by Darcy Burke
“If Evan and Alaina were back from their honeymoon, we’d have to sit at the bar here,” Kyle said as he tossed a couple of pieces onto his plate.
Liam looked at the nearly full table. There were two open chairs—one next to Maggie, which was presumably for Kyle, and one next to Aubrey. Had his family paired them off? He ought to find that annoying—he hated when they made assumptions about him—but he found it oddly nice. Which was stupid because they absolutely were not paired off. Still, had someone picked up on their fling? He hadn’t thought so. Hell, for months after Alex’s death, everyone had been pretty sure Liam despised Aubrey. He’d certainly been awful enough to her at the reading of the trust.
But all that had changed later that day when he’d gone to her office. Yeah, he’d been pissed all right. That hadn’t stopped him from having the most spontaneous and, frankly, exciting sex of his entire life.
“Hey, I need to talk to you,” Kyle said in a low voice. “That gal you were kissing last week. I know who she is.” The low pitch of his blond brows and the tight set of his mouth told Liam exactly what he thought of it, too.
“I wasn’t kissing her.”
Kyle blinked at him. “I was there, dude.”
“She kissed me. Big difference.”
“So you don’t have a thing with Whitney Parker? Because that would be . . . Dude, I don’t even know how to characterize it. Bad form, for sure.”
Liam could simply confirm that he didn’t have a thing with Whitney—at least not currently—and that would be the end of the conversation. For now. What if Whitney decided to tell all? She’d already indicated she could be bought—rather, seduced—into complicity. He could see her blabbing their past fling just to be a pain in his ass.
He took a deep breath and hoped he didn’t regret this. He couldn’t believe he was going to fess up to Kyle, of all people. “We used to hook up. Before . . . before Alex died.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
Liam kept his voice low. He’d need to come clean with everyone, but not right now over dinner. And not with Aubrey sitting over there casting him intermittent glances that made him wonder what she was thinking. He turned his gaze from her, as if that simple movement could stave off temptation. It couldn’t.
He looked at Kyle, who watched him intently. “Whenever I was in Ribbon Ridge, we got together. It wasn’t serious. She got clingy, so I ended it.”
“What were you doing with her last week, then?” Kyle asked.
Liam rolled his eyes. “She’s still clingy, if you want to know. I went to Ruckus and had a few drinks. She drove me home.”
Kyle picked up a piece of pizza. “And laid one on you.”
“Like I said, clingy. It’s not a big deal. Or a problem.” Liam didn’t like the look of uncertainty in Kyle’s blue-green eyes. “I’ll tell everyone, okay?”
Kyle swallowed. “You should. It’s just good for everyone to be on the same page. You said she’s clingy. Does that mean she’s hung up? Like maybe her dad’s not the only one who feels scorned?”
Liam picked up his plate and his beer. “How the hell should I know what’s going on in her twisted head?” Why didn’t he just say that he’d wondered the same thing? Because that would make it more true, and he didn’t want to think that he was somehow responsible for this bullshit and the trouble it was causing everyone. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got.
Liam took his dinner and went to sit next to Aubrey.
She leaned over and whispered, “Everything all right?”
“Fine.”
“Didn’t look like it. You and Kyle aren’t arguing again, are you? I thought you two were finally getting along.”
He peered at her. “When did you become so involved in my family?”
Her eyes widened briefly before she turned her head to her plate. “Sorry.”
Shit, he was a jerk. Kyle had riled him up. No, he couldn’t blame it on Kyle. Whitney riled him up. Whitney and her dad and their fucked-up vendetta. “No, I’m sorry. Really, everything’s fine.”
She didn’t look at him. “Sure.”
He gritted his teeth and ate his pizza. He also polished off his beer and stood up to get another.
“Would you mind pulling a pitcher?” Dad asked as Liam went to the bar.
“Make that two,” Derek called.
Liam nodded. As he pulled the tap and filled the pitchers, he couldn’t shake the sense of irritation that his conversation with Kyle had wrought. He hated that Whitney was trying to manipulate him. He refused to be managed.
