him more and more attractive. Maybe it was that she finally had some respect for him, since he’d rejected her advances.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She shoved a hand through her messy hair. “Like roadkill.”
He chuckled. “I was afraid of that. Would you like something to eat?”
Could her stomach tolerate food? She didn’t dare take the risk. “No, but a pain pill would be nice.” She knew he had some; he’d provided it yesterday. “What time is it?”
“Nearly nine.”
“Oh, no!” She shot out of bed, then staggered and nearly fell.
Somehow, he managed to get inside the room quickly enough to catch her and guide her back to the bed.
“I’ve missed my first appointment,” she explained, raising her good hand to her pounding head. “I was supposed to meet Abby, the event planner at the Pullman Mansion, at eight. I’ve got to go!”
He frowned at her. “I don’t think you’re up to it.”
She’d been stupid to drink last night. She wasn’t used to that much alcohol. “I don’t have any choice.” Her tongue felt thick and unwieldy. “Have you seen my phone?” She glanced around but couldn’t locate it.
“Your purse is out on the counter.”
When she started to get up, he pressed her back. “I’ll get it.”
He returned with a glass of water, two ibuprofen tablets and her purse, which contained her phone. At least she hadn’t left it at the bar last night. She figured, at this point, she should be grateful for the little things.
“She’s tried to reach me five times,” she said as she checked her call record. “My mother and Noelle have both called twice.” She lifted her eyes to his. “What am I going to tell them?”
“I say you tell them that you’re not feeling well and to get by the best they can without you.”
“I can’t do that! The wedding’s tomorrow night.” She rubbed her temples, hoping to mitigate some of the pain. The hand she’d injured was no longer swollen, but it was still sore, which didn’t help with her hangover.
He urged her to swallow the painkiller and watched as she obeyed. “Fine. Get in the shower. I’ll call and tell them you’re on your way.” He took the glass. “Then I’ll drive you to your car.”
It wouldn’t go over very well to have Brandon act as her secretary when she’d blown such an important appointment. They’d assume she was purposely causing problems, that it was a vindictive attempt to strike back at Noelle. But it would postpone the confrontation until she felt more equipped to handle it. And letting them believe she was having an affair was better than the pathetic truth that she wasn’t handling Kyle and Noelle’s union quite as nonchalantly as she’d planned.
Regardless of anything else, she deserved one small rebellion, didn’t she?
“Thanks.” She handed him her phone. “They’re right there on my list of favorites.”
“Towels are on the rack to the left of the sink,” he said. “You’ll see them.”
Despite the pressure she was feeling to hurry, she could only move gingerly. She made her way to the door before turning back. “Did Kyle come to the bar last night?”
He met her eyes. “He did.”
“I thought maybe I dreamed that part.”
“No.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds. Olivia didn’t understand why, but she couldn’t look away.
“You could steal him back if you want,” he said at length. “You know that, right?”
He was serious. He was telling her that if Kyle was the man she really wanted to be with, she could fight for him and would probably win.
But it wasn’t so simple. There were other people involved. Not to mention the baby.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt the people that would hurt,” she said.
“Despite what Noelle has done to you?”
She sighed. “Yes.”
“Then you must not want him enough.”
“I don’t,” she said. “Not anymore.” That didn’t mean what she was going through didn’t hurt. The disappointment, the
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She shoved a hand through her messy hair. “Like roadkill.”
He chuckled. “I was afraid of that. Would you like something to eat?”
Could her stomach tolerate food? She didn’t dare take the risk. “No, but a pain pill would be nice.” She knew he had some; he’d provided it yesterday. “What time is it?”
“Nearly nine.”
“Oh, no!” She shot out of bed, then staggered and nearly fell.
Somehow, he managed to get inside the room quickly enough to catch her and guide her back to the bed.
“I’ve missed my first appointment,” she explained, raising her good hand to her pounding head. “I was supposed to meet Abby, the event planner at the Pullman Mansion, at eight. I’ve got to go!”
He frowned at her. “I don’t think you’re up to it.”
She’d been stupid to drink last night. She wasn’t used to that much alcohol. “I don’t have any choice.” Her tongue felt thick and unwieldy. “Have you seen my phone?” She glanced around but couldn’t locate it.
“Your purse is out on the counter.”
When she started to get up, he pressed her back. “I’ll get it.”
He returned with a glass of water, two ibuprofen tablets and her purse, which contained her phone. At least she hadn’t left it at the bar last night. She figured, at this point, she should be grateful for the little things.
“She’s tried to reach me five times,” she said as she checked her call record. “My mother and Noelle have both called twice.” She lifted her eyes to his. “What am I going to tell them?”
“I say you tell them that you’re not feeling well and to get by the best they can without you.”
“I can’t do that! The wedding’s tomorrow night.” She rubbed her temples, hoping to mitigate some of the pain. The hand she’d injured was no longer swollen, but it was still sore, which didn’t help with her hangover.
He urged her to swallow the painkiller and watched as she obeyed. “Fine. Get in the shower. I’ll call and tell them you’re on your way.” He took the glass. “Then I’ll drive you to your car.”
It wouldn’t go over very well to have Brandon act as her secretary when she’d blown such an important appointment. They’d assume she was purposely causing problems, that it was a vindictive attempt to strike back at Noelle. But it would postpone the confrontation until she felt more equipped to handle it. And letting them believe she was having an affair was better than the pathetic truth that she wasn’t handling Kyle and Noelle’s union quite as nonchalantly as she’d planned.
Regardless of anything else, she deserved one small rebellion, didn’t she?
“Thanks.” She handed him her phone. “They’re right there on my list of favorites.”
“Towels are on the rack to the left of the sink,” he said. “You’ll see them.”
Despite the pressure she was feeling to hurry, she could only move gingerly. She made her way to the door before turning back. “Did Kyle come to the bar last night?”
He met her eyes. “He did.”
“I thought maybe I dreamed that part.”
“No.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds. Olivia didn’t understand why, but she couldn’t look away.
“You could steal him back if you want,” he said at length. “You know that, right?”
He was serious. He was telling her that if Kyle was the man she really wanted to be with, she could fight for him and would probably win.
But it wasn’t so simple. There were other people involved. Not to mention the baby.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt the people that would hurt,” she said.
“Despite what Noelle has done to you?”
She sighed. “Yes.”
“Then you must not want him enough.”
“I don’t,” she said. “Not anymore.” That didn’t mean what she was going through didn’t hurt. The disappointment, the
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