What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers) Read Free Page B

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