“Tell me.”
“He presents this big loud, rough and rebellious image to the world, but underneath that, he’s just the sweetest guy. Quiet, a little introverted.”
“Just a little?” she says, like she understands exactly what I’m saying.
“Okay, maybe a lot.”
“That must be exhausting.”
“Yeah, I think it takes its toll on him.” I glance over my shoulder. “He’s so good with Gavin. He’s real, you know. He sees the best in him, and is so patient.” I glance ahead and have no idea what ice cream store she’s taking us to, but we’re pretty close to my neighborhood.
“So, you think a guy like that would just think the worst of you?”
“I…” I look down, my thoughts jumbled.
“Did you think the worst when Jeremy showed you the pictures of him and that girl?”
“No, I believed in him.”
“Then why don’t you think he believed in you too? The guy you just described to me.” She shrugs. “I’m not so sure he’s the kind of guy who’d just quit on the girl he loves.”
“You…you think he loves me?”
She pulls up to the sidewalk, and I look around at the neighborhood, but don’t see any ice cream shop. “Why don’t you go find out,” she says.
“What’s…what’s going on?”
“The boys and I are going for ice cream. We’ll bring you back one. Now get out.”
I stare at her, but she has a grin on her face. “And go where?”
She points to a house that looks like it’s under construction. “In there. Now go. We need ice cream, and we need it now.”
She practically kicks me from the vehicle and I slowly walk toward the house, glancing over my shoulder, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Hammers pound, and men’s voices reach my ears when I open the front door and peak in to find the place completely redone into what looks like a business of sorts.
Cole comes out from the back and goes still. “Oh hey,” he says and checks his watch like he was expecting me.
“What’s going on. What are you doing here?”
“Is she here yet?” I hear Violet scream out as she rounds the corner, wood chips in her hair and a hammer in her hand.
“What…the hell?”
“Oh hey,” she says, a grin on her face.
“I thought you said you were busy today.”
“Do I not look busy?” she counters, and I briefly close my eyes, sure I’m hallucinating. I open them again, only to find more people standing there staring at me. All Liam’s family that I met at the Sunday barbecue, all the guys and wives I met at the rink, and Nina’s barbecue party, and my small group of best friends.
“Somebody tell me what is going on.”
Violet points behind me, and I spin so fast I nearly fall. The second I come face to face with Liam, dressed in a suit—and does he ever clean up nicely—I nearly sink to my knees, but for different reasons this time.
“Liam,” I gasp, and I gaze the long length of him, noting the open wounds on his knuckles.
He glances past my shoulders. “If you could all give us a minute.”
Shuffling sounds reach my ears as everyone clears out. “What’s going on here?” I ask through a tight throat.
“This place is for you. Everyone has been helping me turn this place into a store, and a grooming station.” He pauses and gestures to a small room. “That will be your office and maybe someday you can hang your veterinary license in there.”
I shake my head, incredulous. He did this for me? “Liam, no, I can’t. This is too much. I never wanted you to think…I was never using you for anything.”
“I know.” He takes three big steps and closes the distance between us and when he stands close, his presence overwhelming me, a flood of emotions squeezes my chest and there is nothing I can do to stop the tears.
“Hey,” he says softly, and wipes my tears away. He touches my chin and lifts it until our eyes meet. “I’ve missed you.”
“I didn’t…didn’t…wasn’t responsible.”
“I know you weren’t. No matter how much Jeremy tried to convince me.” He puts his hands over his heart. “I knew in here you had nothing to do with the video, which is why I made a visit to Devon Griffin’s work.”
My eyes widen, and my stomach turns. “What?”
He rubs his hand over my cheek. “You should have told me he stopped in at my place to see you, just like I should have told you he made a point of meeting me at Nelly’s bar. At the time, he introduced himself as Griff, and I didn’t put two and two together.”
“I never told you his last name. I should have…” I take one of his hands, and lightly touch his sores. “You…you.”
“We had a talk. With my fists. He won’t ever hurt you again, Harper. My lawyer is involved now, too.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe he…you…I can’t believe any of this.”
“The real question is, can you believe in me…?”
I gulp. “Liam, I never thought you were cheating. I wanted to talk to you. But Jeremy didn’t want me around. He told me you were using me, and I mean, I know we weren’t a couple, and we were playing house, and things weren’t real…”
Stop rambling.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Harper. Things were very real for me, and Jeremy has been fired.”
“Things…were real for me too.” Another thought hits. “Jeremy told me you would lose your endorsements if there was any more bad publicity.” I take a step back. “You shouldn’t have gone after Devon…not for me. I don’t want to be the one responsible—”
He captures my hand and pulls it back. “The only thing I care about are you and Gavin, and keeping you safe, and making you both mine. The endorsements don’t matter.”
“Making us both what?”
He drops to one knee and I gasp. “I love you, Harper. I swear I fell for you the
