What Might Have Been E-Book

Sherri Hayes

• Herausgeber: Sherri Hayes
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Missed opportunities, unspoken feelings, and the power of second chances. 

Trent Daniels is a man plagued by regret. He’s spent years watching from the sidelines. Then he gets called to help landscape several office buildings, and he comes face-to-face with the woman who’s haunted his dreams since high school.  

Abigail Hoffman left her hometown, and the loving embrace of the Daniels family, behind to move to New York City. The weight of her own secrets kept her away for far too long. Now, her job has brought her back to the place she thought she could avoid forever. 

Sparks fly as Trent and Abby find themselves working together. The undeniable chemistry between them ignites, and years of unanswered questions come flooding back. With passions running high and old wounds reopened, they must navigate a maze of emotions and confront the painful secret that has kept Abby away. 

Will Trent and Abby seize this second chance at love, or will the past be too much for them to overcome?  

What Might Have Been is the fourth novel in Sherri Hayes’s steamy Daniels Brothers series. If you're a fan of second chance romances, forced proximity, and family secrets, then you’ll love this friends to lovers romance. Don't miss out on this tale of love, redemption, and the courage to seize the love you've always wanted. 

Leseprobe

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

A DANIELS BROTHERS ROMANCE

SHERRI HAYES

What Might Have Been

Daniels Brothers Series

Sherri Hayes

Copyright © Sherri Hayes, 2016

Paperback ISBN- 978-0-9979049-0-1

E-book ISBN- 978-0-9909596-7-0

Cover Design by Get Covers

All rights reserved. No part of this book ay be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

CONTENTS

About This Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

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Also by Sherri Hayes

About the Author

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Missed opportunities, unspoken feelings, and the power of second chances.

Trent Daniels is a man plagued by regret. He’s spent years watching from the sidelines. Then he gets called to help landscape several office buildings, and he comes face-to-face with the woman who’s haunted his dreams since high school.  

Abigail Hoffman left her hometown, and the loving embrace of the Daniels family, behind to move to New York City. The weight of her own secrets kept her away for far too long. Now, her job has brought her back to the place she thought she could avoid forever. 

Sparks fly as Trent and Abby find themselves working together. The undeniable chemistry between them ignites, and years of unanswered questions come flooding back. With passions running high and old wounds reopened, they must navigate a maze of emotions and confront the painful secret that has kept Abby away. 

Will Trent and Abby seize this second chance at love, or will the past be too much for them to overcome?  

CHAPTER1

Trent Daniels double-checked to make sure he had all the paperwork he might need. He had no idea why Frank and Lillian Baxter wanted to see him. As far as he knew, they were happy with the work his landscaping crew was doing, but the vague call he’d received the day before asking if he could meet with them at one o’clock was ominous. Like it or not, he had to consider that he might be losing his biggest client.

Satisfied everything was in order, he closed his briefcase and straightened his tie. He hated suits and did his best to wear them as little as possible. Give him jeans and a T-shirt any day over the noose he currently had wrapped around his neck.

“Got everything you need, Boss?” He glanced over his shoulder to find his office manager, Trinity, smirking at him.

“Everything I can think of, at least.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the doorframe. “Too bad Mrs. Baxter isn’t twenty years younger. You could charm your way to securing the contract. You’re looking pretty smokin’ in that suit.”

That made him grin and some of the tension dissipated. “Thanks. But I’m hoping talent brings this one home.”

“You don’t know what it’s about, though, right? I mean it could be nothing.” Joking aside, Trinity knew more than anyone did how big a blow it would be if they lost this account. She’d been with him since the beginning and had helped him build the company from the ground up. If things went badly with the Baxters, he might have to lay some people off and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Trent picked up the briefcase and headed toward Trinity. She pushed herself away from the wall and took a step out of the room as he drew closer. The look on her face told him she was as worried as he was. He came to a stop in front of her and did his best to reassure her. “You’re right. It could be anything. No reason to think the worst.”

She smiled, but he could still see the worry in her eyes.

He placed a comforting hand on her arm. It was bad enough one of them was stressed out over this. “We’ll be okay. We always are.”

Trinity nodded and took a deep breath. “Go get ʼem.”

He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “Exactly what I plan to do.”

As he passed Joss and Kevin, they didn’t bother to look up from whatever they were working on. To them it was just a normal day at the office.

The drive to the Baxters’ corporate office seemed to take longer than usual. He was sure that was only because of the lead weight that had settled in his stomach. Landing the Baxter account five years ago had put him and his company on the map. Before, he’d had a small crew made up of four guys and himself with a handful of regular accounts around the city. It wasn’t bad, but he had bigger plans for himself and his company.

Trent parked in one of the guest spots near the front of the building then strolled up the steps toward the main entrance. As he passed by the flower beds, he couldn’t help but take a quick survey of their condition. Everything looked great, in his opinion. The hedges were neatly trimmed and the beds well maintained. His crew did good work.

