“Yes, I can.” I sat up and gave him a firm look. “And don’t drive him crazy either. He needs to know we’re here for him, but also that you aren’t going to be so overbearing he feels the need to avoid us.”
Eli looked slightly guilty but nodded half-heartedly. “Okay.”
I didn’t believe it for a minute. “I’m serious. It takes him a while to trust and open up. Let him come to you when he’s ready.”
From what he’d said and how he’d phrased things on our date, I thought he understood the odd family dynamics we had at the company. If he did, then he’d eventually come to terms with the way Eli liked tohelpand how to tell Eli to back off.
I also had a feeling he’d figure out how to talk through things with Eli once he was ready.
Eli was an open book and there would be nothing that would shock him. It wouldn’t take Casey long to figure that out. I hoped he’d want to talk to me about things, but if he wasn’t ready for that, then there was no one better to talk to than Eli.
“But you’ve both taken forever.” Eli turned and draped himself over the sides of the chair. “You need a push.”
“Your push after the photo shoot was enough.” I wasn’t going to say that it hadn’t been appreciated, but it also could have gone badly if Casey had still been too shy to confront Eli about being insane. “Just let him know that you’re here if he wants to talk. That’s it.”
Seeing the expression on his face, I gave him another firm look. “And you might want to apologize for whatever you’ve done.”
Eli gave a little shrug and an I’m-so-innocent look I didn’t believe at all. I shook my head and said, “I’ve known you too long to fall for that.”
He grinned, and that time his shrug seemed more honest. “Maybe I’ll text him later.”
“And apologize.”
Eli wouldn’t intentionally chase off someone I was interested in—I knew he wanted me happy—but Casey wasn’t used to anyone like Eli. “He’s reserved. Don’t forget that.”
“Maybe.” Eli’s expression turned thoughtful. “He’s only reserved sometimes. I think that he’s going to—”
“No.” I used a stern voice and interrupted the rabbit trail I knew his brain would start going down. If I heard Lane jump in the hall when my voice startled him, I ignored it. “You are not going to analyze him or figure out how to help him. You’re going to let him figure things out on his own. If he wants to talk, he knows I’m here for him, and I have a feeling he knows howhelpfulyou can be. It’s time to back off.”
Eli huffed but pouted, so I had a feeling I’d gotten through to him. “Now about the photo shoot on Thursday. I’ve had a few requests to move it to Saturday morning. Is that all right with you?”
As Eli started mentally going through his schedule, I glanced over at the door. “Lane, maybe invite him out to dinner or drinks. Just not Wednesday because that’s when he and I are going out again.”
Lane groaned and finally stepped into the doorway. Looking like a kid who’d gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he nodded. “Um, sure.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Don’t let Eli corrupt you.”
The barest hint of a grin tightened the corners of his lips, and he nodded. “I just wanted to make sure Casey was okay. He and I go out, but he doesn’t really…volunteer much.”
They were both so cute.
“Have you?” Some things about Casey were a mystery, but I’d started to figure out a few.
“Um…” Lane’s head tilted and I could see him going back through his conversations with Casey. “Maybe?”
“Well, if you give him more of an opening and hint that it’s okay if he talks to you about things, then maybe he’ll try.” I wasn’t completely sure how Casey would respond, but in the past, whenever I’d shared something that had frustrated me, he’d been sympathetic enough that he’d shared about himself as well. It was entirely possible that this would work the same way.
“Oh.” Lane’s brain started to whirl. “Thanks. I’ll see you later, boss. Bye, Eli.”
Eli popped up out of the chair. “Hey, wait a minute, I want to go to dinner with him too.”
Lord.
As Eli started to dash out of the room, I called after him. “Don’t frustrate Casey! And talk to me tomorrow about your schedule on Saturday morning.”
Eli rounded the corner before coming to a halt. His head poked around the door. “How early?”
It was my turn to groan. “The pups want to play in the morning.”
