Chapter 9
Tess
“Oooh, you brought me goodies. Gimme, gimme. Wait, is that fruit? No, no. You can keep that. I want the scones,” Skye exclaimed. I’d gone to her house in the suburbs after the meeting with the supplier, buying snacks along the way.
I laughed. We’d had the same conversation since Skye was a kid.
I’d never been successful in convincing my sister to choose fruit over treats, but that didn’t keep me from trying.
Her eyes were a bit swollen, but other than that, she looked like her usual self.
Jonas was okay; he’d just had colic and kept her up.
Her brown hair was wild around her head, and she was smiling broadly.
“Can I cuddle him?” I pointed to my nephew.
“He just fell asleep. I’m afraid he’ll wake up if I move him.” Jonas was soundly asleep in a small mobile crib next to the couch where she was sitting.
I pouted but didn’t insist. I’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for him from the first moment I held him.
He was tiny and cute, and that newborn smell still hadn’t changed.
Whenever I visited Skye, I was glued to him.
I really wanted a small bundle of joy for myself.
At thirty-five, my biological clock was ticking.
“How was the meeting with Liam? You didn’t text me.”
“No, I thought it best to just tell you everything in person.”
I sat next to her on the couch, opening the bag of scones and putting it between us.
“Oh no. The meeting didn’t go well,” Skye murmured suddenly.
“How can you tell?”
“You’ve got guilt written all over you.”
“Skye, honestly, I didn’t mean to roast his ass. I wanted to go through all the notes I made on the contract, and he didn’t. He was all broody and full of swagger.”
“Wait a second. There’s more to this.”
Damn, my sister was giving me that knowing eye.
I sighed, pressing my chin to my chest. “Yes, we went to breakfast, all his idea. Liam suggested that getting to know each other would make it easier to build trust. And it seemed a good idea, since business-wise we’re at odds.”
“But?” Skye questioned, drawing the word out. She knew me too well.
“We ended up kissing.” I said it all so fast that it was a wonder she understood me.
Skye gasped before grinning. “You what? Oh, Tess.”
“I know.” My face warmed. Ugh, I knew I was turning red.
She continued prodding me while I tried to calm myself. “I mean, I was teasing you about him looking at you with sexy intentions, but I didn’t think you’d actually kiss him.”
“Neither did I. Can we please forget about it?”
Skye wiggled her eyebrows. “If you insist.”
“I do. I feel guilty enough as it is.”
“I just have one question.”
“Shoot.”
“On a scale from one to ten, how good was it?”
I threw one of the fluffy pillows from the couch at her and then squeezed another one to my chest. Skye was a pillow freak.
“Ten all the way,” I confessed. How could I lie? She was my sister, after all.
She opened her mouth, but I pointed at her. “You said one question. That’s it.”
She narrowed her eyes, shrugging. “Okay. So, what are the next steps?”
“Well, he suggested you and I talk to a lawyer about all the legal stuff we’ve highlighted and then meet again with him to discuss our business concerns.”
“That makes sense. A lot of our questions were of legal nature. Harrington I was sure of it.
I was pretty hopeful and romantic, even though my dating life wasn’t giving me reasons to be that way. But hey, being positive and optimistic had always been my way of life, and it helped propel me in difficult times, such as when we’d just opened the store and worked crazy hours.
I had a lot of love to give—though sometimes I thought it was too much and it might be overbearing—and I wanted to share it with someone.
I headed straight home afterward, and just as I entered my apartment, my phone buzzed.
It was my brother Cole. I plugged in my earbuds before answering so I could go about taking off my shoes and my coat. Even though it was only the third week of September, the weather had changed fast.
“Hey, Sis,” he greeted.
“Hey!”
“I have a question for you, and you can of course say no.”
“That’s a strange way to start a conversation.”
