate me.”
“She should. All of this should intimidate you.”
“Then how should we handle it? I overheard your mom saying something about doing an interview. I can handle that. We give them what they want, and two minutes after something else will happen and they’ll forget all about us,” he said. “What would you do if you weren’t worried about me? What if it had only been Dolly you’d saved?”
“I would likely do some talk shows and talk about keeping your pets safe and adopting animals.”
“Then let’s do it, and you can talk about the dangers of allowing men to run wild and off their leashes.” He thought it was kind of funny. He’d been embarrassed, but it wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong. He’d panicked and tried to save his dog.
He’d watched Dolly go down and thought, Absolutely not. He couldn’t save his dad, but he could save her. He couldn’t let one more thing he loved go under without trying everything.
She stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe. But then I also think that I could be getting you into something you won’t like and all for what . . . a couple of weeks of seeing each other? I’m very attracted to you, Major. I haven’t been so attracted to a man in forever. But my job doesn’t allow for a lot of relationship time. There’s a reason actors’ relationships don’t tend to last. We’re always off somewhere working. People on the outside make it look glamorous, but it’s a hard industry. Unless you’re working on a long-running TV show, you’re most likely on a set for six to eight weeks and then it’s off to another one, if you’re lucky. I’ve got a couple of weeks off after this movie is done, but only because I haven’t booked a gig yet.”
“Brynn, if you’re afraid you’re going to hurt me, then you should know that I’m a big boy. I can handle it. If it’s not worth it because we both know this isn’t a forever thing, then I can take you home right now and we’ll remain friendly. But I think I might be willing to spend a couple of weeks with you even knowing you’ll leave.”
He wanted to get to know her. Some deep instinct told him this could be an important relationship. Even if it wasn’t a permanent one. “The decision is yours. We don’t have to go fast. We can just hang out when you have the time.”
