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Is he flirting?

He shouldn’t flirt.

What do I say back? I suck in a breath.

Do I⁠—

“Oh, that smile’s new,” Layla, my niece, says as she walks into my office.

“What?” I ask, completely caught off guard.

“I said, that smile is new for you. Who are you texting? Your new fiancé?”

My gaze finds hers, and guilt hits me.

I’m lying to everyone, including my niece. For some reason, I hate this part the most.

She’s fourteen now, and smarter than all the Richfords combined. If anyone is going to catch me in a lie, it’ll be her.

“Oh, I’m just ... um.”

Well, this is going well.

“Texting things to your fiancé that my dad would scold you for sharing with me?” she offers.

I nod quickly.

“Exactly.”

She smirks. “Okay. Sure. I need a favor.”

“Anything,” I say, setting my phone face down, grateful for the change of subject.

“Can I come with you to your book club tonight?”

“Anything but that,” I say and shake my head. She knows the type of books the girls and I read. Layla is a reader, and I don’t think her e-reader has restrictions, so she might be reading them, too. But as long as I don’t ask, I won’t know.

“But I read the book you guys chose last week.”

Damn it. Maybe I need to tell her dad to put a restriction on it. But then he’ll want to know how I know all this.

“Layla!” I scold, and she grins.

“It was sooooo good.”

I groan, but then I’m nodding. “Right? It might be one of my favorite grumpy-sunshine books to date.”

“Which is why I want to come with you tonight. Who am I going to talk to about this?”

“Your friends.”

She groans.

“They aren’t as fun to gush over it with, and they don’t process it the way I do. They would be all oh, I want him to do that to me next time my parents aren’t home, while I’m over here thinking how can I find a boyfriend who would like to build me a bookshelf the way this guy did, and then read books together.”

My mouth hangs open.

She’s so honest.