Shaking his head, Trent pushed everything out of his mind except for the task at hand. He had to be prepared for anything. Even if they lost the account, it wouldn’t do any good to leave a bad impression.

A security guard sat behind a circular desk not far from the entrance. The middle-aged man glanced up as Trent walked in the glass doors.

“I’m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Baxter.”

The security guard, looking somewhat bored, passed him a sign-in sheet. “Name?”

“Trent Daniels.”

Nodding, the man picked up the phone, effectively ignoring Trent as he put his name and time of arrival on the paper attached to the clipboard.

When the man hung up the phone, Trent handed the sign-in sheet back to him. The security guard took it and placed it on the desk without looking at it. “You can have a seat over there. Mr. Baxter’s assistant will be down to get you shortly.”

Trent had been dismissed. He knew it wasn’t personal and went to take a seat on the modern-looking sofa.

Less than five minutes after he sat down, Melinda, the Baxters’ assistant, exited the elevator. She had a sly smile on her face as she approached him. “Frank told me you were going to be stopping by today. It’s good to see you again. It’s been a while.”

“It hasn’t been that long. I was here last month.” Trent stood and followed her as she pivoted on her heel and strode toward the elevator. He didn’t miss the extra swing in her hips as she walked that drew his attention directly to her backside. Melinda was a beautiful woman and she knew it.

He’d considered asking her out, but decided it wasn’t a good idea. If something went wrong, he didn’t want to put himself and the Baxters in an awkward position. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the view.

The elevator doors closed. She glanced over her shoulder, meeting his gaze.

“Nice dress.”

Melinda beamed at the compliment. “Thank you. It’s new.”

She took a step toward him and ran a hand down the side of her dress in a way that had him wondering what those curves of hers would feel like pressed up against him.

“You don’t think it’s too much for work? I was thinking of going out later tonight and didn’t want to go home first to change.”

He grinned, trying to keep it casual. “Not at all. I’d say it’s perfect for a girls’ night out on the town.”

Her confidence faltered a little at his response, but she recovered quickly. When they reached the top floor, Melinda sashayed out of the elevator, giving him another perfect view of her ass. Interested or not, Trent was a guy and it was hard to ignore something like that when it was right there in front of you.

She exaggerated every movement as she made her way over to her desk and sat down. It was like this every time he visited.

Trent cleared his throat. “Should I go in?”

Melinda looked a little disappointed, but nodded. “Yes. He’s expecting you.”

“Thanks.”

Trent paused outside Mr. Baxter’s door and took a deep breath. The one thing Melinda’s flirting had done was help get his mind off this meeting. If he didn’t know she’d take it the wrong way, he’d send her flowers or something.

He raised his hand and knocked.

“Enter.” Despite the closed door, Mr. Baxter’s voice rang out loud and clear.

Trent straightened his shoulders, opened the door, and walked in.

Mr. Baxter smiled when he saw Trent and waved him inside. “Come in, come in. How have you been?”

Seeing Mr. Baxter’s upbeat attitude, Trent relaxed some. Surely if they were going to fire him, Mr. Baxter wouldn’t be so welcoming.

“I’ve been well, Mr. Baxter. Thank you for asking.”

He motioned for Trent to take a seat and waited until he was settled before continuing. “I’m so glad you could make it in today.”

“Of course.” Mr. Baxter was pushing sixty, but it was hard to tell. He dyed his hair and worked out regularly. If not for the lines around his eyes, he could easily pass for someone in his forties.

Hearing a noise behind him, Trent glanced toward the door. A man around his age, wearing a very expensive-looking suit, entered followed by Mrs. Baxter.

“I was beginning to think you two weren’t coming,” Mr. Baxter said, rising from his seat to give his wife a peck on the cheek.

Mrs. Baxter grinned at her husband, and then lowered herself into the empty chair next to Trent. “Lunch took longer than expected. I do believe the waitress had a small crush on Maxwell.”

The other man, who Trent assumed to be Maxwell, took a seat on the couch along the wall and rolled his eyes. “I think you’re making too much of it, Aunt Lillian. She was just trying to be nice.”

His comment received a look of disbelief from Mrs. Baxter, but she didn’t reply.

Mr. Baxter cleared his throat. “Let’s get started, shall we?” He turned his attention to Trent. “As you’ve probably already surmised, this is our nephew, Maxwell Collins.”

Trent nodded in Maxwell’s direction. The man leaned forward and extended his hand in greeting. Trent took it and smiled politely.

“Good. Now that the introductions are settled,” Mr. Baxter said when their handshake was over, “we can get down to business.”

“We have something we’d like to ask you,” Mrs. Baxter began, before being cut off by her nephew.

“What my aunt means to say is that I’m in need of some help and they feel you might be able to assist me.”

“What is it that you need?” Trent asked. He was still trying to shift gears from thinking he was going to lose the account to being asked for help.

