Even now her fingers itched to reach out and touch him, to prove that he was here before her, not just a visitor to her unwanted dreams and fantasies, as he’d been so many times in the past decade.
She ran a self-conscious hand through her own hair, several weeks past due for a trim and years from her last professional highlight. Her shoulders inched a little straighter. Pride was one of the few things so many years of struggling hadn’t taken from Natalie. As the only weapon left in her arsenal, she would use it without apology.
Before she could reply, Austin scooted off the bed to stand next to her. “My mom is Miss Ruth’s nurse,” he said, his small chin jutting forward. “She’s really good at it. Miss Ruth needs us.”
For better or worse, Austin had inherited both her pride and her stubborn nature. He was unfailingly protective of her and didn’t even blink under Liam’s scrutiny. She imagined grown men in boardrooms cowering before that stare, but not her beautiful boy. She gave him a small squeeze.
“I’m sure Ruth is happy to have you here, Liam.”
He gave the barest hint of a nod as he continued to study her son.
“Austin, sweetie, why don’t you finish the story with Miss Ruth while Liam helps me with breakfast?”
“That’s a great idea,” Ruth piped in behind them. “Happy reunions always make me hungry.”
Natalie threw Ruth a look over her shoulder and the older woman winked.
“I can help, Mom. I’m good at making coffee.”
“That you are, big guy.” She bent down to kiss his cheek, then whispered in his ear, “Miss Ruth needs you more this morning. Liam and I can handle breakfast. We’re fine.”
Clearly reluctant, Austin narrowed his eyes at Liam before turning to climb back on the bed.
Liam held out his arm, indicating that Natalie should lead him to the kitchen. She tried to hold her breath as she walked by him, but his scent twined through her senses as if by osmosis. He’d changed something in the years since she’d known him, his soap or shampoo maybe. But underneath remained a trace of something that was all Liam, clean and a little spicy. Unfortunately, parts of her that didn’t involve her brain had an immediate reaction to him. She reached out for the wall to steady herself.
“Cute kid,” Liam mumbled as she passed him.
Her temper quickly roared to life. “He’s an amazing kid. We’re a team.”
“What about Brad?” he asked as he followed her through the house.
She cringed at the mention of her ex-husband. “He’s not part of Austin’s life. He left Crimson and never looked back.” Not exactly the whole truth, but as much as she was willing to share with Liam Donovan. For good measure she added, “I seem to have that effect on men.”
When she glanced back Liam was frowning.
“You have no idea the effect you have on men, Natalie. You never did.”
Oh. Well. She didn’t know how to take that.
She moved to the refrigerator as a distraction and took out a carton of eggs, cheese and juice. “What are you doing back in Crimson? Ruth’s hip is healing just fine. In another week or so, she should be cleared to drive again. I don’t believe you’re here to see to her welfare.”
“She practically raised me until I was eleven. I love that woman.”
She rolled her eyes as she put a pan on the stove, then began to crack eggs into a small mixing bowl. “I know. And she thinks the sun rises and sets by you. It doesn’t answer the question.”
“I’m here to see to her welfare.” As he stepped closer to her, Natalie worked to keep her fingers from trembling. He handed her an egg and she took it, making sure not to touch him in the process.
She could feel him watching her but kept her attention focused on the task in front of her.
“I believe someone is stealing money from my former nanny,” Liam said after a moment. Her gazed crashed into his as he continued, “I’m wondering if it might be you.”
* * *
Liam wasn’t sure how he wanted Natalie to react to his little bombshell. He’d said it more for the shock value because he wanted her as off balance as he felt. A part of him expected her to throw a fit or crack an egg over his head as she screamed out her denial. Instead, she placed the egg on the counter as she went brittly still.
“Is that really what you think of me?” she asked, her gaze flaring as she watched him.
No, never, a voice inside him wanted to argue. I think you are still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
Even the ratty sweatshirt she wore couldn’t cover Nat’s perfect figure. Her dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail was still shiny and looked as soft as he remembered from years ago. She wore no makeup, but he’d always preferred her that way. Unlike when they were in high school, she now had faint circles under those big melted chocolate eyes that told him something was keeping her awake at night. Liam found himself wanting to know what it was and figure out a way to fix her troubles.
But that wasn’t what this trip was about. Natalie had made her choice years ago. She’d picked this town over him. He wasn’t about to come crawling back to her.
“I don’t know what to think, Nat. You came to work for her and two months later almost ten thousand dollars is missing from her account.”
“Did you ask her about it?”
“Of course I did. I called her when the accountant alerted me. She told me to mind my own business.”
“Which wasn’t an option for you?”
“She’s a strong woman, but not as strong as she once was, either mentally or physically. You’re her nurse so you must see that she’s frail. I won’t let someone take advantage of her.”
“I would never do that.”
“But you haven’t denied taking the money and you’ve let her return to the house when I arranged for assisted living.”
She looked up at him now, her brown eyes blazing. “I didn’t steal anything, Liam.”
Her voice was quiet but lethal. Liam realized he’d misread her stillness. He thought it might be masking guilt, but now he saw she was reining in her anger. Anger that he would accuse her of something so awful.
