Page 31 of Last Fall

She glanced away in a classic avoidance move. It was what my sisters always did when they didn’t want to tell me what was really going on. “Yes. Carrie and June made me hire anassistant.”

And yet for some reason she looked distraught. “Zoe?” I said it nice and low and made sure I sounded as friendly as possible. I didn’t want those defenses of hers going back up again for anyreason.

And holy crap, sure enough, her shoulders dropped, she bit her lip, and she looked up at me all shy and sweet. “I’m not very good at handing off my work to otherpeople.”

Fuck, she was such a self-contained person. Independent to a fault. “You’ve got a lot of great people around you. You even put that moron on your covers.” I cocked my head toward the dumbass across thetable.

She smiled warmly and I had remind myself she thought of Wes as a brother. Otherwise my jealous side was going to get really twisted over the way she smiled foranotherman.

Damn.I was in even deeper than I realized if I was this jealousofWes.

“You’re right. He is a moron.” She rolled her lips between her teeth. “What’s up with you two tonight?” Her voice dropped to awhisper.

You.“I questioned his ability to catchaball.”

“You’re a jackass,” Wesgrunted.

“You started it.” I shot back without looking awayfromZoe.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. I thought for sure I’d stuck my foot in it by even mentioning Wes in our conversation, but she surprised me a moment later when she brushed her fingers over my forearm. “I’d like to speak with you before you leavetonight.”

And I caught her meaning loud a clear.Alone. Away from all these eyes and ears.“Of course. Anything foryou,Zoe.”

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