Текст книги "Unsung"

Автор книги: Shannon Richard

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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

“Moron,” Liam muttered under his breath.

The twitch in Paul’s mouth curved up into a smile before he turned back to the task at hand, grabbing another piece of the rod to attach. “Lucky for you, huh?”

“Something I find myself thanking God for every day.” Liam cleared his throat, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck. “So you two ever talk about the fact that you didn’t think he was good enough?”

“Yeah we did, a number of conversations in fact. And at the end she always told me she was sure about him. But I always sensed that flicker of doubt. Which was why I kept asking. A year and a half and he never quite proved himself to me. And you know, beginning circumstances being what they were, I wasn’t all that hopeful about you, either. But for my daughter’s sake I was going to give you a chance.”

“And hope that I was smarter?”

“Oh, you proved that long before I met you, Liam. You didn’t walk away from her.”

“I know what it’s like to lose her. To think there’s no chance of getting her back. I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”

“Definitely smarter than Brad.” Paul nodded. “Still didn’t mean you were worthy of her.”

“If you’re waiting for some revelation as to that, I think you will be waiting for a long time. Because honestly? No one will ever be worthy of Harper. I knew it before. Knew it the first time I saw her. Knew I would spend the rest of my life trying to prove myself. And, circumstances being what they are, I understand it even more. No one will be worthy of my daughter, either. Ever.”

“It takes a real man to understand that.” Paul put the rod on the back of his truck before he turned his entire body to face Liam. He folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the hitch. “You know how many times I’ve asked Harper if she was sure about you?”

“How many?”

“Once. The night she told me she was pregnant. When I met you I didn’t need to ask anymore. The first thing I saw was you looking at my daughter like she was your entire world. You want my blessing to marry her? You’ve got it, Liam.” Paul extended his hand out.

Liam was a little taken aback by the last words that Paul had spoken, and it took him a second to get over the shock and reach out, grabbing the proffered hand and shaking it.

“Welcome to the family, son.”

*  *  *

Harper got to her parents’ house just after six o’clock, Darby and Luna greeting her when she walked in as per usual. She’d dropped Lune off before work since she and Liam were going to have a late evening with dinner and everything else.

“Hey guys,” she said, getting down low and scratching both of their heads.

“Harper?” Delilah called out.

“Be there in a second.”

She gave the dogs about another minute of a good rubdown before she straightened and headed for the kitchen. Delilah was at the stove, the cast iron skillet popping with oil.

“Hey, Mom.” Harper came up next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek just as Delilah dropped a dollop of dough in the oil.

“Hey, sweetie.” Delilah leaned into the kiss.

It wasn’t like their relationship had done a complete one-eighty in the last couple of weeks, but they were working on it. It was definitely better than it had been, and her mother had accepted the fact that she was going to be a grandmother.

So Harper had that going for her.

“They back?”

“Yeah, about thirty minutes ago. They’re both getting a shower.”

“Separately I hope,” Harper said as she reached for an already cooked hush puppy.

Delilah turned and looked at her, not impressed with the joke.

“I know, I know. I did not get my sense of humor from you.” She grinned before she took a bite.

“Clearly you did not. It’s definitely from your father.”

“Has to be.”

“Mmm hmm.” She nodded as she dropped another dollop into the oil. “Hey, your father and I pulled a few things for Baby Girl from the attic yesterday. We put it in the room with all of the other stuff.”

Baby Girl. God, they were having a little girl. Every time she thought about that fact the most perfect, indescribable flutter ran through her belly. Though there were quite a few flutters lately. Baby Girl was moving around. Nothing drastic as of yet. No kicking hard enough for Liam to feel.

Harper knew how anxious he was for that moment to happen.

“Baby Girl?” Harper had to ask, as this was the first time her mother had addressed the baby with that moniker, and Harper would be lying if she said she didn’t love it. “That’s what we’re referring to her as now?” Harper turned, popping the last of the hush puppy in her mouth as she leaned back against the counter to get a perfect view of her mother’s face.

“Until you and that man of yours figure out a name.”

“That man of mine?” Those words sounded kind of perfect coming out of her mouth, and yes all evidence pointed to the fact that he was her man, but…but sometimes minds changed.

Where the hell had that come from? Harper was more than slightly shocked by that last thought, and it caused a painful pang in her chest.

