Her Billionaire Heartthrob - Kaylee Baldwin Page 0,36

decorated to the nines in honor of his father. It took his breath away to see a photo gallery across one wall with pictures of his father, starting from when he was a young boy and then continuing onward through Liam and Xander’s childhoods, Pets and More through the years, and finally, some from the last year of his life.

“Did they get these from you?” he asked his mother.

“Some of them,” she replied, her gaze also glued to the wall. “There are a few I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.”

The group drifted to the wall to get a closer look, and Liam’s mom slid out of his arm so she could go at her own pace.

“This is your dad?” Viola looked back and forth between pictures of his dad when he was was about Liam’s age, and Liam. “Wow, you could be twins, a generation apart.”

Liam smiled. “That’s what I’ve heard.” He studied the picture of his dad, one arm around each of his sons, smiling proudly at the camera. “I can’t believe it’s almost been a year.”

“A lot’s happened this year.”

“It really has.”

They moved on to the next picture, and Liam found himself relaxing more and more with every story he told Viola about his childhood. Viola laughed when he told her about the lemonade stand he’d opened when he was about eight years old. His dad had made him draft a business plan before he’d invest the money Liam needed for supplies. “It probably amounted to, maybe, five dollars total for the lemonade mix, cups, and poster board for fliers. Dad wanted to make sure he got a return on his investment, including interest.

“That’s hard core,” Viola said.

“I made forty bucks,” he replied.

Her jaw dropped, making him laugh. “The most I made at those things was like a dollar fifty. And my only customers were my grandma’s friends, who I suspect she called to come over and buy from me.”

“I had a good business plan.” Liam smiled at the memory. His dad had definitely set him up for business success. He was a man who always kept moving, though, and in Liam’s attempt to keep up with him, he’d burned out. “He never slowed down.”

“And that’s partly why he died so young,” his mom replied. Liam hadn’t even realized that his mom had come to stand beside them again. “I’ve always hated that lemonade story, you know. You and your dad loved to tell it at parties, but it made me so angry at the time.”

“Why?” Liam asked, surprised. It was one of his fondest memories of his dad, and he thought his mom found it humorous too.

“Couldn’t he have just let you be a kid? Instead, he had you going all around town, posting fliers, talking to local businessmen, and putting so much pressure on you to make your business a success.”

She surprised Liam again by placing her hand on his cheek. She’d never been an overly-affectionate mother, though Liam had always known she loved him. She just tended to fall into the background whenever Liam and his dad were together. “So you’ve learned how to run a business, yes, but have you ever learned to have fun with it?”

He blinked. “Running a business and fun are two separate things.”

“They don’t have to be. I’ve always wondered,” she went on, so quietly, it was almost to herself. “What would you have done if you hadn’t had this mantle placed on your shoulders from such a young age?”

Before Liam could respond, or even process fully what she was asking, someone took his arm from behind. He turned to see Fiona and her husband, Nick.

“Liam, it’s wonderful to see you again.” She had a warm smile on her face as she grasped his hand in hers. “I’m so sorry to put this speech on you. How are you feeling?”

Liam’s returning smile suddenly felt plastic. Was this what he was in for the entire night? People treating him like he was broken and asking how he was feeling? He squeezed Viola’s hand gently, and she responded by stepping closer to him, so their arms were touching down the length of them. His breath caught in his chest.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Good,” Fiona said, looking relieved. “I’m hoping to touch base with you tonight on a few things.”

“Tonight is for celebrating my husband,” his mother cut in.

Fiona stepped back, looking startled. “I know,” she replied. “I need only a moment or two of your time, Liam. After your speech, of course.”

Tightness