her.”
“I’m not miserable,” Liam protested.
Jacob chuckled. “You haven’t touched your burger. You don’t talk. You just sit and brood.”
Liam sipped his beer. “I just don’t understand why she didn’t trust me. She was supposed to wait for me instead of going off on her own to meet her sister. And she lied to me about having a sibling.”
“Cut her some slack,” Fletch said. “Look at the position she was in.”
“Addicts cause all kinds of problems in families,” Griff said. “Put yourself in her shoes. She was threatened, left alone to deal with a sick mother and didn’t know who to trust.”
But he’d wanted her to trust him.
Jacob checked his watch. “If you care about her, Liam, go tell her.”
“Yeah, she can’t read your mind,” Fletch added.
Griff grunted. “Go get her, bro.”
Liam’s heart stuttered. He’d told Peyton that when he wanted something, he didn’t give up. And he didn’t give up on a case.
Yet he’d given up on them too easily.
His brothers were right. He’d just have to work harder to earn Peyton’s trust.
He tossed some cash on the table. “You’re right. I’m going to see her right now.”
His brothers clinked glasses and cheered him on as he hurried out the door. Not wanting to show up empty handed, he stopped at his place and retrieved the antique ruby ring his mother had left him. It wasn’t a diamond, but it would do until Peyton could pick out one. That is, if she said yes to his proposal.
Fall was in full swing as he drove toward the mountains and the Gardens, the bare branches fluttering in the gusty wind. Thanksgiving was just around the corner, a time for family.
He wanted his own family now, one with Peyton.
The temperature was dropping to near freezing tonight, but he was sweating in his shoes as he paused at the gate to Golden Gardens. Once he was buzzed through, he parked in front of Peyton’s apartment, then sat for a moment, wondering if he should have called. She might be with her sister or mother. Or working.
Or, hell, she might be seeing another man by now.
That thought made his stomach twist into all kinds of knots, and he climbed out and strode up to her door. He rang the bell, jiggling his leg as he waited.
Doubts crept in. What if Peyton didn’t want him in her life?
Hell, he dodged bullets and fought the dregs of society. But opening his heart was the scariest thing he’d ever done.
Too late to turn back now. He’d regret it in the morning.
Summoning his courage, he rang the bell again, but she didn’t answer, so he walked around the side of the property and spotted her by the pond near the gardens. He hesitated, not wanting to disturb her if she was with someone else. But as he walked toward her, he realized she was alone. Well, except for the furry cat in her arms which she cradled close to her.
He halted a few feet from her, and she turned, her gaze locking with his. The instant flare of attraction sizzled through him, and he could barely breathe. She looked more rested and at peace than she had before.
And so beautiful he called himself ten kinds of a fool for waiting so long to confess how he felt.
He cleared his throat. “Peyton?”
She kissed the cat and set him on the ground, and he ran back toward her apartment. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again,” she said softly.
He moved toward her, heart pounding. “I thought you needed time.” And he’d been a coward.
“I did, but Mama and Val are both doing great.” The tender smile she gave him warmed him from the inside out. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Val. I...it just hurt so much when I thought of her.”
He crossed the distance to her. “I understand. But I want you to trust me.” He stood in front of her, need and desire thrumming through him.
“I do trust you, Liam. It was never about trust with you.” She licked her lips. “It was just complicated. And painful.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
A slow smile creased her sensual lips. “I wanted to see you, too.”
“I don’t want any regrets,” he said. “And if I don’t tell you how I feel, I will regret it.”
Emotions thundered inside him, and he reached for her. “I’m in love with