She was just being ridiculous. It was just another small moment of insecurity. She shook it off and focused on her mother again.

“Yes.” Delilah’s face came up and focused on her daughter. No joking in her gaze to be found. “That man of yours. Anyone who writes a song about you has to be your man. Right?”

Right…the song. “I sure hope so,” Harper agreed. Actually those words were more like a prayer.

“It’s a good song you know. And it’s doing pretty well from what I’ve gathered.”

“It is.” She nodded still a little distracted, but then her mother’s words resonated. “Where are you gathering this?”

“The Google,” Delilah said entirely straight faced.

It took everything in Harper not to laugh. “The Google? Really?”

“Yeah, I know how to look things up. You know, not only is he talented, but he’s very photogenic. Not very many people look as good in pictures as they do in real life. He’s got fantastic genes.”

“He does. Good thing he’s the man I’m breeding with.” The smile that turned up her mouth was genuine…her small moment of crazy pushed to the back of her mind.

“This is true. At least you have excellent taste in attractive men. That you get from me.” Delilah looked over and grinned.

“I sure did. Can I go up and see what you pulled from the attic?”

“Go for it.”

“Thanks.” Harper leaned in and placed another kiss on her mother’s cheek before she turned and headed for the backstairs at the side of the kitchen.

The “storage room” was actually Harper’s old bedroom. It was the very last room at the end of the hallway, right across from the bathroom. The door was shut and the fan was going. She wondered if Liam was still naked behind that door. Drying off after he got out of the shower. For just a second she was tempted to knock and walk in there.

No. Stop it right this very second. You are in your parents’ house. Your. Parents’. House. No no no.

Holy hell, five minutes ago she’d been contemplating the idea that Liam might leave her…and now she wanted to jump him. Sometimes she wondered if it was the pregnancy hormones that were making her crazy or if she was just crazy.

It’s the pregnancy, she reassured herself as she veered off and headed to the left.

The door was partially cracked and when she stepped inside her old bedroom her eyes landed on exactly what her parents had pulled from the attic. Her heart flew up into her throat and that flutter ran through her belly again.

It was the antique cradle that she’d been rocked in as a baby, the very same cradle that her mother and aunt had been rocked in as well. The light brown wood was still in pristine condition even after fifty plus years.

She took a step forward, reaching out and running her fingers across the side, tracing the detailed woodwork. Lilies had been carved into the wood, wrapping around the entirety of the piece of furniture.

The corner of her eyes prickled, and when she blinked the tears fell down her cheeks.

The bathroom door behind her opened and she turned, looking over her shoulder as Liam stepped out, steam making a haze behind him. His hair was wet, a slight curl in the strands that hung low across his forehead.

“Hey,” she sniffed, reaching up and wiping her fingers across her cheek.

“What’s wrong?” He was across the hall and reaching for her within seconds.

“Nothing.” She shook her head, more tears falling with the motion.

“Then why are you crying?” Now he was the one reaching up, his thumb wiping away the fresh tears that tracked down her face.

“This.” She turned, her hand on the wood again as she traced the flowers. “My parents pulled it down from the attic. It was made in Italy, one of the few things my grandparents had shipped over when they moved to the States. Nonna Sofia loved lilies so Papa Jack had it made for her.”

“Sofia,” Liam said slowly, rolling the name on his tongue. He reached out for the cradle, too, his fingers right next to her and tracing the flowers on the wood. “What about Sofia Lillian?”

They looked at each other at the same time. A smile was turning up the corner of his mouth as his free hand went to her stomach, his palm flat on her belly.

“That’s it.” She grinned back at him, her hand covering his. “That’s her name.”

Liam leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers. “We just named our daughter,” he whispered against her lips. And then he was kneeling down in front of Harper, both of his hands on her belly as he leaned in. “We just named you. What do you think about Sofia Lillian?” he asked.

It was at that moment that it happened, a small pop hit the side of her belly. Liam looked up at Harper, his eyes going huge. “Did that just happen? Did she just kick my hand?”

Harper could only nod, the look of sheer joy on Liam’s face making her momentarily speechless.

His gaze dropped down again. “You like your name, Sofia Lillian?” he asked as another kick hit his hand. “It’s amazing.” He shook his head before he leaned in and pressed his lips to the spot. “God, this is incredible.”

