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Milo: I’m at my office, so you can rest easy, counselor. I won’t require your services tonight.
I’m thankful for that, and grateful that my daughter is with her mom tonight. I’ve got a hell of a lot of pent-up energy that I need to release before I fall asleep. I need to come again to try and soothe the ache inside of me for Carrie.
I glance down when another text pops onto the screen.
Milo: I’ll buy you dinner tomorrow. Consider it payback for helping me out at the police station the other night.
Chuckling, I type out my response before hitting send.
Rook: Dinner won’t close your tab with me. You know my hourly rate.
I laugh harder when I catch sight of my brother’s response.
Milo: Fuck you. It’s dinner or nothing.
He may be only three years younger than I am, but I consider Milo a good friend, and one of my closest confidantes. Our mother claims our nonstop cursing at each other is our way of expressing our love. If that’s true, I’m about to tell him he means the world to me.
Rook: Fuck you too, asshole. Meet me at Nova at 8. I’ll be ordering the most expensive entrée and the best bottle of champagne they have.
I stalk back toward my bedroom but stop mid-step when his response hits my phone. I can’t contain the hearty laughter that bounces off the walls in my silent apartment.
Milo: Wait. What? How much is your hourly rate again? I might go with that option.
Helena Gaffin strolls into my office the next morning with a large coffee and her signature snarky attitude in hand. “What have you done with Posey?”
I glance up. Helena spends more on her wardrobe than I do. Since she’s a senior lawyer with the practice, she can afford to. Today, she’s wearing a tailored light blue suit with a patterned blouse underneath.
She takes in my dark blue suit. “Where is she?”
“Working,” I say, hoping that’s the truth.
I haven’t been able to track the twenty-four-year-old down yet today. As we were leaving Declan and Abby’s building last night, I told Posey to be back there at eight fifteen this morning. It’s cruising past nine now, and she’s nowhere to be found.
“Not in this building,” Helena bounces back with a lift of one of her dark eyebrows. “I need her to help me with something.”
“She’s helping me with something.”
Since I’m Helena’s boss, my needs trump hers.
“With what?” Suspicion taints her tone.
“It’s a personal project,” I toss that out, hoping it’s enough but knowing it won’t be.
“Jesus, Rook.” She sets the coffee cup on the corner of my desk. “Tell me you’re not screwing an employee.”
The thought is so ludicrous that I can’t help but laugh. “That’s never happened and will never happen.”
Relief floods her expression. Helena knows I’m a man of my word.
I give in and tell her where Posey is supposed to be because I know Helena, and she won’t drop this. “She’s painting a mural in Declan and Abby’s future nursery. It’s a gift from Declan.”
“Wait.” Her hand trembles slightly. “Abigail is pregnant?”
Dammit. Helena had to skip the wedding to travel to Philadelphia to see a client. That’s the excuse she came up with, but I suspect that’s not the only reason. Helena drew a line in the sand years ago between business and her personal life. I know she’s met up with a few co-workers at a bar not far from here on occasion, and she’ll treat other lawyers on staff to lunch, but that’s the extent of it.
She’s devoted her life to the job. I thought I’d do the same before Kirby was born, but I’ve found a balance that works well for me since then.
“She is.” I nod, knowing that if I hadn’t blurted it out, someone else would in the next day or two.