Maxwell sat forward, clasping his hands in front of him. “My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has recently taken a turn for the worse. He kept it from all of us until recently. Now that I know, I’ve come home to take care of things and to run the family business.”

Trent waited for him to go on, since that still didn’t explain what they needed from him.

“My father’s assistant, Emily, knew about his condition and helped him hide it from the family,” Maxwell continued. “As he got worse, she took over more and more of the daily operations.”

He stood and walked over to the bank of windows along the wall. When he came into the room, he’d looked to be in his early thirties, the same as Trent himself. But now, talking about his father’s declining health, Maxwell seemed to have aged ten years before his eyes.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Maxwell turned around to face Trent. “Long story short, some bad decisions were made. One of those was to trim the budget so it didn’t include outside maintenance for any of our properties. It’s no wonder sales are declining when the grass hasn’t been cut in weeks and there are weeds everywhere.”

It sounded like a mess. Lawns left unattended that long were likely to have seeded. It would take weeks, if not months to get them back to where they should be. “How many properties?”

“Ten. And I need them looking presentable as soon as possible. I’m willing to pay for overtime or whatever else is needed. My family has put a lot of work into building this company. I won’t allow it to crumble under my watch.”

Trent needed to see firsthand what he was dealing with. “I would have to take a look at all the properties and come up with an action plan.”

“Good. When can you get started?”

“I have some time tomorrow if that would work for you.”

Maxwell grinned and handed Trent two business cards from inside his jacket. “I’ll have my assistant, Abigail, meet you in front of our corporate office at nine. She can take you around to each of the properties and answer any questions you may have.”

Trent glanced down at the two cards. One had Maxwell Collins, Attorney at Law written in fancy lettering along with a Manhattan address. The second card was for Collins and Baxter Property Management Corporation with a local address.

“If you need anything before tomorrow, you can reach me on my cell.”

Standing, Trent tucked the cards in his pocket. “If I can get a look at everything tomorrow, I should be able to have some figures for you by the end of the week.”

“I look forward to it.” Maxwell extended his hand again to Trent.

After a brief goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, Trent left the office and made his way back down the elevator. His head was spinning. Not only had they not lost the Baxter account, but it looked as if they were gaining another big client.

Trent strolled past the security guard in the lobby and out into the parking lot. He climbed into his truck, shut the door, and reached for his cell.

Two rings later, Trinity picked up. “How’d it go?”

Trent tilted his head back against the seat and chuckled. “You’re not going to believe it.”

* * *

Abigail Hoffman took a seat on the stone bench outside the Collinses’ corporate office. She glanced up at the sky and frowned. It was going to be hot and humid once the sun worked its way higher in the sky. Just her luck she’d be spending the day driving around town showing the new landscaper all the Collinses’ properties. Abby prayed his vehicle had air conditioning.

Max had returned from his meeting the day before and gleefully informed her of how she’d be spending her day today. She was glad he’d solved one of the hundreds of issues they’d inherited upon his return to Cincinnati, Ohio. Instead of spending time with his ailing father, Max was stuck trying to fix the months of bad decision-making his father’s assistant, Emily, had made.

Emily had no experience running a business and it showed. She’d cut spending in an effort to save the company money, but she hadn’t understood that sometimes you have to spend money in order to make it. Now it was up to Max, and Abby, to get things back on track. If they didn’t, Collins and Baxter Property Management wasn’t going to last much longer.

She glanced at her watch. It was already five minutes after nine and there was no sign of the landscaper.

Her phone buzzed and she dug in her purse to check the message. It was from Max, of course.

Didn’t scare him off, did you? - Max

She rolled her eyes. No. He hasn’t shown up yet. - Abby

He didn’t reply immediately. Don’t worry. He’ll be there. Aunt Lillian says he’s the best landscaper in town. - Max

High praise coming from your aunt. - Abby

I know. Call me tonight? - Max

Sure. - Abby

Sighing, she put her phone back in her purse. When Max told her about his dad and asked for her help, Abby couldn’t say no. Max was her best friend and he’d been there for her more times than she could count over the years.

That didn’t mean she was feeling all warm and fuzzy about being back in her hometown. There were too many memories here. Too many chances of running into someone she knew.

Abby checked her watch again. Ten minutes after nine. Maybe Aunt Lillian had been wrong about this guy of hers.

“Excuse me?”

She looked up at the large figure looming over her. The sun was behind him and she was having trouble seeing his face. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He sounded amused. “Would you happen to be Abigail?”

Right then he moved a little to the right, blocking the sun, and she got a good look at his face. Abby blinked. She had to be seeing things. It couldn’t be—

“Are you all right?” His amusement had turned to concern when she didn’t respond.

Abby stood and attempted to hide her unease. She didn’t need to be at any more of a disadvantage than she already was. “Yes. I’m fine.”

A second later, she saw recognition cross his face. “Abby? Is that you?”