And this time it was a sniff from the doorway that filled the room. Harper and Liam both looked over at the same time to see her mother standing there, tears falling from her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath like she was trying to compose herself. “I came up to see what you thought about the cradle. I…I didn’t mean to…to interrupt. You’re going to name her after my mother?”

“Is that okay?” Harper asked.

“It’s more than okay.” Delilah nodded, her bottom lip quivering.

Liam got to his feet again. “You want to feel your granddaughter move?”

The question was barely out of his mouth before Delilah was moving across the room. Liam grabbed her hand, placing it over the spot that Sofia had been kicking. It took a moment before another pop hit the side of Harper’s abdomen.

Delilah looked up at Harper, the delight in her eyes exuberant. “Sofia Lillian. It’s a beautiful name.”

“Liam figured it out.” Harper grinned at him.

“I’m glad you like it, Mrs. Laurence.”

Her eyes moved from Harper’s face to Liam’s, and she shook her head. “Delilah.” She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. “You should call me Delilah from here on out.”

Well, apparently Harper was covering the full range of emotions today. And as she hadn’t been prepared for any of this, it took everything in her not to lose it right then and there.

Chapter Twenty How to Burst a Bubble In Under a Minute

As Harper was going to be heading up to Nashville with Liam for a few days, she was fitting in as many clients who wanted to schedule a massage before she left town. Her last one wasn’t going to finish up until after nine on Wednesday night, so Liam went to the Sleepy Sheep to grab a beer.

Finn was working behind the bar that evening. The man might be a full-time veterinarian, but he still put in a few hours at his family’s bar every once in a while. Ever since Shep started brewing beer in mass quantities, his nights at the bar had been cut down. And it was still an important feature to have a Shepherd presence at the place as much as possible. According to Harper, the Sleepy Sheep was an institution in Mirabelle.

Tripp and Bennett were at the bar, too, though the two of them were getting a drink as opposed to working it.

“You flying solo tonight?” Bennett asked as Liam took a seat next to him.

“Yup, Harper is working late. What about you? Where is your lady love?”

“Over there.” Bennett pointed to a booth in the corner where Mel, Grace, and Beth were all giggling over their glasses of wine. “She’s having a girl’s night. Beth needed to get out, Mel is taking advantage of her last few late nights before school starts again, and Grace is enjoying an evening while Jax is on baby duty. I get to drive them all home when they’ve had enough. I think they are working on their second bottle now.”

“Almost finished with it, too.” Finn nodded as he slid a beer down in front of Liam. “Should make for an interesting night when you get home with your wife.”

“It should.” Bennett grinned hugely.

Liam couldn’t wait for the day that he could say that: home to his wife.

Soon and very soon, at least he hoped. Prayed. He’d gotten more than just Paul’s approval in regards to asking Harper to marry him. After dinner, he’d been helping Delilah dry the dishes at the sink when he’d asked her as well.

She’d reached over and grabbed his hand, much like she had earlier in the evening. “Paul already told me about what the two of you discussed.” She’d grinned up at him. “You have my blessing, too, Liam.”

Now he just needed to figure out how to ask Harper. He wanted it to be special…memorable.

“What was your big gesture?” he blurted out, turning to Bennett next to him.

“What?” Bennett’s eyebrows pulled together over his eyes.

“With Mel. The big gesture to get her to marry you?”

“Oh.” Dawning recognition overtook his face. “You’re going to ask Harper.”

“Yeah, and it should go without saying that this conversation is embargoed.”

“Obviously.” Bennett nodded.

“Dammit.” Finn’s hand hit the counter, making Liam jump. “Shep is probably going to win the bet. He had his money on the end of August as to when you were going to propose.”

“You guys made a bet?” Liam asked.

“Yeah.” Tripp nodded. “I forget how many of us were in the pool, but the winner gets over four hundred dollars at this point. Your brother and sister are in on it. Abby too.”

“Seriously? When did this happen?”

“Fourth of July,” Bennett answered before he took a sip of his beer. “So you wanted to know about grand gestures?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t really have one in asking Mel to marry me. I kind of messed up a couple things at the end there, spectacularly so, and pushed her away. When I realized she was it for me? That she was the home I’d been looking for? Well, all I knew was I had to get her back. She was the future that I wanted, so I proposed and hoped to God that she forgave me.”

“I see that she did.”

“Yeah, I’m one lucky son-of-a-bitch.” Bennett’s eyes moved over to his wife again, and the undying adoration for her was beyond clear.

