A Touch of Heaven Read online

  Okay, I can deal with insecurity. “You have nothing to be insecure about, Mom. You are a beautiful woman. No one believes that we’re mother and daughter because you look so young. You’ve always taken care of yourself and you have a great figure. Seriously, you’re a knockout.”

  “Well aren’t you sweet,” she replied, reaching out now to fix Regan’s hair and stroke her cheek. “I guess I’m wondering if I need to make an appointment for a waxing. Something like a Brazilian, you know, to make sure that I’m attractive down there for when Max…”

  “Seriously,” Regan stood and shouted. “Are you trying to force me into therapy? I do not want to talk about how you’re going to wax your hoo-ha for Max’s viewing pleasure, and that is that!”

  Caroline shook her head. “So uptight. I have no idea where you got that from.” She stood and hugged Regan. “Loosen up a little. Find yourself a nice man and have a crazy night of sex just for the hell of it!”

  “Okay, that’s it…I can’t talk to you anymore,” Regan said as she moved away. “I don’t even know who you are anymore! What has gotten into you?”

  “Max!” Caroline said with a wicked grin.

  Regan stopped in her tracks and glared at her mother. “I don’t even know how to respond to that and so I’m not.”

  “Don’t go away all mad like that, Regan. Pouting is not attractive on a grown woman.”

  “I am not pouting, Mom,” she said with an eye roll. “I’m just not ready for us to have this kind of a relationship.”

  Caroline approached and pulled her in for another hug. “I’m always going to love your father, you know. This isn’t going to change that.”

  It was a miracle Regan’s eyes didn’t simply fall out of her head from the excessive eye roll. “I didn’t think that. I never thought that, Mom.” She pulled back. “I really am happy for you and Max. I like him a lot. I just don’t need all of the details of how much you like him, okay?”

  With a sigh and a nod, Caroline agreed. “I would totally listen if you wanted to talk about your sex life.”

  “Yeah, I’ll just take your word for it because I am never going to test that theory.”

  ****

  As promised, Regan and Caroline put on a good show and luckily Regan had a little bit of anger left from their earlier discussion to keep her from breaking out in laughter. They had argued over moving and she played the wounded daughter part to the hilt. By the time the cameras stopped rolling, Devin seemed damn-near giddy.

  “Thank you, ladies,” he said with a big grin on his face. “I think that should do it until we do the big reveal when Sawyer and the crew are all done.”

  They made small talk until Regan could stand it no longer and excused herself. “I really do need to get back to the spa,” she said, shaking his hand and then immediately wanting to pull hers back and wipe it off. The man was sweaty and smarmy and she just didn’t get a good vibe from him at all. She managed to smile politely and say goodbye and then asked Caroline to walk her out to her car.

  “I don’t trust that guy,” she said when they were out of earshot. “I can’t quite put my finger on it but he just really rubs me the wrong way.”

  Caroline nodded. “Max was telling me how both he and Sawyer are thinking about moving on and being done with the show. Max sooner than Sawyer. He hasn’t come right out and said it but I think that Devin is a big contributing factor.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Sawyer’s said too.” The words came out so easily that she didn’t remember that her mother wasn’t aware that she was spending time with Sawyer outside of the show.

  “When did you talk to Sawyer about the show? I thought that you didn’t like him?”

  “Oh, um…when I was here yesterday to film my dislike of the project, he and I talked for a little bit. I guess he sensed my unease and then he told me that he was thinking of moving on from the show.” Honestly, Regan didn’t know why she just didn’t come out and tell her mother about her relationship with Sawyer but for now she was enjoying just having him to herself. With Max and Caroline dating, it just seemed like if they let the cat out of the bag on their relationship, they’d find themselves sucked in to all kinds of double-dates or family time together.

  “You really should get to know him, Regan; he’s a very nice man. Single, too.”

  Great, just what she needed, her mother playing matchmaker. “Can we please just get through one traumatic event at a time?”

  “How is getting to know Sawyer going to be traumatic?” Caroline asked innocently.

  “Mom, please. I know that you are all happy and glowy right now and that’s wonderful. I don’t need you playing matchmaker for me and setting me up on dates. When I want to go out and meet someone, I will.”

  “I’d like to have grandchildren before I grow senile.”

  Seriously, she was going to need to go to the eye doctor for this uncontrollable eye rolling. “Grandchildren? Now you’re going to play the grandchildren card? Can’t you just be happy with all of the other things going on in your life right now? You’ve got a boyfriend, your house is being done over by a very talented craftsman – and basically for free, might I add – and business at the spa is doing better than we projected. Can’t that be enough for now?”

  With a frown, Caroline conceded. “You’re right. It’s just that you know the old saying, when you’re in love you want everyone around you to be in love. It would be wonderful if we both fell in love and found the men of our dreams. I just want you to be happy, Regan.”

  “I am happy, Mom. Right now I’m focusing on the business and getting this house done and sold.”

  “I still wish you would reconsider and take it for yourself. I know how much you love this place and for all of my flippant comebacks about it, I think that it would be wonderful for you to have it.”