“Hi, Trent.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, but what else could she say?

“Wow. I can’t believe it. When I was told I’d be meeting Abigail, I had no idea it would be you.”

“Yep. It’s me.” She knew what was coming and the last thing she wanted to do was take a trip down memory lane. “And I’m guessing you’re the landscaper.”

“Landscape architect, actually. But my company does everything from design to implementation and maintenance.”

She was impressed, despite everything else that was going through her head at that moment. “Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is. But I love it.”

Standing there, Abby realized how easy it would be to slip into the effortless friendship they’d had before. A part of her longed for that, but she had to remember why that wasn’t a good idea—why she needed to keep her distance. “Word on the street is that you’re the best.”

Trent lifted a single eyebrow and one side of his mouth tilted up. “By the street you mean Mrs. Baxter.”

She couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that escaped. “Max’s aunt thinks highly of you and she doesn’t dole out praise lightly.”

Abby knew that much from personal experience. The first time she’d met Lillian and her husband, Frank, she’d been peppered with questions from the woman. Even though Max had explained that he and Abby were merely friends, Lillian was convinced there had to be more to it. She wanted to make sure her nephew wasn’t having the wool pulled over his eyes.

“You must be talking about another Mrs. Baxter. She’s always been quite pleasant to me.” He was teasing her and it brought back a lot of memories . . . memories she really wanted to keep buried.

“Lucky you.” Abby smiled and picked up the paperwork on all the properties she’d brought with her, trying to ignore the churning in the pit of her stomach. “We have a lot of ground to cover today. Are you ready to get started?”

He motioned toward the parking lot. “Ready when you are.”

They made their way down the walkway to where he’d parked his vehicle—a silver pickup truck. It looked new, but when Abby climbed inside she noticed a few signs of wear on the interior. There were also several notebooks and a stack of papers on the seat between them.

Trent put the key into the ignition, started the engine, and put the vehicle in gear. “Where to first?”

Abby flipped open the folder in her lap. The first property on the list was another office building. It was as good a place to start as any. “Gavin’s Ridge. We’ll start there.”

“Gavin’s Ridge it is.”

He backed out and maneuvered his way through the parking lot and onto the main road. Abby told herself to stay calm. It would be okay. This was Trent. Her childhood friend.

While that was true, a lot had changed since they’d sat on the steps outside his home and played I spy.

She chanced a glance at him before looking away.

Pressing her lips together, she ordered herself to breathe. It would be okay. She’d do her job, he’d do his, and then they’d go their separate ways.

Yeah. Who was she trying to kid? There was no way Trent would leave it at that. Not with their history.

CHAPTER2

Abby.

Trent was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she was standing only a few feet away from him. Seeing her again had been a shock to his system. It had been more than ten years, but she hadn’t changed all that much. Her hair was shorter and she had a few more curves than he remembered, but other than that, she looked the same. That is if you discounted the designer suit she was wearing. The Abby he knew preferred jeans and T-shirts.

“What do you think?” she asked.

He cleared his throat and put thoughts of the past out of his mind. There would be time for that later. “It needs a lot of work. I don’t know who was in charge of the landscaping before, but this is in worse shape than I expected. Some of this over here has seeded already. It’ll need to be removed and new sod put down. The mulch needs to be replaced. And I’m concerned about those trees over there. I’ll have my arborist look at them to be sure, but I think they’re going to have to come down.”

In his head, he was going over the numbers. How long would it take to do what needed to be done based on the number of guys he could spare? As much as he wanted to make this work, he couldn’t sacrifice the needs of his other clients.

Abby walked over to one of the bushes. It was out of control and would need to be cut back considerably. She plucked a leaf off and ran it between her thumb and forefinger. It made him recall sitting in the backyard with her years ago. She used to pick a blade of grass from the lawn and wind it around her finger over and over again.

“Max was devastated when he saw it.” She looked around the property with sadness in her eyes. “His dad never would have let this happen if he’d been well.”

Hearing her talk so casually of her boss made him wonder what kind of relationship they had. Was it purely professional? He knew he shouldn’t care either way, but this was Abby. Even after all the years they’d been apart, he still felt that pull to her. “How long have you worked for Max?”

She glanced over at him then quickly averted her eyes. “About five years.”

He nodded and went back to inspecting the plants. There were so many things he wanted to ask her, like why hadn’t she come back after college, or at least stayed in contact? Trent thought he understood on some level, but it still hurt. They’d been friends. Whatever had happened between her and his brother shouldn’t have affected the friendship she and Trent had.

They were both quiet while Trent made his way around the lawn. He made some notes and sketched a rough layout of the property. It would help him later when he was putting together his proposal.

When he was finished, he and Abby headed back to his truck. They drove to the next property on her list. This one was an apartment complex.

