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In her bed that night, tucked into her blankets and with the moonlight painting a broad path across the dark ceiling, Amelia struggled to sleep. She kept thinking of what Liam had told her.
She’d been wrong about him. He wasn’t some selfish billionaire who cared only about his wallet and his reputation. There was a lot more to him, more than Amelia had seen before.
And with that realization came another. Amelia had managed to keep her feelings for Liam walled off, mostly by reminding herself that this arrangement was temporary and that he wasn’t a very good father. But now that he’d asked her to stay, now that he’d opened up about his past — those walls were starting to crumble.
When she’d taken this job, Amelia had told herself that she needed to be careful. She’d wanted to focus on the child in her care, not on the mysterious man who’d hired her. It was too late now, though. Her crush had officially expanded into something else, something deeper. Something more permanent.
Amelia was scared. Liam had told her himself that he hadn’t wanted a family and that he had preferred casual relationships. Yet she was hopeful, too. Maybe, with time, he would see that some things, some people, were more important than the wounds of his past.
CHAPTER 16
LIAM
Liam had worried that it might be awkward, seeing Amelia in the light of day after his confessions the night before. What if she judged him or wanted to keep her distance? But the next morning, when he arrived in the kitchen after his run, he found a familiar, happy sight. As they did every morning, Amelia and Grace were preparing breakfast. Grace was mixing a big bowl of eggs, while Amelia chopped veggies and fried bacon.
Grace spotted Liam first and called out a cheery, “Good mowning!”
“Good morning.” Liam stepped into the kitchen. As he did, Amelia turned around, and her face broke into a beautiful smile. Her hair was up in a messy bun and there was a streak of egg on her apron, but she’d never looked more gorgeous.
“Good morning,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thank you.” In truth, Liam hadn’t slept well. He’d lain awake long into the night, thinking about what Amelia had said. She’d been right. He needed to prioritize his daughter. And he needed to be open to the possibility of something more — a real family, the kind he’d never imagined having. “And you?”
“I slept great. I was just telling Grace what to expect from today’s barbecue.”
“Lotsa people,” Grace said excitedly. “Food. Kids.”
“Exactly.” Liam crossed the kitchen to his daughter, who was standing on a special booster stool for toddlers. Amelia’s words from last night echoed in his mind as he bent forward and kissed the top of Grace’s fair head. She smelled like baby shampoo. When he raised his head, he saw that Amelia was looking at him, a smile on her face. She gave him a little nod, then turned back to the stove to check on the bacon.
Liam’s heart warmed. He smiled at Grace, who beamed up at him with her toothy little grin, then joined in the breakfast-making.
They ate breakfast together at the dining room table. They had done the same the weekend before, and on a few weekday mornings before Liam left for work, and it was starting to feel like a ritual. Grace tried her best to use her plastic toddler cutlery, but ended up using her fingers to pick up a slice of bacon, chewing with glee.
Amelia and Liam exchanged an amused glance.
“Should we have gone over table manners before the barbecue?” Liam asked.
“Nah. This is normal behavior for toddlers, so if this Stanley is as much of a family guy as you say, he’ll be used to it. Plus, it’s a barbecue. Everyone eats with their hands.”
“Fair enough.” Liam took a bite of his eggs. “Are you nervous?”
“No. I was nervous about pretending to be a couple in front of a guy who might actually notice that we aren’t — but only when we first began planning. Now, I think we’re ready. We look like a real family.”
“We sure do.” Liam smiled at her, and she smiled back.
After breakfast, Liam helped Grace into a pair of pink shorts and a white T-shirt, at her request, before they met Amelia at the door.
“White?” Amelia asked as she helped Grace into her shoes. “That’s going to be just a tiny bit messy.”
“Oops.” Liam felt sheepish. “Should she change?”
“No!” Grace exclaimed. “No change.”
“No change,” Amelia repeated with a wink. “Let’s head out.”
Stanley’s ranch was about an hour’s drive away. Liam expected to make the drive in one stretch, but he quickly realized that any car journey with a toddler wouldn’t be that easy. They had to stop twice, once so that Grace could use the bathroom and once so that she could stretch her legs at a park she’d spotted. Luckily, they’d left with plenty of time to spare, so they arrived outside Stanley’s ranch right on time.
“Wow,” Amelia breathed from the passenger seat. Liam had to agree. The ranch was marked by a huge arching gate, across which the words Jefferson Family Ranch were carved in an ornate script. Beyond the gate, Liam and Amelia could see a one-lane access road curving through a line of cherry trees and up a small hill to what could only be described as an enormous mansion. It had a huge porch as well as several balconies, whitewashed walls, and red shutters. In front of the mansion, Liam spotted a large lap pool and a cluster of people on a patio.
