Page 2 of Dancing With Redemption

“My pleasure. You take care,” the driver said before Roxie closed the door.

The car drove off with the noise that comes from streets coated in fresh rain, but Roxie didn’t notice. A glowing sign bordered by brick posts told her this was the Bennet Medical Group’s hospital and outpatient service center. June worked here, as did her brother, Liam, and her father. Well, worked here, owned the place, whatever.

Roxie walked in through automatic doors and headed for the well-placed map on the wall at the entrance. She found June’s office and headed up to the third floor to look for her friend. A receptionist there informed Roxie that June was not available so Roxie did something she wasn’t sure she should do.

She’d seen Liam’s name on that map and knew his office was just down from June’s. A lot of time had passed since she’d last seen Liam, life had changed dramatically, and she’d become someone totally different from who she’d planned to be when she used to write her name as Mrs. Liam Bennet or Mrs. Chloe Bennet in her diary. Did he even look the same? She wondered as she waited for him in the reception area.

“Chloe?” Liam’s surprised voice brought her eyes up from staring at a painting of a sailboat on the opposite wall.

He hadn’t changed much at all; he’d just grown more handsome, she noticed immediately. Lincoln’s stepbrother had always looked different, with dark blond hair and bright green eyes being one of the major differences between them. Both were handsome men, but Liam’s face was softer, not as solid as Lincoln’s was. Liam still took care of himself, she felt, when he scooped her up into a hug, solid and firm muscles rippled beneath her hands.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were gone forever,” Liam gushed, his eyes bright with happiness. “June told me you were back but it’s one thing knowing and another thing seeing. Wow, you look great.”

Roxie couldn’t help but smile at his praise, but she felt embarrassed as the female receptionist looked on, murdering Roxie with the daggers in her eyes. Roxie pulled away, a smile replacing the frown she’d sent to the receptionist. “You look great too, you know?”

“Nah, I’m just me,” he brushed off her praise and held his arm out to the door he’d walked out of. “Come to my office.”

Roxie sent one final look back at the receptionist, still throwing daggers at her with those jealous brown eyes, and followed Liam. She hated when women acted like that, but she was too tired to rein in her small petty streak. “So, you’re a doctor now?”

“Yeah, June and I both followed in dad’s footsteps. Lincoln was the only one who managed to escape that little cliché.” Liam showed her to a small brown sofa before he sat at the other end. It was definitely more inviting than sitting her in a chair in front of his desk and she felt at ease immediately. Even if she had once joined his name with hers. Roxie could feel heat flooding her cheeks at the reminder, but ignored it.

“It’s not a cliché if you’re making good money and helping people,” she countered with a polite smile of admiration.

She was surprised, but that teenage infatuation seemed to be gone. Yeah, he was handsome, but he wasn’t Lincoln, and something told her he was far too tame for her. It was probably the white button-up shirt under his lab coat, or the plain brown loafers on his feet that told her that. His outfit was expensive, sure, but those were most definitely plain loafers.

Too vanilla.

“I suppose you’re right. Listen, are you in town for a while? I have surgery later, but then I’ll be back at the old family home if you’d like to meet me there. Where are you staying?” He bombarded her with questions, but his smiling eyes didn’t change a bit.

“Yeah, I haven’t decided where I’m staying yet, I’m not sure how long I’ll be in town, but I’d love to meet with you later. Can you let someone at the house know I’m coming?” She responded, trying to keep the questions straight as she answered.

“Of course, I’ll let dad and my future stepmother know you’re coming. I’m not sure if June is around this week, but she’ll be happy to see you if she’s in town. Our schedules make it hard to see each other. But yeah, dad will be excited you’re back too. Wow, I can’t believe you’re back.” He seemed agitated, but in a good way, and that made Roxie feel like she’d made the right decision in coming to see Liam.

He might tell Lincoln she was in town, which would give away her whole plan, but what could she do about it now? Not a lot.

Besides, it was really nice to see Liam again, even if it seemed her crush on the man had fizzled out. She’d had a crush on the boy and this man wasn’t that boy anymore. She wasn’t the girl who’d thought she was in love with him anymore either.