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“You’re limping.”
I stopped moving. “Yes. I stubbed my toe. I’m fine, though.”
He closed the distance between us. When Joey alighted on me, she gave me my favorite smile: open-mouthed with the sweetest little coo.
“Hi, Joey-Girl,” I cooed back. “Did you get a ride with Elliot? He’s so tall, isn’t he? You’ve never been that high up before.”
“Her father’s short?”
I huffed. “No. He’s pretty tall too.”
His eyes narrowed. I held his gaze, my chin jutting out. I carried a lot of shame. Liam choosing not to be part of Joey’s life was his to bear.
“He hasn’t held her,” Elliot concluded.
“He’s not on the same continent, so no, he hasn’t.” I waved the file he’d come for. “Here it is. Should we trade?”
“I think you’re getting the better deal,” he murmured as he handed me Joey and slipped the file from my hand.
Joey nuzzled her face against my neck, and I placed a kiss on her fuzzy head. “You’d better get back to the office. Daniel might be getting too comfortable in your absence.”
“Yes, that is a concern.” He rubbed his chin while looking me over. I’d thrown on a T-shirt, so there was far less skin on display, but his gaze was so penetrating I might as well have been naked. “Are you doing okay?”
I nodded, even though I wanted to shout to the rooftops that I wasn’t even close to okay. How could he look around and not see that? “I’m good. How about you?”
“I’m fine, as always.” He exhaled slowly through his nose. “Your presence is missed in the office.”
My lips tilted in a smirk. “I miss the office’s presence too.”
“Well…” bowing his head, his nostrils flared, “I’ll be off. Like you said, can’t let Daniel get too comfortable.”
Elliot’s exit was swift and final, the door clicking shut behind him.
I looked down at Joey and kissed the tip of her button nose. “That was strange, right? Elliot Levy stood in our hovel and didn’t utter a single word of criticism.”
He didn’t ask any questions either, which was unlike him as well. I guessed he was silently judging me.
“Very, very strange.”
Chapter Fourteen
Elliot
Myhandswrappedaroundmy steering wheel, gripping it tight enough to turn my knuckles white.
Though I’d had every intention of driving away when I’d left Catherine’s poor excuse for a house, my car was as far as I’d gotten. Anyone else, and I would have. After all, her living situation wasn’t my concern. As long as she showed up to work on time and did her job, I didn’t want to know anything else.
Yet, here I was, climbing out of my car and walking up the crumbling steps of her front porch. I raised my fist, knocking lightly on her door.
When she opened it, her tiny daughter tucked in the crook of her arm, I sighed, confirming what I thought I’d seen the first time.
Catherine was tired. It wasn’t just the smudges of purple beneath her puffy, bloodshot eyes I’d easily attributed to being a new mother. This went deeper. The fiery woman who’d written clever insults about me had been dulled, and it pained me to see her this way.
“You can’t live here, Catherine.” I tipped my head to the side. “Come with me.”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
“I don’t know why your home is in this condition, and I won’t ask you to tell me, but I can’t leave you here. I have a big house with several spare rooms. Plenty of space for you and Josephine. Come now.”
