“I’m sorry, I just can’t eat when we’re talking about all this.” Olivia wrapped her arms around her middle. “It makes my tummy hurt.”
“You and me both.” Shannon lifted her glass of wine as if toasting and downed the rest of the contents in a single swallow.
James’s expression softened. “I’m sorry it upsets you. But we do need to come up with a game plan. A buddy system, or something of the sort.”
“A buddy system?” Amusement and sarcasm dripped from Shannon’s words. “Have you forgotten I work for your competitor, James Monroe?”
Raising an eyebrow in a way that made Olivia’s bottom clench, James focused on Shannon. “I haven’t forgotten. What exactly is your agency doing to make sure you stay safe?”
Shannon jerked a shoulder. “I haven’t talked to them since this afternoon.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Bryant grumbled. “That would have been the smart thing to do.”
“Excuse me? Are you implying I’m stupid?”
The ice in Shannon’s voice could have frozen the Atlantic, but Bryant just matched her glare for glare. “You haven’t impressed me with your reasoning skills just yet.”
“I’m not here to impress you, asshole.” She pushed away from the table. “I need a fucking drink.”
“I don’t think so.”
Ignoring Bryant’s admonition, Shannon moved to the island and poured herself another glass of wine. “You can keep your opinions on my drinking to yourself, Mr. Monroe.”
“Enough.” James’s voice cut through the din and silenced the argument. “Getting into a pissing match isn’t helping anyone. Shannon, I think you need to speak with your agency first thing in the morning. See if you can’t set up a buddy system with someone at work. Olivia, from now on you will call me before and after any showings. You will let me know if you are late arriving and if you are going to be longer than a half an hour. If I don’t hear from you within the specified time frame, I will call you, and God help you if you don’t answer my call. And you do not, under any circumstances, go into a house with anyone alone. If you have a showing scheduled with an individual, let me know and I will accompany you.”
“That sounds like a good idea, Liv.” Shannon lifted her glass. “Cheers to a long, healthy life for our Olivia.”
Grabbing the glass she’d barely touched, Olivia crossed to the island and deliberately clinked her glass against Shannon’s. “For both of us. If you get yourself killed, I’m going to be pissed, you hear me? You figure out a way to stay safe or I’ll get Bryant to tag along on all of your showings.”
“Me? What did I do to deserve that?” Bryant’s baffled question had both girls bursting into giggles.
Leaning into her closest friend, Olivia sent Bryant a smug smile. “You’re going to go around being all bossy, I’m going to hold you to your word. Can we stop arguing now?”
Shannon rested her cheek against Olivia’s head. “I’m all argued out. Truce, Lawyer Boy?”
“Truce.” But the storm in Bryant’s eyes told Olivia he wasn’t done with the beautiful blonde. Not by a long shot.
* * *
“Your brother-in-law’sa piece of work.”
From her spot on the bed in ‘her’ room, Olivia grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “You like him.”
Shannon stopped in the middle of pulling her pajama bottoms up to glare at her. “Shut up. I do not.”
“You do. He likes you, too. He wouldn’t be such an asshole if he didn’t.”
“I’m such a lucky woman,” Shannon replied dryly, jerking the pants up over her slim hips. “I’m practically swooning.”
“It’s not so bad, you know.” Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, Olivia pushed forward. “Having a daddy who cares for you.”
There was a flash of something in Shannon’s eyes. If Olivia hadn’t known any better, she would have called it grief. “Not everyone is meant to have what you have, Liv. Besides, I enjoy all my bad habits far too much to let someone take them away.”
“Suit yourself.” But Olivia tucked the conversation in the back of her mind to examine once all this nonsense had been worked out.
Shannon joined her in the bed, stretching out so they were facing each other. “Are you going to follow James’s rules?”
“Yeah. And you’ll get a buddy at work?”