“I’m so happy to be back,” Serena said as she watched them. “Next time, I’m going home with a stranger. I can’t wait.”
“What? No, you aren’t,” Dillon argued.
Serena stuck out her tongue, picked up her mimosa, and walked over to Chloe and Zoey.
“What’s up, bro?” Jasmine asked, cocking her hip as she sipped on her mimosa.
“Not much, but I was hoping to talk to Laurel alone for a minute,” he said, causing my body to jolt and my stomach to clench.
Jasmine looked from Dillon to me. “You’re not going to ask her out, are you? Cause, not only did I see you leave with some woman last night, but the last thing I want is your skeezy hands on my best friend.”
“I think we all know Laurel’s virtue is safe with me,” Dillon answered dryly, and my heart plummeted to the ground.
God, when am I going to stop being hurt and surprised by the fact that Dillon doesn’t want me? Time to move the fuck on.
“It better be,” Jazzy replied, then told me, “I’ll be in the living room, listening really closely to the monitor for Evie to wake up.”
Needing the courage before turning around, I grabbed the mimosa Jasmine had left me on the counter and took a sip.
I turned slowly and took a deep breath before looking up into Dillon’s brilliant green eyes. God, I just wanted to look in those eyes all day. It was like rolling around in the grass, or gazing on a perfect gem stone.
Stop it, I ordered myself, then asked, “Did you want to talk about the business plan?” Because really, what else could he want to talk to me about?
“Ah, no, actually,” Dillon replied, running his hand through his auburn locks in what I knew was a nervous gesture, although I couldn’t for the life of me think of why talking to me would make him nervous. “Both Reardon and Serena made comments to me recently, and they both made it sound like you came home for more than just opening your business. Did something happen in Houston? I mean, is everything okay with you?”
I blinked as I looked up at him, knowing he was being totally sincere. I’d seen the way he protected Jasmine and Serena, and how he always had Gabe and Reardon’s back. He was extremely loyal, and would throw down in defense of his family.
Dillon’s reaction told me in no uncertain terms that he would tear Travis apart if I told him why I’d really come home, and I felt my heart finally shatter in two.
He thought of me like his sister, or cousin. Like family. And I needed to get it through my thick skull that he would never, ever, think of me as anything else.
It was time to let it go.
9
Dillon
The week had flown by.
I’d had the breakfast meeting with Jasmine, held meetings to let the employees know where we were at with the expansion, and had the meeting with the board. I was pretty well caught up and was feeling satisfied. It always felt good to be ahead of the game.
I was looking at my calendar… I had Chloe and Reardon’s housewarming, a callback to San Francisco, and my trip to Chicago coming up … when my phone buzzed and Carol’s voice came over the speaker.
“Ms. Turner is here,” Carol announced.
“Send her in,” I replied, shutting my calendar as I thought of the last time I’d seen her. At Gabe and Zoey’s brunch.
I’d just asked her if she was okay, curious over the hints Reardon and Serena had been dropping, and Laurel had sighed, a myriad of emotions crossing her face, before she’d replied, “Yes, I’m fine,” then walked away.
It had irked. There I was, holding out an olive branch and trying to make sure she wasn’t in any trouble, and I’d been rebuffed. That’s what I got for forgetting, even for a second, who Laurel was to me and all of the things she’d done.
Resolving to keep this meeting strictly business, I sat up straight in my seat and put on my business face.
Laurel knocked softly, then opened the door and peered around it.
I lifted my hand and gestured for her to enter, then watched as she moved gracefully to the chair she’d occupied on her previous visit, clutching a file to her chest.
“Let me see what you’ve got,” I requested, holding out my hand.