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the past twenty-plus years, would you want to know?”
    “No.” He closed his eyes before reaching for my free hand. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
    “You don’t have to decide anything tonight. Sleep on it. You’ll know what to do in the morning.”
    “Thanks for letting me crash here tonight.” He brought my hand to his lips.
    “You’re welcome.” I knew if I’d needed someone, he’d have been there for me.
    “I should let you get some sleep.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead.
    After the passionate kisses we’d shared, this one confused me, even though I knew he was just trying to respect my boundaries. “Yeah, good night, Brody.”
     

 

Chapter Three
    Riley
     
    After waking up to a homemade breakfast and freshly brewed coffee, thanks to my handsome house guest, I was trying to focus on work. It wasn’t easy when I imagined Brody making himself comfortable at my place.
    I frowned, jumping up when I heard a familiar voice chatting with my assistant outside my office door. Could it be…?
    “Oh my God, Macy! What are you doing here?”
    My kid sister giggled before launching herself into my waiting arms. “I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!”
    I held her at arm’s length, grinning from ear to ear. I hadn’t seen her in over a year, and I’d forgotten just how powerful her infectious laugh and smile were. She’d always been able to light up any room she walked into, even when we were kids. If there was one thing I needed now, it was a little light in my life.
    “Get in here,” I said, wrapping my arm around her as I ushered her inside my office. “I thought you had so many performances booked. How’d you get away?”
    Macy was a singer/songwriter who performed in an up-and-coming duo with her long-time boyfriend, Brendan. I was still amazed no one had signed them to a lucrative record deal, but according to my sister, Nashville was one of the hardest places to make it big.
    “He has laryngitis, so we had to cancel a few shows,” she explained. “Hopefully he’ll be good to go when I get back and we can reschedule them.”
    I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something didn’t seem right. I sat on the sofa where I often chatted with clients during intake interviews, and gestured to the chair next to me. “Sit. I want to hear about what you and Brendan have been up to.”
    She sat in the oversized chair, looking like more of a little girl than a grown woman as she kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet under her. She had fair, delicate features and wide blue eyes. But at five one, she always joked if they ever came up with a pill to enhance height, she’d ask to be their first guinea pig.
    “We’ve been busy with work,” she said, biting her clear-polished nail. That habit dated back to childhood and still drove our mother crazy whenever she witnessed it.
    “And…?” I knew they’d leased a bigger apartment. I had expected to hear that they loved the new place and were slowly filling it with treasures from their travels. “How’s the new place?”
    “It’s okay, I guess,” she said, shrugging. “There’s more closet space, which is always a good thing.”
    Macy was one of the happiest, most upbeat people I knew. I’d never heard her sound so… flat.
    “Is everything okay with you and Brendan?” I asked, leaning forward to grip her knee. “Is that the real reason you’re here, honey? Are you guys having problems?”
    She sighed. “You know how it is when you’ve been with a guy for a long time, sis. It just gets harder and harder to keep the spark alive.”
    That had never been a problem with Brody. Heat had always simmered beneath the surface when we were in the same room. Our problems ran much deeper than lack of physical chemistry. “Have you tried talking to him about it?”
    “I have,” she said, sounding frustrated. “And he tells me that I expect too much. I don’t know, maybe he’s right.”
    “Mace, you should never feel as though you’re