Page 17 of Trusting Liam (Taking Chances 2)

“No. Not today, Cecily.”

Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly a few times before cracking a smile and laughing. “Funny.”

“I’m serious, I need you to go.”

Cecily’s face fell again; this time when she tried to cover it, there was worry in her eyes. “If you’re having a rough day, I can always help you out. You should know that by now.”

Stepping back to the door, I gestured toward the hall outside my office. “You need to go.”

“What is your deal the past week?” she asked, her tone harsh as she pushed away from the desk and stood to walk over to me. “I haven’t heard from you at all, and now that I’m here waiting for you, you’re just going to send me away like a damn dog?”

I didn’t say anything, because there was nothing to say. Normally telling her to leave wouldn’t have been an issue, but it was obvious she knew things between us had ended if she was getting mad.

After a few silent seconds of her waiting for a response, her eyebrows slanted down in frustration and she turned to leave my office.

Not more than three seconds later, Eli came walking in doing a slow clap. “That was the best thing I’ve heard all week.”

I scoffed and walked over to my desk to sit down, and he followed. “I guess it was time I start following office rules, or something.”

“Or something.” Eli winked and leaned back to stretch in the chair. “So I just got a call from my nieces.”

My head snapped up from where I’d been looking at my computer, and my eyebrows pulled together. “Did you?”

“Why do you sound surprised? You were just with them.”

“Uh . . .” Well, considering the conversation that just went down, I have every reason to sound surprised. “Not surprised, more interested in what they had to say. They didn’t exact

ly give me an answer.”

“Really? She said you invited them to a party this weekend and told me to give you their numbers.”

“And by ‘she,’ you mean . . . ?”

Eli shot me a weird look and shrugged. “Kira. Why? Can you even tell the two apart yet?”

Seeing how one of them always looked at me like she hated me, yeah, I could—but that was just another thing that Eli didn’t need to know. “Only when they have their name tags on, but I’m pretty sure your other niece isn’t my biggest fan.”

“Ah, yeah. Kennedy’s very . . . cautious when it comes to men, I guess you could say.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” I responded before I could stop myself. Eli just laughed.

“Well, she definitely has her reasons. Give her a little while; she’ll come around. To be honest, I have a feeling you’ll connect with her more than with Kira,” he said as he stood and walked toward the door. “You two are a lot alike, and she’ll be good to have around you—I’m hoping she knocks your ego down a few notches.”

If only he knew.

“I’ll send you their numbers. Take care of them this weekend.”

“Yes, sir.”

I waited until he was out of my office, then leaned back in my chair and blew out a relieved breath. Kennedy might not have called him, but Kira wouldn’t have known to call Eli if Kennedy hadn’t told her about this weekend. Whether or not Kennedy was ready, or wanted it, I was going to chase the girl who was already consuming my mind.

6

June 11

Kennedy

“WHY DO I have a feeling you won’t be ordering anything, and you would rather be talking to my sister than to me?”

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