When both pitchers were full he carried them back to the table, setting one at each end. “Hey, I need to tell you all something.”
Kyle’s head snapped up, and Liam gave him a subtle nod. Kyle nodded back, and his gaze was both approving and supportive. This brotherly . . . camaraderie between them was different. Liam had always felt it with Alex, but they’d been identical twins. Their bond was special. He hadn’t thought he could share that with his other siblings, but maybe he was wrong.
“Listen, about the zoning problem with the Parkers . . . ”
“You mean Russ Parker,” Dad said darkly, his mouth hardening with anger.
“I mean Russ and his daughter, Whitney. She and I used to, uh, we used to see each other.” He glanced at Aubrey to see her reaction, but she kept her head down. Damn it, he wanted her to look at him so he could tell her—nonverbally—that Whitney didn’t mean anything.
He did? What did he care what Aubrey thought?
Because he’d just intimated that he and Whitney had dated, which is more than what he’d done with Aubrey. He supposed he should’ve just said they’d been fuck buddies, but he couldn’t bring himself to articulate that in front of his parents.
He felt like the biggest ass. Why hadn’t he dated Aubrey? Because she lived here in Ribbon Ridge, where he never planned to live again, and his home was in Denver. It wasn’t like she could pick up and move. One, she wasn’t licensed to practice law in Colorado, and two, that promised something he wasn’t prepared to offer: permanence or at least longevity.
“When was this?” Mom asked.
“A couple of years ago. Before Alex died. I broke things off with her that Christmas.” Why did it feel like his life had two distinct parts now? Before Alex’s death and after. They had two very specific feelings. In the first, he’d been more carefree. Now he was burdened. No, that wasn’t exactly true. He’d always felt burdened. Guilty.
Stop it, he told himself. He wasn’t going down that path. Not today. Not ever again. Alex’s death had at least relieved him of that weight.
“You think she’s behind this?” Tori asked, sitting back in her chair.
Everyone was staring at him, he realized. Everyone but Aubrey. Why had he done this now? Why hadn’t he thought to tell her first? Alone, when he could’ve explained things a little bit better. She deserved that.
“Not entirely, but I don’t think she’s blameless. She intimated that I could maybe make this problem go away if I get back with her.” He tried to make it sound like what it was—a meaningless hook-up without saying that exactly. Damn it, this entire conversation was making him feel decidedly unpleasant. Dirty even.
“Yikes.” Kyle took a drink of beer. “None of us want you to do that, bro.”
There were answering nods and comments.
Dylan shook his head, grimacing. “She sounds like a piece of work.”
Tori made a distasteful expression, her lips twisting. “I think I have a sports bra from her company. I’m tossing that in the garbage as soon as I get home.”
“I might have one, too,” Sara said. “Let’s burn them.”
“I’ll light the fire,” Liam said.
Aubrey glanced at him finally, but her eyes were clear. Absolutely devoid of emotion. Which likely meant she was pissed. Or hurt. Or both.
“Anyway, that’s it.” Liam sat down.
Conversation picked back up. Some p
eople talked about the zoning, but Liam didn’t join in. He tipped his head toward Aubrey. “I should’ve told you in private.”
She shrugged, keeping her focus on her dinner. “Why? It’s not really my business. I mean, not beyond the zoning, but the Parkers’ reasons for appealing don’t really matter.”
“Can’t you argue that their appeal is frivolous or something?”
“Maybe, but I doubt the board is going to care whether Russ and Whitney are scorned lovers.” She picked up her beer. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I wasn’t dating her,” he said, wishing she’d turn her head to look at him.
She finally cocked her head, and he caught the fire in her eyes. “You were just hooking up, right? Like you did with me. No need to explain. That’s your MO.”
Yes, it was. And what had been his intent? Don’t worry, she didn’t mean any more to me than you did, which is to say, you both meant nothing.
“Actually, it wasn’t like with you,” Liam said. “I never once sought her out. When she heard I was in town, she called me.”
