by Jody Holford
Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath before opening them again. “This is going to be where you thank your lucky stars I’m not sticking around. My mother’s parents are both gone. My mother moved out when I was younger. She and my father never divorced, but we aren’t close.”
“Lots of families are complicated,” he said, not scared in the least.
Her brows drew together. “It’s strange that the lawyer wants to talk to me. Wills don’t usually get read so quickly, do they?”
Liam didn’t have any experience there, but he did have a very high-priced, solid lawyer. “I can ask a friend who’s a lawyer. I think it takes a while, but if there’re considerable assets or extenuating circumstances, it might just need to be discussed.”
Pulling out of his arms, Isla picked up her coffee, drumming her fingers against the side of the cup. Giving her the space to think, he picked up his own drink and finished it off.
“Was your grandfather well off?”
She turned and lifted her shoulders, dropping them slowly. “I know my father comes from old money. His family used to own several apartment complexes and commercial buildings. I know that’s part of how he started his own fitness enterprise. But like I said, I’m not sure who my grandfather was, let alone what assets he might have.”
Liam wanted to lift the weight off her shoulders. It didn’t sound like a lot of people put effort into making her happy. And Isla was a woman who deserved to be happy. He got the distinct impression that, despite the rather cold front that existed in her life, she was warm and caring to those around her, especially if they mattered. He wanted a chance to get to know her more.
“Do you know what you’re going to do today?”
He hoped like hell he sounded nonchalant. He didn’t play games. When he hooked up with a woman, she knew ahead of time he wasn’t looking for more than a good time, and he made sure she had one as well. This wasn’t a hookup. At all.
He didn’t want to add to the sadness she was carrying by asking her to spend the day with him if she had other things she needed to do. He also didn’t want to dig too deeply into what it was about this woman that pulled him so strongly. She was here only a couple of days.
Turning her head, she smiled. “I guess I’ll check into a hotel, since I need to stay a few days.”
Liam set his cup down and reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to do that. You can stay here…or whatever.” Dammit. He felt like a bumbling school kid. Here or whatever?
Her genuine smile eased some of the pressure in his chest. “You’re a really good man, Liam. Thank you for being so kind to me.”
His heart squeezed. “It’s no hardship to offer a little kindness, Isla.”
The look she gave him was far too serious. “That doesn’t mean everyone would.”
He grinned, needing to lighten the moment. His gaze moved down her body and back up. “Trust me, most guys would bend over backward to offer you anything you wanted.”
Turning to face him more directly, she studied him. “So, you offer a place to stay to all of the women you’re attracted to? Even when they don’t sleep with you?”
He laughed, his neck heating up. She was direct. He liked that even if it put him on the spot. Might as well be honest back, since he didn’t get a lot of chances to spend time with a woman who had no clue who he was. “No. I don’t. But this is different.” Cue awkward feeling in his chest. He forced himself not to look away. “Or is it just me feeling that?”
She inhaled deeply and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, then shook her head. Whether she meant to or not, she leaned in to him. “No. Not just you.”
Liam’s breath caught. She was close enough to kiss and looking at him like she’d meet him halfway. Stroking his thumb over her cheek, he resisted the urge.
“Spend the day with me. Let me show you Nashville.”
She nodded. “I’d love to. Do you mind if I shower first?”
That easy. No games or playing coy. It was more refreshing than the first sip of his coffee. Pulling back, he stood up and gathered their breakfast plates. “Not at all. I’ll run home and get changed. Pick you up in an hour?”
He set everything on the counter, and when he turned around, she was standing in front of him. Resisting her was not easy, but he didn’t want to take advantage of the emotions he could see simmering.
Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to pull her closer. She fit into his body the way a ball curled perfectly in the pocket of a glove.
“Thank you,” she whispered against his ear.
A shiver racked his body. Damn. He was in serious trouble if a few hugs and heartfelt looks were hooking him like this, making him think a couple of days wasn’t enough.
Isla stepped back, grabbed her huge bag, and smiled at him before disappearing into the bathroom.
Because his restraint went only so far, he grabbed his phone and his keys, heading for the door. When he glanced down at his cell, he frowned. He had over thirty messages and twice that in notifications from Twitter. What the hell?
Scrolling upward, he checked the newsfeed, and his heart dropped to his feet, knocking the wind out of him. He leaned against the door, trying to pull in a breath. The water turned on in the background, but it just added to the dull roar in his head.
@CNN: Nashville Slammers owner Walter C. Pennington passed away peacefully in his home last night.
There was a link to the story, but he didn’t click it.
Shaking his head, his breath coming in short bursts, he tried to sort out his thoughts. The owner of his team had just died.
Walter was a good man. Liam didn’t even know he’d been sick. An unfamiliar, sharp pain made his chest feel too tight, his words to Isla playing in his brain. Death is hard. You can never predict how it’ll hit you.
Or when, clearly.
Slipping his phone into his pocket and his shoes onto his feet, he wondered what would happen now. His mind whipped through memories of the last couple times he’d seen the man. Who would get the team? Walter didn’t have any family other than his wife.
