Lies in Love (12 page)

“I’m
fine.” Her voice was gruff. She sounded like she hadn’t
slept a wink.

“You
don’t look fine.” Camey stepped closer to her, but halted
when Talia shot her a menacing glare. “Look, we were just
worried about you. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“It’s
fine. Just get to work. I’ll be down when I’m ready.”

Camey
stood staring, realizing the grumpy, unapproachable Talia was back.
“I’ll be downstairs,” she mumbled as she walked
away. When she reached the ground floor, Sara looked up from her
work.

“Is
she not up there?”

“She’s
up there. And she’s back to her old pissy self.” Camey
plopped down onto a stool going over the last few days, trying to
figure out what brought on these sudden changes.

“What
do you mean?” Sara’s brow wrinkled.

“She
wasn’t even dressed yet and when I asked if she was okay she
said she was fine and told me to get to work.” Camey dropped
her head in her hands. “Why does she keep shutting us out? What
is going on?”

“Are
you sure she didn’t just wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Honestly?
I’m not sure she slept at all. She looks terrible.” Camey
quieted and jumped from her stool when she heard the door to Talia’s
apartment open.

“Hey,
sleepyhead,” Sara called out when she saw Talia descending in a
pair of turquoise jeans, a cream tunic, and matching crochet chunky
beret.

“What
are you doing?” Talia snapped the moment she looked in Sara’s
direction.

“I’m
getting that bridal bouquet ready for this afternoon.”

“Did
you not read the order? It specifically said
green
hydrangeas, not blue. I swear, Sara. If you weren’t my sister,
I’d have fired you by now.”

Sara
stared agape at Talia, then began removing the blue hydrangeas and
sticking them back in their storage container to return it to the
cooler.

“Camey,
I thought I told you to get to work. I’m not paying you to
eavesdrop on conversations and hold up walls,” Talia spat and
dashed to the cooler.

“This
is just great,” Camey muttered to Sara as she passed. She had
actually gotten used to the return of old Talia and now she was back
to her irritable, intolerable ways. This day was sure to be a long
one.

Coffee
was brewing in the kitchen and Ethan and Brent were trudging around
the apartment. It was just another weekday for the guys, but Landon
was searching for something, anything, to do to fill his time. He
hadn’t told the guys about his last job. He’d never
walked out on a date before. It gave the company a bad name. And
Landon was certain Quincy would have called by now.

Landon’s
worry grew with each passing day that he was receiving the silent
treatment; not that the silent treatment really affected him, because
it kept him out of having to turn down another job, he just hated
disappointing Quincy. He didn’t know what he was going to do,
but he knew as long as Talia was all he could think about, he
couldn’t continue to be an escort.

Landon
meandered through the kitchen in search of a clean mug. He was
usually the one responsible for the dishes, but with this new
development, he was spending every waking moment in the gym or out on
a run just to avoid the guys. He was dressed in his running shorts
and an old TCU t-shirt, ready to leave as soon as he downed his
morning dose of wake-up juice.

“You
going for another run?” Ethan had been treading softly around
Landon for days.

Landon
raised his mug in answer and nodded before he poured himself a cup.
He didn’t have the words that Brent and Ethan needed to hear.
There was no way they would understand that he just needed some time
to himself to clear his head, time he wasn’t getting being in
this apartment. The apartment was a reminder of everything he was and
had been. For the first time, he actually regretted becoming an
escort. His predicament would be so much simpler now without his
profession in the way, but if it wasn’t for his job, he
probably would have never met Talia.

He
was conflicted, unable to decide whether he even loved or hated
himself. He needed time to reevaluate his life to decide where his
future was taking him. Clutching his cup of coffee, he returned to
his room to slip on his running shoes. When he was on his runs, he
found time to think a little more, make the difficult decisions that
weren’t easy to make. His only problem now was knowing that the
only decision he could make would be a drastic one that he never saw
coming.

Landon’s
motorcycle idled in Dawson’s driveway. He sat staring at the
olive two-story bungalow thinking about the thriving family inside.
How had his life ended up so differently from Dawson’s? They
were brothers, after all. It seemed ludicrous that his brother could
be so settled and well-adjusted while he lived his life in what was
truthfully a dysfunctional existence. He’d always felt he’d
been doing women a service, but in all actuality he was demeaning
them, using them for his pleasure. Sure they were also getting
pleasure and a few hours of companionship, but Landon was never
really opening up and being a true companion to these women. Most he
would never even see again. There were only a handful who returned
regularly. It was suddenly abundantly clear that he was no longer
proud of who he was, but ashamed. He wasn’t making his family
proud. He wasn’t the prized son/brother/uncle to the people he
cared about the most. And he definitely wasn’t someone his
brother’s kids could look up to. Landon climbed off of his bike
and plodded to the front door, watching the porch swing sway with the
evening breeze as he went. He stared at the dark oak door listening
to the sounds of laughing children inside then knocked. His brother
answered just moments later.

“Twice
in one week?” Dawson was, per usual, dressed in his standard
teacher attire: a shirt and tie hidden beneath a sweater and smiling
profusely with his three-year-old daughter on his hip.

“I
needed to talk. Mind if I come in?”

“Sure.”
Dawson stepped aside as his daughter beamed at her uncle beneath
blonde messy curls.