“His grand gesture was before he even figured out that he was in love with her,” Tripp interjected.

“How in the world does that work?”

“I helped her with a project at the school. Building bookcases for the library with her students.”

“Jax was the same way with Grace. He built her a house,” Tripp said. “A house that a lot of us helped out with in the making. Took months to do, too. A lot of planning. And for most of it Jax wasn’t even dating her.”

Bennett laughed. “He was running in the opposite direction actually. The guy was a little stubborn in the beginning. Refused to accept reality.”

“A little bit like you?” Liam looked at Bennett.

“A little bit like me.”

Well, that most definitely hadn’t been a problem for Liam. He knew exactly what he wanted.

“What about Shep?” Liam asked.

“He was going to give it all up. Move to New York to be with Hannah. Turned out she didn’t want to go back to New York as much as she wanted to stay here with him. The inn was the home she wanted.”

“And Brendan?”

“Ahh, Brendan is a special case.” Bennett shifted on the stool, resting his elbows on the bar. “He was pretty much all in the second he met Paige. It was more a bunch of little gestures like getting her a job and asking her to move in. She wasn’t set on staying here until Brendan made her feel like she’d found home again.”

“I have a question.” Finn raised his eyebrows high over his thick black-framed glasses. “Where is home going to be for the two of you? You and Harper going to settle down here, or is she going to move up to Nashville?”

“Nashville isn’t really home to me, and I wouldn’t want to take Harper out of hers. I think staying here is the better option. So as to where we are going to settle down? Well I hope it’s here.”

“You hope?” Tripp was now raising his eyebrows, too.

“We haven’t exactly talked about it in depth.”

“Maybe you should.” Bennett frowned. “Time is ticking, my friend. That baby of yours is going to be here before you know it.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I have a question, too.” Tripp leaned forward. Bennett was sitting in between them so he was trying to get a better view. “How is it that you are asking about big, grand gestures? Isn’t there a song currently on the radio that’s about Harper?”

“Yeah. If that isn’t big and grand enough, then he and I are screwed when it comes to finally settling down.” Finn nodded at Tripp.

“I think a case could already be made for us being screwed in settling down,” Tripp said as he finished the last of his beer. “Pretty sure it’s the bachelor life for me.”

“At least you won’t be alone now,” Finn said, and grabbed the empty glass before he got a clean one and poured Tripp another beer. “You’ve got Duke to keep you company.”

“Duke?”

“As in The Duke. And that dog is a menace.” He glared at Finn. “A small bear is more like it. There is no way in hell I’m getting my deposit back when I move, either. He chewed through a door. A door.”

Finn grinned as he passed Tripp the fresh beer. “Hey, I told you he needed space to move around. Frankie is doing just fine settling into my house. She hasn’t chewed through any doors.”

“Yeah, well you got the puppy that wasn’t a neurotic basket case.”

Finn turned to Liam in way of explanation. “Tripp found two puppies a couple of months ago. They were abandoned at the fire station. He adopted the male. I adopted the female. He’s having some difficulties.”

“Apparently,” Liam agreed.

“At least he’s doing better than he was.” Tripp took a sip of his beer before he set it back down on the bar. “When I brought him home he was scared of everything. Would run and hide at the drop of a hat. It’s a small wonder the thunderstorms didn’t give him a heart attack.”

“Yeah, well give him a yard and he will be doing even better,” Finn said.

“I’m working on it. House hunting isn’t going very well. I’m going again tomorrow.”

“See, Tripp, you are capable of the big grand gesture. It’s just for a dog as opposed to a woman.”

“Here’s a big grand gesture, asshole,” Tripp grumbled, and flipped Finn off.

“Maybe you should go with him.” Bennett turned to Liam. “You want to settle down here. So show Harper that you’re all in. Show her what you want. Show her that you’re ready for this.”

“I am.” He had been from the start.

“Okay.” Bennett nodded. “Then prove it.”

*  *  *

Liam spent the majority of the next day going from house to house with Tripp and Tammy, the real estate agent he’d hired. They looked all over town at more properties than he could even remember. Some out in the middle of nowhere that were surrounded by acres of land and cattle, with the closest neighbor miles away. Others were more centrally located, some nicer neighborhoods that were slowly growing and had more of a family feel. And there were a number of homes on the water, some scattered across the coast and others on Whiskey River.