Liam’s eyes widened. His fourth wife.
He shook his head. Crazy strange coincidence, yes. Likelihood the two were connected? Zilch.
He left the apartment and went around to the back of the bar where he’d parked his Land Rover the night before. When he started it up, the DJ on the radio was talking about Walter and the Nashville Slammers, who hadn’t had the greatest season. They weren’t at the bottom, but Walter had been making some changes for the past couple of years, trying to build a stronger team. A winning team.
Liam was supposed to be a saving grace. The player who’d wanted to hit for his home state team, who’d been shuffled around as he broke records and made a name for himself. When he’d finally been traded to Nashville, he’d been ecstatic. He was nearing the end of his career, but at least he was doing it at home. He got to play the sport he loved, in the place he loved.
Gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles blanched, Liam shook his head. Now the owner was gone. The team would go through more upheaval and some heavy decisions that could impact him on several levels. What concerned him more, however, was that for the first time in longer than he could remember, baseball wasn’t consuming his thoughts.
He was sad about the owner, about the loss for the team. But what was worrying him right this moment was that if he wasn’t mistaken, Liam had already tripped the first few steps into falling for a virtual stranger—and one who was in town for only a couple of days.
Chapter Five
Isla wasn’t sure what to think about the lawyer’s request or the fact that her father and brother had left several messages. She didn’t understand the need to meet with her. Even if her grandfather had considerable assets, why would that impact Isla? As for her own father, she couldn’t see him wanting anything bequeathed to him. Stubborn pride had stopp
ed him from letting his children even know they had a grandfather.
Her brain felt wobbly and, for just a little while, she wanted to push everything about her grandfather and his death aside.
In the passenger seat of Liam’s SUV, she watched out the window, smiling at the remnants of Christmas adorning shop windows and the streets. She wasn’t going to call her dad or brother back. They could wait. She’d tried yesterday, and they’d ignored her, so she was taking today for herself. With an incredibly good-looking and sweet tour guide. One who made her stomach leap with just a look and had shown more compassion in a few simple touches than she’d ever known.
“You okay?” Liam asked, glancing over as he slowed to a stop at the light.
She nodded. Partial truth, but as long as she wasn’t fixating on her guilt about not making it to her grandfather in time or the turmoil over what was to come, it wasn’t a lie. She hated conflict and spent a lot of time trying to avoid it where her father and business were concerned. If not for the reason, this little trip might be a welcome reprieve.
She forced herself into the moment. No hardship when she was staring into Liam’s eyes. “I looked up tourist spots while I was waiting for you. Can I guess where you’re taking me?”
He grinned, and her stomach did a few somersaults in appreciation. He had a really sexy smile. Which you shouldn’t be thinking about right this minute. Hard not to when he was pointing it her way.
“You can try, but I bet you won’t,” he said, accelerating as the light changed.
“Grand Ole Opry.”
“Nope.”
Hmm. It was the top listed tourist attraction when she’d Googled it. “Music Row.”
“You should definitely see both of those. But not today.”
“Nashville Parthenon?” She hadn’t even known that existed, but apparently it was a replica of the Greek one.
“You’re such a rookie. I’m not showing you tourist Nashville, Red. You’re getting the behind-the-scenes tour.”
Isla tried to be a good person, despite the fact that she’d realized early on that her father was a selfish man. She’d always made the effort to avoid following in those footsteps. But it still surprised her that someone she hardly knew would take this time to be with her today.
Her heart squeezed tightly, and she wished he was holding her hand like he had last night. Who does that? Holds a girl’s hand all night? Liam Cruz, apparently. How he was single was beyond her but, since she was staying only a couple of days, she’d look at this time with him as a gift. A bright spot in an emotional storm.
“You don’t have to be at the bar today?” She leaned her head back and turned it to stare at his profile. His strong jaw tightened, as did the muscles in his arms. He was wearing a long sleeve Henley that easily showed the definition of his strong arms. Just that alone was enough to make her question her stance on one-night stands. Though, as he’d said, that was no longer the case.
Isla never leaped before looking. Liam Cruz was the kind of man who made her want to.
“No. I just help my sister out when I feel like it. We’re co-owners, but it’s her show.”
“The band was great last night,” Isla said.
“If you like country music, you’re definitely in the right place,” he said with a laugh. He turned down a quieter street that seemed to head away from the center of town.
“I didn’t realize I did, but I liked them.” When she was at the office, which had one of their gyms on the first floor, the music pumping through the speakers was high-tempo, which clients preferred when working out. Though she considered herself an astute businesswoman, a fair and firm boss to the employees in her division, it occurred to her in that moment that she often deferred to someone else’s preferences. What would please her father, her brother, the clients.
Isla stared out the window, getting wrapped up in things she didn’t want to focus on.
She jolted slightly when Liam’s hand covered hers on her thigh. The heat of his palm was both thrilling and, somehow, familiar. Comforting.