Landon
entered the house and deposited his leather jacket on a peg behind
the front door.

“Daddy,
can I get down?” Dawson’s daughter asked.

“Sure,
Millie. Why don’t you go find Alice and Derek and see if they
want to play?” Dawson kissed his daughter’s cheek and set
her on the floor. She ran from the room, giggling.

“She’s
getting big.” Landon realized he’d been watching her from
the moment he walked in. As he entered, new thoughts afflicted him.
He wasn’t usually so enthused by Dawson’s kids; not to
say he didn’t care about them, but he’d never been a
hands-on uncle. Kids weren’t a feasible option. He had no need
to give them a second thought since he’d never planned to be in
a relationship. Now with thoughts of leaving the business and trying
to find something more with Talia, the idea of children wasn’t
so unrealistic. The idea was a little frightening, but he had to add
the possibility of kids to the list of things he would have to
consider if he decided to quit escorting. He took a seat on the
micro-suede couch with the sound of the children playing in a distant
room echoing through.

“That
she is, and she’s a spitfire just like her mama.”

“Where
is Mya? Did she have to work late?”

“No,
since I had an early day at school today I told her to have a night
out with the girls. She works so hard and doesn’t get out
enough.”

Landon
nodded. With every word, he could hear the love Dawson had for his
wife.

“So,
you still troubled about that woman?” Dawson cut right to the
chase.

“Yes,
no, well, I am, but…” Damn it, she had him flustered at
every turn. “I’ve been trying to clear my head, to decide
what is best for me, but I can’t do that in the apartment with
Brent and Ethan hovering and the reminder of everything I am. I just
need some space from it all, you know?” Landon didn’t
consider what Dawson could do to help, but he hoped he would have
some idea, something that would be an answer to the looming question
that he’d been dealing with.

“You
need a place to stay?”

“I
guess so, but I can’t ask you to put me up with the kids and
Mya. I know she’ll never go for that.”

“Well,
maybe not in the guest room, but we still have that converted space
over the garage. You know, the room we set up for Dad after he and
Gina split. It’s not much, but it’s got a small kitchen,
a bathroom, and a bed. I can talk to Mya and see if she would mind
you staying for a while, at least until you get your head cleared.
I’m sure it will be fine as long as there’s no women
coming and going. I can’t have you doing business out of my
backyard.”

“Daddy,
help.” Millie came barreling into the room squealing with her
older brother Derek on her heels. He was mere inches taller, but more
stout than Millie’s tiny frame. He had the same curly blond
hair on top of his head and freckles across his cheeks.

“What’s
wrong, baby?” Dawson scooped her into his lap.

“Derek
is trying to steal my nose, Daddy. I like my nose. My nose looks like
your nose, Daddy. Tell Derek not to take my nose.”

Dawson
laughed, but quickly straightened his face, trying not to offend
Millie. “Derek, please leave your sister alone and say hello to
Uncle Landon.”

“Hi,
Uncle Landon.” Derek’s speech was much clearer than
Millie’s at six years old, but he looked so similar to Millie,
so sweet and innocent.

Millie
climbed out of Dawson’s lap and walked over to Landon, looking
right in his eyes. She forced her way into his lap as she watched
him. “I have your nose, too, Uncie Landon.”

Landon
froze briefly, unsure of what to do with his hands. Was he supposed
to hold onto her to make sure she didn’t fall or just let her
do her thing? He continued to watch her watch him. She seemed
fascinated just looking at him.

“Uncie
Landon, what’s wrong? You look sad.”

Out
of the mouths of babes.
“I’m
okay, Millie. Just trying to figure things out.”

“What
kinda things. Maybe I can help.”

“Millie,
Uncle Landon and I were trying to talk. Maybe you could go back and
play with Alice and Derek.”

“No,
Derek is mean. I want to stay with Uncie Landon.” She smiled so
sweetly at him.

Landon
could feel his heart turn to putty in her hands. She was so small,
but so vibrant and full of life. Such a sweet little thing. It was
obvious why Dawson was so in love with his family, why anyone could
fall in love with their kids.

“Millie,
please. Just for a little while longer.”

Millie
stuck out her bottom lip and crossed her arms in defiance.

“It’s
okay, Dawson. She can stay.” Landon placed his arm around
Millie’s back and she leaned into him, completely taking him by
surprise.

“You
smell good, Uncie Landon.”

Dawson
smiled, clearly amazed by this moment between his brother and his
daughter. “I’m going to call Mya and ask her about the
room above the garage. Will you be okay here?”

Landon
nodded. “I’m good.”

As
soon as Dawson was out of the room, Millie began a round of
questions. “Uncie Landon, why don’t you have any kids?”

Landon
was stunned. He wasn’t expecting such a loaded question from
his three-year-old niece. “Well, I don’t have a wife, for
one, Millie.”

“Why
not?”

“Well…”
How could he explain this to someone so young? “I just never
found someone nice enough to marry.” That seemed safe enough.

“Mommy
is nice. She’s a good wife.” Millie began stroking the
stubble on Landon’s chin and giggled. “That tickles.”

Landon
laughed with her. Her tiny hands felt so fragile against his cheek.

“Uncie
Landon, would you like to play Barbies with me? I’m real good
at sharing.”