Chapter Twenty-Six
OVER THE NEXT week and a half Lizzie and Blue fell into a routine as naturally as they’d come together on their first date. Blue spent the days working at his cottage on the bluff, sending Lizzie sweet texts to let her know he was thinking of her while she was working at the flower shop. Sometimes he stopped by midafternoon to bring her lunch and see how she was doing. She knew he worried about her being upset over her father not speaking to her, and his love was comforting and a reminder that when you love someone, any hurdle could be overcome. If only her father would learn to jump.
The Food Channel Network had contacted her again and scheduled a meeting in New York for Friday. She was excited beyond belief and more nervous than she ever thought possible.
She and Blue had worked tirelessly through the evenings, combing through ledgers, collecting graphs and figures, preparing the strongest proposal they could for the network, and sent the information to Duke. Lizzie fought the urge to call and thank her father for pushing her to earn her degree, which she realized had helped her tremendously over the years. Thanking a man who wouldn’t speak to her would be not only difficult, but heartbreaking.
Blue still wasn’t quite ready to watch her film an episode. She could tell that he was still fighting jealousy, but she also knew how hard he was trying to push past it and support her. She was actually relieved that he didn’t want to watch her film, because the idea of Blue watching her made her nervous. She worried she’d either fall into full seduce-Blue mode or look like she was trying too hard and totally flub up the episode.
Even though he wasn’t comfortable watching, tonight he wanted to help her edit the show she’d taped the night before to get a better understanding of her process. Baby steps.
They sat before the laptop, waiting for the video to queue up. It was one thing to talk about the videos or for Blue to watch them without her in the room, but even though her heart told her that their relationship was strong enough to handle it, she worried that watching a Naked Baker video together could reignite Blue’s discomfort.
Lizzie looked up from the laptop where they were working and stole a glance at the man who had relentlessly pursued her, challenged her, and had, remarkably, remained by her side. She’d never met a man like Blue before, blatantly honest about everything, even his insecurities. She didn’t know a single man who would readily admit that jealousy stood between him and what he wanted, or that his need to protect her, and her reputation, was causing him conflict. She’d always considered herself an honest person, but she was quickly learning that her idea of honesty wasn’t nearly as clearly defined as his. He’d shown her more about unconditional love than her own father had, and it made her love him even more.
He lifted his eyes, caught her watching him, and reached for her hand. She loved his tender touches as much as she loved his heated ones.
“Why don’t you try calling your dad before we get started?” He smoothed his hand down her back. He always seemed to know what she needed.
She had called her father every day since they’d had dinner, and he still refused to come to the phone, which just about killed her. Her mother was trying to act normal, but Lizzie heard tension in her voice and felt the strain of their relationship every time they spoke. Lizzie hated feeling like a disappointment to them, but she’d come this far. She wasn’t about to back down.
“I’m too nervous about you watching the video to call tonight.”
His eyes warmed as he drew her into his arms. He was always drawing her into his arms, even more often now than before he’d found out about her secret. She used to pop out of bed in the mornings, but waking up in Blue’s arms had changed everything. She was in no rush to leave the house, because nothing outside could possibly feel better than being held by the man she loved.
“I told you I’m ready for this,” he insisted. “I’m not going to let you down, and once you see I can watch it, you’ll be less worried about my family finding out.”
“What if your family reacts like my father did?” She had almost begged off attending his cousin’s wedding because she worried about how his family would react, but she knew that wouldn’t be fair to Blue, especially since he was going to such great lengths to overcome his issues with the webcast and to support her decisions.
“Then I’ll be right here by your side setting them straight, but they won’t react that way. Duke is a businessman. He’s so impressed with what you’ve done that he commends you every chance he gets. And all my brothers have a thing for hot women, so they’ll think it’s sexy.” He touched his forehead to hers. “Fair warning…You should prepare to see the jealous boyfriend in me come out if they hit on you.”
“They wouldn’t do that.” She laughed at the thought, even though Jake had flirted with her and every other woman in his path last summer. She’d seen the way Jake and Blue stood up for each other, and she knew that now that Jake was aware that they were dating, he’d never cross that line.
“Not if they know what’s good for them. Call your dad, and then we’ll get started. He has to come to his senses at some point.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Remember, sweetheart, I’m proud of you, Maddy’s proud of you, Sky is proud of you, and your father will be too. He just needs to get over himself first.”
“You don’t know my father.” She pulled out her cell phone and walked to the other side of the room while she made the call. Her mother answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. How are you?” Her mother spoke quietly, and Lizzie knew her father must be nearby. It made her sick knowing that she’d put her mother in this position—and equally as ill knowing that her father could so easily turn his back on her.
“I’m okay. I’d be better if Dad would talk to me. Is he there?”
“He is. Hold on.”
