“What’s wrong?”
I turn to find Harper dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, standing in the archway staring at me. I exhale with a groan, and give the paper a shove. “You’re not going to like this.”
“Like what?” she asks and pushes off the door. She sees the paper on the table, and her face pales. “Liam…?”
“Sit.” I pull a chair out and she drops into it. “Have your coffee first.”
I snatch another mug from the cupboard, and cringe as she flips through the paper and I know the exact second she finds the article when a little whimpering sound reaches my ears.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know you didn’t want this.”
“This picture,” she says. “It’s from the day we went to the ice cream shop.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how the paper got it.” She scans the article, and her throat makes a noise as she swallows. I hand her the mug of coffee and she takes a much-needed sip.
I fall into the chair across from her. “It’s not so bad, right? They didn’t really say too much, other than I might be house broken.”
She pushes the paper away. “It’s bad. It’s really bad.”
I shimmy closer and take her trembling hand. “What’s going on? Why is this so bad?”
“My ex,” she says, and looks away, but not before I catch the worry in her eyes.
My muscles tighten. “Gavin’s father?”
She shakes her head no, and I give her hand a little squeeze. “I…I was involved with a guy a few years back. I thought he was a good guy. He was there for me when Mom and Dad died, and Gavin was only one. I bought this house, and he moved in, and…”
“Did he hurt you?”
“Yes, no…sort of.”
I take a big sip of coffee. My brain is going to need to be wide awake for this, I’m sure. “If he hurt you, Harper—”
“Devon’s not a good guy. He was using me, and I didn’t know until it was too late.”
“Too late?”
“He drank, and gambled, fooled around on me, and you see…you…”
I nod, understanding completely. “You were afraid of bringing me into Gavin’s life because of the drinking, and my reputation.” It’s not what she thinks, but right now this is about her, not me.
“Yeah, I couldn’t go down that road again.”
“What did he do?”
“I feel stupid.”
“This is on him, not you. You were the victim obviously, and I’m not going to let you victim-shame yourself, Harper.”
She nods. “Before I knew what was happening, he had drained my entire inheritance. I had been saving to open my own pet store and grooming business, and for Gavin’s future, but he took it all, and he threatened my life, telling me he’d find me and kill me if I pressed charges or anything.” She leans forward and presses her palms into her eyes. “I’ve been keeping a low profile, you know, and I’m worried that if he thought you and I were…you know…”
“Together,” I say finishing her sentence, “Then he’d come sniffing around, looking for money.”
“Something like that.”
“Is he still in Seattle?”
“Liam, don’t. I don’t want you going after him or getting involved. I need you to promise me that.”
I take a few fast breaths. “Where does he live?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where does he work?”
Her face is unsure when she glances at me. “I won’t go after him unless he gives me reason, okay?”
“He’s a mechanic. Randy’s Auto Repairs, South Seattle.”
I know the place, and I store that information away just in case. “I won’t let him hurt you, Harper. I won’t let him hurt Gavin either, and I’m not going to say his threat against you was simply a scare tactic, but a guy like that sounds like a total coward, and would be too afraid to come around if you were with me. Men like that bully women, not other guys.”
“You’re not always going to be around, Liam,” she tells me, her body stiffening, and fuck, she’s right. I have a hockey career that takes me on the road, but deep inside what she’s saying goes deeper than that. She’s letting me know this thing between us is only temporary.
“I know,” I say. “Let’s hope you’re worried for nothing. Maybe he won’t even see this. It’s not even on the front page.”
She nods, but I don’t get the sense she believes that, and I guess she does know him better than me. “I just don’t trust him.” She lifts a shaky hand and waves it back and forth between the two of us. “Maybe I never should have…I mean, I don’t want to make my problems yours.”
Hurt and anger and protectiveness all hit at once. I fucking want her problems to be mine. I want to be there for her, but it doesn’t seem like she wants the same. Goddammit, I need to change her mind about that somehow.
My fingers fist and I work to keep the anger pinging around inside me like a runaway pinball in check, when all I want to do is go out and beat the shit out of the guy. I almost snort at that. Wouldn’t a beatdown do wonders for my career and endorsements. Fans would probably expect it, cheer me on, but my coach would kick my ass and I could kiss my endorsements goodbye. I’d still do it, though. If that fucker comes around, I’m going to be having a long-ass talk to him—with my fists.
I pull her onto my lap, and wrap my arms around her, cocooning her in my strength. She gives me a shaky smile. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve just built this up in my head.”
I consider the noise we heard outside last night and my stomach tightens. But this article didn’t come out until this morning. If someone was banging around outside the house, it couldn’t have been him, right?
Unless…unless it was.
12
Harper
I have no idea why my stomach is in knots or why I’m
