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may be tough, but he must let you take a break now and then.”
    “What makes you think I’d want to waste my break talking to you?”
    “I figure since we’re going to be working together, we should figure out a way to get along.”
    Getting along with him was the last thing Indie wanted to do, but she couldn’t afford to lose her job. “You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. That should work.”
    He shook his head. “I’ve encountered a lot of stubborn people in my life, but, lady, you top the list.”
    Ignoring the irritation coursing through her, Indie took a deep breath. “Now that we’ve established that I’m stubborn, and therefore unlikely to change my mind about you, you’re free to leave.”
    “I know you care about my brother and his wife. So do I. Surely we can agree about that?”
    “You care about Cassidy?” Indie nearly bit her tongue. She was venturing into dangerous territory. She was crazy to bait her boss’s brother about such an intensely personal issue, in their workplace no less.
    “Of course I care about Cassidy. She’s family,” he said, frowning. “Why would you question that?”
    “No reason.” Indie was grateful when Drake tapped on her door, interrupting her lame attempt to extract herself from the uncomfortable conversation. “Hey, Drake.” She infused her voice with false enthusiasm. “Come in.”
    Drake looked confused. “Lee, I didn’t know you were here.”
    “I was just on my way to your office,” Lee said, leaning forward. “But I thought I’d have a little chat with Indie first.”
    “About?” Drake asked.
    “Now that I’m going to be working here, I thought we should try to get along.”
    Indie was sure Lee was about to tell his brother that she was determined to make his life miserable. “I—”
    “I think we’ve worked things out,” Lee said before she could defend herself. “Don’t you, Indie?”
    Surprised by his attempt to extend an olive branch, she merely nodded.
    “Good,” Drake said, seeming satisfied. “I’m glad to hear you two have buried the hatchet. And I’m happier than hell that you’re accepting my offer. It’s gonna be great, us working together full time. Just like we’d always planned.”
    Indie felt like an intruder. As much as she disliked Lee, she didn’t want to diminish Drake’s excitement, so she stood. “Excuse me, I have a meeting. Y’all can use my office for as long as you want.”
    “Thanks, Indie,” Drake said, touching her shoulder as she walked past. “I mean… for everything. I know it’s not easy for you to back down, but the fact that you’re willing to give my brother the benefit of the doubt means a lot to me.”
    Indie stole a glance at Lee. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt. In spite of his faults, he clearly didn’t enjoy deceiving his brother any more than she did. “I’ll talk to you later, Drake. Lee.” She nodded in his direction as she backed out of the room.
     
    ***
     
    Lee realized his eyes were still fixed on the closed door when his brother said, “I’m happy y’all have decided to make nice, but I meant what I said before, Lee. I don’t want you dating any of the women on my staff. I can’t afford to lose Indie if you…”
    “If I what?”
    Drake sat next to his brother. He took the time to choose his words carefully, which was unusual for him. “You have a lousy track record with women. Since your divorce, you’ve been…”
    “A bit of a mess?” Lee smiled to let Drake know he wasn’t offended. His brother was right. He’d dated quite a few women since he left Katie, and all of them would make his mama frown down on him from Heaven.
    “Something like that.” Drake chuckled. “I didn’t wanna say anything, but what gives? These girls we’ve seen you with, they’re…”
    “Young? Beautiful?”
    “Yeah, but they’re not really stepmom material.”
    “Exactly.” Lee had been choosing women who were looking for a good time, not a