Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(29)

“Hey, Avery?”

Oh, geez, what now?

Liam had turned the corner on the stairs.

“Yeah, just a minute.” She practically pushed what’s-his-name out the door. “Thanks for bringing the food.”

“I see what’s going on.” They had made it to the front porch, and Avery half closed the door behind them.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Saturday was a weird night.”

“Uh-huh. Right.”

“I will tip you.”

“You be sure and do that, Avery.”

“I will . . .” What the hell was his name?

Nothing.

She had nothing.

It took him forever to get off the steps and into his car. He drove a Prius.

He buzzed around the driveway, coming way too close to her Aston for her taste, and disappeared.

With a sigh, she pushed back into the house and painted on a smile.

“I ordered lunch. I hope you’re hungry.”



Liam wandered the eight-thousand-square-foot home and the grounds for two hours. Every time he told himself to hurry up, that he had other jobs pulling at him, he ignored the voice in his head. This was a favor for Avery, and he didn’t want to lead her wrong.

His work phone buzzed. “Hey, Carlos.”

“When are you getting back here? The developer is poking around and asking for answers I don’t have for him.”

Carlos was his first in charge when Liam wasn’t on-site.

“I wasn’t expecting him today.”

“That doesn’t mean he isn’t here.”

“I’ll call him.” Liam checked his watch. “Give me forty-five minutes.”

He hung up the phone and searched for Avery.

He found her in a study, or a home office, although there wasn’t a computer on the desk or any sign of the normal equipment one would find in a functioning office space.

For a moment, he stood in the doorway and watched her.

Sitting behind the substantial wooden desk with her elbows firmly planted on the top, she rolled a thick pen between her fingers and stared beyond the object in her hands. Her eyelids twitched and her lips were in a thin, expressionless line. Liam couldn’t tell if she was deep in thought or upset . . . or what?

He cleared his throat and jarred her out of her trance.

“Am I disturbing you?”

Avery closed her eyes briefly and painted on a smile. “I’m fine . . . I mean, you’re fine.” She took a few quick breaths and dropped the pen on the desk. “Did you finish up?”

Her voice sounded strangled.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Again she grinned and shook her head. “Of course.”

“I need to get back to my job site. I think I have everything I need here.”

She stood from behind the desk and walked toward him. “Let me walk you out.”

The closer she came, the better he could see the lack of color on her face. He glanced back at the desk. “What was that you were looking at?”

Avery looked over her shoulder. “Nothing, really. A pen.” She walked beside him down the hallway and around the crates that now lined the foyer walls.

Liam placed a hand on her elbow to have her walk in front of him through the door.

Her skin was cold to the touch.

Outside he let go and she rubbed her bare arms.

“You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine. Long day.” She stopped at the bottom of the steps. “So what do you think?”

“I need to crunch some numbers before I give you a realistic bottom line.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“We can go over them Friday after krav.”

She looked away. “Actually, I need to skip Friday for the next two weeks.”

The air swished out of his sails.

“My best friend is getting married. We have a bachelorette party this weekend and the wedding next.”

“Do you have time on Thursday?”

“I’ll be here all day.”

“After work, then. I’ll call you.” He didn’t give her an opportunity to say no. He opened the door to his truck and stood beside it.

“Thanks again for doing this.”

“You’re welcome.”

The heat outside seemed to transform her fake smile into something he could believe in. “Have you thought about that plus-one?”

The teasing grin was even better.

“No, I haven’t.” She blushed.

“You’re not a good liar.”

“I’m busy.”

“We all are.” He thought about her excuse for missing their sparring match. “Weddings are perfect plus-one events.”

Her eyes narrowed. “No. I already told Trina that wasn’t going to happen. I’m the maid of honor. I have duties.”

“Who’s Trina?”

She looked at him as if he were missing a few cards in his deck. “The bride.”

It was his turn to find a shit-eating grin and use it. “You told your best friend about my plus-one date suggestion?”

“No!” She shuffled her feet. “Yes.”

It was entertaining to watch a woman get caught in her own lies. “Trina suggested her wedding?”