And absolutely intriguing. Spark inducing.
“You okay?”
Turning back to him, she nodded. “Thank you for wanting to show me your city,” she said, her voice quiet despite the loud thump of her pulse booming in her ears.
His fingers squeezed hers. “You make it sound like a chore to spend time with you. I’m glad you’re staying, even if it’s just a couple more days. Really glad.”
So was she. Despite the reason. Don’t focus on that. As if on cue, her phone buzzed in the pocket of her jacket. She ignored it. A sixth sense told her that her very organized and somewhat boring life was about to implode.
And if she was right, then she deserved today. For herself. And with Liam.
They drove for about a half hour before ending up in a little area called Franklin. Isla didn’t remember her history lessons well enough to recall too much, but she knew the town had significance for Tennessee. Liam parked on the street, in front of brick storefronts that boasted antiques and eateries. The streets were quiet and wet. Midday, midweek, it made sense.
She’d let herself out of the truck as he came around, and she suspected Liam intended to open the door for her. The thought that he would made her tingle inside and offer him a warm smile. She’d never met anyone quite like him.
Most of her life, particularly her professional life, was proving she could keep up, maneuver and out-maneuver men, including her brother and father. Trying to hold her own left little time for dating. The men she met didn’t push half the buttons Liam did with just a glance.
“I would have gotten that for you,” Liam said, reaching out to take her hand. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
It should have concerned her that it felt so good. Felt so right. But it gave her something better to focus on than what was taking up space in the back of her head and her heart.
“You’re such a gentleman,” she said, squeezing his fingers as she fell into step beside him.
Liam chuckled, the sound rich and deep and nearly as warm as the feel of his hand. “My mother would be pleased to hear that.” She liked the easy way he talked about his family.
They strolled along, checking out shops and stores as if real life wasn’t pressing in from the background. A couple of the shop owners called Liam by name, and she wondered how often he frequented this area, if maybe Nashville was smaller than she assumed. All the while, her phone continued to buzz, and she continued to ignore it.
They poked through an adorable shop that looked like a woman’s bedroom on one side and a man’s on the other. The sharp contrast was alluring, and there was so much to look at.
“You grew up here?” she asked, checking out a necklace resting on top of a dresser on the women’s side. There were several others, but each was unique. The silver chain and pendant on the one she held hung on at an angle, and Isla fingered the two thin, flat circles that wound together.
“I did. My immediate family lives here, but I’ve got extended family all over the place,” he said, standing close at her back.
The store was a cozy temperature, but standing so close to him spiked Isla’s inner heat, and her breath caught.
“That’s a vintage piece,” an older lady with wire-rimmed glasses said as she came from behind the counter in the back, center of the store.
“It’s beautiful. I like simple elegance,” Isla said. She pursed her lips. She really didn’t need a necklace.
Her phone buzzed again, and this time, she reached into her pocket, took it out, and stared at it. Ian, her brother, was trying to FaceTime her. Huffing out a breath, she looked up at Liam, who watched her carefully.
She pressed decline. “I need to tell him to give me some space or he’ll wreck our day together,” she said. “I’m sorry. I just need a minute to call him.”
Liam reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. It was such an intimate and sweet gesture, and it made her want to put her phone
away. To step in to him. Curl in to him. He’s not yours to use as an escape.
“Do what you have to do.”
His easy acceptance had her smiling as she turned and walked out of the store. She dialed her brother, who answered with a very curt, “It’s about time.”
Liam followed her out of the shop less than a minute later. She didn’t need privacy for the conversation, but it seemed politer to have it outside. She held up a finger to signal one minute to Liam.
“What do you want, Ian?”
“Dad and I are on the way to Nashville. Where are you staying, and why the hell haven’t you called us back?”
Her brow furrowed. Stepping back so she was against the side of the brick building and out of the way of foot passengers, she frowned into the phone.
“Why are you on your way to Nashville?” They certainly hadn’t rushed yesterday.
“There are some things you don’t know, Isla. Things Dad has kept quiet about to protect you.”
Anger welled up from the pit of her stomach. “Like the fact that we had a living grandfather? Did you know?”
The hesitation in his voice was answer enough. A different kind of mad laced through her veins—one weighted heavily with hurt. “You did.”
“Not this whole time. But he told me his reasons for keeping it from us. He had good ones.”
He always had good reasons. She worked on breathing in a slow, even pattern, willing herself not to hyperventilate in front of Liam. Or at all. Liam moved closer, still giving her space but also offering her a silent show of support. Her lungs filled, and her shoulders relaxed.
“I need to go. I still don’t understand why you’re coming here.”
“A lawyer contacted Dad and said there was a meeting day after tomorrow.”
Interesting that the man insisted she meet with him sooner. Part of her just wanted to go home and pull the covers over her head. But she’d never been that kind of person. Whether she liked him very much right now or not, her father had raised his children to go toe-to-toe with any challenge. So she would. And could. She just didn’t expect him to be the challenge.