When We Kiss by Darcy Burke

professional for a while.”
    â€œI’ll admit nothing.”
    Kyle laughed. “You’re such a prick.”
    Tori came over to the bar and stood near Aubrey. “What is Liam going to decide?”
    Aubrey glanced at him. Would she tell them? Oh, the hell with it. “She asked me to come back for the zoning hearing,” Liam said.
    Tori pivoted toward him. “And?”
    â€œI’m thinking about it.”
    â€œThat’s what he’s deciding,” Aubrey said.
    Kyle stirred his drink. “I can tell you right now what his answer will be: no.” He gave Liam a look that dared him to correct his assessment.
    And just because Liam liked to be contrary—or as Kyle put it, liked to be a prick—he smiled. “I’m deciding yes, actually.”
    â€œYou are?” The harmony of the question coming from his sister and his former lover rankled him even further. Damn, he was on edge today. He blamed the hangover.
    â€œDon’t sound so shocked.”
    Tori braced her hand on the counter. “Why not? That’s about the last thing I expected to hear from you. This project has held absolutely no interest for you. Less than no interest. You tried to give your portion away, if I remember correctly.”
    â€œBut he couldn’t,” Aubrey said softly.
    Kyle sipped his drink and set it on the counter with a clack. “Didn’t stop him from trying. What gives? Why the sudden interest?”
    Liam glared at his brother. “Why do you suspect something devious?”
    â€œI never even thought the word devious .”
    â€œBut you admit you’re suspicious.”
    Kyle’s voice climbed a bit. “Hell yes, I’m suspicious. You’ve made no secret about not wanting anything to do with this project. You’ve weighed in on nothing . And now you want to participate out of the blue.” Kyle shook his head. “Makes no sense.”
    â€œYou have to agree it doesn’t,” Tori said, her tone far more palatable than Kyle’s.
    Liam told himself to stop being a dick. He could do that, right? Did he always have to push them all away? Maybe for once he could just keep them at arm’s length, instead of increasing the divide. “You’re right—both of you.”
    Kyle glanced toward the back windows. “Holy shit, did I just hear the four horsemen of the apocalypse outside?”
    Aubrey cracked a very brief but incredibly gorgeous smile. Maybe he should admit his fallibility more often. “Very funny. I’ve actually been thinking I should do . . . something. Aubrey came up with the perfect way for me to participate. I’ve been involved with dozens of zoning changes in Denver. I realize the laws are a bit different, but my experience will be helpful.”
    Tori exchanged looks with Aubrey. “Just remember that Aubrey’s the attorney.”
    He just hoped she was good enough to take on Parker’s bulldog. “I don’t pretend to be a lawyer. This is Aubrey’s game.” To win or lose. Suddenly it seemed imperative that he was here—he wasn’t going to let them lose. Not to Whitney Parker and her dad.
    â€œSo you’ll come back for the hearing—that’s when?” Kyle asked Aubrey.
    â€œLikely next month.” Her eyes briefly met Liam’s, and they held a guarded look that he wanted to figure out. “But maybe you could make yourself available for consultation on the brief I have to file.”
    Wait, what? She wanted to consult him? He’d already said he wasn’t a lawyer. Unless . . . she was trying to involve him. Wasn’t that her job as assigned by Alex? Entice all of them to return to Ribbon Ridge, to rediscover their roots and embrace family and all that bullshit. It was such a crock. If Alex had really wanted them all to come home, he would’ve stuck around to be part of it. And that was one of many reasons Liam hadn’t done it.