  “We’ve been over this a million times, Mom. It’s too big for me right now and I just think that it would be intimidating for most men to deal with the fact that I own my own house.”

  “Not if it’s the right man.”

  “Mom…”

  “Although I guess we’ll never know since you don’t even make the time to go out and date. I mean, how will we ever know for sure if it would be a deterrent? You’re just making an assumption based on what? Don’t you think…?”

  “Okay, I think I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Max is waiting by the door for you. Go and play twenty questions with him.” She leaned in and kissed her mother on the cheek. “I love you and I appreciate all of your concern for my lack of a love life but honestly, I am fine with it.” Before Caroline had a chance to make another comment, Regan quickly got into her car and drove off. She wished she had gotten the opportunity to have a minute alone with Sawyer but she was sure she’d talk to him later.

  As if he was there reading her mind, her cell phone rang and she smiled when his name came up. “You ran out of here pretty quick,” he said by way of greeting. “Are you all right?”

  Regan relayed the conversations she’d had with her mother that day and was a little annoyed at how much enjoyment Sawyer was getting out of all of it. “It’s not funny, Sawyer,” she said when he finally stopped laughing. “Between having to hear about her sex life to her wanting me to find one, I may have to go into hiding. She’s killing me.”

  “So why didn’t you let her set us up? I think it would have been pretty comical having to pretend that we hadn’t already seen each other naked.”

  “Really? That’s what you’re going with?” she asked with mock annoyance. “I want her to have this time for herself; she hasn’t dated in ten years and I think that she needs to just enjoy this and not spend her time worrying about me.”

  “Maybe she’s struggling with the whole thing and putting some of the focus on you, is helpful to her.”

  Regan considered his words. “You may have a point, but I want her to break that habit. I want her to simply enjoy being a woman who is dating a man that she’s crazy about. And she is cra
zy about your dad.” She hesitated and hated that she was fishing. “I hope that the feeling is mutual.”

  “If you want to know how he feels, Regan, all you had to do was ask.”

  She sighed. “I’m asking.”

  “He’s crazy about her, too. He talked to me the other day and he wants to retire so that he can spend some time with her.”

  “That’s sweet,” she said with a smile in her voice. “How do you feel about that? The retiring part not the spending time together.”

  “Dad’s always worked hard; it’s been just the two of us for most of my life and just like you, I think it’s time for him to focus on himself. Don’t get me wrong, it will be a bit of an adjustment to not work with him every day but as long as I know that he’s doing something that makes him happy, then I’m fine with it.”

  “Wow, you sound way healthier about this than I do.” And it was true. On the surface, Regan wanted her mother to be happy but she still worried about her. She hadn’t dated in ten years and she could only hope that what Max and Caroline were experiencing was the real deal and not just a matter of being naïve. She shared that thought with Sawyer.

  “They’re adults, Regan. They’ve both been in relationships before. I think they know the difference between love and infatuation.”

  “I hope that you’re right; I really do. I don’t want her to get hurt.” While she knew that nothing was guaranteed and that they were talking about their parents, Regan couldn’t help but mentally compare their relationship to that of their parents. Was she really falling in love with Sawyer or was she just infatuated? What if it was just a strong case of lust?

  “What are you doing now?” he asked, breaking her train of thought.

  “I’m heading back to the spa. I have to work a little late because we have a bridal party coming in tomorrow for a morning of pampering. I love doing the whole group thing because they come in and we provide brunch for them and we make a big deal over the bride and everyone is just so happy and excited that it just really rubs off on you. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of prep work.”

  “How so?”

  “I make little goody bags for each of the girls and I have a list of items that I get from the bride or maid of honor ahead of time that tells me the color scheme for the wedding and so I make sure that the spa is decorated a bit in those colors and I do what I can to really personalize the environment in celebration of the big day.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive. How late will you have to work?”

  “I’m not sure.” She looked at the dashboard clock and saw that it was almost four o’clock. “If all goes well I should be done by nine.”

  “Do you have anyone available to finish up my shoulder massage? The last couple of days have been rough.”

  “What if I told you that Todd was the only one available?” she teased.

  “With the way that I’m feeling right now, I’d accept it. That’s how uncomfortable I am.”

  Her concern for him was instantaneous. “Tell you what, why don’t you come in at eight-thirty and I’ll take care of you.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to take you away from what you need to be doing.”

  “Are you kidding? This will give me motivation to get through all of the preparations.”

  “We were supposed to go on a date if memory serves,” he reminded her.

  “We will; just not tonight. It’s not a big deal, Sawyer; I already told you that you don’t need to take me anywhere. I just enjoy spending time with you.”

  Sawyer felt humbled by Regan’s admission and with a promise to see her later he hung up and did a final walk-through of the house for the day. Along the way he made a mental checklist of what needed to be done, where they were lagging behind, what materials needed to still be ordered…it came naturally to him.

