Chapter Sixteen
At the first hint of dawn, Liam got up from the living room sofa and took Jag out to the patio, curious to see how he’d act in the daylight. He’d been worked up as hell last night, desperate to get outside. When Liam had let him on the back patio, the dog launched himself to the wall, up on his hind legs, barking as if someone had just climbed that wall and barely escaped the dog’s wrath.
This morning, Jag sniffed outside like a drug-hunting hound, walking the perimeter of the small, grassy area, focused on one corner where the wall and house met, digging, barking, rooting for whatever his powerful scent glands had picked up. Then he’d peed like he was literally pissed off at not finding what he wanted.
Nothing looked unusual to Liam, and the lock on the back door wasn’t scratched like someone had tried to pick it. Had Nora come back?
Liam walked across the dew-damp grass to look at the six-foot wall again. The side facing the street had no foliage, which would make it really tough to scale.
From the inside, it would take some doing, using the vines for footholds, but getting out would be easier than getting in. If someone breached the patio, Jag would go nuts.
The latch clicked on the back door, making him turn and Jag cease his sniffing. Andi stepped outside, her hair still unbrushed and tousled, the same bathrobe she’d had on last night tied tightly around her waist, and the same question in eyes dimmed by sleep-deprived shadows.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked.
“Checking it out in daylight. Trying to figure out what had him worked up last night.”
She looked at Jag, who’d resumed his furious digging. “He’s still worked up.”
“He smells something.”
“Oh.” She stepped closer, inhaling and letting it out on a sigh, absently reaching for Jag, who stopped digging to nuzzle his nose against her leg. Who could blame him? “Do you think Nora tried to get in?”
“I don’t know how unless she had a ladder. Could have been anything, you know. An animal would make him crazy, too. A possum or a rabbit. Maybe not this crazy, but…” He shrugged and looked at the dog, because Andi was so damn beautiful it hurt his eyes to stare too long.
She lifted her hand, though, getting his attention, then turned it so the morning sun caught the light of the ring he’d given her last night.
“We haven’t discussed this yet,” she said.
“We were busy.”
A soft flush darkened her creamy complexion. “Was this your idea?”
“Uh, this might shock you. The Dogfather.”
She almost smiled, but that whisper of disappointment was in her eyes again. “Of course. I should have known.”
“He wanted me to give it to you at dinner last night.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He shrugged. “Bone-deep hatred of being the center of attention and handing my brothers reasons to mock me.”
She gave a dry laugh and stepped barefoot onto the damp grass, not answering him.
“Be careful where you walk, Andi,” he warned. “You might step in…”
“Kryptonite.”
Under any other circumstances, he would have laughed. Except he knew exactly why she said it. “I might have to kill Shane.”
She made her way to the wall, placing her hands on it, standing on her tiptoes but too short to look over it. The move showed him how difficult it would be for a woman her size to scale this wall.
“Am I your kryptonite?”
Behind her, he placed one hand on her shoulder, slowly turning her around. “Yes, Andi Rivers.” His voice came out husky as he lightly touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “You are my weakness.”
She closed her eyes.
“You don’t like that.”
When she looked at him again, she searched his face, eye to eye, her brows drawn as if trying to find something she couldn’t. “Liam, you’re almost forty. Why haven’t you ever married? And if you say because of me, I’ll know you’re lying. We dated for one month, and it was great, yes, but hasn’t there ever been anyone else?”
He swallowed hard. “My standards are high.”
“As they should be.”
“No, mine are ridiculous. I’ve met terrific women, yes. I’ve been involved and had relationships over the years, but they all fizzled out because…” Oh hell. What did he have to lose? “I think the world of my dad, as you know. And we laugh about him trying to get us all married, one by one. But, Andi, I have always wanted to be exactly like him.”
She waited, listening intently while he gathered his thoughts.
“He’s a lot of things, you know,” he finally continued. “A great father, a gifted vet, a good citizen. But first and foremost, he was Annie Kilcannon’s husband. He took that job to heart, lived it every day they were married, and shared something with her that I don’t think ten percent of the world’s population manages to find.”
He took a breath, the long speech so foreign to a man who despised talking, especially about feelings. But it was important she know that he took love and marriage so seriously.
“I refuse to settle for less than that.” He stroked the column of her neck with two thumbs, lost in her eyes as he made the admission. “You are the first woman I’ve ever met that makes me think that kind of life is possible for mere mortals and not just my parents.”
