Page 96 of My Favorite Mistake

Connor laughed and set down his glass before standing up. “I’ll walk you to your car. I might go for a run before bed, so I’m going to head out too.” He shook Scott’s hand and slapped his shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”

Scott waved. “Yep. Jog safely.”

Connor followed Liza out of the house, but she purposefully walked a few steps ahead of him. At the edge of the lawn, he finally caught up with her and snagged her elbow.

“Hey, are you all right?”

Liza didn’t want to look at him. She knew she had the most betraying face in the world, and everything roiling inside her mind would surely show up.

“Nope…I mean, yep.” Goddamn it. Apparently, her mouth was equally betraying.

A quick smile played on his lips. “So which is it?”

“I…” She fumbled in her purse for her keys. “Just gonna head home.”

She clicked the fob and opened the door, only for him to place his palm on the window and push it shut. He placed his hand on her waist and nudged her to turn away from the car.

“Come over for a minute.”

She stared at his feet. “I thought you were going for a run.”

“I can run later.” He hooked her elbow and gave her a tug. “Come on. I’ve got cookies.”

She looked up at him and lifted one eyebrow. “Youhave cookies.”

“Ophelia made some yesterday, and Caroline left them on my doorstep this morning.” He continued to drag her toward the door. “They’re coffee and chicory with bits of toffee, and they’re amazeballs.”

Liza reluctantly followed. The cookies didsound amazing. She told herself that’s why she was walking into what would likely end up a very uncomfortable conversation. “Caroline likes coffee-flavored cookies?”

“Nah, that’s why she gave ‘em to me.”

He held open the door for her, and she walked inside. He flipped the lights on to reveal a very basic setup inside a lovely old, yet renovated house. It was a classic, shotgun-style layout, with the front door opening to a living area that featured beautiful hardwood floors, crown molding, and antique overhead light fixtures. The walls were a warm cream color, there was a rug on the floor, and a sofa against one wall, but that was it. Running shoes had been dropped haphazardly next to the front door, which was flanked on either side by two narrow, rectangular, floor-to-ceiling, windows. Connor led her through a doorway that gave way to what was probably supposed to be a bedroom, but it was empty. There was a doorway straight ahead that led to another room, and a door to the right that opened to a porch. He meandered to the porch exit, which led them to another door that opened to a galley kitchen, but Liza paused as she found herself completely captivated by the small outdoor space.

The siding of the house was bright blue, the concrete of the porch was vibrant red, and there was a stunning creole-style wrought iron railing along the edge that was painted sky blue. The rail was so classic and authentic New Orleans she wouldn’t be surprised if it had come right off one of the buildings in the Quarter. Well-cared-for potted ferns hung from the ceiling, and large pots that housed daylilies sat in the corner between the two doors.

“Connor.”

He turned and looked at her.

“Your house is pure magic.”

He smirked as he glanced around and then back at her face. “You like it?”

“Iloveit.” She ran her fingers along the railing. “I wish I could buy it from you.”

“Well, it’s not mine, so you’d have to buy it from my landlord.”

“But you’ve lived here since you got back?”

“Yeah.” He drew his brows together. “Did I tell you that?”

Liza looked up from the railing and met his eyes.

Shit.

He didn’t tell her that. Hisfathertold her that.

She smiled innocently. “No. Just a guess.”

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