Page 103 of Already At Risk
Theo flushed but held his hands out. “Be my guest. Show me how it’s done. I think the love of your life just walked that way.” He pointed at Natalie’s friend.
“She’s not—” Sully broke off with a groan, even as his eyes drifted toward her, too. Then he shook his head and focused on his brother again. “Seriously, though. Please just go talk to her. Put us all out of our misery.”
“Julian cuts me off every single time I try. I don’t know how he fucking does it,” Theo grumbled, and I couldn’t withhold a chuckle, causing everyone to look at me.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “It’s just, that sounds exactly like Julian.”
I had to assume they were talking about one of Julian’s sisters because that was the only situation I could see Julian interrupting. Besides Gemma, there were four more of them running around here, all with flashes of long, gingery hair.
“Theo, Sully,” Natalie said, detaching herself from Theo’s side and taking advantage of her brothers’ shift in attention to introduce me. “This is Cameron Bryant. He’s the lawyer helping with Chloe’s custody case, and he works with Julian. Cameron, these are my other brothers.”
“Thebetterbrothers,” Sully added beneath his breath before sticking his hand out. “Nice to meet you, man. Thanks for taking care of our girls.”
I shook Sully’s hand, trying to figure out what to do with the odd sensation that filled my chest at his words.
Ireallyliked the idea of taking care of the London girls.
“Anytime. It’s nice to meet you both.”
“Nice to meet you, Cameron,” Theo echoed, also reaching out, and I took his hand. “Please get rid of that weaselly-ass, pathetic man for us.”
“Working on it,” I assured him, and then both men’s attention wandered. I didn’t look around to figure out where,exactly, they were staring. Or rather, at whom. But I had a pretty damn good idea.
“Chloe must be feeling better,” I said to Natalie, nodding to where her daughter was attempting to climb a tree.
Natalie followed my line of vision and then swore beneath her breath, watching Chloe with careful eyes. “She’s going to kill me with stress one day.” Her eyes flicked to me, tossing a gentle smile my way. “But yes, she’s feeling much better. Thanks again, for everything.”
“Of course,” I said. “It’s too bad she missed field day.”
Natalie sighed. “I know, but she had a low-grade fever most of Sunday, and there was no way she should be running around in the hot sun the next day. Chloe doesn’t exactly know the concept of ‘take it easy.’”
At that exact moment, Chloe jumped off the lowest branch of a tree and rolled over the ground. Natalie grimaced, watching, but Chloe popped back up right away and started running toward the dog again. And then, a second later, back toward the tree.
“Hang on,” Natalie said with another heavy exhale. “The last thing I need is her breaking a bone in the middle of an engagement party.”
I nodded, watching as Natalie beelined for her daughter, catching her just before she scurried up the tree again.
“So.” Another voice appeared at my side, and I didn’t need to look to see who it was. “That’s still going on, huh?”
“What?”
“The staring at the pretty client, who just happens to be Noah’s sister.”
I turned my body away from Natalie, forcing myself to face my sister instead. Then I dropped the volume of my voice before responding, even though Natalie’s brothers were fully preoccupied with other…things at this point.
“Just between you and me, Lins?”
Collins nodded, her lips stretching. “Of course.”
“I think it’s going to be going on for a long time.” I checkedback over my shoulder at Natalie, who had made her way over to Noah and Gemma, Chloe in hand. They were exchanging hugs, smiling, laughing. Natalie’s hair shimmered in the wind, and her eyes sparkled in the sun.
Glancing back at Collins, I added, “But she won’t always be my client.”
I was practically counting down the days until she wasn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
natalie
