Unlike her boyfriend, who did the absolute minimum at the office, Gavin was the stereotypical workaholic. In fact she’d only met one person worse than him: longtime family friend Dylan Talbot, before he met and married her cousin Callie.
“I’ll keep it in mind. Are you heading upstairs or are you on your way out?” He tipped his head in the direction of the elevators.
Standing, Leah smoothed down her skirt and slipped the purse straps over her shoulder. “Heading up. I wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow morning, but I wrapped things up in California and caught an earlier flight home. I thought
I’d surprise Harry tonight. Assuming he’s home, anyway.”
Gavin pretended to check his wristwatch. “Well, it’s after six, so we both know he won’t be at the office. But if he’s not home, you’re welcome to hang around until he gets back.”
They kept up a steady conversation as they crossed the lobby to the elevators, and not for the first time she wondered why Gavin remained single. He was easy to talk to and even easier on the eyes. Actually, the only major flaw he seemed to have was that he worked too much. As far as flaws went, it wasn’t the worst one a person could have. Given the right incentive, it was also one a person could overcome. She’d witnessed that firsthand.
“Will you be traveling again soon?” Leah asked, exiting the elevator when the doors opened. Perhaps it was time she took a page out of her best friend’s handbook and tried her hand at matchmaking. A man like Gavin deserved to have someone special in his life, and she had plenty of female friends and relatives to pick from.
Gavin unlocked the door and turned the handle. “I have no plans to go anywhere right now, but we both know things come up.” He pushed the door open and allowed her to enter first. “What about you?”
Leah made a mental note to review her list of single friends and relatives soon. If Tory, her cousin, could play Cupid, so could she. “Thankfully, I won’t be going anywhere either.” While she loved traveling, she hated doing it for work. “Unless it involves a trip to a sandy beach with a fruity—” At the sight of the wedge sandals near the leather sofa, her lips froze. Unless Harry had decided to give ladies’ footwear a try, a woman was visiting him, because those were not her shoes.
Don’t jump to any conclusions. Harry did have two half sisters, although judging by the size of the sandals, they couldn’t belong to Piper. She was only ten years old and, although tall for her age, there was no way those sandals belonged to her.
That doesn’t rule out Vivian, she reminded herself. Doubt settled in because she couldn’t imagine Vivian visiting Harry; while they were half siblings, she got the impression the two didn’t get along well.
“On a beach with a fruity what?” Gavin’s question suggested he’d either not noticed the feminine footwear or knew who the shoes belonged to.
Before she could answer his question or pose one, the owner of the sandals called out from across the condo, “Hey, Harry, where do you keep the bottle opener?” The woman’s voice contained a lyrical southern accent.
Definitely not Vivian. She’d met Gavin’s twin sister. Like Harry and Gavin, she’d grown up in New England and sounded nothing like the woman searching for a bottle opener in the kitchen.
“Should be in the top drawer next to the wine fridge.” Harry’s voice came from the direction of the bedrooms.
Harry’s visitor came into view carrying a bottle of wine and dressed in a New England Rebels T-shirt—a shirt Leah had seen Harry wear—and nothing else. When she realized Gavin and Leah were standing there, she stopped and smiled.
Taking in a deep breath, Leah counted to ten and resisted the urge to stomp out like a child. She’d known going into their relationship that Harry had dated a lot of women. She hadn’t held it against him. She’d had a fair number of boyfriends herself. However, she’d assumed that despite his long list of past girlfriends, he’d be faithful. The redheaded bombshell standing a few feet away showed just how wrong she’d been.
Idiot.
“Hi, Gavin,” the redhead greeted.
Why it bothered her that Gavin knew the half-dressed woman standing in front of them she couldn’t say, but it did.
A lot.
Curious to see how’d he react, Leah shot a look in his direction.
Either he’s a fabulous actor, or he really doesn’t recognize her.
“We met in the elevator last month,” the redhead continued when Gavin didn’t reply. “You had a suitcase with you and mentioned you were flying out for business.”
“Still can’t find it, Amy?” Harry entered the living room before Gavin confirmed he remembered the encounter. Unlike his female guest, he wore jeans but no shirt.
Something between shock and concern crossed Harry’s face as he came to an abrupt stop. “Leah, I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow.”
Various curses passed through her mind, but rather than call him every vile name ever invented to describe two-timing jerks, she tilted her head in Amy’s direction. “I can see that.”
Without waiting to hear whatever response or excuse Harry might come up with, she turned on her heel and walked out.
If Amy wants you, she can have you.
Later he’d give Harry a piece of his mind, but first he wanted to make sure the woman his brother had just betrayed was okay. After giving his half brother a dirty look, Gavin bolted out the door.