After all heâd done for Alex, the least the bastard could do was be here when Liam finally came home. Except that wouldâve ensured Liam never did. It was a damn Catch-22.
Liam took a drink of his Bloody Mary. âSure. Iâll hang out for a few days, will that work?â
âWhat about your precious real-estate empire?â Kyle asked.
âBoyd can manage things. Itâs not like Iâm going to be on Mars.â
Tori speared him with a piercing stare. âOf course not, but your job has always been your primary excuse for staying away. Iâm with Kyleâthis is suspicious. Iâm also very glad, regardless of the reason. Itâll be good to have you here, even if itâs only temporary.â She moved toward him and kissed his cheek. âWelcome home, Liam.â Then she flashed him a smile and left the kitchen.
âIâm speechless,â Kyle said. His lips twisted into a smile. âSavor it, because it doesnât happen very often.â He followed Tori out.
Aubrey cleared her throat. âI want to be very clear. I have no interest in you beyond this business with your family. Iâve moved on.â
Liam shrugged off his siblingsâ doubt. âI saw that last night. Howâs your lumberjack boyfriend?â
She crossed her arms but still held her glass. âLumberjack?â
Liam shrugged. He noted she didnât question his use of boyfriend and tried to ignore the discomfort that causedâlike an itch in the middle of his back that he couldnât reach. âHe had a beard.â
She rolled her eyes. âHeâs an accountant.â
âI remember. I imagine heâs pretty stiff.â
She offered a half-smile. âIn all the ways that count.â
Her words left him ice cold. He cursed at himself, pissed that heâd somehow forgotten that despite the heat of their kiss last night, sheâd sent him packing. Heâd endeavor not to forget that again.
âIâm glad. You deserve someone who will treat you well.â
She uncrossed her arms. âI do. Thanks.â She turned, and he couldâve sworn he heard her whisper, âIâm sorry it couldnât have been you.â
He was, too.
Chapter Four
A UBREY BLINKED AT her computer screen. Her eyes were tired. But sheâd worked straight through lunch on this brief and was nearing the endâtime for an afternoon snack break, at least.
She opened her desk drawer and rummaged around for a protein bar, then remembered sheâd also brought an apple. And coffee. Yes, coffee would be required in order to power through to the end. Sheâd come in at seven this morning, but then thatâs usually how she started her workweek. She loved her job and for the most part was eager to jump back in after recharging over the weekend.
Before the coffee, however, sheâd take a quick look at her e-mail, which sheâd been ignoring while working on the brief. She launched the program as she took a bite of the golden delicious. Immediately a name jumped out at her.
The brief from Frank Sutherlin, the opposing attorney on the Archer land-use matter, had landed in her inbox two hours ago. Her clock for the response had officially started ticking.
Sheâd known it was coming, of course, but sheâd half expected Sutherlin to ask for an extension. Heâd certainly done enough to drag things out while they were agreeing to the record for the appeal. Heâd ensured what shouldâve taken a few weeks had taken months, which had delayed the Archersâ opening of their project. The event space and the restaurant were ready, just sitting empty as they waited for the zoning variance to be resolved, and the hotel would be ready in six to eight weeks. She only hoped this would all be over by thenâand that it would result in a win. If it didnât . . . She couldnât think about that. Not only would all of their hard work be for
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