Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(47)

“True, but most of the time construction stops on the weekends.” He started absentmindedly rubbing her foot that rested in his lap.

“I want this job done. Especially after Sheldon asked me out.”

Liam’s hands stopped. “He what?”

“Don’t stop.” She wiggled her foot before placing the second one in his lap for attention. “Yeah. Out of the blue. I’m thinking no. And hell no. I work for him. Even if I didn’t . . . no.”

“So you don’t want to date the man. Got it.” Liam smiled.

“I told him I was seeing someone.”

Liam pointed a finger to his chest and mouthed the word me.

Avery rolled her eyes. “No, James, the doorman.”

“I knew he had a thing for you.”

“You would think I’m seeing someone would end the discussion. Not with Sheldon, he practically quizzed me. Said if it was new, then he would check back with me later. The whole thing struck me as weird. Uncomfortable.”

“Like wool on bare skin?”

She took a hasty drink of her coffee. “No, like bile coming up your throat. I’m overreacting, but I didn’t like the whole exchange. Especially on the heels of him asking you to take the job.”

Liam rubbed her feet a little harder. “Asking me to what?”

“Okay, so right before the awkward date request, he asked that I inquire with you about taking the remodeling job.”

“He wants to do it?”

“Yes, but I didn’t think it was very ethical of me to suggest someone I’m seeing do the job. Like insider trading.”

Liam’s slow smile went full force.

“What?”

“You just admitted, twice, that we’re a thing.”

She slid her feet off his lap. “I did not.”

Liam reached down and pulled her feet back up. “You did, too. But you’re right. Unless Sheldon knew we were dating and wasn’t going to use our relationship against us, I would have to pass.”

Avery ignored the fact he said dating and relationship in the same sentence. “I’m glad you agree. Do you know anyone else who can do the work?”

“Tell you what, I’ll get ahold of this Sheldon guy and take this off your plate. I have a couple companies that do similar work I can refer.”

She started to relax. “Okay, but you can’t tell him about us.”

There his smile went again.

This time she swung her feet off his lap and stood.

“I’ll tell him I’m unavailable for the job, unless you want to tell him we’re a thing.”

She picked up her dish with his and kissed him briefly. “Thanks, and thanks for breakfast.”

“What are you doing next Sunday?”

“I don’t know, why?” She turned the faucet on to rinse the dishes before placing them in the washer.

“I want you to meet my family.”

The plate slid out of her hands and crashed in the sink. The racket made them both jump.

Liam was at her side and peering down to assess the damage. Nothing broken.

“Too soon?” he asked.

“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” And she didn’t.

He took her hands in his and kissed her fingertips. “It’s okay. We have all the time in the world.”



“Normally I would plague Trina with this, but since she’s AWOL—”

“On her honeymoon,” Shannon corrected.

“Honeymoon, AWOL, whatever. He’s calling us a thing, Shannon. Asking me to dinner with his family. He spent the night. The whole night. I don’t do that. I never do that. Even if I accidentally fall asleep, I certainly don’t wake up the next morning, eat the breakfast he cooked—and yes, Liam cooks. I don’t get up and continue to spend almost the whole weekend with him.” It was Monday morning, and Avery hovered over her Starbucks, talking on the phone and sliding into her car. She’d waited until eight o’clock to call, and now she was going to be late to the Lankford estate. But a girl did need to sleep. After Liam left, she was sexually limp and exhausted.

“What has you more upset, the fact he is into you or you’re into him?”

Avery turned over the engine and made sure her Bluetooth was working before tossing her phone in her purse. Careful with her coffee, she pulled out of the parking space to join the droves of cars clogging up the roads.

“I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“I don’t think it’s more complicated. You don’t do long-term. We all get that. I will let your future therapist discover why. In the meantime, stop and ask yourself this: Does Liam make you happy?”

“Yes.” She turned onto the road. “And frustrated, and anxious . . . nervous. He makes me nervous.”

“Like you’re afraid he is going to hurt you nervous?”

“No, nothing like that. He wouldn’t raise a hand to me.”

“That isn’t what I mean,” Shannon said. “Emotionally. Are you fearing he will damage something inside of you?”

Avery stopped at the light and paused her thoughts. If any of them knew the deep pain of love unrequited, it was Shannon.

“Maybe. Yes . . . I don’t know. This is all new for me, and I don’t know how to walk on this road.”