“Oh…Liam.” Her eyes misted, and she came closer. “That’s a lot of pressure for one single mother.”
“Don’t feel pressured, Andi. Be honored. And honest. Could you ever feel the same?”
“You know how skeptical I am about being so certain. Things change.”
“Like where you’re going to live?” At her frown, he added, “Nora said something about living in Charlottesville last night.”
“There are stipulations in the will that say I’d have to change Christian’s last name to Scott, he’d have to be raised in the family home in Charlottesville, and he couldn’t be adopted by anyone I marry.”
He made a face as the ridiculous reality of those stipulations hit him. “What the hell?”
“I’m talking to the lawyer this morning,” she said quickly. “I’ll get some kind of clarification.”
“Would you follow those in order to secure the trust?” he asked.
She studied him, thinking. “You heard me last night, Liam. I’m not going to ‘settle’ and accept anything. I’m going to fight this with everything I have.”
“And now you have me.”
She smiled. “Pretty good weapon, I’d say.”
He lowered his head an inch, moving in for a kiss he’d wanted since he left her last night, but Jag barked and the kitchen door popped open at the same time.
“Mommy! There you are!”
They both whipped around at the sight of Christian in his pj’s, looking a little terrified that he hadn’t been able to find her. Instantly, the moment was lost as Andi swooped into mom mode and Liam would have to wait again.
After all these years, what was another few hours or days?
* * *
Andi walked slowly to her office later that morning, and not only because her body was wiped out from sleeping next to a restless six-year-old instead of a relentless forty-year-old.
She’d done the right thing, no doubt about it. But with Liam’s admission echoing in her head, along with his question—Could you ever feel the same?—she had to take a good long look at her life, and at him. And what she saw scared her.
Not because she wanted to cling to her oath of independence and focus exclusively on Christian…but because she’d spent a long sleepless night questioning the wisdom of that decision.
And then he hit her with: You are the first woman I’ve ever met that makes me think that kind of life is possible for mere mortals.
Longing twisted in her chest, squeezing the air out of her as she opened the door to the stairs that led to her office above the bakery. She could taste that “kind of life” as clearly as she could taste Linda May’s butter-laden croissants just by the whiff of deliciousness in the air. She could imagine the pleasure and security of it, the laughter and love, the big wonderful family, and…
Then something would change. Because that’s what always happened to Andi. She’d get close to bliss, and life would throw her a change so big and unexpected that everything she hoped to have would melt away.
And did she forget that Christian’s six-million-dollar inheritance came with strings? Not only might she lose him, but if he was going to get that money—which belonged to him—she’d have to move. And he’d never have a proper father, which hadn’t bothered her these past few years when she clung to solitude, but after seeing him with Liam?
Yeah, the idea that the door to someone adopting Christian was closed and locked definitely bothered her.
She pushed open the wooden door to Bruce Williams Architects satellite office to find Becca, her assistant, rolling up a blueprint at her desk. She flattened Andi with an accusatory look.
“You didn’t warn me he was gorgeous.”
Andi inched back. Had Liam come here after all?
“The lawyer!” Becca said on a soft whisper, pointing to the conference room adjacent to Andi’s office. She picked up a business card, fanned herself, then looked at it. “Nicholas Stillman, attorney at law.”
“He’s not supposed to be here until eleven,” Andi said, unconcerned with his good looks but thinking about stipulations she didn’t want to follow.
“He knows he’s early, but said he’d wait for you. He had some other business to take care of, so I let him use the conference room. Is that okay? Which client needs a lawyer, anyway?”
Becca was a trusted assistant and should be in the know about the situation, but Andi hadn’t even had time to tell her. She’d told only Linda May, but Becca should also be informed that her boss was getting married on Saturday night.
Guilt squeezed, along with a little sadness.
“It’s a personal matter. I’ll talk to him now.”
“Brace yourself, he’s hot.”
“Oh…okay.” He could look like Frankenstein’s monster as long as he was able to help her get Nora Scott to go away. And do something about the stipulations of a will that could very well put her in the situation of having to decide between millions for her son or a lifetime of love for herself.
With dread like a lead ball in her stomach, she headed into the conference room and, of course, Becca let the blueprint unravel and hustled ahead of her. “Let me do the introductions.”
Moments later, after Becca left the room, Andi sat across from the attorney, who was good-looking if you liked piercing gray-blue eyes and wavy blond hair. But all Andi cared about was Nick Stillman’s assessment of the documents covering the small mahogany table in her conference room.
