“So, how long have you and blondie been an item?” Lila took a seat before being offered one.

“We aren’t an item. What do you want, Lila?”

“Are you sure about that?”

I looked at the desk and took a deep breath before responding.

“I’m sorry if I caused you trouble with her. I may have said a few things that made her think I was someone else.” She shrugged her shoulder. “It was entertaining to see the claws come out.”

“She doesn’t have claws for me.” I tilted my head to the side. “What things did you say?”

She smiled. “You’re awfully interested for someone who isn’t interested.”

“Since I told her only my sister calls me Timmy it’s kind of awkward to have her think we’re doing anything worthy of jealousy.”

“Mostly, I just didn’t correct her. The only thing I’m guilty of is telling her I was Ms. Montgomery instead of Mrs.”

“Okay, you’ve had your fun. Now, what do you want?”

“As I said on the phone, I want my brother. Both of them.”

“I really don’t have anything to offer.” I sat and leaned forward with my arms on the desk.

“I only need you. I don’t need you to offer anything. Actually, I’m offering something.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Me. I’m not saying I’m a big prize or anything, but all I have to offer is your sister.”

“So, what are we supposed to do now?” I sat back and slouched in the chair. “Sing songs and go on our happy way?”

“Do you want to sing songs?” She laughed. “Yeah, I don’t, either. I just want to talk. Brody’s coming later this afternoon and I thought we could all have a chat.”

“A chat?” I scoffed. “I’m all talked out. I’ve got nothing to say.”

“Good, because you’ve got plenty to listen to.” She stood. “Now, come buy your sister breakfast. It was an early flight to get here and I’m starved.”

* * *

Breakfast turned into lunch, but I had to get back to the office. We’d spent the morning talking about what happened to her after college. I was fine to listen to her, but I rarely had anything to add.

She graduated and fell in love soon after. She was married with one child. The girl we saw at Dad’s. She’s hoping for more, but they haven’t tried yet. Every time she tried to talk about our father, I switched it and asked her questions about her husband, Rick, or her job.

She and her husband owned a graphics company that allowed her to work from home. She had only meant to stay out of the office long enough for their daughter to go to daycare, but our dad had some health issues. He moved in with them shortly after she had the baby.

It was nice to hear life turned out well for her, but I didn’t give a flying fuck what happened with our dad. That man left us even before he followed her to college. Just because he lived with us didn’t mean shit. There was a time it was important to me to reconnect with the lost family, but not anymore. I was glad she and Brody found their happiness. They could go be happy together.

I dropped her off at the hotel so she could take a nap before Brody got in. Apparently, I already had dinner plans. I’d wanted it for so long that I was still curious to what it would feel like, but whatever feeling I had during the dinner would be short-lived. They’d both get back on their planes and leave. I’d go back to my empty house.

I parked in the front because it was quicker to get to the office than the back and I didn’t want to be interrupted a dozen times. I wanted to get back and get work done.

I walked in and didn’t notice the girl at the desk until she spoke. “Welcome to Michaels Rehab. How may I help you?”

I looked around the lobby and looked back to the blonde standing behind the desk. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

“My name is Dallas, and no, I wasn’t born in Texas.” She giggled at her own joke, but it was more of a nervous laugh than how women usually giggled around me.

“Is that so?” I walked up to the counter. “What exactly are you doing here?”

Her eyes shifted to the right as if she wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m greeting you for your appointment, sir.”

“I don’t have an appointment.”

“Oh, so you’re a walk-in customer.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “I think I’m supposed to say client.”

I leaned on the counter and got closer to her. “Is this a joke?”

“No, sir. Rehab is no laughing matter.” She shook her head and took a couple of steps back.

“I’m glad you got one thing right. Now, maybe you’ll get another. I’ll ask it slow for you this time. Who . . . the fuck . . . are . . . you?”

“I’m the temp they hired. I just started today. I’m sorry.”

I pushed myself off the counter. “Oh, hell no.” I punched the code into the door and shook the door with each poke. I had a swing arm installed that prevented Brody from slamming the door against the wall when he was pissed. I never understood his frustration when he couldn’t slam it open until that moment.

I clenched my fist as I walked past a scared new temp and stormed toward April’s desk. She wasn’t there. I turned and glared at the temp who was standing in the office doorway with wide eyes.

“Where is she?”

Her eyes darted to my old office, but she didn’t make another move. It was all I needed to know. April was probably hiding after hearing our exchange. She had no right to hire someone without my permission and she was going to be the one to fire the bitch.

