Page 8 of Guarding My Love

He’d barely gotten out of his SUV when his baby sister announced that to him on Easter morning.

“Mom was looking for you for thirty minutes on Friday night before she realized you’d left the wedding.”

“She knew I was leaving,” he said. Just because his mother didn’t want him to didn’t mean he was going to listen to her.

Talia snorted. “I heard she stopped you.”

“Guess it didn’t work,” he said, smirking. “What are you doing out here?”

They were in front of West’s Hampton home. As far as he knew, the rest of his siblings stayed in the hotel for the past two days. They were celebrating Easter and then West’s jet would take some of his family back to North Carolina. Other than Rowan, who lived in California, the remaining family was located in Manhattan and would either drive or take a helicopter back home.

“I needed some air,” Talia said.

He laughed. “So I’m not the only one that having so many people around gets to?”

Talia stood up from where she’d been sitting on the front steps. “No,” Talia said. “It’s not the people.”

He moved closer to her. “Then what’s going on?” he asked softly.

“Are you being nice to me?” Talia said. “You’re never nice to anyone other than when you’re working and someone talks to you behind a computer screen.”

He snorted. “Hardly that,” he said. “Are you going to tell me what the problem is or not? If I stand out here too long, Mom will come searching and give me more shit.”

Talia forced a grin. “She’s waiting for you.”

“I know that,” he said. He’d gotten a few texts after not showing up for breakfast with everyone yesterday at the hotel. He’d planned on it. He really had.

But after two cups of coffee, he couldn’t get his feet to leave the house.

When he felt that clawing up his spine, he knew damn well he’d be miserable and it was best to not go and say something he’d regret.

The fact he’d gotten an alert that servers were down on one of West’s newest acquisitions and he had to spend five hours getting it back up gave him a great excuse.

“I feel like a failure,” Talia said quietly.

He put his arm around her. “Grow up and figure your life out and you won’t feel that way.”

“Don’t be like the rest of them,” Talia said, frowning.

“I know you don’t want to hear you need tough love, but you graduated from college almost a year ago and what are you doing?”

“I’m working,” Talia said.

“Making jewelry,” he said. “I know.”

“That’s just a hobby,” Talia said, waving her hand. “You don’t even know what is going on in my life.”

Shit. “What did I miss? What are you doing? If it was something with West, I’d know.”

“It’s not,” Talia said. “Which is why I feel like a failure. I don’t know what I want to do. I’m working for a temp agency and they are placing me in jobs that are three to six months. I thought if I tried a bunch of things, I’d find something I really wanted. It’s not as if I’m sitting home doing nothing.”

“You know, Talia. That’s not a bad idea.”

She turned, her eyes damp. “You think so? No one else does. Or are you just babying me?”

“I think it’s a good idea. You be you and don’t rush it. There isn’t anything wrong with that.”

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Foster. I’m not sure if you’re pacifying me or not, but the fact I feel better is good enough.”

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