She heard her mother cover the phone, but the conversation between her parents was too muffled for her to decipher. When her mother returned to the phone, her sigh told Lizzie everything she needed to know before she said a word.
“I’m sorry, honey,” her mother said.
“It’s okay.” Lizzie closed her eyes against the sting of her father’s rejection. But as she opened her eyes, something inside her snapped. She wasn’t a little girl making bad decisions. She was an adult, and she’d stood by her decisions to everyone else. Why was she practically begging for her father’s approval?
“You know what, Mom? This isn’t okay. I hate to do this to you, but since he won’t talk to me, can you please put me on speakerphone?”
“Honey, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She felt Blue’s hand on her shoulder, and when she gazed up at him, the pride in his eyes drove her on.
“Please, Mom?”
A moment later her mother’s voice echoed through the line. “Okay, you’re on speakerphone.”
“Is Dad in the room?” She knew better than to ask him to answer.
“Yes, honey,” her mother answered.
Blue crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps twitched, his eyes narrowed, and she had a feeling that if he could climb through that phone and shake her father into submission, he would. She drew from his strength and held her chin high.
“Dad, I hope you’ll stay in the room long enough to hear me out. My whole life you’ve taught me to do the right thing. You taught me that regardless of what I had, to always make sure I gave to others. When I wanted to skip going to college and try to make a go of a flower shop, you said that college would teach me things I never realized I needed to know.” She expected to hear her father storm out of the room any second, but she had to say what was in her heart, regardless of what he did or didn’t do.
“And you were right. I learned all about business, and it’s helped me tremendously with my flower shop. And it’s helped me analyze and strategize and provide for Maddy’s education with my webcast. I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing, but I’m still your daughter.” Tears of anger and hurt welled in her eyes as Blue’s arm circled her. “I hope one day that you’ll see I am the same girl you raised, only I’m stronger now and more capable of making good decisions. Decisions that have helped me and Maddy.”
She gulped a breath, ignoring the bite of her father’s silence.
“I love you, Dad, and all I’m asking is that you take a step back and see me for who I am, not whatever misconception you have about who you think I’ve become.” Her trembling hand dropped to her side as she ended the call, and she buried her face in Blue’s chest.
BLUE WISHED HE could walk out the door and pay her father a visit to knock some sense into him, but Lizzie needed him right now. He’d made the mistake once of walking away when she needed him, and he wasn’t going to do that again. Her father could wait. Blue was so proud of her for taking a stand. He couldn’t imagine any father ignoring such a heartfelt plea. But if her father remained distant, there was no way Blue would sit back and let the woman he loved be hurt again.
“Are you okay?”
She inhaled sharply, and when she pushed away, her eyes were full of determination.
“Yes. I am finally more than okay.” She swiped at her damp eyes, and her lips curved into a smile.
Her strength floored him, but he’d known all along how strong Lizzie was. She hadn’t backed down for him. Why would she back down for anyone else?
“I realized as I was talking at my father that he’s the one who taught me to be this way, so who is he to judge me?” She took a step away, waving her hand angrily. “I mean, he might not agree with me wearing nothing but an apron, but he taught me to give, to help others, and that’s what I do every day of my life. And I’m hardly wearing any less than my bathing suit. That has to count for something.”
Before he could say anything, she added, “And you know what else pisses me off? I’m not the only one who put my mother in this position. That’s mostly his doing.”
“Hopefully you finally got through to him. If he doesn’t come around, then it speaks volumes of him as a person.”
“He’s not a bad guy, Blue.” She crossed her arms protectively over her chest.
He loved her innate desire to protect her father despite how upset she was.
“I’m sure he’s not. He’s just a father watching out for his daughter. All I’m saying is that hopefully he’ll see what an incredible woman you are and come to his senses soon. I hate to see you suffer over this. I never should have suggested that you shouldn’t hide from the people who love you.”
“Oh, yes, you should have. You opened my eyes to everything, most importantly, the difference between unconditional love, like ours, and whatever it is my father has for me.” She took his hand and led him to the computer. “Let’s get this sucker edited so we can move past the nerve-racking part of the night and into the fun part.”
“Ah, the fun part.” He kissed her lips. “Like maybe your Naughty-Love list?”
“I was thinking more about the other list.” She raised her brows in quick succession.
“You’re not going to make it easy for me to concentrate, are you?”
“That’s the plan…”
They took the computer upstairs and set it on the table between them. They’d spent the last three days working through every statistic Lizzie had ever kept, analyzing them from every possible angle. He’d quickly learned that Lizzie was not just a beautiful, talented florist and bright businesswoman, but she had a brilliant analytical and strategic mind. She’d created a business that was continually climbing up the ranks of things he’d never known existed, like Alexa rankings—rankings of websites based on hits and length of time spent on the site—and surpassing partner income thresholds one after another. It was no wonder the Food Channel Network was courting her. If she did this full-time, she could easily earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. She obviously wasn’t putting herself out there to achieve her own fame and fortune, or she’d be making more videos and forgoing her flower shop altogether, which was just another thing to admire about her.