He grabbed his notebook and stepped out of the truck. The first thing he noticed was an overgrown garden trellis. It framed the door leading to the office. He imagined it had once been a thing of beauty. At the moment, it was out of control. Trent couldn’t imagine anyone would be eager to pass under something that looked as if it wanted to swallow a person whole. He was beginning to understand what Maxwell Collins had meant when he said it was costing them business.

After introducing themselves to the office manager, Trent and Abby strolled through the complex of roughly twenty townhouses. It was more of the same—plants that hadn’t been trimmed in months, if not years, and mulch that needed to be replaced. The grass looked as if it had been mowed regularly, at least, but there were quite a few bald spots that would need to be addressed.

Abby followed beside him. If he asked a question, she would answer. Otherwise, she remained silent.

It gave him a lot of time to think of more questions. What had led her to working for Maxwell Collins. When she’d left for college, she’d had plans to become an interior designer. What happened there?

When he was satisfied he had everything documented, they went back to his truck and moved on to the next property. Abby had kept a respectful distance from him all morning. If she’d been a stranger he wouldn’t have thought much of it, but she wasn’t. They’d been best friends, damn it. She could barely look him in the eye.

They finished up at their fourth property around noon. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main highway without asking Abby for the address of their next destination. She didn’t say anything. Trent wasn’t sure if that was because she trusted him or because she’d already guessed he was headed for food.

He drove for about five miles until he saw one of his favorite food trucks. There was already a line.

After finding a place to park on a side street not far away, he turned off the engine, and unbuckled his seat belt.

Abby glanced over at him then at the clock on the dashboard. “I guess we should probably get something to eat.”

“Yep. I’m starving.” He palmed his keys, opened his door, and winked at her. “Wouldn’t want you to wither away, now would we?”

It took a few moments for her to exit the truck and join him on the sidewalk. She held her hand against her forehead like she was trying to shield her eyes from the sun. It created a shadow over her face, but he still noticed the red on her cheeks. He’d made her blush.

Once they had their food, Trent guided her over to one of the picnic tables beneath a pair of trees. It was a decent day even if it was a little on the humid side, but in the shade there was a nice breeze.

Abby sat across from him and started eating her tacos. She scanned their surroundings, looking everywhere but at him.

Trent devoured three of his tacos before he decided he had to say something. “Last time I saw you, you were headed off to college to become an interior designer.”

He let that hang in the air to see if she took the bait.

She sipped her lemonade and shrugged. “Things change. People change.”

“True. But I thought you were pretty perfect before.” He took another bite of his taco and waited.

Abby grinned. “You haven’t changed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Definitely a compliment.” She was quiet for a long moment. “It’s good to see you again, Trent.”

He was tempted to put all his questions on the table, but something told him if he did that she would shut down on him. “Do you know how long you’re going to be in town?”

Abby released a deep breath and met his gaze. “I don’t know. Max has to get his dad’s company back to where it should be before anything can be decided. Plus, there’s his father’s health to consider.”

“And you’ll be here as long as Max is.” It still felt odd calling him Max, but that’s what Abby called him so Trent was going with it.

It wasn’t really a question, but she nodded anyway.

Trent finished his lunch and gathered his trash into a pile. “So for a while, then.”

“Most likely. Max needs someone here with him that he knows will get things done.”

“Which is where you come in.” Trent wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“Max is handling as much as he can from here and his partners back in New York are taking care of anything that has to be done in person.”

“What does Max do exactly? Back in New York, I mean.” Trent knew he was a lawyer, but that was about it. Did the guy defend lowlife criminals, or something more mundane?

“He’s a lawyer. Corporate stuff, mostly. Contracts. Mergers. That sort of thing.”

“And you’re his personal assistant.” He tried not to put too much emphasis on personal, but when she raised her eyebrow at him, he knew he hadn’t succeeded. “Sorry. It’s just that you two seem to have a rather . . . casual relationship.”

She straightened her shoulders and the little vein in her forehead pulsed—a sure sign she was annoyed. “We’re friends.”

“Okay.” He figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to push her.

Abby wiped her hands and got up to throw her trash away. He followed her lead. The walk back to the truck was a quiet one. It was obvious that he’d overstepped.

Trent waited until they arrived at the next property before broaching the subject. He pulled into one of the visitor spots, turned off the engine, and twisted in his seat to face her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t.” Her abrupt response told a different story.

“Well, either way, I am sorry if I put my foot in my mouth. Whatever your relationship is with Maxwell Collins, it’s none of my business.”

She didn’t respond.

Trent sighed, picked up his notes, and climbed out of his truck. Whether he liked it or not, he had work to do.

* * *

Abby sat in the cab of the truck and watched as Trent strolled around the property. It was an office building and she knew it wouldn’t take him long. When she told him she’d wait in the truck he hadn’t argued.

It wasn’t as if this was the first time someone had assumed her relationship with Max was of the intimate variety. They were friends—good friends—but that was all. In a lot of ways, he was like her big brother. There wasn’t anything romantic about it and there never would be.