“I’m sorry, Natalie. The way the accountant spoke it was too much of a coincidence to ignore. You started working for her and soon after money goes missing from her savings account.”
“Does she know you’re monitoring her finances?”
Liam blew out a breath. “She does now.” He watched as she put two bagels in the toaster, then poured the egg mixture into the heated pan. “She’s mad as all get out.”
“Do you blame her?”
“I want to keep her safe. People know I’ve settled money on her and that she barely touches it. I would have expected someone to take advantage of her long before this. That’s why I keep track of things.”
“All signs to the contrary in your life, you can’t always bully or manipulate people into doing what you want. Ruth can make her own decisions about her savings.”
“Trust me, I know very well that not everyone bends to my will just because I want them to.” He thought of a night long ago when Natalie had made him believe his heart was breaking in half. “But why is she acting like she doesn’t know what I’m talking about? Why isn’t she the least bit concerned the money is gone? That’s not like her. She’s hiding something. Maybe it’s not that someone is stealing from her. But there’s more to what’s going on. I’m going to find out what it is.”
He saw her fingers tighten around the handle of the pan. “Either way, I’m sure Ruth will be glad to see you. If you want to use the guest bedrooms upstairs, Austin and I can move out.”
“Natalie.” He placed his fingers on her shoulder. His chest took a direct hit as she flinched at the contact. “Kicking you out or waging some kind of war with you was never my intention.”
She took a stack of plates from the cupboard, her sweatshirt rising above the waistband of her pants as she reached for a high shelf. His mind went blank for a moment at the sight of
the creamy strip of skin across her lower back and the small birthmark that peeked out from her hip. Memories flooded back to him, along with a rush of heat to the lower half of his body.
“You accused me of stealing from a woman we both love. How is that not waging war?”
He shook his head to bring himself back to the present. “I had to be sure.”
“And you are now?” Something about her tone and the way she wouldn’t make eye contact with him made his skin prickle with doubt.
“I’m not getting the whole story, but I will figure it out.”
“Go for it,” she snapped back quickly. “I don’t have Ruth’s money.”
Her movements jerky, she dished eggs, bagels and sliced bananas onto the plates.
“It wouldn’t matter if you did,” an unsteady voice called. “Thanks to Liam, I have plenty to spare.”
Liam turned as Ruth and Austin appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. His breath caught as he watched her lean heavily on a carved wooden cane. He’d arrived in Crimson late last night, so he hadn’t seen his former nanny before this morning. Knowing she was an early riser like him, he’d come to the property at the crack of dawn. She’d been awake but still in bed, so he hadn’t fully noticed how frail she looked compared to the hearty, healthy woman he once knew. Ruth had always been larger than life, the only constant he’d known for most of his childhood. She’d seen his shock this morning and had immediately sent him off to survey her property.
After checking to make sure things looked good around the house and small pond near the edge of the forest, he’d returned to the house to find Austin curled up next to her in her bed. Liam had never been the type of kid to snuggle with anyone, let alone his nanny. He’d been too busy getting into trouble as a kid. He envied Natalie’s son the easy affection he had with both his mom and Ruth. Austin was clearly loved, a thought that gave Liam an unfamiliar stab of envy for what he’d only felt as a boy from the paid help.
“That isn’t the point.”
“Leave her alone.” Ruth straightened and pointed at him. “Sit down and have breakfast with us. Stop harping on Natalie. I’m glad to see you. Don’t make me change my mind.”
“There isn’t—” he began at the same time Natalie handed him a plate. “You made enough for me?”
“When I cook it’s for whoever is here to eat.” She picked up the three remaining plates, balancing two in one hand. With her opposite elbow she pointed to a drawer at the end of the kitchen island. “Bring forks over with you.”
He stared at her.
“Please,” she added as an afterthought.
“I don’t eat breakfast.”
“It’s the most important meal of the day.”
Ruth lowered herself into a chair and patted the one next to her. “Come on over. Catch me up on your life.” She leaned closer to Austin. “Liam is powerful. He has lots of money and dates gobs of brainless supermodels who are too young for him.”
“Ruth, stop.”
“Are you a supermodel, Mom?” Austin asked.
Natalie set down the plates with a clatter. “No, bud, I’m not a supermodel.”
Her son nodded, looking relieved.
Natalie brushed by Liam to get the orange juice and glasses, her mouth tight with obvious disapproval.
He wanted to tell her she was more enticing than any model he’d ever known. She was a real woman, and it was more than her physical beauty that had made Natalie irresistible. It was the way she carried herself, how she knew who she was, the fact that she wouldn’t ever take any crap from him.
He slid into the seat next to Ruth instead. “You can’t stay here,” he said, changing the subject back to the argument they’d been having before she sent him off to look over the property this morning.
“It’s my home.”
“It’s too much for you. You’ll move in with me while I’m here and we get the property ready to go on the market. When I leave, you’ll go to assisted living. Why am I paying for a room there if you don’t use it?”
“Because I like the social activities. They only let residents go on outings. You have the money, so I didn’t think you’d mind.” Ruth forked up a slice of banana, the tremor in her hand clearly visible.