Blue readied himself for an uncomfortable ride as they began the editing process. Every muscle in his body tensed as he watched the woman who had stolen his heart seduce the camera, and he felt the claws of jealousy prickling his skin again. He pressed his hands to his thighs, telling himself to focus on the show, not on the sexy look in his girlfriend’s eyes or the way she moved like a cat on the prowl, graceful yet powerful.
As the video rolled on and Lizzie began pointing out angles that were problematic and the way she tweaked scenes by removing a second or two of video, lighting issues that made her want to retape certain sections of the show, and about a dozen other nuances he’d never imagined her dealing with, Blue became engrossed in the process. She was incredible, the way she analyzed everything from the tone of her voice, the looks she flashed, and even the way she moved. She gave as much attention to detail and to every aspect of the show as Blue did to his carpentry work.
Blue found himself analyzing the video completely from a business standpoint, sans the jealousy that had initially plagued him. By the time they finished, Lizzie had two full pages of notes about what she liked and disliked about the video, things she needed to tweak, and differences between this video and her last, so she could compare the outcomes. She was so focused on making the video perfect that it was easy to understand how she was able to put herself out there in this fashion while carrying on her daily life and while falling in love with him. She’d separated herself from the Naked Baker. This was obviously a business venture that she took very seriously. Regardless of whether she was seducing a camera or creating a beautiful bouquet of flowers, she clearly gave it her all.
Lizzie closed the laptop, tension knitting her brows.
“We survived,” he said as he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. The tension in her face slipped away.
“Yeah, we did.” Her brow wrinkled again. “You’re not feeling weird about me? What did you think?”
“Not even a little. I think you’re even more incredible than I did before we watched it.” He lifted her onto his lap. He didn’t want her to worry about anything, least of all that his feelings for her would ever change. He could no sooner walk away from Lizzie than he could turn away from family. He tucked her hair behind her ear, and her lips curved up in a relieved smile.
“When you first told me about this, I couldn’t imagine how you separated who you were in the video from who you are on a day-to-day basis. But when we were working just now, and for the past few days as you’ve brought me into your webcast world, I’ve come to realize that you put your heart and soul into making this a success, the same way that you do with your flower shop. The same way that you do with Maddy, with me.” Blue pressed his lips to hers. “I think your father should edit a video with you.”
She laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m kidding. Sort of. If you took him through these steps and he understood all the aspects of this incredible business you’ve created, it would put it into clearer perspective for him. I really believe that if your father could disregard the fact that his daughter is walking around in nothing but an apron and see your incredible business efforts for what they are, he would come around.”
“I doubt that,” she said as she ran her finger along his skin, just above his shirt collar, making it hard for him to concentrate.
“I also think you’ve got your work cut out for you where FCN is concerned.”
She twined her arms around his neck. “Do you really think I’m doing the right thing? What if they say no?”
“Then you’re in no worse shape than you are right now. But you do realize this is a no-brainer for them, right? If they can make a seamless transition to another actress using the momentum you’ve already put in place, then you’re golden.”
Her brow furrowed, and he touched his lips to hers, knowing exactly what was worrying her.
“And if they don’t, I know you plan on continuing to host the show until Maddy graduates, and I’ll be right here by your side.” He shifted her onto her back on the couch and came down over her, smiling as he pressed his lips to hers. “Or maybe I’d rather be right here, on top of you.”
“Or maybe…” She glanced at the front door. “You’d rather be in your truck lying on top of me at White Crest Beach.”
He blinked in surprise. “In my truck?”
“I added it to my Naughty-Places list,” she said with feigned innocence.
He wanted to kiss that innocence out of her. “You did, did you? When did you do that?”
Her cheeks flushed. “About ten months ago.”
“Ten months? When you were turning me down every chance you got?”
Desire filled her eyes. So long, innocence.
He rose to his feet and scooped her into his arms as she giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Heck, yeah,” he said as he carried her toward the front door. “Let’s go knock number one off your Naughty-Places list.”
“Number ten,” she corrected him.
He stopped cold, wondering what the first nine places on the list were. “Ten?”
She nodded again. “We already checked off number one. The beach.”
“That’s not fair. I had no idea we were working on your list. I could have made it more memorable.” He walked outside and pulled the door closed behind them.
“That made it even more fun, and whether we’re working on a list or just having fun, being close to you is always memorable. Besides, I added an eleventh place to the list.” She leaned up and whispered, “The lighthouse.”