I slammed the door open and felt a sense of satisfaction when it bounced off the wall and closed behind me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I looked around the office. She had taken it over. It wasn’t bare when I moved to Brody’s, but it wasn’t as full as what I was looking at. There were new filing cabinets, new plants, and photos of her family on shelves. When did she do all of that?

“I’m working. What the fuck are you doing?”

“Why are you working in here?” I’d forgotten about the girl at the front desk.

“I need an office, too. You’re lucky I accepted the smaller one or we’d be having negotiations for the big office.”

“Negotiations? We aren’t negotiating shit. You think you can just move in here and I’ll be okay with it?”

“Why not? It’s been empty for years. I should’ve moved in a long time ago.”

“That isn’t how it works.”

“No?” She stood and threw her pen onto the desk. “You’re right. How it usually works is I ask you for help deciding something and you shove it back into my face and tell me you’re not dealing with it. Well, you can deal with it now. I’m not asking your permission anymore.”

“You’ve got a lot of balls telling me what you’re going to do—”

“No, Tim, I have half the company. This is not just your business anymore. I have an interest in this thing, too. I’m going to do what I think is right to get things done.”

“Yeah, like hire that girl out there?” I pointed to the front. “You want to move in here and feel like a partner, do it. Fuck your boyfriend on the desk right here. I don’t give a shit, but you will not take on more staff without my approval.”

She shrugged and scrunched up her face. “I think I just did.” She tilted her head to the side. “If you weren’t so hot to trot to get out of here this morning, then you could’ve met her before you left.”

“And just what are you going to have her do?” I walked up to the desk.

“She’s going to help me. I have a lot of things to do to make sure we pass our state certifications. You know if we lose any of those we are good as closed, so I need the help. She’s been hired on a temporary basis until she goes back to school. She’s going to look for deals for supplies, greet clients as they come in, and handle the phones.”

“She’s basically going to be you.”

“For the simpler duties, yes. If it works out, then I’ll look into hiring someone full-time. If it doesn’t, she’ll go to another assignment and I’ll take over all the duties again.”

I allowed a slight smirk to cross my lips. “You said she’s enrolled in college?”

“Yes, she’s going into her second year. Why?”

I shrugged one shoulder. She was jealous earlier when she thought my sister was someone I spent the night with. Maybe I could get rid of this temp before April intended. “I usually like them twenty-one or older, but she’s legal.”

She stormed around the desk and poked my chest when she got close enough. “You leave her alone. You don’t look at her without my say so.”

“I think I own half this company,” I bent down to her face, “and its employees.”

She shoved me. “Don’t you fuck her up.”

I nodded a slow and deliberate nod. “Up, down, sideways, and—” She moved to slap my face, but I grabbed her wrist and squeezed. “You don’t tell me who to fuck. It’s none of your goddamn business. You may have gone older, but I’m all for going younger.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m done talking. It’s time for some action.” I turned to go and she grabbed my arm.

“Don’t you dare.”

I grabbed both of her arms and rushed her back to her desk, pinning her beneath me. “Is this why you wanted to come back in here? You miss this desk and want to come back to it?”

I looked into her eyes and wished I hadn’t. It brought up too many feelings. They were feelings I thought were killed when she walked out. Feelings I couldn’t handle when I knew she was over me. Feelings that were going to destroy me.

“The only thing I want to get back to is work. Are you finished being a child?”

I kicked her foot over to spread her legs and pressed myself against her. “You know I’m not a child.”

“Penis size has nothing to do with maturity.”

“But it does matter.” I saw a glimpse of a smile and I was desperate to pull it out of her. I had forgotten what it felt like to receive that reward.

I slid my hand under her back and lifted her off the desk. Her arms dropped to her sides when we stood, but I held her. The pull to her was too strong to ignore, but she was better off without me. She said it herself. I was two different people, and until I could control myself, she deserved to be with someone who could.

“You could’ve asked me for help with the state certifications.”

“I don’t need help with that. I need help with the other duties.” She glanced to my chest.

“April, I—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the appointment is here.” Dallas slipped out of the door before I turned around.

April grabbed my arm when I started to walk out. “What were you about to say?”

I was about to tell her how sorry I was for everything I’d done. I was about to beg she give me another chance and help me be the man I want to be. Until I could be that man on my own, I had no right to ask for any of that.

“I just wanted to say I agree with hiring a temp to help out. It was a good decision.” What I should’ve added was it was a good decision to leave me, too.