“Are you selling the farmhouse?” Natalie looked shocked.
“No,” Ruth answered at the same time Liam said, “Yes.”
“Ten acres is too much for her, too far away from town—”
“That’s why Natalie and Austin are here. And I have Clarence come by for a few hours every day to maintain things.”
“Clarence is almost as old as you.”
“Don’t sass me, Liam.” Ruth stabbed at her eggs with the fork. “I’ll have Stan give you extra chores when he gets home from work.”
Liam glanced at Natalie, who gave a sharp shake of her head. Ruth’s husband, Stan, had died the same year she retired and they moved to Colorado. He wasn’t sure if he should argue with her or let the comment pass. After a moment he sighed, trying to remember that he had to tread lightly with his former nanny. She’d always been fiercely independent. Liam had gotten used to people doing what he said without question. In the space of an hour, these two women and one boy had given him more trouble than he’d had in years.
“I just want to take care of you.”
“If you’re only here to pester me, you might as well leave now.”
He knew she meant it. Her heart was as big as the Rocky Mountains, but Ruth Keller didn’t mince words.
“Is it so hard to believe I missed you?”
“It’s hard to believe you haven’t been to see me in two years,” Ruth answered, her gaze shrewd.
She could believe her husband who’d been dead for over fifteen years was coming home yet still intuit that Liam was hiding something from her. Liam had to respect the way her mind still worked. He also had to come up with another reason to stay in town so he could get to the bottom of what was happening with her money. “I’m working on my own software company—it’s a new type of GPS technology for outdoor activities. It’s called LifeMap Besides wanting to see you, I’m looking at basing the company in Crimson. I know how much you love this town and I thought it would make you happy if I could give a boost to the local economy.”
She studied him for a moment, then reached out and wrapped her veined hand around his. “I like the sound of that. You’re a good boy, Liam. Much better than either of your parents. I raised your father, just like I raised you. And I certainly raised him to do better than that gold-digging mother of yours. She always resented me because I knew how to take care of you better than she did. No offense, sweetie.”
“None taken,” Liam said with a smile. “When was the last time you talked to Mom?”
“She sends flowers on my birthday,” Ruth said without hesitation. “Pink roses.”
“You hate roses.” He looked up as Natalie clapped a hand over her mouth.
“I know,” Ruth answered. “Liam’s mother does, too. She sends them anyway.”
Liam closed his eyes for a moment, anger building at his parents for all the things they didn’t care about because they were too busy with their own lives. When he opened them again, Natalie was watching him with a look in her eyes that he didn’t want to believe was pity.
“What do you think?” he asked her, his voice tight. He could take her anger and irritation, but pity he had to shut down immediately. “Should she stay in this house alone when I’m paying for a room at Evergreen?”
“She’s not alone,” Austin offered around a mouthful of food. “She’s got us.”
Liam raised an eyebrow at Natalie. “Not the point.”
“It’s up to Ruth to decide where she wants to live, but I think you’ve been generous.”
“You won’t mind if she sells this place and moves to Evergreen full-time?”
“I’m not selling.” Ruth pushed back from the table. “I bruised my hip in a fall, Liam. I’m not one foot in the grave quite yet.”
<
br /> “That’s not what I mean.”
“It’s what you’ve implied.” She lifted herself to her feet. “Austin, will you walk me back to my bedroom?”
The boy glanced at Natalie who nodded. “I’ll clean up the kitchen, Ruth, then come back to help you dress.”
“Ruth, listen—”
“No, Liam, you listen. I know you’re trying to help, but pushing me into changing my whole life isn’t going to happen. I’ve lived on my own since Stan died. I don’t see any reason to change now. You keep your big mansions and private jets. I’m happy with the simple life I have here in Crimson.” She leveled a look at him. “As I remember it, you were pretty happy here once upon a time. Maybe you should focus on that instead of all your high-handed plans for me.”
“I didn’t—”
“Come back here at six and you can take me to Saturday night bingo at Evergreen. I’ve got a hot streak going and I missed last weekend.” She leaned on her cane. “You can join me for church tomorrow morning, as well. A little time in the pew will do your soul good.”
Liam shot a look at Natalie who only shrugged. “Okay, Ruth, whatever you say.”
She left the room, muttering to herself. Austin made a face at Natalie over his shoulder but she gave him a bright smile and a thumbs-up and began clearing the dishes from the table.
“I pushed her too hard.”
“Ya think?” Natalie stacked plates on the counter.
“I forgot how stubborn she can be when she gets riled up.”
“The fall has been hard on her. She’s healing, but Ruth isn’t used to depending on other people. She’s a proud woman, Liam.”
“I know, Nat. That’s one of the things I love about her.” He moved to the sink and rinsed the plates, then put them in the dishwasher. “You’re a lot like her, you know.” And you both frustrate the hell out of me, he added to himself.
After a moment, he looked up to find Natalie’s eyes on him. “What are you doing?”
“Um…the dishes?”
“I didn’t think big, important CEO types did their own dishes.”
“Apparently the CEO card doesn’t get me far in my nanny’s house.”
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