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Owen ishere.
My breath catches.
Layla, we have a problem.
I step behind Spencer’s shoulder. Yes, I’m hiding, but not well enough. Eventually, Owen will notice me. I’d rather hide behind the couch. Under the circumstances, no one would blame me.
This is the family Owen told me he was visiting forChristmas. How? There is no resemblance. Not just in looks, but in personality. First, Owen is kind and friendly. Second, he wears t-shirts with car wash logos and well-worn shorts, not Luca Faloni. Though right now, I don’t miss the snug t-shirts. His black button-up showcases his broad chest and biceps and is causing me heart palpitations.
Not the type of thoughts I should have at this moment.
A new realization hits: I’m stuck with him in the same house for a week.
He could ruin everything. I went out with him last night. He’ll see right through my arrangement with Spencer. Or worse, he’ll assume I’m a heartless cheater.
“Tori,” Owen says to Tori. “This is my brother Brady.”
His voice is as smooth and deep as I remember. It’s like a siren call. I might need to Uber some earplugs.
Tori grins at Brady and lays her hand on his shoulder. “Aren’t you a handsome creature? You’ll have all the girls running after you with that hair.”
Brady turns a deep red.
“Owen,” Spencer says in greeting.
“Spencer.”
They size each other up like they’re about to step into a boxing ring.
I know the exact moment Owen notices me. His eyes widen and his jaw drops. He takes a step back like he’s received a physical blow.
“Layla? What are you doing here?”
Spencer moves so he can see me. I’m no longer hiding.
“You know my cousin?” he asks me.
Tori’s grin widens, renewed interest in me clear in her eyes. “This just got interesting.”
Chapter Seven
OWEN
“I, um, yeah,”Layla says, answering Spencer’s question. She glances between him and me. “I know Owen. He’s friends with a man who lives in the same assisted living home as my nana.”
The bigger question is how Layla knows Spencer. How did they even meet? The year we worked at the firm together, he spent all of his time at the office, and when not there or sleeping, he ran to keep in shape.
“How do you two know each other?” I ask, pointing between Layla and Spencer.
Spencer lays his arm around Layla’s shoulders, an insufferable smirk on his annoying face. “Layla is my girlfriend.”
Girlfriend? The surprise feels like a slap. I spent most of the flight here wondering about her, and she’s dating mycousin? Then why did she go with me to the drive-in last night? Why did she tell me she was spending Christmas with her roommates? Is she a pathological liar? Or maybe a master manipulator? But to what end? To get two dollar fries out of me?
Layla won’t meet my gaze. She’s the first woman I’ve felt a connection to in years, and she’s datingSpencer. Spencer and I have diametrically opposed views on almost everything, especially work and money. We’re not similar in any way, yet we’re drawn to the same woman. Of course we are.
To break the hold Layla’s presence has on me, I glance at Mom. She’s crying as she talks to her siblings. This is the first time she’s seen them in thirty-three years. The injustice of the situation infuriates me, and I can’t understand why she’s not angry like I am.
I pull Brady forward to use him as a distraction. I didn’t want to come, and now that I’m here, I can see that it was a bigger mistake than I anticipated. “Brady, meet your cousin Spencer. This is Spencer’s friend Layla.”
