Bellamy

 

This television interview was sudden. The decision to announce his return to the pros and his intention to compete in the Olympic men’s halfpipe next winter seemed kind of abrupt.

There’d been whispers about his return for months now. He never acknowledged them.

Until now.

And boy, he wasn’t just announcing on a local channel or calling the newspaper. Nope. Not my husband.

He had the biggest news channel on TV out here to interview him and a few other networks to talk to as well. One of them being a huge entertainment show that mostly covered celebrity news.

To the extreme—that was Liam.

Still. I couldn’t help wondering why today. Why the sudden change of heart?

I stood off to the side next to Alex (God forbid I stand alone!) and watched Tom Joiner bounce around like a golden retriever, smiling like a car salesman, and laughing at every joke.

“Kiss-ass,” I muttered under my breath.

Alex cackled. “Ain’t that the truth? But hey, he’s only doing it for our boy. He does all this so Liam can concentrate on boarding.”

“He does a good job.”

Alex grunted, which I took as an agreement. Watching Liam’s coach, I was more convinced that maybe he had been pushing for this. Maybe he was the reason for today.

The director, or whoever, yelled for everyone to be silent, and then the cameras and lights were on. Liam, standing next to some anchor wearing a buttload of makeup, looked relaxed and comfortable as if he were with friends and not about to be broadcast on television.

“I’m here with Olympic medalist Liam Mattison who, up until an unfortunate injury, was considered the best snowboarder in the world. In fact, Liam still holds many records for the men’s halfpipe.” The anchor introduced him. “Liam, we are thrilled to have you with us today in what is your first interview in nearly two years.”

He shifted and smiled, his good looks nearly melting the camera. “Thank you for coming out to talk to me today. It’s been a long road, but it’s good to be back.”

“Are you back?” the interviewer pounced. “Is that why we’re all here today?”

“I thought you came ‘cause you missed me,” he quipped, smiling.

People around laughed lightly, and the journalist giggled like a school girl.

I suppressed an eye roll.

“I think I can say with full authority that we have all missed you. Not only were you the best, but you were always very well loved.” Liam chuckled, and the interviewer continued. “That’s why we are so anxious to know. Is Liam Mattison returning to snowboarding?”

“I am.” He confirmed. “I’ve been training for a while now. You’re going to be seeing me on the halfpipe real soon.”

The woman beamed as though she’d just unearthed some magic cure for something horrific and turned toward the camera. “You heard it here first! Liam Mattison is coming back for his title.”

“I definitely have a lot of work to do before I can even think about that,” he replied humbly. My husband was a confident man, but he wasn’t so arrogant to declare he would be the best once again.

“You were forced out of competing when you suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery, physical therapy, and a long recovery time. It was rumored that you would never return.”

He nodded. “That’s right, and to be honest, I didn’t expect to.”

“So why now? What’s brought you back?”

“Besides the fact that my knee has been cooperating?” he asked, smiling. When he shifted, a lock of his hair fell onto his forehead and shielded part of his gray eyes.

The woman laughed, and he pushed the hair off his face and continued. “Life is short, and I decided I didn’t want my career to end the way it did.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I think most of our viewers have seen the headlines about the tragic death of your father, Renshaw Mattison.”

Liam nodded, all traces of charm wiped from his face as a sober look took over. “He was murdered.”

I gasped lightly and started forward. This interview was about snowboarding, not an excuse to exploit something infinitely painful to my husband!

Alex slid an arm around my waist and pulled me back. I made a sound and glanced over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Let him do this,” he whispered against my ear.

“You can’t possibly think this is good for him,” I whisper-argued back.

“I think Liam is doing exactly what he needs to be doing.”

I paused and started to turn at whatever it was I heard in his voice.

Alex made a sound and touched my stomach. “Damn, girl, you’ve put on a few.”

I pulled away, gasping. “I’m pregnant, jackass!”

Someone nearby shushed us.

Alex snickered, and I glared at him. “You just wait until I tell Liam you told me I’m fat!”

His amusement faded, and his icy eyes nearly bugged out of his face. “You wouldn’t.”

I smiled.

Behind us, the interview continued.

“By an overzealous fan that came to stay at the resort you own and broke into your home, correct?”

“I wouldn’t call him overzealous. Or a fan,” Liam said darkly.

“What would you say, then?”

The intensity Liam portrayed so easily slipped into his silvery eyes as he stared at the camera. “Obsessive. Sloppy. Cowardly.”

“Interesting. You think he’s a coward?”

“I do,” he said right away. “He came to my home when I wasn’t there to defend it.”

“Your girlfriend came home and interrupted him, is that correct?”

“She’s my wife now.” Liam corrected. “But yes, she did. Me and my father as well.”

“And your father was shot and killed. You were shot, too, weren’t you?”

“I was.” He stared into the camera. “It will take a lot more than that to keep me down.”

I shivered and glanced at Alex, silently asking if he still thought this was a good idea.

He patted my head like I was a dog.

“How have you been since those events?” the woman asked seriously.

“It’s been tough,” he said honestly. “My father didn’t deserve what happened to him.”

“Renshaw was a big supporter of yours. Was his death a factor in your return?”

Liam looked past the camera crew, beyond the lights, and found me where I stood. I smiled at him, hoping he knew I was here supporting him.

“My father believed in me. Probably more than I did at times. But coming back, that’s something I’m doing for me.”

My heart squeezed. Pride overcame all other emotion I felt just then because I knew how hard it was for Liam to do something solely for himself.

The interview went on. He talked about our marriage and the Olympics. About his knee and training. It seemed to last forever, and when it was finished, he did a few other shorter interviews for the other networks.

By the time he was finished, I had long since retired to a chair and was daydreaming longingly of taking off my pants.

I had to face it. They were all too tight. It was uncomfortable. Not even the hairband looped through the button hole and around the button helped anymore.

Alex was right. I was getting fat.

A pair of very familiar, sexy jean-clad legs appeared before me, and I glanced up.

“Looks like you could use some Raisin Bran.”

“Mmm.”

He held out his hand, and I surrendered mine so he could tug me to my feet.

On our way to the Extreme, I said, “How do you think it went today?”

His reply was almost menacing and definitely strange. “Time will tell.”