Page 37 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

“Did you mean ten?” Berry questioned.

“Uh, sure?” I was already tapping my fingers on my leg as I scanned the shelves while Bob did his anticipatory dance. He leaned up against my leg, clearly understanding who held the checkbook. I wouldn’t say the control, because it already seemed as if Shelby was in charge.

“Maybe just a bit more than ten?” Berry snatched a purple owl from a good, supposedly non-destructible brand and pushed on the squeaker, making Bob flop over in doggie glee, paws up and tongue lolling.

All three of us laughed.

“Drama king,” I chided him, bending down to rub his belly. “As if you don’t have a million toys at home.”

“A million?” Berry cocked her head. “Can I see his toys? Do you have room where he can run?” She cast a sidelong look at her mother. “Safely?”

“Actually, I do. And sure, we can go back to my place after we leave here. Your mom is going to be renovating it for me.” I continued rubbing Bob while I looked up at Shelby. “Maybe?”

“No maybe,” she said with a small smile. “We just need to sign those papers. First, I need to get them drawn up with our office manager.” She sighed.

“So, come over and we can just table work until you have the papers.”

Her lips shifted into a frown as if it was their most natural state. “But I have a lot of paperwork to get done today. Not yours. Shockingly, I have other clients.”

I held a hand to my heart. “Tell me it isn’t so.”

Again that lip twitch.

“Bring it with you?” I suggested. “I can hang with Berry and Bob and you can camp out wherever you like to work. You can even spread out on the bedroom terrace if this rain lets up.” I looked up at the ceiling while the thunderous sound of drumming rain filled the building.

The storm had just begun, as predicted by the gloom sayer. But at least the top was up on the convertible, thanks to her.

Berry clutched the owl in one hand and the waist of her mother’s sundress with the other while Shelby stared me down, indecision and acceptance at war on her beautiful face.

Beautiful, worried face.

I had to do something to take it away. Seeing her in conflict made me feel guilty and I didn’t like that feeling.

I didn’t like that I’d inadvertently caused it.

“Or we can do it another day.” I tried not to react to Berry’s crestfallen body language. Slumped shoulders, lowered head, downturned mouth. Even Bob stopped gyrating, and I knew he hadn’t gotten that far in his Duolingo English lessons.

But if Shelby needed space, we’d give it to her.

“Mama.” Berry sighed heavily. “Why does work always come first? It’s Sunday.”

“That it is.” Shelby tugged lightly on one of her daughter’s pigtails and seemed to gather herself as she glanced at me. “I really do need to work.”

I gave Bob one more pat and lifted my hands, palms out. “We’ll let you work. We’ll even order in sandwiches so you don’t have to be disturbed.” I smiled. “Working lunch.”

“Sandwiches like Big Macs?” Berry whispered the question out of the side of her mouth.

“Nice try, kid.” Shelby laughed. “Sandwiches like actual sandwiches. Such as tuna like Grandma makes you.”

Having evidently selected the owl as Bob’s toy—though it exceeded our ten-dollar allotted price tag, but Shelby appeared to have other tuna to fry at the moment—we resumed our trek down the aisle.

Store aisle. Not any other kind of aisle.

These pseudo family outings, despite the fact we all barely knew each other, were kind of trippy.

No wonder my brother had stumbled into happy cohabitation so easily with Ryan, though they didn’t seem to be in any hurry to push things further. Ryan’s doing, I was sure. Preston was as traditional as they came—or he had been before he’d fallen in love with a woman who identified as a witch. He’d offhandedly indicated something about “otherworldly sex,” which was definitely intriguing.

Yet, I enjoyed the kind from this world just fine.

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