Chloe

“I can move all your appointments today,” Gabi rests her palm against my forehead. “You don’t feel warm. Maybe it’s not the flu.”

I shrug as I pull away from her. “My dad and I had seafood in Boston two days ago. His stomach has been uneasy too. Maybe that’s all it is.”

“That might be it.” She starts toward my office door. “I’ll go get you a warm ginger tea. That always helps when my stomach is acting up.”

I nod as I watch her leave before I turn my attention to my laptop and the calendar app that lists my schedule for today.

It’s lighter than I thought it would be. That’s because a client who was set to launch a lawsuit against their former employer dropped it when they were hired back on.

That’s not uncommon in my line of work and since I ask for an upfront retainer, I’m never working pro bono. I wish I could at times, but I have to live.

“Chloe?”

My head pops up when I hear Rocco’s voice at my office door. I greet him immediately. “Hey, you. I haven’t see you in at least a couple of weeks.”

He steps in and takes off his scarf before slipping out of his wool coat. “How was the trip with dad? That was a last minute thing, no?”

It was. I needed some space after the conversation I had with Evan about the pregnancy scare. Since I had planned on heading to Boston early next month to interview a potential client who had recently relocated there from New York, I decided to ask my dad to tag along.

He was all over the idea and planned our entire schedule including fitting in my work commitments.

We both needed it and I came back to Manhattan feeling refreshed and recharged until I woke up this morning with an upset stomach.

“We had a blast.” I smile. “You know how much fun it is to travel with him.”

“I do.” He nods as he takes a seat across from my desk. “Do you remember when I used to take him to Vegas with me when I was playing poker? I swear the man had more fun than I did.”

I like hearing that. Our father is still grieving my mom’s death. It was the second loss he suffered. His first wife died of cancer before Rocco’s seventh birthday leaving my dad with three small boys to raise on his own.

“What brings you to my office?” I close the lid of my laptop. I need to be at the courthouse in thirty minutes so I’ll have to cut my conversation with him short.

“Evan.”

My brows pop up in surprise. “Evan?”

He nods briskly. “We ran into each other at the gym two days ago.”

I bite the corner of my lip wanting to demand that he tell me about what they talked about, but knowing full well that it involves me.

Evan doesn’t seem like the type of guy who would share personal details about our conversation with another person, especially my older brother. “I haven’t seen him in awhile. How is he?”

“Fine.” His voice lowers. “He wanted to know what you favorite flowers are. He didn’t send a bouquet of pink roses to your hotel room in Boston?”

My heart thumps inside my chest. Rocco knew what hotel my dad and I were staying in because he was the one who suggested it since it was on the waterfront. Evan didn’t send any flowers though, so my brother must have kept that information to himself.

“Some men prefer to hand deliver flowers,” I offer even though the only flowers I’ve ever received from Evan were delivered by his friend, Vanessa.

“Either way, I see some pink roses in your not-too-distant future.”

I tap the face of the watch on my wrist. “I see a court date in my very near future so I need to take off. You’re welcome to stay and visit with Gabi.”

He chuckles. “That one would eat me alive. I’ll pass.”

I laugh as I push myself to my feet. “Are you headed in the same direction as me? We can share a cab?”

“That’s a plan I’m on board for. I’ll take every minute I can get with my sister.”

***

I tap my toe, wishing that the barista would fill the cup with hot water and hand the ginger tea I ordered to me. It’s my third cup today. After Gabi shoved the cup into my hand as I was exiting the building with Rocco, I sipped it on my way to the courthouse. It helped almost instantly.

I picked up another on my way back to my office and I’m about to take yet another home with me. I make a mental note to stop at the deli by my apartment to see if they have a box of ginger tea bags. It would save me a fortune.

“Chloe.” I feel a hand on my shoulder. “I have no idea you stopped in here at the end of the day.”

I recognize Evan’s voice instantly. I’ve missed it even if I didn’t want to admit that to myself.

I turn to look at him. He has a light growth of beard covering his jaw but other than that, he looks exactly as he did the last time I saw him here.

“I had a break at work and thought that I’d come down here on the off chance, you’d walk past.” He gestures toward the sidewalk outside the café. “When I looked in the window, I couldn’t believe it was you.”

I skim my hand over my hair. I didn’t put a lot of effort into my appearance this morning because I was feeling under the weather. I showered quickly, pinned my hair up into a messy bun and chose a pair of black pants with a black blouse.

“How have you been?” I ask because I don’t know what else to say.

He takes a measured step closer. “Worried about you. I didn’t handle our conversation well. I should have been more sensitive. I’m sorry, Chloe.”