“As you know, Laney and I finally set a wedding date. We’ve also found a wedding planner, but we’d love your input in the organization. You did such a great job with Josie and Hunter’s wedding?—”
“Yes, yes, yes! I accept your invitation to be your secondary wedding planner,” I practically screamed into the phone. That was me, the perpetual planner, and I loved it.
“I knew you’d be psyched.”
“I don’t know if you can hear me grinning, but I’m grinning.” I strutted deeper inside my entrance hall with a little shimmy in my hips.
“You have great taste, and I know your organizational skills are the best. We would have asked you to oversee everything, but you have enough on your plate as it is.”
I pouted. “I really do, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
My brother proposed to his fiancée on the Fourth of July, and they’d recently decided on the wedding date.
“I’ll discuss some things directly with your wedding planner so you don’t have to explain things twice,” I said.
“Thanks for doing this.”
“My pleasure.” Did I mention that I loved planning weddings?
I helped with our cousin’s but had been too caught up with the store when Ryker got married.
That one ended up being a double wedding, because Skye had just discovered she was pregnant, so I was even more upset that I hadn’t been involved in the planning.
I had plenty of experience in organizing events, because my family hosted a few charity events each year.
They were elaborate galas we held in a ballroom, and weddings were similar, except there was so much heart in them. I couldn’t wait for Cole’s.
After ending the call, I took out my laptop and made myself comfortable in the chair in my living room.
I loved my home. The apartment was nothing special except that it was the right size for me and had become my very own relaxation oasis.
It was a mix between bohemian and hippie, with bamboo coffee tables and dining set and frilly, colorful pillows stacked on the couch and the armchair.
I had a huge bow lamp hanging right overhead in a mix of brass and silver.
My armchair was one of those fancy ones with a remote.
I lifted my legs, leaning all the way back and starting the massage function while I searched for wedding locations online.
I was startled when my phone vibrated on the armrest. Glancing down, I saw it was a message from Liam.
Liam: Tess, I can shift things around in the afternoon. Does five o’clock work?
I double-checked with Skye first, who replied instantly that it was okay.
I texted Liam next.
Tess: Yes, five o’clock works for both of us. How much time do you have? I think we’ll need two solid hours.
Liam: I’ve cleared the whole evening. We can go to dinner after that.
Hmm. Did he mean this as a business dinner…or not?
Tess: Skye has to be back home right after the meeting.
Liam: You and I can go. I know a great place for dinner. And another kiss.
And just like that, my whole body was on fire. I smiled, pressing a fluffy pillow against my chest.
Tess: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Liam: The dinner or the kiss?
Tess: Both.
The next time my phone buzzed, it was with an incoming call.
“If I take the kiss out of the equation, is that a yes to dinner?” he asked.
“My God, you’re a great negotiator.”
“I know.” The sudden roughness to his voice did nothing to help me stay strong.
“Liam…let’s just focus on getting to an agreement tomorrow, okay?”
After a brief pause, he said, “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
“Thanks.” I kind of hoped he’d press me more, because I knew it wouldn’t take much to make me say yes, but honestly, this was for the best. I still wasn’t sure how we could work together and date. But I wanted it so, so much.
“What are you doing right now? I can hear you clicking. Tell me you’re not adding more comments to the document.” His tone changed to teasing, and I had to chuckle.
“I’m not. Just clicked on an article that claims it’s the ultimate source for wedding planners.”
“You double as a wedding planner?”
“Only for my family. My brother asked me to oversee the preparations for his,” I explained, bursting with pride. “I can’t wait.”
“You’re a fascinating creature,” he said softly. “See, details like these just make me want to take you out to dinner even more. And ki?—"
“Liam!” I interrupted before he finished that word. I was smiling from ear to ear. Could he hear that in my voice? “No talk about dinner or our breakfast or any other activities tomorrow, okay?”
“Activities,” he repeated in an amused tone.
“Yes. I’m not big on rules, but I think it’s sensible to just focus on one thing at a time.”
“I agree. And as you know, I’m all about rules. The problem is I keep wanting to break them when I’m around you.”