Page 24 of Love In Hiding

“No games,” he said. “Unless you’re familiar with them. I’m assuming your father being an attorney and all you’d be comfortable around them.”

Her head swiveled fast in his direction. “Who told you?”

“Do you really think I wouldn’t know?” He put his hand up. “And before you ask, it wasn’t from Braylon or West. I’m good at my job. Though this wasn’t hard to find or figure out with your last name and West’s first.”

She sighed. “We don’t want anyone to know and think this was given to us.”

“I can understand that more than you realize. It won’t come from me, but it will come out.”

“I know. Paris is surprised it hasn’t already.” There was another minute of silence. “Why is it you can understand? What you said just now.”

He sat back. Maybe if he gave her something, she’d loosen up a little.

As patient as he was, he wasn’t one to play games. Maybe that was why he struggled so much at his last job. He didn’t think he was cutthroat enough.

He could be. He just didn’t enjoy it.

“I’m sure you know it’s difficult to get hired by your cousins.”

“Yes. But many will say if you’re family it isn’t,” she said. “Which isn’t true. I feel as if there is more to prove because of that.”

Interesting. “Is that why you’re soooo...”

“Intense is the word used to describe me,” she said, laughing.

She almost sounded proud of it. He’d have to store that away.

“Which means it’s not recent.”

She turned and matched the grin he had. When she did that, her features softened. Her sharp cheekbones didn’t look so strong. Her jaw relaxed, her lips spread wide, her teeth nice and white.

Even her eyes were showing the humor.

Maybe they were finally getting somewhere.

“It’s not. And since you know who we are, you know I’m one of nine kids.”

“Are you the oldest girl or is Paris?”

“Me, by nine minutes.”

“And that weight is on your shoulders. I’ve got a younger sister, I get it. She’s six years younger than me. She had a heart condition and we thought we were going to lose her. Once she had her open heart surgery as a teen, I got to be even more overprotective of her.”

“I’m sorry about that. What I feel for my siblings is nothing like that, I’m sure. I hope she’s okay now. Like there is a happy ending here?”

“A great ending. She married my best friend from college. Guess she had a secret crush on him for years and I was too blind to see it. So was he.”

“Or you just never saw her that way. My guess is you were thrilled over it.”

He coughed in his hand before he could snort. “No. I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not one to overreact.”

“Duh.”

He laughed. “You’re trying, aren’t you?”

“It’s just in my nature.”

Good to know.