Deirdre’s brother stepped down into the crowd. It was now or never. Jeremiah forced his feet to move forward. He still tired easily, and he knew this encounter would likely force him to lie down for several hours. But it had to be done. He adjusted his hat and stepped forward.
“Hannan!” he called the second he locked eyes on the man.
Liam looked up, spotted Jeremiah, and held up a hand in greeting.
“Welcome back to town.” Jeremiah extended his hand, and Liam took it, shaking it heartily as he appeared to smile away his confusion at Jeremiah’s hearty greeting.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. He spoke to Jeremiah, but his eyes scanned the crowd around them, likely looking for anyone important he could nod at or exchange a few words with.
Jeremiah gritted his teeth. He was not one of those people, although he hoped the news he had would move him a little closer in Hannan’s eyes. “May I speak with you a moment? It’s on a matter of importance.”
That got Liam’s attention. His eyes—the same blue as Deirdre’s—focused on Jeremiah. “Certainly. I must see to my sister though, first. I thought she might be here to meet me.”
“She isn’t,” Jeremiah said, drawing a pair of raised eyebrows from Liam. He had to choose his words carefully. “I’m here in her stead.” That wasn’t right either. He made it sound as if some tragedy had befallen Deirdre, and by Liam’s concerned expression, that’s precisely what he thought too.
“Is Deirdre well?” he asked as he walked alongside Jeremiah toward an unoccupied corner of the platform.
“Yes, very. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give you the impression she wasn’t. In fact, I’ve been the one who was ill, and Deirdre . . .”Stop, he commanded himself. His nerves were getting the better of him. He turned to face Liam. He’d planned out this conversation as he lounged uselessly in bed yesterday evening.
Liam waited for him to continue, curiosity undisguised.
Jeremiah straightened his shoulders. “Like you, I’m a man of business.” It sounded utterly ridiculous coming from his mouth, but the words had gotten Liam’s attention. “I’m buying into Roman Carlisle’s livery stable. We’ll be partners, and we plan to expand our operations.”
A note of surprise crossed Liam’s face, but it disappeared quickly and he nodded. “That’s a wise investment. More people means more horses and more need for wagons and the like.”
“I’ve put aside most of what I need for the partnership, and my parents are lending me the remainder.”
“It’s nice that they can,” Liam replied, his voice indicating he wasn’t certain why exactly Jeremiah was giving him this information.
Jeremiah drew in a breath. “They’re good people, well respected in Denver. My pa runs a hardware business that he’d hoped I’d take over, but my inclination was always toward horses.” He shifted his weight, buying himself half a second before plunging into what he needed to broach next. “I’m saying all of this because Deirdre and I are married.”
Whatever Liam had expected him to say, it clearly wasn’tthat. He stared at Jeremiah, his expression unreadable.
Jeremiah’s heart beat harder. “I never meant for it to happen while you were away. In fact, I never meant for it to happen atall, but—”
Liam’s jaw tightened. “Did you do something to my sister?”
It took a second for the meaning to sink in. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not explaining this well.” He paused, thankful to see Liam’s anger fading into something less likely to end in violence. “Deirdre is a friend, a very dear friend, and with my parents coming into town, she agreed to marry me to reassure them that I’m a good investment, and that I’m prepared to take on a business.”
Somehow that soundedworse. Jeremiah left out the mail-order bride advertisement information, thinking that it cast Deirdre in a less than perfect light, but now he’d made himself sound entirely callous.
“Are you saying you married my sister to fool your parents? And then what—you’re going to cast her aside the moment they leave town?” Liam’s gaze was hard as he gestured to emphasize his words.
“No.” But it was true, wasn’t it? And yet here he was, denying it with all the vigor he could muster. “That’s not—”
“You have no feelings toward her at all, and you’ve somehow convinced her that this—thisfarce—is somehow beneficial to her? What happens next? Do you plan to divorce her and leave it nearly impossible for her to marry a man of quality?” Liam’s hands had curled into fists, and his words flew at Jeremiah, barely giving him time to think.
Of all the scenarios Jeremiah had pictured, this wasn’t one of them. He could barely comprehend how it had gone sideways so fast, but he had to rescue it—and quickly.
“No! Certainly not.” He held up his hands like a man desperate to defend himself. And there was no way on earth that Liam Hannan admired desperate defenses. Jeremiah forced his arms back to his sides. He wasn’t about to admit that he intended to annul the marriage, not when it would surely stir Liam’s rage.
“Then explain. Before I feel the need to drag you out into the street.” It was a not-so-subtle reminder that Liam had worked his way from a man with nothing but guts and a good mind to a respectable place in the community.
“I do have feelings for Deirdre,” Jeremiah said quickly. He’d never admitted that out loud, but considering Deirdre had occupied his mind for the better part of a year, it was certainly true. “I’d like to do right by her, but she’s a friend—a good friend—and I . . .” He fumbled for the right words. He wanted to give her a way out with the annulment, didn’t he?
That wasn’t true, and he knew it. He’d wanted to givehimselfa way out. He couldn’t bear to lose Deirdre’s friendship, but it made no sense at all to him now. Why would he think they could go back to the way they were after he annulled their marriage? It would sit between them like a boulder.
Nothing would ever be the same.