Before she told him about the stipulations, she decided to wait to hear what he said about custody.
“Does she have a case?” Andi asked bluntly, not willing to dance around the question any longer.
He let out a slow sigh. “Not a good one,” he finally said. “It is not impossible to take a child from his parent, but the law sits firmly on your side.”
She almost melted with relief.
“There are many steps to the process, and she appears to have completed a few of them,” he added, yanking her back out of that pool of relief. “She’s clearly done her homework on the family and juvenile codes in the state of North Carolina.” He flipped a paper. “She’s listed the state’s requirements for a custody hearing and the type of evidence required to prove you are an unfit mother.”
Andi winced at the words, only then realizing how much her heart was pounding. She didn’t trust her voice or the burn behind her eyelids, so she nodded and let him continue.
“She has to gather more evidence than she has in this document.” He fingered another paper. “The court will require video or audio files, some solid proof that you’ve in some way abused your son, or have a possible criminal record, which you don’t, but please keep your nose clean. And a strong and unbiased—”
“Nick,” she said, leaning forward. “Whatever she has is made up. Christian is my whole world. The only thing she has is that I’m single and I went out to a bar twice in the last three months.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Andi. I’m going all lawyer on you with worst-case. You aren’t going to lose this one, especially if what you mentioned on the phone holds true. You’re marrying Liam Kilcannon on Saturday?”
She stared at him. “That’s the plan.”
“So you’ll march into that courtroom with the power of one of this county’s most-beloved families behind you. As long as she can’t prove it’s not a legitimate marriage and that the court-ordered evaluation of Christian shows that he is comfortable with the family, then—”
“What court-ordered evaluation?”
“The one she’s petitioned to have.” He slid a paper toward her. “I did a quick search of the county courts this morning and found this.”
She barely looked at the official order in front of her, those tears really threatening now. How could she put Christian through that kind of torture? Sitting in front of a child psychologist, answering questions, and wanting to roll into a ball and hide?
Then she remembered the paperwork Nick Stillman hadn’t seen yet. Reaching into the soft-sided laptop bag she took to and from work, she pulled out the documents the other lawyer, Jason Leff, had handed her a few days ago.
“He represents the Scott family trust,” she explained as she handed them over. “This says the money willed to Christian comes with some stipulations.”
Frowning, he took the papers and scanned them while Andi dropped her chin in her hands and shifted her gaze out the window. What a mess. What a big, hot mess.
What was worse—putting Christian through an ordeal at six or denying him a massive inheritance that could change his life at twenty-one? He wouldn’t care now, but what about when he was an adult? Would he accuse her of being selfish if she didn’t fight for his inheritance or meet the stipulations?
“This is invalid,” Nick said simply.
“What?”
“A stipulation placed on a last will and testament is only valid if both parties agree to it, and Christian certainly hasn’t agreed and neither have you, nor has Christian’s father. So, this will never hold up in court.”
She blinked at him as her whole body started to vibrate a little, shocking her with how much she wanted that to be right and real. “Are you sure?”
“I mean they can try to put limitations like this on a will,” he said. “And the other lawyer will attempt to get it through, but it won’t fly. I’m one hundred percent certain of this law because I’ve argued it before.”
“Is anything one hundred percent certain?” Because it wasn’t in her life.
“This is. Placing bizarre clauses and preconditions in wills is the stuff of fiction, I assure you. A stipulation like this requires full agreement, with witnesses, from both parties. I have a file full of case law that will convince any judge in any court.”
“Court.” It was coming to that. “Nora Scott wants me to sign this trust over to her, and then she’ll go away.” Because she wanted to scare Andi.
He eyed her. “You have that option, but…”
“But would she really go away?” Andi mused.
Nick lifted a shoulder, unsure. “But do you want to do that, Andi? It’d be safe, and I agree it would keep you, and possibly your son, from having to walk into a court of law, but if this money is his, why not fight for it?”
“Because I could lose him.”
He shook his head. “I sincerely doubt it. I don’t know this woman, but my guess is that she’s banking on how good a mother you are to get away with scaring you into signing the trust over to her.”
Exactly what Andi thought.
“Of course, you can offer her a financial settlement, a portion of Christian’s trust, which you’d probably have to come up with in cash now.”
“Like a million dollars?”
“At least.”
She almost laughed. “What do you recommend?”
