Page 65
Story: The Reborn
Camden shot me a questioning look, obviously sensing something had changed since Olivia had stepped out of the room.
I gave him a quick shake of my head, letting him know it didn’t have anything to do with the reason I was there.
He strode over and lowered his voice. “Everything okay, man?”
“Yeah. But we do need to be going soon. I’ve got a guy coming to install an alarm in her car.”
“Sounds good.”
I gave her a couple more minutes to chat with Vanessa and coo over the new baby before I stepped in to break up the party. “Olivia.”
She snapped around at my voice like she’d been electrocuted.
“Sorry, but we need to head out. I can bring you back later after the car alarm is in if you’d like.”
“That’s fine,” she bit out, sounding like it was anything but fine as she turned back to Vanessa to hug her goodbye. “I’ll come see you when you get home. You let me know when you’re ready, okay?”
“Of course. Thank you for coming by.”
“Please. We’re family.” She moved to hug her brother again. “Congratulations. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
As she unlocked the stroller with a still sleeping Elizabeth, he shot me one more look. “Take care of them,” he said quietly.
I nodded and followed her out the door, somehow feeling doomed.
Her shoes tapped loudly on the linoleum of the hospital hallways as she walked in front of me at a fast clip, her back ramrod straight.
I let her keep her distance, but not too much, as I followed her to the elevator, then down to the car. I couldn’t fathom what she would be upset about. I’d stepped out to take a call from my ex-wife, but it’s not like I’d professed my undying love or anything. I racked my brain for what I’d even said that could’ve been taken out of context, but I came up short. There was no context, and this was all getting too damn confusing.
After she got Elizabeth buckled into her car seat and we got on the road, I faced her profile, taking heed of Kade’s words. “Did I do something to upset you?”
She took her eyes off the road long enough to shoot me a surprised look. “What? Why?”
“How about because you’ve barely looked at me since we got to the hospital.”
I knew I’d hit my mark when her hand flexed, gripping the steering wheel. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right.” Make nice with my best client’s sister. “Is this because my ex called?”
She didn’t respond, but her cheeks bloomed a deep pink, giving me my answer.
“We’re divorced. It’s over between us, so—”
“Justin, stop.” She shook her head and lifted a hand to silence me. “It’s not my business whether you talk to her or not, or if you want to patch things up. We...” She waved a hand between us. “Work together or whatever you call it. So don’t worry about it, okay?”
I’d worked with plenty of people and didn’t know the taste of their lips, didn’t crave their flavor like fine wine. Yeah, there was something between us that was a bit more than working together, I just didn’t know what to do with it. “That’s bullshit, Olivia, and we both know it. When it’s just the two of us, you can at least be honest.”
I saw her brows furrow from the side as she absorbed my words. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” she finally said, her voice soft. “You’ve been the one pushing the whole professional boundaries thing. At least until you laid that kiss on me at church today.” She added that last part under her breath, but I caught it.
“Fair enough. You’re right.” I rubbed a hand over my head to the back of my neck as tension suddenly bloomed there. “I have absolutely obliterated all professional boundaries with you, and if I have crossed any lines that you didn’t want me to, please tell me now and I’ll find a way to make it right.”
She seemed to wilt as stress melted from her shoulders. “No.”
“No?”
“You’re fine. It’s me.”
I gave him a quick shake of my head, letting him know it didn’t have anything to do with the reason I was there.
He strode over and lowered his voice. “Everything okay, man?”
“Yeah. But we do need to be going soon. I’ve got a guy coming to install an alarm in her car.”
“Sounds good.”
I gave her a couple more minutes to chat with Vanessa and coo over the new baby before I stepped in to break up the party. “Olivia.”
She snapped around at my voice like she’d been electrocuted.
“Sorry, but we need to head out. I can bring you back later after the car alarm is in if you’d like.”
“That’s fine,” she bit out, sounding like it was anything but fine as she turned back to Vanessa to hug her goodbye. “I’ll come see you when you get home. You let me know when you’re ready, okay?”
“Of course. Thank you for coming by.”
“Please. We’re family.” She moved to hug her brother again. “Congratulations. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
As she unlocked the stroller with a still sleeping Elizabeth, he shot me one more look. “Take care of them,” he said quietly.
I nodded and followed her out the door, somehow feeling doomed.
Her shoes tapped loudly on the linoleum of the hospital hallways as she walked in front of me at a fast clip, her back ramrod straight.
I let her keep her distance, but not too much, as I followed her to the elevator, then down to the car. I couldn’t fathom what she would be upset about. I’d stepped out to take a call from my ex-wife, but it’s not like I’d professed my undying love or anything. I racked my brain for what I’d even said that could’ve been taken out of context, but I came up short. There was no context, and this was all getting too damn confusing.
After she got Elizabeth buckled into her car seat and we got on the road, I faced her profile, taking heed of Kade’s words. “Did I do something to upset you?”
She took her eyes off the road long enough to shoot me a surprised look. “What? Why?”
“How about because you’ve barely looked at me since we got to the hospital.”
I knew I’d hit my mark when her hand flexed, gripping the steering wheel. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right.” Make nice with my best client’s sister. “Is this because my ex called?”
She didn’t respond, but her cheeks bloomed a deep pink, giving me my answer.
“We’re divorced. It’s over between us, so—”
“Justin, stop.” She shook her head and lifted a hand to silence me. “It’s not my business whether you talk to her or not, or if you want to patch things up. We...” She waved a hand between us. “Work together or whatever you call it. So don’t worry about it, okay?”
I’d worked with plenty of people and didn’t know the taste of their lips, didn’t crave their flavor like fine wine. Yeah, there was something between us that was a bit more than working together, I just didn’t know what to do with it. “That’s bullshit, Olivia, and we both know it. When it’s just the two of us, you can at least be honest.”
I saw her brows furrow from the side as she absorbed my words. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” she finally said, her voice soft. “You’ve been the one pushing the whole professional boundaries thing. At least until you laid that kiss on me at church today.” She added that last part under her breath, but I caught it.
“Fair enough. You’re right.” I rubbed a hand over my head to the back of my neck as tension suddenly bloomed there. “I have absolutely obliterated all professional boundaries with you, and if I have crossed any lines that you didn’t want me to, please tell me now and I’ll find a way to make it right.”
She seemed to wilt as stress melted from her shoulders. “No.”
“No?”
“You’re fine. It’s me.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124