So why did it bother her so much that Trent insinuated the same thing so many others had? That was simple. Abby actually cared about his opinion of her. She shouldn’t, but it was there all the same.

Forcing herself to get out of the truck, Abby joined Trent along the side of the building. He looked up when he heard her approach.

She stopped several feet away and cleared her throat. “I may have overreacted.”

Trent gave her his full attention. “No. You were right. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business.”

“You’re not the first person to think there’s something going on between me and Max.”

He glanced at his notebook then back at the bush he’d been examining before she’d interrupted him. “That doesn’t make it right.”

Abby was frustrated. She shouldn’t care this much. The Daniels family was part of her past, not her future. When Max got things turned around, he’d appoint a new CEO and the two of them would be on their way back to New York. Rebuilding a friendship with Trent wasn’t smart and her soon-to-be-changing zip code was only one of the many reasons it wasn’t a good idea.

“Can we start over?” she asked. Whether she liked it or not, they were going to have to work together for the foreseeable future.

He’d knelt down beside the bush, but he glanced up at her question.

“Please?”

Trent stood and walked over to her. He extended his hand. “Trent Daniels. Nice to meet you.”

She laughed. “That’s not what I meant.”

He smirked. “I know. But it was too good to resist.”

As they stood there smiling at each other, Abby felt that old connection returning—the one that made her want to spill all her secrets. The thought brought her up short. She pushed past him and focused on the plant he’d been inspecting. “Do you like being your own boss?”

It took him a second to answer. “I do. Gives me freedom to come and go when I need to.”

Abby nodded. Things never used to be this uncomfortable with Trent. He was her rock. The friend she could always count on. Now things were awkward and she knew it was her fault. “I guess I never saw you as the type that would want that kind of responsibility. You were always . . .”

“So laid back?”

“Yeah.”

Trent resumed his inspection of the area, making notes as he went. “I still am. Usually. Most of the hardcore stuff I leave for my office manager, Trinity. She’s a hardass when she wants to be.”

The smile on his face when he talked about his office manager left her feeling irritated. Her reaction didn’t make any sense. She didn’t even know the woman. “I guess that makes you two a good match.”

His cell rang, interrupting their conversation. He dug it out of his pocket and answered the call with a genuine smile on his face. “Hey, Trinity. Not at all. What do you need?”

He walked back toward his truck leaving Abby to stare at his retreating back. She couldn’t hear what they were saying and it bothered her that she wanted to know. They weren’t even friends anymore. Why did she care?

Needing a distraction, she pulled her own phone out and checked her e-mail. There were twenty unopened messages, half of them from Max. It looked as if she’d be working this evening.

“Everything all right?” Abby snapped her head up to see Trent coming toward her.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just checking my e-mail.” She waved her phone at him before shoving it back in her pocket. Then she tilted her head in the direction of the cell he still held in his hand. “You?”

Trent glanced down at it as if he’d completely forgotten it was there. He tucked it in his pocket. “One of my crew went home sick. Nothing out of the ordinary, but Trinity wanted me to know she’d had to move a few things around.”

“The fun of being a boss.” She wanted to ask him more, but knew she shouldn’t.

“Exactly.” He looked around before returning his attention to her. “We have four more places to hit before we can call it a day. You ready to go?”

“Ready when you are.”

It took them another two hours to finish. Trent had pages upon pages of notes. She had no idea what he had in there, but by the sheer volume Abby was guessing things were in worse shape than Max had thought. It wouldn’t matter, of course. Max would do whatever it took to get things fixed for his family.

At five thirty, they returned to where their day had begun. Trent pulled into the same spot and put the truck in park. “Thanks for going with me today. Let Max know I’ll go over my notes and have a proposal to him by Friday.”

“No problem. It was . . . educational.”

He grinned. “Just what a man wants to hear after spending the day with a woman.”

Abby chuckled and reached for the door. The longer she stayed the more she longed for things to be the way they were before. “Have a good night, Trent.”

“Same to you, Abby.”

She walked over to her car and unlocked the door. It didn’t escape her notice that he was still sitting in his truck, probably watching her. His mom used to stand on the front porch and watch her walk home. Even though Abby’s house was only three doors down, Marilyn Daniels would wait until she saw Abby walk through the door to her house before going back inside. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, not with any of the Daniels boys.

Once she was behind the wheel of her vehicle, Abby checked her phone. She had a text from Max.

Call me when you get home. - Max

Abby shook her head. What would she do with all these overprotective men in her life?

That thought made her pause. Trent wasn’t in her life. Not anymore. Today didn’t count. Chances were she wouldn’t see him again after he worked out the contract with Max.

Tears pricked her eyes as she started the vehicle and maneuvered out of the parking lot. She blinked them away. This wasn’t something to cry over. It was for the best. They couldn’t be friends anymore. Too much time had passed. Too much had happened.

