I were joking. But if we had to use it, then we would. I just hoped that we stayed far enough ahead of everything that it wouldn’t matter. We had a month left before his mother’s campaign ended. I thought we could hold it together until then. So far, nothing more had come of Jane’s trial announcement. But I knew December was going to be a rough month. At least it was after the election. We could deal with everything one at a time.
Court stowed his bag in the trunk of the awaiting car service and then held the back door open for me.
“Are you still okay with us driving to the river? I don’t know if you want to meet Taylor… or do Oktoberfest with a bunch of New School college kids.”
“I want to meet Taylor,” he agreed easily. “After I change.”
I laughed. “Obviously. Didn’t think you’d want to head down there in your coaching uniform.”
“That is a fact.”
“But… you know, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
He turned to face me. “Why do I get the impression that you don’t want me to meet your sister?”
“It’s not that. Taylor and I only recently started to have a good relationship. It’s kind of new, and I’ve never done this before.” I bit my lip.
I wish I could get him to understand. My family wasn’t like his family. Everyone had problems. Money didn’t fix that. But I hadn’t shared any of that with him. He didn’t know that side of me.
“My family is just… different.”
He put his hand on my knee. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
I nodded, reassured by his easy demeanor. “I’m sure it will be.”
He sat back in his seat until the car pulled over in front of his building. We headed upstairs at his apartment. I flipped through his collection of fantasy novels as I waited for him to shower and get dressed. He had hundreds of books in the back bedroom. I never would have guessed by looking at the living area. He really didn’t want people to know who he was. All they’d see was the TV and video games and the wet bar. Perfect Upper East Side bachelor.
Court appeared in the doorway. His hair still wet from the shower, his shirt only half-buttoned, and he was still barefoot. He looked sexy as fucking hell.
“Trying to pick one to read?” he asked.
“Have you read them all?”
He shrugged. “Not this shelf.”
He pointed at one measly shelf with about a dozen books on it.
“Wow. Tell me where to start.”
“Easy. The Eye of the World. Jordan is a genius.” He procured the book off the top shelf and handed it to me. “I have another copy at the office. You can have that one.”
I held it up. “Lots of amazing women in this series?”
Something lit up inside him when I started asking about books. And I liked it.
“Actually, yes. Women are way more powerful than almost all the men in that series. They’re the ones with the magic.”
“I like the sound of it already.”
“You would. You’ll probably love Moiraine.”
“And why is that?”
He chuckled. “She doesn’t take anyone’s shit.”
I tucked the book into my purse. “You’re right. I probably will like her.”
We headed back out to the car, and I pointedly ignored him in favor of the first couple chapters.
“So, what’s happening now?” he asked like a kid desperate for attention.
I threw a hair tie into the book as a bookmark. “I just started.”
“Tell me when all the good stuff happens.”
“You’re obsessed.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my favorite series,” he said with a shrug. “The other option is, you could tell me about your family. You know too much about mine. It might be nice to know a bit about yours.”
I sighed and set the book aside. This was going to be fun. “Well, my parents divorced when I was ten. My dad was a serial cheater. He would disappear for weeks at a time and just leave me to fend for myself with my mom. Mom was…” I swallowed. How the hell did I explain my mom? I never talked about her. “We’re estranged for a reason. I haven’t talked to her in five years.”
“I’m sorry.”
I waved a hand at him. “Yeah. She was never a great mom to begin with. But when I started dating Josh, she wanted the money. I had to cut her out of my life to protect myself.”
“Fuck, English.” He sighed heavily. “Where does Taylor come into all of this?”
“My dad