EMMA

“You had a fight with Gabriel?” I frown while typing at my work desk.

Hannah’s voice comes through the speaker stressed and tight. “Yeah, after the concert Friday. Where were you?”

Wishing I could tell her about Andy and how our fight had distracted me, and the next night I just stayed home and hermitted, I confess part of the truth, “I totally forgot about it.”

“Well, I told my brother it was his fault so few of us were there. That he’s distanced from the rest of us and his traveling the world as a fucking rockstar doesn’t help.”

“Ugh, Hannah. You’re too hard on the twins.”

“Am I?” Surprised is exactly what I would expect from her on this subject. I’m definitely the more empathetic of the two of us, always have been. Hannah was a lone wolf in her heart, coming into the family under such strange circumstances. And her twin brothers are about seven years younger than she is, boys, too, so that didn’t really help them bond. Plus, Elijah and Gabriel always stuck together as twins of one mind and matching faces often do.

“Yes, at some point you’re going to have to allow them to be men, Hann. Give them a little respect.”

“Tobias hinted at the same thing but not so bluntly as you just did.”

“What’d he say?”

“He grunted.”

I laugh, and she joins me before calling out to her man, “I know you said actual words! Stop eavesdropping! You know I’m crazy about you.” Quieter, she says while laughing, “I’m going to have to blow him tonight to make up for that, but you know I don’t mind.”

“Spare me the visual, Hannah, I’ve got another call coming in.”

“Call me later. I want to hear about how things are going with Tanner.”

Smiling to myself I switch over and sweetly say, “Hi Dan, can I help you with something?”

There’s a short pause while Tanner’s assistant decides how to take my question. “I’m calling to set up more appointments for Mr. Hamilton.”

“I told him yesterday I would call him when I knew my calendar.”

Another pause.

Nobody makes Tanner wait.

“Yes, well it’s the end of the workday and we haven’t heard from you.”

“I was terribly busy today,” I smile into a quiet office where nothing has happened all day except for my studying the most recent tax laws with real estate. When it’s slow like this and my boss doesn’t come in, I spend my time learning so I can keep my competitive edge.

Dan clears his throat. I can just imagine how badly he doesn’t want to give Tanner a vague answer. “Do you know when you have free time?”

“I have a small window Wednesday at the end of the day. I’m sorry but that’s the best I can do. Will six o’clock work for Mr. Hamilton?”

“Two days from now? He’s staying in town for this…”

Heart pounding I stick to my plan. “Why don’t you get back to me? But please hurry before my calendar fills up. If he needs to find another realtor, I understand.”

“We’ll take it!” He coughs and regains his composure. “Pen him in.”

“Thank you, Dan. Have a wonderful evening.”

He mumbles a confused goodbye and the line goes dead.

Laughter bubbles up and I have to stand up to pace around a minute. It was a gamble to not call him today. Tanner Hamilton gets what he wants and I’m sure women have dropped their dresses at his feet his entire life, just like they do to my male cousins and two brothers. I’ve learned from watching how things go down. Act too interested and lose the guy. Give him a run for his money and watch his ears perk up, and his actions change. That is, if some real spark is there. You can’t just manipulate someone and expect it to last.

Revving their engines however, when they are truly interested? It drives them wild.

Through the glass I see Cora walking up. I hurry to my desk to look busy so she doesn’t try to engage me in conversation. Sometimes she floats around here and acts like she’s alone and while that’s very rude, today it would be welcome.

I’m not that lucky.

“Have you heard from Mr. Hamilton?”

Glancing up I feign a blasé attitude. “No, why?”

Her smile is smug and secretive as she flips through a stack of mail. “He was very sad when I said we couldn’t help him.”

Playing detective I casually ask, “Why did you turn him away? Too busy lately or…”

Her shuffling pauses and resumes. “I’d forgotten that your father had a problem with Mr. Hamilton. Rachel reminded me. You know she’s my best friend.”

That feeling isn’t mutual. I know that Silvia will always be Aunt Rachel’s best friend, after my Uncle Jaxson that is. “I’m sure she was relieved.”

Clucking her tongue in a mysterious way, Cora says, “Glad to be of service,” with a sly smile.

I don’t realize I’m staring at her until she catches me, cocking one of her threaded eyebrows, the mail frozen in her hands.

I blurt, “What if you could still keep the commission?”

Her head tilts. “How would I do that?”

“What if I did the sale?”

Narrowing, her eyes drink me in like a predator does prey. “You want to work with Tanner, do you? He got his claws into you that quickly, Emma?”

Sitting back with an unusual confidence I rarely have around my boss, I shrug, “Claws into me? He’s much too old for me, don’t you agree?”

“Mmm,” she hums suspiciously.

“Don’t give his appeal that much credit,” I add for good measure, “You’ve seen the men in my family right? I’m used to good looks and arrogance.”

Cora laughs and goes back to choosing which envelopes are heading to the recycle bin. “I appreciate the thought but I don’t want Tanner’s money. Someone else can have his commission.”

Biting my bottom lip I go back to reading this year’s tax laws. She doesn’t mean me when she thinks of ‘someone else.’ This is a dangerous risk I’m taking. On many levels. But there’s no turning back now, is there?