She turned her head, and her gaze was incredulous. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Chloe, maybe the biggest Game of Thrones fan in the room, jumped up from her chair. “Hey, it’s time to watch the show!”
All heads turned to the clock on the wall, and nearly every chair moved back from the table in unison.
Sean reached for one of the pitchers. “Refill time.”
Everyone collected their drinks and filtered downstairs.
Liam touched Aubrey’s arm. “Hey, are you mad at me?”
She blinked. “Should I be?”
“I might be, if I were you.”
She smiled, but it was deceptively serene. “Well, you’re not me. There’s a reason I broke things off with you, Liam. I’m a nice girl with simple dreams. You’re a player seeking world domination. What you do doesn’t affect me. I’m going down to watch the show.” She turned and left the kitchen.
He followed but knew he’d have to watch the show again later, because he wasn’t going to be able to focus while his mind was wrapped up with what she’d said. She was a nice girl, but he doubted her dreams were simple. She was far too intelligent, too fun-loving, too dynamic. But he really didn’t know. He’d never bothered to ask what her dreams were. Now that he wanted to know, he doubted she would tell him.
Chapter Six
AUBREY SOMEHOW MANAGED to lose herself in the show. She’d been so angry at the start. And that made her mad. She didn’t want to feel betrayed or jealous or anything else to do with Liam. That’s why she’d broken things off—so she wouldn’t feel those things.
Ugh. Get over it already, she told herself.
“I’m so glad you came tonight,” Sara told her as they all stood up from the theater seats.
Aubrey had strategically positioned herself between Sara and Chloe so that she wouldn’t have to sit by Liam. She wasn’t sure where he’d sat or if he’d even come down to watch.
“I am, too,” Aubrey said. “Thanks for having me.”
Chloe touched her arm. “Come back next week. You can’t beat watching it on that screen.”
No, she couldn’t. The television she’d bought was huge compared to what she’d had, but this was like watching it in a legitimate movie theater.
“Anyone want to hit the wine cellar?” Kyle asked the room at large.
“Yeah, stay,” Chloe said to Aubrey.
“Thanks, but I need to get home. I have to get up early for work. I have a short trial this week, plus I need to work on the zoning brief.” They’d talked about it briefly at the table while Liam and Kyle had been having their mysterious conversation. Aubrey thought she’d figured it out—they’d been talking about Whitney Parker, and that’s why Liam had said something. He’d only spilled the beans because he’d had to. Kyle had likely found him out.
And that only made her angrier.
Sara exhaled. “That makes sense.”
Tori, who’d been sitting in front of them, stood and turned to join the conversation. “What makes sense?”
“Aubrey’s passing on the wine cellar because she has to get up early to work on the zoning brief,” Sara explained.
“Yes she does!” Tori laughed. “No pressure.”
Aubrey shook her head with a smile. “None at all.”
“We should have a girls’ night,” Chloe suggested, looking between them. “Maggie,” she called down to the other side of Sean.
Maggie stepped around Sean to stand beside Tori. “What’s up?”
“We’re planning a girls’ night,” Chloe said. “Sometime this week?”
Aubrey crossed her arms. “I don’t know. I have a lot going on at work.” She thought through her schedule. “Maybe Thursday?”
“I’m in,” Maggie said, smiling.
“Me, too,” Chloe said.
“Me, three,” Sara chimed.
Tori nodded. “Sounds great. This will be fun.” She grinned. “I’ve never seen you let your hair down, Aubrey. Do you even do that?”
“Sure.” It had been a while. Aubrey’s closest girlfriends were from college, and they didn’t live nearby. One was in Vancouver, Washington, and the others lived in the bay area. They tried to get together at least once a year, but two of them were married now and one of the two had a baby, so it had become more difficult to schedule things. Even so, she and her Vancouver pal did the Dave Matthews Band thing every Labor Day.
