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She laughed again, putting a hand to his shoulder. “Not like that. They’re heroes in the books I read. I finished Julio’s story a few weeks ago, and now I’m reading one with Chase in it. I live such an exciting life. But if I bring a book, I shouldn’t fall asleep next time.”
“Julio isn’t real?” He smiled, laughing with her.
What a relief to know.
She was available.
And her hand was still on his shoulder, ramping up the desire that’d been swimming in his veins all evening. Since the moment she arrived.
She must’ve sensed what he was thinking because her hand slowly retreated.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding. Mrs. Reverson knows how much I like to read. She knew I was joking.” She looked at the door. His hand still held the handle. “I should go.”
“Yeah, of course.” He opened the door and she stepped through. “So, Monday, it’ll be longer that you watch her for me. Bar closes at two. You can crash on the couch if you want.”
She smiled. “See you then.”
He closed the door softly, anticipating Monday more than he should.
10
She paused, wondering if she was acting like a lunatic when she stared at the bag in front of her. Tea bags, teapot, a small container of fruit, a bag of pretzels, and a box of chocolates because it was Valentine’s Day and she could splurge a little if she wanted.
Corey would likely think her insane when he saw everything she was bringing, but whatever. He wanted her to be there by five and she’d be spending the night. She needed some of her own provisions because she had looked inside his fridge last Friday and cringed at the dismal look of things. The man didn’t have a healthy bone in his body. Not that it was her problem.
The groan that wanted to escape barely held its place when a knock sounded on her door. When she opened it to her brother, Oliver, a tiny one managed to let loose.
“Come on. Don’t give me that. You’ll have fun tonight.” He kissed her cheek and walked in, his eyes darting around the room, as usual, zooming in on her leopard tote bag she had filled with her snacks. She even coordinated her outfit to match the bag. Leopard print yoga pants with a tan tank top and a black sweater. She’d wear her favorite brown boots to finish it off.
“Plans tonight?”
“Yes, so whatever you need, it’s a no.” She shut the door and put a hand to her hip.
“What kind of plans? Can’t be as exciting as mine.”
She rolled her eyes. “Finding evidence that said man is cheating on said woman is not exciting. You need to stop taking those kinds of cases.”
“But they pay good and I always get the truth.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re seeing him again.”
Geez. He made it sound like she and Corey were having a clandestine affair. She wished.
Wait. No, she did not. Sleeping with Corey would only complicate things and they were starting to come to decent terms with each other. For Amelie’s sake—and hers so she didn’t lose her from her life—she needed to keep it that way.
“I’m watching Amelie. There’s a difference.”
“I know you miss Melanie, but are you sure this is good for you?”
She looked away, anywhere but at her brother. “I failed her. I won’t fail her little girl, too. I can’t.”
She still didn’t look his way when he laid a tender hand on her shoulder. “You aren’t responsible for her choices. She went down that path. She chose it. It’s sad what happened and I know it hurts you, but it’s not your fault.”
Yeah, well, it felt partly her fault. She wasn’t there for her friend when she should’ve been.
Her phone rang, saving her from having to come up with a response that they both knew would sound false.
Her heart hammered when she saw it was Corey calling. Was he changing his mind? He couldn’t. She was looking forward to having the entire evening with Amelie. How sad and pathetic was that. She’d rather hang with a baby than go out with some guy and get pampered on the day of love.
She refused to look at her brother, unable to stop the smile that spread across her lips as she chatted with Corey. A change of plans. The bar was already swamped and he needed her to pick Amelie up from there and bring her to his apartment. She could do that. Talk about trust. It’s as if her mistake a month ago had never even existed. She had his full forgiveness.
