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Joey reached his little arms out to me, and I freed the toddler from the stroller.
“No one said anything about love. I’m making an observation. Anyone can tell that Jack loves you." I held Joey close, and he pulled at my tie, smearing something sticky on me.
"Uh-huh, that's true." She stepped closer and placed her hands on her hips. "Something is different about you."
I turned away from her. "What do you mean?"
"You seem ... happier." She smiled. "There's something about you that is different, but I can't put my finger on it."
"Nah, nothing has changed with me." I grabbed a toy car from my desk and handed it to my nephew. I always keep a stock of toys in case they stop through the city.
"What I do know is that Jack loves you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed you to marry him."
She laughed. "Allowed me."
"Yeah," I said as Joey squirmed to get down. I placed him on the carpet, and he zoomed the car over it. "I checked the guy out."
Her mouth fell open. "Did you run a background check on him?"
"Yeah, and I had one of my guys follow him around."
She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Olivia, I had to be sure he wasn't two-timing you." I leaned against my desk. "I know the game. If Jack had been playing you, he would have gotten nowhere with me." I cleared my throat and focused on Joey’s car as it did a lap around the carpet. "I don't want my sister to marry a man like me."
Olivia placed her hand on my shoulder. "Thanks for looking out for me." She pointed at me. "You're a good guy, but you like to hide it. I hope you are showing Rebecca the real you and not the ..." She looked down at Joey. "The not-so-nice side of you."
"I'm giving her the red-carpet treatment and keeping my ..." I also looked down on Joey. "My shenanigans to a minimum."
She frowned. "You know you don't have to do this."
"I know, but I want to be a part of Steele Realty. I've worked hard to get the business where it is today, and I want to continue our family's work."
"You could start your own company. You certainly have the business knowledge to do so."
I shake my head. "In a city like Boston, no way. I would lose access to a lot of my high-profile clients, and without the marriage to Rebecca, I likely won't get more."
"Okay, I respect your decision as you respected mine." She took a baby wipe from the stroller and wiped the sticky substance off my tie.
"I still think you are underestimating yourself. You don't need Dad or a Cavanaugh to be successful, but since you insist on going through with the marriage, when will you introduce me to Rebecca?"
“Soon,” I replied. “Things with Rebecca are still fresh.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “You keep saying that. At this rate, I’ll be meeting her for the first time when she’s about to walk down the aisle.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “You’ve always been so impatient. How about this? You and Jack can go on a double date with Rebecca and me when we get back from Napa.”
Olivia grinned. “That’s more like it!”
“I'll check our schedule for a good night and let you know. We have a lot of events to attend."
"Oh, and she has to come to Joey's party in a few months. It will be the perfect time for her to get to know you outside of the stuffy Boston crowd. You are coming to his party, right?" Olivia asked.
I smiled down at my nephew. Joey continued to play with the car. "I will never miss his party. We'll be there."
"Great! Now let's go to lunch." She picked Joey up and settled him back in the stroller with his toy. "Before I forget."
She handed me a bag. "These are from The Cookie Cove in New Bee. They have the best cookies ever, and they have your favorite."