Harper had made comments before about how much she loved living on the beach, so those were the ones that he paid especially close attention to. And when they walked into the last place he knew he’d found the one.

It stood on the typical pylons that were the foundation for the majority of the houses on the water. The house itself was two stories high, five bedrooms, three and a half baths, a newly remodeled kitchen, and a massive sunk-in living room that looked out to the water. And it wasn’t the only room that had a spectacular view, because the master bedroom had floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that led out to the wraparound porch. They’d be able to watch the sunrise from their bed if they placed it just so.

He wanted it.

The problem? Someone had already put an offer in on the house. So he did what he needed to do. He put in an offer as well…which was slightly stress inducing considering he hadn’t talked to Harper about it, nor had she seen it yet.

But it was the one…and he really wanted it. Had to have it.

There were certain perks to not being a struggling artist anymore. He had more than enough money in the bank that he didn’t need to worry about getting pre-approved for a loan. What he did need to worry about was if he got the house. It was an integral part of the plan.

Another part of the plan was trying to keep it a surprise. But keeping anything from Harper had proved to be a failure for him. He just needed to figure out how to work around it if she asked him for a play-by-play of his day.

She didn’t get home until after ten o’clock that night, and the second she walked in the door she collapsed on the sofa and put her feet in Liam’s lap.

He started to rub her arches with his thumbs, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her moan long and loud.

“Yessss. God. Right there. Please don’t stop.” Her head was thrown back against a pillow, her eyes closed as she melted into the sofa cushions.

“Honey, you keep talking like that and you are going to be getting an entirely different sort of massage.” Obviously sex would be a more than fun way to distract her from conversations.

Harper cracked an eye and looked at him. “I don’t know how good it will be. I think I’m about two seconds from passing out. An extended weekend sounds like the greatest thing ever.” Her eye fell closed again as she pulled her arms up and over her head in a good stretch. The movement caused her shirt to pull up and expose her baby bump.

“That so?” He increased the pressure, moving to the ball of her foot.

Her back arched up and she moaned again. Yeah, he wasn’t sure how he was going to get through this.

“Barely had a second to sit down let alone take a break. My feet hate me…but you are pacifying their sensibilities now.”

“Oh, am I?” He speared his fingers between her toes, stretching them just so.

“Yessss.” She moaned the word again. “You are. Even talking is exhausting, so tell me about your day. How was dinner with Dale and Hamilton?”

Her follow-up saved him.

After house hunting, Tripp and Liam had gone to get burgers with the boys. As Liam wouldn’t be back in Mirabelle for a couple of weeks, they’d asked if he would hang out with them before he left.

He relayed that part of the day, concentrating on massaging Harper’s feet and hoping she didn’t ask anything else. But he realized his worry was for nothing as she was now breathing slow and steady from her side of the sofa.

She was asleep.

*  *  *

Their flight out of Tallahassee left just before noon the following morning. Harper hadn’t packed anything so she’d had to get up early to get all of her things in order. As it took Liam about ten minutes to get his stuff together, he went for a run.

And then came back all hot and sweaty…which made her get all hot and sweaty. That was just par for the course really. He’d always had that effect on her…from the very start.

There was a nervous anticipation coursing through her from the second she’d woken up, and when she walked into the cabin late that afternoon she knew why. They were returning to the place where it all began.

But as the second they walked in the door she had to go and get changed and freshen up from the flight, she didn’t have all that much time to dwell on it.

Since Harper hadn’t seen her aunt in months, nor had Liam met Celeste, she was pretty excited about the evening. Reed, Celeste’s boyfriend, had made a reservation at Bourbon and Brine, one of the hottest spots in town. It was just after seven when they arrived at the restaurant, and the place was packed with people lingering around the hostess station waiting for a table to become available.

A group of people moved to the side and an excited exclamation of “Harper!” filled her ears. Celeste navigated over to her, Reed following close behind.

“Hello, my sweet niece,” she said as she pulled Harper into an embrace.

“Hello, my wonderful aunt.” Harper hugged her back, so ridiculously happy to see her.

“Let me see you.” Celeste’s hands slid to Harper’s forearms as she took a step back and did a once-over. “You look wonderful. You feeling okay?” Her voice dropped low on the last question so that it would be hard for the crowd around them to hear.

