I stopped in front of his desk. “You’re fucking kidding, right?” I squeezed the lip of the wood. “We both know I’m not going there with her brother.”
His exhale sounded like a whistle. “She’ll kill me.”
“She won’t know it’s you.”
“Oh, she’ll figure it out—I have zero doubt about that.” His arms went to his desk, and he leaned toward me. “What are you going to do with her number?”
I could lie. But again, that wasn’t me.
“I’m going to ask her to come over.”
He was trying to hide his smile. “You’ve got more work to hash out with her, brother?”
“You know … endless amounts.”
His chair bounced once, twice, three times before he picked up his phone. “I’ll deny it to my grave.”
“I already gave Hayden my word today. You have it too.”
EIGHTEEN
SOPHIE
Iwas taking the first sip of my third cup of coffee when my phone rang. I’d left it in the kitchen while Abbi and I were on the balcony, where she was eating a snack. A perfect spot for late afternoons when the sun had moved to the other side of the building and the ocean breeze was so lovely that all you wanted was to be outside.
Abs looked at me with a chunk of strawberry on her lip. “Mommy, want me to get your phone?”
My daughter lived for tasks, even if they weren’t for her.
“If you don’t mind, baby.”
She wiggled off her chair, put her plate on top of it, and rushed into the kitchen, where I heard, “Hi, Uncle Troy,” by the next ring.
I turned around and laughed when I saw her holding my phone to her ear. She was getting exceptional at identifying letters, but since every member of my family had their picturestored in my Contacts, whenever one called, Abbi would know who it was without having to read their name.
“We’re going swimming! After I finish eating!” Her smile was as big as it could get. “Mmhmm. And I had a sleepover with Uncle Hay last night. He dropped me off at Mommy’s in a car that didn’t have a top! It was so fun! We went for ice cream two times!” She joined me again on the balcony, putting her back to the view while she looked at me. “Your ice cream was just as good as Uncle Hay’s. Yep, promise.” She giggled. “Mommy’s here.” She moved in closer to me. “Love you too.”
As I took the phone from her, I lifted her plate off the seat, knowing she would spill its contents if she tried to sit down with it.
“Hey, you,” I said to Troy. “Do I need to start the clock, or are you calling for a reason that doesn’t involve the Westons, which I’m hoping is the case?”
“Do you bill the Gordons for every work-related conversation you and I have?”
“Of course.” I crossed my legs, checking out my toes in the process, pleased that I’d gone with the white polish instead of the light pink that my nail tech had suggested.
“Really? Whoa, you’re lethal.”
“Time is money. You know that, my friend. Come on. You’re telling me you don’t bill the Westons foreverything?”
“Not when I’m making a call like this, no.”
“A call like this …” I twisted one of Abbi’s curls around my finger. “Does that mean you’ve got something good for me? Or something that’s going to make me want to put Baileys in my coffee?”
“What’s Baileys?” Abbi asked with a mouthful of cheese. “I want some!”
I kissed the top of her head. “Leave Baileys for the adults, baby. You stick with water and innocence.”
Troy chuckled. “The Westons have finalized every one of their obligations. As of tomorrow morning, when the new menus are delivered to each location, the changeover will be complete.”