That made her think of last year and how she’d ditched her friend in order to go off with Liam. Felicia hadn’t minded, but Aubrey had still apologized profusely. To which Felicia had scoffed. She’d said it was clear Aubrey was smitten and that she deserved it. She’d practically shoved Aubrey out of their tent at the campground. Aubrey had wondered if Felicia had been hooking up with someone of her own. Those weekends were pretty wild and crazy.
“I definitely let my hair down. You’d be surprised.”
Tori rubbed her hands together. “Oooh, sounds like a good story. I can’t wait until Thursday.”
Chloe smiled slyly. “A drinking game might be in order.”
Everyone laughed.
“Too bad Alaina’s still on her honeymoon,” Maggie said. “I bet her stories would be epic!”
Aubrey nodded. “I’m sure. Okay, I’m outta here. See you guys Thursday.” Chloe moved aside so she could get by.
On her way out of the theater, Aubrey made a point of thanking Emily and Rob for having her over.
“I’m just glad you finally used the back door,” Emily said, giving her a brief hug. “You’re welcome anytime, dear.”
Aubrey thanked her again, then made her way upstairs. She was quite proud of herself for not looking for Liam. Then she nearly walked straight into him in the back hallway when she went to grab her jacket.
“There you are,” he said, his face inscrutable.
“What, were you waiting for me?” She grabbed her coat and pulled it on. “I’m leaving. Good night.”
She turned and left before he could stop her. But he just followed her.
“Yes, I was waiting for you. I don’t believe that you don’t care about me and Whitney. I really am sorry for how I told you.”
She threw him a glare over her shoulder as she stalked to her car. “I told you it doesn’t matter.”
Before she could open the door, he pinned her against the car. Not with his body, but by standing close enough that she couldn’t open the door without making physical contact with him. And that would be bad.
It had been drizzling earlier when she’d arrived, but it was dry now. It was also quite chilly. She zipped up her jacket and fished her keys from her pocket to unlock the door with the remote.
“It matters to me. I don’t like thinking I’ve upset you.”
“Are you sure you just don’t hate the fact that I dumped you?”
He cracked a smile. “Maybe.” He sobered almost instantly. “I wanted to ask you about what
you said yesterday. You said I made it hard to say no. Were you . . . reluctant when we were together last year? If I forced you in any way or made you uncomfortable . . . ” He ran his hand through his thick hair, tousling the dark waves. “Jesus, Aubrey—”
As crazy as he made her, she hated that he’d gotten the wrong idea. In fact, she preferred to look back on their time together with fondness and wanted him to do the same. “You didn’t. I wanted everything that happened. And if I were interested in Mr. Right Now instead of finding Mr. Right, I’d probably invite you back to my place.”
His eyes sparked, and her belly fired in response. “What’s wrong with Mr. Right Now? I love living in the moment.”
She’d loved living in the moment, too—with him. She’d never been with a more intoxicating person. He made her feel beautiful and alive and special. He was so full of vitality and confidence that when he shined his light on you, it made everything brighter. When they’d spent Labor Day weekend together, he’d done all of these little things for her—making sure she was hydrated because it was hot, arranging for her to get a shower in his friend’s RV, scoring her first-ever spot on the rail so that the band had been literally in her face. But she had to think he made all of his women feel that way. That’s why he was so damned alluring.
“I love living in the moment, too, but I’d rather do it with someone who can give me a lifetime of moments.” A cold breeze rustled her hair and chilled her to the bone. She shivered.
He moved closer. “You’re cold. Can I?” He started to put his arms around her.
She should say no. She should jump in her car and drive away as fast as she could. Instead, she just stood there, neither accepting nor declining his embrace.
He enfolded her in his arms. He wasn’t wearing a coat, but he still felt warm. His chest was solid against hers as he rested his jaw alongside her hairline. “Why are you in such a hurry to find Mr. Right? We could have a good time.”
They could. And she’d be broken by the end of it because he could be everything she wanted, even if he didn’t realize it yet. He was successful, smart, kind in the ways that mattered, and he loved his family. In fact, he was defined by his family. All of the Archers were. They were fiercely competitive, loyal, and above all loving. How could she not want to be a part of that? A part of him?