“Yeah. Everyone is doing very well.” Harper’s hand went to her belly immediately.

“That’s what I like to hear,” she beamed, letting go before her eyes moved to Liam. “And you’re him, huh? The man who has fallen in love with my niece?”

“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t have a chance from the second I met her.”

“I like you already. And it’s Celeste. None of this ma’am nonsense.” She winked at him before introducing him to Reed.

The hostess came up to them, menus in hand, and led them to their table. Liam walked behind Harper, his hand on the small of her back as they made their way through the room. Her eyes caught on a couple of the plates, the delicious smells filling her nose.

Good Lord she was already starving. She wanted to order everything she saw. And when she sat down and looked at the menu, she was even more confused.

“What are you going to get?” Liam asked, leaning in close to her.

“Well, the pan-seared filet with the mushroom bacon risotto sounds amazing. But then so do the pork chops in the cherry wine reduction with the asparagus soufflé.”

“You just want to share? Both of those sound good to me.”

“This is why you’re my favorite.” She grinned as she folded her menu.

The meal was perfection. Per-fec-tion. And by the time they were done eating and talking, Harper was so full it would be a wonder if she could walk out of there…especially after the caramel crème brûlée.

But she somehow managed.

After dinner they said good-bye to Celeste and Reed at the door. They were taking advantage of their evening out. While Harper was ready to crash, Celeste was ready to party.

“Reed is taking me dancing,” she said as she shimmied. “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Liam had gotten three tickets for the concert he was performing at a club in downtown Nashville. It was a smaller venue than the arenas he’d been opening in, but he was the headliner for this one.

“Tomorrow.” Harper nodded as she hugged her aunt and then Reed.

When they walked outside, the hot summer air was still a tad bit stifling, and the crowd outside was making Harper a little claustrophobic. The two guys manning the valet station were having trouble keeping up with the current rush.

Liam braved the crowd while Harper stood off to the side. A group of women—all dressed to the nines—moved to make way for him. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea.

When he walked past, the brunette in the purple stilettos leaned over and whispered into the ear of the blond in the hot pink romper.

“Nuh-uh.” Romper’s mouth dropped open as her head whipped back around to get another look at Liam. But while she was getting another look, Stilettos was telling the other girls in the group.

Before Harper even knew it, three of the five women had pulled out their phones and were blatantly snapping pictures of Liam. At least one of them tried to make it look like she was taking a selfie.

A possessiveness that was still very much new to Harper took over. She wanted to reach over and throw every one of those damn phones on the ground and stomp on them with her heels.

Romper caught Harper’s eye, which she was doing her damnedest to not let turn into a death glare.

“That’s Liam James,” she whispered to Harper in explanation.

“I know.” Harper nodded. “What do you think his girlfriend is going to make of the fact that you guys were just taking pictures of his ass?”

“Who cares? He’s hot.” The blond with the bob shrugged as she touched up her bright red cherry lips, pouting them as she looked into the mirror of her compact.

“Isn’t he dating Kiki Jean Carlow?” The redhead in the skintight black dress looked around. “You think she’s here?”

“Nah.” Cherry lips shook her head. “She’d be surrounded by people fawning all over her. But more is the better for me. I’m going to get him to take me home with him.”

Oh, look at how quickly that had all morphed into a boiling rage coursing through Harper’s veins.

“And what makes you think you’re the one he’s going to want to go home with?” Stilettos fluffed her hair as she pulled the top of her dress down more than just a little bit.

“It’s obvious. He prefers blonds.” Cherry smacked her lips together as she closed her little compact and tossed it, along with her lipstick, into her purse.

“Harper, honey,” Liam called, pulling her gaze away from the women. He was waiting just on the other side of the stand, holding out his hand for her. “They’re pulling the car around now.”

The group of girls all openly gaped at Harper, and as she walked by Cherry she couldn’t help herself. “Actually, he doesn’t prefer blonds and he’s going to be taking me home tonight.”

Liam’s eyes narrowed, studying her face as her hand slid into his. “What was that about?”

“Nothing, I just told her I liked her hair.” The lie might’ve fallen easily from her lips, but it felt wrong. All wrong.

He took a step forward, his free hand going to her face. “You sure?”

“Yes.” She nodded, forcing a smile as she leaned in and kissed him.

But even the taste of his lips couldn’t take away the bitterness in Harper’s mouth.