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“Considering you call me Barn, I guess the half that’s left is mine.”
He paused mid-bite. I could be funny... sometimes.
“Why does he call you Barn?”
“Because he’s a jerk,” I answered quickly.
“I’ll have you know I don’t just hand out nicknames,” he said hastily.
“That’s a good thing, considering they’re insulting.”
But the slight downturn of his lips indicated I’d just insultedhim. He shoved a bite of cake into his mouth, and I had the overwhelming need to apologize, though I wasn’t sure what for. Didn’t he owe me one?
Nancy beamed. “This weekend away will be perfect to work out your differences.”
Just the thought of it had my stomach turning over on itself. “I can’t spend a weekend with you,” I almost whispered.
His eyes gleamed wickedly. Whatever vulnerability had been there the moment before was gone.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at three.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
KANE
Noon.
I hadn’t been able to concentrate worth a damn today.
I wished I could plead temporary insanity for agreeing to this weekend, but part of me was disappointed I hadn’t thought of it myself.
If I cared what other people thought of me, I’d have never made it this far in life.
But when Nancy had suggested time away to work out my differences with JoJo, I’d clung to it like it was a prized steak. I hadn’t sorted out why it was so important to me. It just was, and that was enough of a reason for me to try.
Best-case scenario? We could be around each other without strangling one another. Worst case? I could hole up in a room with a view of the ocean and get some work done in a change of scene.
I stabbed at the screen on my phone.
“I wondered if something had happened to you. Only one phone call today?”
And just like that, all the tightness in my chest evaporated. “I’m coming to pick you up now.”
“You said three,” she squeaked.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes, so you better get a move on.” I shoved papers into my briefcase along with my laptop and legal pad. “Don’t act like you’re not packed. You live out of a suitcase.”
“How do you know that?”
“You always used your grandparents’ address as a mailing address. Tell me I’m wrong. Have you unpacked since you’ve been in New York?”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
I closed the door to my office and strode to the lobby. “Take the rest of the day off.”
“Excuse me?” JoJo asked.
My assistant appeared frozen in place as he gaped at me.