  Designing and building came as naturally to Sawyer as breathing. From the time he was a little boy and Max had helped him build his first bird house, there was no doubt of what he wanted to do with his life. His father had always been a carpenter and Sawyer had apprenticed under him all through his teens before heading off to college to learn the design aspect in more detail. Max would have been more than capable of teaching his son how to do it all but he also knew that it would only serve to benefit Sawyer’s future for him to have a college education.

  Locking up the house for the night, Sawyer drove back to the hotel, took a hot shower and then sank down on the bed to relax before heading over to A Touch of Heaven and to Regan.

  Regan.

  This whole relationship had hit him like a ton of bricks and Sawyer was in completely unchartered territory. He was falling hard and fast and if he was reading things correctly, Regan was, too. Every minute that they shared together felt…right. The more he got to know about her, the more he wanted to know. In return, Regan seemed just as anxious to get to know him. They had so much in common and no one could argue about their compatibility in bed; they were explosive.

  Still, for as confident as he felt saying all of this in the privacy of his hotel room and to himself, the thought of broaching the subject about a future to Regan terrified him. He didn’t want to rush her nor did he want to be the one to jump in and say ‘I love you’ first only to have her say that she didn’t feel that way.

  Sighing, he glanced over at the clock. It was barely six. His body ached from head to toe and the long hours on the job site combined with the long hours he spent each night with Regan wrapped around him was beginning to take its toll. As much as he hated the thought of making Regan work late so that he could get a massage, it had nothing to do with the physical aspect of their relationship and everything to do with his overall well-being. He hoped that Regan didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of her.

  He really needed to take her out properly. While that wouldn’t happen tonight, Sawyer knew that he had to absolutely do something to show Regan that he wasn’t a completely selfish bastard; that he wasn’t in this simply for the sex or for her home cooking or her massages. No, Sawyer wanted to dazzle her. He wanted to do for her something that no other man had done for her seemingly before.

  He wanted to prove to her that there was nothing and no one more important than her.

  Although his body screamed for him to take a nap or at least close his eyes for fifteen minutes, Sawyer felt rejuvenated. Standing, he walked across the room and grabbed his laptop and sat himself down at the desk. He went online and researched the local restaurants and places of interest. While his initial reaction had been to simply call Caroline and ask what Regan liked, he knew that they weren’t ready to share their relationship status with their parents.

  So he was on his own to plan this little romantic endeavor.

  Never in his life had Sawyer put any real effort into wooing a woman. He had dated more than his share of women in his life, but it always came easy to him and he had been more than happy to just go with the flow and let the women take the lead. Plus, he wasn’t really interested in taking anything into the long-term. He knew that he found whoever he had been dating attractive and they, in turn, felt the same way. They enjoyed one another’s company for as long as it lasted and then amicably moved on.

  He didn’t want to move on.

  He didn’t want Regan to move on.

  And if he had any hope of proving that he had any staying power, he needed to figure out what exactly a man did when he planned a romantic night for the woman he loved. Flowers and candy? Anyone could do that. Sawyer shook off that idea with disgust. Dinner and a movie? Boring. Dinner and dancing? He didn’t want to embarrass himself. No, whatever he decided on had to be something where he would be comfortable so that they would both be able to enjoy themselves.

  If she didn’t own a spa he could have easily seen them spending the night at a luxury resort and getting pampered with a couples massage and dinner in the room. “Stupid,” he cursed himself. “Keep it out of the bedroom, for crying out loud. You don’t want her thinking that you’re expec
ting anything of her.” And the truth was that he wasn’t. While he loved the hours that they spent together making love, Sawyer wanted Regan to feel like he didn’t only think in terms of how the night would end.

  “So where does that lead me?” He continued his internet search but not before grabbing a bottle of water from his mini fridge and trying to get his mind to cooperate with finding the perfect setting for their date. Ideally, he wanted to go big but not too big. A weekend away would be his preference but before he booked such a thing, he’d need to really know Regan’s schedule.

  Inspiration struck! For now, they would have a night out at a restaurant that he found where they could have a nice dinner, listen to some jazz music and then do the Art Walk around Raleigh but he’d have all of the information that he needed regarding a weekend getaway to the coast at the ready so that as soon as he confirmed when she had time off, he could book it. It was perfect and Sawyer reclined back in the chair and mentally high-fived himself.

  He, Sawyer Bennett, was going to sweep Regan Amerson off her feet and he couldn’t wait to stroll with her in the moonlight, holding her hand and hearing her talk about anything and everything that made her smile.

  He was hoping that he fit somewhere up high on that list.

  ****

  Regan looked around the spa and made sure that she hadn’t missed anything. They were done for the day client wise and so her staff was hard at work cleaning and disinfecting everything down to a shine. Knowing she was blessed with a fabulous staff, Regan made sure that she thanked each of them personally for their hard work before they left.

  A walk through each of the rooms assured her that she had indeed set the perfect stage for their bridal party invasion the next day. A mental checklist went on in her head as she made her way through each room. “Goodie bags? Check. Robes and slippers? Check.” On to the next area she looked at the selection of nail polish that she displayed to compliment the bridal party gowns. “Check.” Each work station had been restocked with supplies and sterilized instruments and the floors were so clean that she could see her reflection.