A Long Time Coming (Cane Brothers, #3)(40)

I shake my head. “I should just go back to my apartment, drown in my sorrows.”

“Is that what you want to do?” Breaker asks.

I press my lips together and stare down at my linked hands. “No. I want to talk to Brian.”

“Then I think you need to go talk to him.” Breaker takes my hand in his. “I can go up there with you.”

“No, that would be a bad idea.” I undo my seat belt and open the door. “I can and should do this on my own.” I glance up at Breaker. “Thank you for everything today, despite you leaving to pee at the worst time ever.”

“I’ve already noted that I’m to pee before I ever leave you alone with The Beave again.”

“Good.” I hop out of his car and say, “I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck.”

I wave goodbye and head into Brian’s office building. After the blood was cleaned and Breaker offered to pay for all damages to the bloodied paper, The Beave roughly showed me her three choices, and instead of putting up a fight, I went with her favorite. It’s an invitation anyway, not like my actual wedding dress. She offered me a curt goodbye and took off.

Breaker took me to grab something to eat to help with my anemia, then I asked him to drive me here because not only do I want to clear the air about what happened at the church . . . and the paper shop, but I also need to talk to him about how he spoke so negatively about my glasses. Because despite the distractions from the day, that has stuck in my mind.

“Hello, Miss Fairweather-Fern, how are you?” Brian’s assistant, Beverly, says as I approach.

“I’m good, how are you, Beverly?”

“Just lovely. Congratulations on the engagement. Brian has been talking nonstop about it.”

I smile kindly. “Thank you. We’re very excited.” The lie slips off my tongue with ease. Not so much excited as I’m nervous. Hopefully, excitement comes soon. “Uh, is Brian available? I know I came unannounced, but I hoped I could talk for a moment.”

“He always wants to see you,” Beverly says. “I believe he’s just working right now, not on the phone.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I wave to Beverly and make my way toward his office. She’s always been so kind to me. In her fifties, she is as efficient as they come, detailed, and never lets anything slip, ever. I remember when Brian first hired her, his mother was furious. Said he needed someone younger, not that she should have a say in it. Still, Brian’s intuition has paid off because Beverly has been such a tremendous help to him in getting all his work done throughout the day.

Plus, she’s nice to me, so bonus.

I knock on his door, then push open the frosty glass, poking my head in.

He looks up from his desk, and when he spots me, his face completely lights up with a smile.

“Lia,” he says as he stands. “What a great surprise.” He walks over to me, takes my hand, and pulls me into his office while shutting the door behind me. Before I know what’s happening, he has his hands on my cheeks and tilts my head as his lips land on mine. I place my hands on his chest for balance while he kisses me deeply like we haven’t seen each other in days. Not sure if his mother has talked to him yet. Not sure I would receive the same welcome. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he says between kisses.

I move my mouth along with his, sink into his hold, and let all the stress and concerns fall to the side as I allow myself to be right here, at this moment.

After a few more seconds, he groans and pulls away, his eyes looking heady and his breath labored. “Okay, things are going to get out of hand if I keep kissing you.” He smiles and strokes his thumb over my cheek. “Why am I so lucky to see you this afternoon?”

God, he’s being so sweet, I almost feel bad about bringing this up, but if I don’t, it’s going to thoroughly bother me, which will turn into resenting him, and I don’t want to resent him.

“Have you spoken to your mom yet?”

“No, I’ve been busy. She’s called twice, though. Why?”

“Uh, I went to look at the church with your mom this morning.”

He pulls me toward his desk, and he takes a seat on the edge while pulling me between his legs. “How was it? Beautiful, right?”

“Very,” I answer. “But I think we might change it to the gardens at the club.”

“Oh wow, that would be . . . that would be perfect.” He smiles so lovingly that I question myself and what his mother said earlier.

“I think so.” I want to tell him thanks to Breaker but decide that’s probably a sore subject. The last thing I want to do is make him mad or defensive, especially when I’m about to have this conversation with him. “But something happened when I was there at the church.”

“Okay . . . what happened?” he asks skeptically.

“First of all, it was an accident.”

“Now you have me worried. What happened?”

“Well, your mom made me try on her wedding veil because she wanted to see me walk down the aisle wearing it. I was wearing those shoes you got me that are a touch too big, and long story short, I slipped out of them when walking, tumbled into a lit candle, and it rolled off the holder and right onto the veil. It caught on fire, and the only reason I still have hair at this point is because Breaker doused me in holy water.”