It took Abby almost twenty minutes to reach her apartment. Max had offered to let her stay with him at his parents’, but she hadn’t felt right about it, so he’d arranged an apartment for her. His father was dying and she didn’t want to intrude on their family time.

Abby let herself in, turned on the light, and kicked off her shoes. She crossed the living room to her small kitchen. Lunch had been hours ago and she was starving.

She pulled out of the refrigerator some chicken that she’d made the night before, and popped it in the microwave. While she was waiting for her dinner to heat up, she dialed Max.

“Well, how was it?” he asked. It wasn’t unusual for him to forgo a greeting when she called. Max liked to get to the point.

She leaned against the counter and watched as the numbers on the microwave counted down. “Hot. I should have worn something other than a suit.”

He chuckled. “I’ve spoiled you with the air conditioning.”

“Is that what you’re calling it now? Spoiled? Last time I checked, you enjoyed the same benefits of the air conditioning as I do.”

“Yes, but I’m a high-powered lawyer. Perks of the job, you know.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “I saw you sent me enough work to keep me busy for the rest of the evening.”

“Nothing pressing. It should be fine until tomorrow. Take the evening and relax. I’m sure you earned it.”

The microwave beeped, and she took her food over to the table. “That I did. I know we drove by all the properties the other day, Max, but they’re worse than we thought.”

“How so?”

She took a bite of her chicken and made him wait until she’d swallowed for a response. “Some of the properties need all new sod and mulch. And I think some trees might have to come down, too. Trent said he’ll have a proposal to you by Friday, but given all the notes he took and some of the stuff he said, it’s going to be extensive.”

Max was quiet for too long.

“Max? You there?”

“I’m here.” He paused. “Trent, huh? So after spending a day with the guy, you’re on a first name basis? He must have made quite an impression.”

“Oh. Um. Not exactly. We kind of know each other. We grew up together and . . .” And he’s Chris’ brother.

Of course, Max realized she wasn’t telling him everything. “Did he do something, Abby? Do I need to make his life a living hell?”

Abby shook her head and grinned. “No. Not at all. The Daniels family was great to me. Better than I deserved.”

It was then that Max seemed to put two and two together. “Wait a minute. Was his brother . . .”

“Yeah.”

“I see.”

They sat quietly for a long time. She pushed the plate away. Her appetite had completely disappeared.

“Do you want me to find someone else to work with this landscaper? My first choice is you, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Abby. That’s the last thing I want. If I’d known he was—”

“Max, it’s fine. I’m fine. It was a long time ago.” It was a long time ago, but that didn’t stop her from reaching for the charm that dangled from her neck. She closed her eyes and clasped the tiny lamb in her fist.

“That may be, but you aren’t fooling me.”

Abby took a deep breath. “Really. I’m good. Trent is a great guy. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind—”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

After they hung up, Abby took her uneaten chicken and put it back in the refrigerator. What she needed was a glass of wine and a good book. That would get her mind off the past. At least, that’s what she was hoping.

CHAPTER3

Friday morning, Abby sat at her desk outside Max’s office trying to weed her way through the purchase orders she’d found the day before. There were receipts for everything from printer ink to comped lunches. Everything was mixed together without any apparent rhyme or reason. They’d all been stuffed in a boxed underneath the desk.

Abby was so absorbed in what she was doing that when the phone on her desk rang she jumped. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she answered it. “Maxwell Collins’ office.”

“This is Chuck over at the Perimeter Building. We’ve got a problem over here. Mr. Collins said he wanted to be notified personally if—”

“Yes, I’m glad you called,” Abby said. Given how out of control things were at all the properties, Max had wanted the property managers to call his office directly if there was a problem. “What seems to be the issue?”

She jotted down all the information Chuck gave her. For some reason the toilets on the fourth floor weren’t working and nothing he’d done so far had been able to fix them. They were going to need to call a plumber.

As she was hanging up the phone, the elevator dinged. Abby saw two women from their sales department exit. They were deep in conversation and didn’t even bother to look her way as they hurried down the hall in the opposite direction.

Shaking her head, she focused on the task at hand. She needed to call a plumber and get them over to Chuck so the toilets could be fixed. What she didn’t need, which was exactly what she’d been doing since she got there, was to keep an eye out for Trent. He said he’d have the proposal to Max by Friday. He never said he’d be dropping it off personally. For all she knew he would be sending it via courier or having his office manager, Trinity, drop it off. She had to admit she was curious about Trinity, even though she knew she had no right to be.

Ever since he’d dropped Abby off in the parking lot, he hadn’t been far from her thoughts. None of the Daniels family had. Growing up, she’d spent more time with them than she had her own father. They were her lifeline—what she’d clung to when her world had been flipped upside down.

How were they? Were any of his brothers married? Paul had been engaged to Melissa when Abby had gone off to college. Did they get married? Were they still together? She thought she’d read somewhere in the sports pages that Gage had recently gotten hitched—in Vegas if she remembered correctly. It was hard to think of Gage, the baby of the family, all grown up with a wife.

