Page 25 of Rex

Carly walks off, and I turn to Les, only to find him sitting on a small, purple couch and staring at me thoughtfully.

“What?” I ask, bracing for whatever he’s about to say.

“I agree with Carly. Those changes will work great for you. I was worried when we first stepped in here that you were going to go way overboard with this,” Les states with a grin.

“Because she has purple hair, a ton of tats, and more piercings than I’ve ever seen on one face? Or because this isn’t a high-end salon?” I ask, grinning back at him.

“Yes, all of that. Now I feel like an ass for being so judgy. She seems very nice, and she’s certainly knowledgeable. She seems artsy, and I think that’s a good thing for a stylist to be. You go get your changes, and I’ll sit here and berate myself for being a snob.”

“You don’t have to wait. This will take a while,” I state.

“I’m waiting, so quit trying to get rid of me,” he answers before picking up aPeoplemagazine.

Carly takes me to a chair and gets started. Once done, I grab up the products she used and walk to the counter to pay. I ask for and receive her business card, and after a heartfelt thank you, we leave. Once seated in the car, Les turns to face me.

“You look beautiful, little sis. I hope this helps with whatever you’re struggling with right now. Just know you don’t have to struggle alone. No matter what the issue is, I’m here for you, and so are Mom and Drew.”

Tears start to well up in my eyes, but I rapidly blink them away. Nodding, I reach over and squeeze Les’s hand.

“I know and thank you for giving up your Sunday for me.”

“Not a hardship to spend time with you,” Les responds before starting his car and driving out of the lot.

“How’s your job going, Les? Do you like working for the Governor?” I ask, embarrassed that I’ve been so self-absorbed all day.

“I really like it. He’s great to work with, and my coworkers are nice. I get to avoid most of the political stuff and just work with numbers and finance things.”

“What’s he like? I’ve met him but haven’t really spent time talking with him much,” I explain.

“He’s got Lisa’s sense of humor but also Lucy’s quiet thoughtfulness. I can see why he’s been elected so many times. Unlike a lot of politicians, he sincerely cares about the people in this state. He’s not concerned with climbing the ladder, so to speak. He’s where he feels he can do the most good, and I like that about him.”

“That’s cool. Lucy and Lisa are great people, so I kind of assumed he was too.”

Laughing suddenly, Les briefly glances my way before explaining.

“I wish I’d started working there sooner. Apparently, while Drew was in Chicago, Lucy, Lisa, and Craig visited his offices. They had little Bart in tow, and the Governor had some fun with him at his employees’ expense.”

“Oh shit, Les! I can only imagine what the capitol building employees thought of a skunk on the loose!” I exclaim before laughing loudly at the images my mind created of the chaos a skunk would cause.

“I know, right?” Les continues laughing as he pulls into my drive.

“Thank you for today, brother,” I state sincerely. “Want to come in for dinner? I can order something or reheat leftovers.”

“No, but thanks. I promised Mom I’d bring dinner for us from Antonio’s. Want to come with?”

“No, but thanks,” I repeat his words with a small smile.

Les helps me carry my bags to my front door before he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and leaves. I stand there, watching him leave before turning to enter my condo. Neither one of us clocks the guy standing in the shade of a tree, watching intently.

Chapter 7

Rex

It’s been over three weeks since I’ve seen or spoken to Aria, and my willpower is crumbling. I’ve told myself at least a hundred times that using the security system I set up at her home to check on her would be wrong. So very wrong, but each day, my resolve lessens a little more. She won’t take a call from me or answer a text. I even showed up at her dental practice, but common sense prevailed, and I didn’t go inside looking for her. Reeves has tried calling and gets the same result as I do. When I asked Lisa if I could use her phone, she shook her head no and told me to let it be.

Pulling my thoughts back to the present, I stick my head in Reeves’ door.

“Anything?” I ask.

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