Page 84 of See You There

An ache bloomed in her chest. He was still friendly and kind, but the lack was obvious now when she thought about it. Now that he knew she was married, Luke wasn’t interested anymore.

That’s okay, Dahlia reassured herself. He said he liked her, and she liked him—really, really liked him. Would he change his mind if he knew her complete story?

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sunlight shonethrough the windows on the back of the cabin. Luke blinked a few times. He hadn’t meant to sleep for so long. Standing, he stretched his protesting muscles. That cramped sofa was going to kill him. The recliner might be a better option. Or the bed with Dahlia.

Dahlia?

The cabin was silent. Prickles of alarm raced along his nerve endings before he forced himself to calm down. If someone had broken in, he would have heard them.

Sure enough, a few steps and a quick glance through the open bedroom door revealed Dahlia. She had changed into pajama pants and a tank top. Its deep scoop gave him a view that sent blood rushing to his groin.

He should step away, but it was hard. Dahlia’s hands were tucked under her cheek, a curtain of thick auburn hair half covering her face. When she let out an adorable little snore, Luke rolled his lips, to keep the laugh inside.

Leaving her to sleep, he took a glass of wine onto the deck and settled into one of the rocking chairs. The sun was low enough in the sky that the light, diffused through millions of leaves, made the air itself appear in shades of lavender and gold.

He checked his phone, but saw he had no new messages from James or Brady. It was a little early for his nightly call with his mom. James would have filled their mother in on what was happening. But he didn’t want her to be anxious about him.

“Luke!” His mother picked up on the second ring. He smiled. It was the right decision to call. “James won’t tell me where you went, but did you get there safely? I couldn’t believe it when I woke up and saw the news today. The media are connecting your name with two shootings? James told me you were safe, and I understand why you couldn’t call.” Despite her words, his mother sounded reasonably upset.

Luke had been so preoccupied with keeping Dahlia’s name out of the press last night, he’d forgotten about his own. He’d need to check the news online.

“Declan was upset when he called me this morning.”

Luke ground his teeth. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s your brother! He was worried.”

“He shouldn’t have gotten you upset.”

Anne snorted. “He didn’t. Declan was his normal opaque self, but I’ve known that boy since he was four years old. I could tell he was worried. You should call him. It would mean a lot to him to hear your voice. It’s one thing to have someone else reassure you, it’s another to actually hear—” Her voice broke, and Luke felt terrible.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t call last night.”

“It’s fine.” Her no nonsense voice was back. “Just call Declan. You two have your issues—”

“I’ll call him.”Eventually.“I really am fine. They weren’t aiming at me. I’m just hanging out with my client until the police arrest the person responsible. Should only be for a couple of days.”

“This was supposed to be your vacation.” Anne sounded disappointed.

Luke looked out over the mountains, becoming hazy in the low light. Other than the conversation with his mother, the only noises were birdsong and insects. “Where we are is actually pretty relaxing. Maybe more so than if I’d gone to that Caribbean resort.”

It surprised Luke to find he was telling the truth. It wasn’t the vacation he had expected, but the downtime might be just what he needed. His thoughts strayed to the woman napping inside. It was doubtful they would have ever been granted this time away from both of their hectic careers at the same time, if they weren’t in hiding. What was he saying? He needed to remember that even alone, there were lines he couldn’t cross.

“Is she nice?”

“Who?”

“Don’t be coy,” Anne grumbled. “Lia Everton. Your client.”

“I never told you she was the client.” Luke laughed out loud when his mother growled.

“Just because I’m not working anymore doesn’t mean I live under a rock. The news reported it was her photo shoot where the shooting happened. Or do you expect me to accept there were two shootouts at that same restaurant yesterday? Not to mention, all my friends sent the link to the interview at the Botanical Gardens with you in it.”

Luke’s amusement disappeared. “I wasn’t supposed to be part of the story.”

“It doesn’t matter. Answer the question. What’s she like? I asked Cara, and she mentioned you were extremely interested in Lia and Chandler’s relationship status. I’ve never liked him. Something beady about his eyes.”