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Cain’s mouth twitched as he grimaced and straightened up. “I hope this works out for you, but I also want what is best for her, so if that is not what she wants, I support her decision. It’s something I have to support. I think you would make a good match for her, though.”
He knew that was as close as he would get to getting approval under the circumstances.
“It will be difficult, but I will back off if I am not the right person for her. She knows that. I told her openly that I wanted the best for her. If that’s not me, then…” His voice trailed off as he shrugged and tried to swallow a lump in his throat.
It wouldn’t be easy to step back, but he would do it.
He wasn’t going to be deliriously happy about it. That thought made his stomach clench, and his heart sank because he would be devastated. First and foremost, he was her friend, and her needs came before his own feelings.
If the time came for him to take a step back and reassess, he would. He knew that pushing against a brick wall wouldn’t get him anywhere. Brick walls could also conceal a fragile facade that could easily be shattered and broken. He did not want to hurt her by pushing her too hard.
He never intended to harm her.
Nick shook those thoughts away and asked, “Anyway, shouldn’t you be helping with the playdate? I heard last time that Darby was halfway up a tree encouraging Sylva to climb with her.” Cain rolled his eyes in acknowledgement. Then, he laughed, “Karen is sure that day is the day she got her first grey hair.”
Even when she pointed violently at the offending grey hair, Nick couldn’t see it.
“Hmm, I’m not surprised. I can still hear my mate’s shrieks piercing my eardrums from trying to lure Darby down. Darby wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about or why her mama was panicking, so she froze on the tree and watched all the excitement and chaos below with bemusement.”
Nick smiled. “It must have surprised Lila that she began climbing at such a young age.”
“She is nearly four years old, and her baby claws are just beginning to emerge.” Cain’s chest puffed out as a satisfied smile spread across his face. “She’s a confident climber; if we don’t teach her, she’ll try to do it alone. So I’m bringing her into a small grove of trees and helping her understand how to balance and navigate the forest.”
Cain stood when he heard his name called.
“I bet she’s thrilled,” Nick said with an arched eyebrow.
“Which one?” Cain asked and laughed as he exited his office.
He sat down, placing his hands behind his head as he did so. Leaning back, he looked at the empty glass and the clock, then took a deep breath. He walked to his cupboard and grabbed the bottle. Slinging his glass back, he saluted himself and picked up the phone while topping it up.
The phone rang. Then he added another splash of drink to his glass and sipped it slowly. The woody, fruity undertones lingered in his mouth as he waited for her to answer.
“Hello,” her sweet female voice whispered into his ear, instantly easing tension.
“Hi, it’s Nick.”
“Hello, there. How are you doing?” she asked in a surprisingly soft tone for a Number.
Her tone was less growling and more singsong like a bird. She was a delicate bird with a powerful beak she’d use to peck people who annoyed her.
The chances of getting on her nerves were rare. Despite what some people thought, she was such an easy and stable person. Every day, his love for her grew stronger. There was no way he could resist her strength.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. He sighed and rubbed his head against the cool glass. I’m sorry, but I have to cancel tonight. Something has come up.”
“Okay. When do you want to meet again?”
“I don’t know if we should.” Not for some time yet.
Would the traitor use the fact that he was seeing someone against him if they found out? He had absolutely no idea at this point. Considering he was staying away from Karen and Sylva, it would probably be wise to do the same with her.
She might have claws, but she wasn’t likely to use them. “We could do next week if you’re busy…” Out of all the numbers, she was probably the gentlest. That’s why her expectant pause made his stomach drop.
“I might not be able to see you for a while,” he said gently.
“Oh,” she said, and he heard the pain in her voice. “Did I do something wrong?”
He gripped the glass tightly with his fingers as his heart clenched. “No, no, nothing like that.”