“Fight her. All the way. Brace yourself, and your little boy, and let it go to a hearing. A decent judge won’t put a kid through the courtroom if his end can be handled in conference or chambers. You won’t lose and you’ll be done with her permanently. Settling for less is like letting her blackmail you, and she might come back for more. A court order is much more secure, and I think you’re positioned to win. Honestly, I hate that this sounds sexist, but it’s going to ultimately help you in court to have a husband like Liam.”
A husband like Liam.
She braced her hands on the table as the words made her lightheaded with longing and power and certainty.
“Of course, you don’t have to go as far as a marriage to prove yourself a fit mother,” he added, misinterpreting her expression. “Single mothers win custody battles all the time. The vast majority of the time, I might add.”
“Then I don’t have to marry Liam.”
“If you want to, by all means, it will help the case, but it isn’t absolutely crucial. You should only do it if you want to.” He added a smile that showed off dimples that would probably make Becca swoon. “You know, for the usual reasons one gets married.”
Reasons like…falling in love with a man who wouldn’t settle for less. “Okay,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
He leaned forward, all business. “So what will it be, Andi? Fight or settle?”
There really was no decision. “Take her to the mat,” she said simply, standing up with a strength she hadn’t even known she had.
Nick grinned. “Music to an attorney’s ears. I’ll have the response drafted this morning.”
Feeling more optimistic than she had in days, Andi walked him out to hand him over to a very attentive Becca.
While the two of them chatted in the reception area, Andi went into her office, closed the door, and walked to the window with a surreal feeling of floating on air with each footstep. Leaning against the cool pane, she looked out at Bushrod Square, her eyes blurring as she stared at the thick summer foliage and brightly colored flower beds.
She glanced at her left hand, at the modest diamond ring that represented so much to him. She didn’t have to marry Liam on Saturday night.
“But I want to marry him,” she whispered, the words so airy and soft they fogged the glass in front of her.
It would help her case, but she recognized that thought as the rationalization it was the minute it hit her brain. The truth was she was falling hard for him. Falling for that strong and steady and loving man who offered her everything she needed and didn’t even know she wanted.
And they’d made the plans. Pulling the rug out now would disappoint people more than anything…and delay the inevitable.
She put her hand over her mouth as she accepted that new truth.
But what about Christian? Was it selfish to risk Christian loving and losing a father figure again?
Only if she thought she’d lose Liam, and deep inside, down to her very soul, she knew she could count on him forever. She might not be able to say I love you now, but she was well on her way. The only things holding her back were fear and uncertainty.
Maybe it was time to let go of both.
“Hey, Andi?” Becca tapped on her door and gave it a nudge, coming in. “Hottie lawyer is gone, but…” She frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?” She touched her cheeks, which felt warm.
“You’re all bright and…like you’re lit up from the inside.”
Which was exactly how she felt. “Mr. Stillman had really good news.”
“Yeah? Well, Mr. Stillman asked me on a date, so that’s even better news.”
Andi gave a tiny hoot. “Well. Go you.”
Becca laughed and held out a yellow slip. “You didn’t hear the phone. I was flirting my heart out with my future husband, so Molly Kilcannon left a message to call her.”
“Oh, really? Did she say what it was about?”
“She said…” Becca frowned at the paper. “A fitting this afternoon? Does that sound right? Or did she say sitting?”
“Fitting. For a dress. A…wedding dress.”
Becca’s jaw unhinged a bit. “So Linda May isn’t blowing smoke? The rumors are true?”
Were they? Was she getting married on Saturday night? She didn’t have to, but…she wanted to. For all kinds of reasons.
“Yes,” Andi said, surprised at how vehement the one syllable came out. “It’s true. I’m marrying him Saturday at Waterford Farm in a surprise ceremony for friends and family during his brothers’ double engagement party.”
“Oh my God.” Becca opened her arms and threw them around Andi. “I’ve always known you two were meant for each other!”
“You have?”
“Oh yes! Ever since you dated him years ago, I thought you were perfect. I’m so happy for you, Andi!” She squeezed harder. “Take the day off, please. Go get Christian out of school early. Get fitted for your dress and don’t come back here until you’ve had a honeymoon. Oh, and I’ll be there!”
Andi leaned back, reeling. “On a honeymoon?”
“At the wedding. That’s the date Nicholas Stillman just asked me to go on—to Shane’s engagement party.” She yanked her closer. “Throw that bouquet at me, woman!”
Andi laughed, her heart so full of joy and expectation and hope and certainty, she would promise anyone anything right then.
What better time to go see Liam?