She blew out a breath and started searching the Internet for a plumber, but it didn’t keep her mind from wandering. Trent didn’t wear a ring, and he hadn’t mentioned a wife, so she was pretty sure he wasn’t married. Then again, maybe he was. He was thirty-one years old, one year younger than her, and one of the best guys she’d ever met. Surely he’d found someone he wanted to share his life with by now.

Then there was Chris. She’d tried not to think about him at all, but seeing Trent had brought everything rushing back. As much as she hated to admit it, she was curious. What had happened to him? Had his life turned out how he wanted it to?

What about Marilyn and Mike? They’d been surrogate parents to her, taking care of her when her father couldn’t be there.

Thinking of her dad left a deep ache in her chest. It had been ten years and she still missed him as though it were yesterday. He’d been a good dad. He’d done his best as a single parent after her mom died. She still remembered how they’d go to the range and shoot for hours on his days off. It was their time together and she’d cherished it.

A shadow fell across her desk and she glanced up, blinking the moisture from her eyes. Her pulse raced as Trent stared down at her, looking more handsome than she’d ever seen him. Gone were the casual work clothes he’d worn the last time she’d seen him. Today he wore a dark gray suit and tie. His hair was slicked back, tamed into submission, all except one strand that seemed to want to rebel. It brushed against his forehead, begging to be tucked back into place.

Where had that thought come from?

“Are you okay?” he asked when she continued to stare at him.

She swallowed. “Yeah. Fine. You just—you startled me, that’s all.”

He smiled and her stomach fluttered against her will.

“Looks as if Max is keeping you busy.” Trent nodded to the stack of papers she’d been going through.

She had to get her head on straight and fast. “You could say that. It’s another parting gift from Mr. Collins’ former assistant. I don’t think she had an ounce of organizational skill.”

He peered over her shoulder. “Confetti?”

Abby followed his gaze to the receipt directly on top of the pile. Sure enough, it was for confetti, streamers, and several other party items. Given the date, Abby was guessing the supplies were for Mr. Collins’ birthday. That was only a guess since there was no notation whatsoever saying what the stuff was used for. “Confetti. And just about anything she ordered for the last two years.”

Trent opened his mouth to say something, but they were interrupted when Max came out of his office. “Abby, can you call—”

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Trent.

“Mr. Daniels. I didn’t realize you’d be stopping by today.” To her horror, Max moved to stand a few feet in front of Trent and folded his arms across his chest. There was an air of protectiveness about his stance that Abby didn’t miss.

Apparently, Trent didn’t miss it either. His eyes narrowed a bit as if he was analyzing the new information. That was different. The Trent she remembered would have been too laid back to care. He would have brushed off the posturing and either walked away or continued on, pretending not to notice.

“I told Abby I’d have the proposal ready for you today. I came by to drop it off.” Trent handed the envelope to Max, neither of them adjusting their posture. “You can look it over and let me know if you want to move forward.”

Max opened the envelope. He scanned the information, flipping through the pages.

Trent stood there waiting, seeming completely unaffected by whatever it was Max was playing at. Then again, not even she knew what her boss and friend was doing. He’d always been somewhat protective of her, but this was a little much, even for him.

A few minutes later, Max placed the packet of papers on the corner of her desk, reached for a pen, and swiftly signed his name. He handed the packet back to Trent. “How soon can you get started?”

Trent tucked the papers back inside the envelope. “We can begin on Monday.”

Max held Trent’s gaze and nodded. Then, out of the blue, Max turned his attention to her. “When you’re finished here, I need you to call Phil in accounting and let him know I need to see him in my office ASAP.”

“Sure.”

With a final look in Trent’s direction, Max headed back to his office and shut the door.

Trent raised one eyebrow. “I thought you said you were just friends.”

“We are.” Abby had to admit that Max’s actions had irritated her. They were going to have to have a talk about that. Trent hadn’t done anything to warrant Max’s attitude. “I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

“Maybe he wants to be more than friends. You’re a beautiful woman.”

She felt her cheeks heat. “I don’t think of him in that way.”

“Are you sure he knows that?” The teasing glint in Trent’s eyes eased some of the tension that had been building in her chest.

Abby grinned up at him. “Positive.”

Their gazes held for a long moment before he cleared his throat. “I should get back to the office. Trinity has some paperwork she needs me to go over.”

Abby tried not to analyze why the mention of his office manager irked her.

“I should probably call accounting,” she said, pushing away the feeling.

He grinned and backed toward the elevator. “I’ll see you around.”

She waited until Trent had stepped into the elevator and the doors closed before marching into Max’s office. They needed to talk.

She didn’t bother knocking. He was on the phone. From the sound of it, he was most likely talking to one of his partners back in New York. She leaned against the doorframe and waited.