A Tangled Web - R.G. Alexander Page 0,27
what held it was her. There was no artifice, no pretense that he could see—just joy. He wanted to feel that. To get closer to it. And the boring, obligatory evening he’d been resigned to became the moment his life had changed.
He’d pretended to bump into her to start a conversation. She was hesitant at first, but a few of her patients teased her until she relaxed around him. She was easy to talk to, smart and so funny he’d spent most of the night with a genuine smile on his face. He never wanted it to end.
It wasn’t until a friend had pointed out the scene his date was about to make that he remembered her at all, which wasn’t his finest hour. So he’d taken another woman home, but all he could think about was finding Dani again and asking her out.
He’d made it his business to get her information, discovering that they already had a few friends in common, and managed to run into her again within the week. This time there wasn’t another woman on his arm, but it was too late, since Dani was the one who was no longer available. In an excited rush, she’d told him about the man she’d started dating. The man she’d met online the day after Liam had let her go.
He’d missed his window, but he wasn’t ready to give up, so they’d become friends. His father had taught him that if he wanted something, really wanted it, he had to be patient and stick to his plan. The success of his family’s business had proven that his old man knew what he was talking about.
Which brought him back to that other thing he hadn’t told her. His biggest lie. Liam ran a frustrated hand through his hair and glanced almost resentfully at the two-story house that had been their home for over a year now.
There was no wealthy friend.
Liam had purchased it himself, sight unseen, on the way to Arizona. He’d come to Sedona on fishing trips with his father several times throughout his childhood, and he’d always felt at peace here. It was the first place that came to mind when she’d said she needed to get as far away from Dallas as she could.
He’d wanted to share this haven with her. Wanted her to see what he saw when he looked out at the red rocks at sunset. And she had. She’d instantly adored everything about it, the way he’d known she would. She must have told him a dozen times how she’d felt like she was always meant to come here. To meet Kaya and Bailey. How thankful she was to Liam’s rich buddy for letting them stay.
She thought he was an ordinary chef, talented enough in the kitchen to earn a decent living. At first, it was like a gift. One that gave him the chance to get to know her without the other bullshit getting in the way, like it always had in the past. He was just Liam with Dani. Not part owner of one of the most successful chains of barbecue restaurants in Texas. Just Liam. He liked that guy. She liked that guy.
His last serious relationship before they’d met had been a sham. She’d insinuated herself into his family, befriended his sister, charmed his father. Slept with his cousin. All because of the damn money.
If he’d loved her, it might have hurt him, but it still made him wary. And it was no excuse. There wasn’t a manipulative bone in Dani’s body. She was genuine. Honest. And the longer he’d waited to be honest in return, the harder it had become to believe she would forgive him.
“You are the only one I can trust right now, Liam.”
Her words that night had sealed his fate. He loved her. Madly. Completely. He might not deserve her, but he wished like hell he could find a way to unfuck this situation and keep her at the same time.
“That is one hell of a dark thundercloud hanging over your head, my friend. Want to talk about it?”
“What the hell?” Liam spun around to find Nick’s friend wandering toward him.
Stax? “What are you doing on my property?”
The handsome man held his hands up. “Possessive. I left something behind the other night. Thought I’d walk over, since it’s such a beautiful day.”
“From town?” Was he staying with Nick and Jace or at one of the campgrounds? Either way, it was one hell of a walk through