Her expression softened.“Maya…”
“What?”I knew what she was thinking, but I didn’t want her pity.I didn’t want anyone’s pity.My past was in the past; there was no need to dwell on it.Besides, there was a more important question to answer now.“You have to admit it’s suspicious that he disappeared right around the time her memory issues first appeared.”It was bad enough that he’d stopped visiting, but doing it so he wouldn’t have to deal with his grandmother’s health issues was beyond disgusting.
“All I’m saying is there’s a difference between ‘not visiting often’ and ‘disappearing’.”Sierra tilted her head.“Not everyone has the same standards for showing up.”
I forced a smile.“I get it.”
Sierra raised an eyebrow.
“No, really.I do,” I said, taking a long drink of my coffee so I wouldn’t have to keep talking.
“Promise me you’ll try to be nice.If only for Nana’s sake.”
“Fine,” I huffed before muttering, “but he’s still a jerk.”A sexy jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.
She chuckled, patting my hand.“I have faith in you.Nana holds a special place in your heart, after all.”
Sierra was wrong; it wasn’t as simple as holding a special place in my heart.Nana hadn’t merely hired me; she’d saved me.She was there when I had no one.Nana was the first person who showed me any real affection after my parents had washed their hands of me.I owed her everything.
Did Liam think he could waltz back into town after three years and act like nothing had happened?Well, screw that.She was my Nana now, too, and no one treatedmyNana that way.
“Um, hello?Why didn’t you tell me he was so much better looking than in those old pictures?That man glowedup!”She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment before continuing.“And who’s the other guy?Yowza.And that ferret?He’s wearing the latestMadame Truiecreation.I haven’t even received my stock from that collection yet.”She fanned herself with one hand and shook her phone at me with the other.
Her enthusiasm left me wondering what she was more excited about: a sexier-than-expected Liam, a good-looking Greg, or a ferret wearing the latest in haute pet couture from the runways of Paris.My money was on the ferret.
“I literally just finished telling you he’s hotter than in the pictures.”
“But you didn’t say how much.He is so much hotter.”She waved her phone at me again.“You have to see this pic Andie sent me.”
“Nope,” I insisted, turning away.The last thing I needed was to see a picture of Liam looking delicious.Remembering I was supposed to hate him was hard enough without bringing my inconvenient attraction to him back into it.“Delete it.Burn it.I want nothing to do with him.”
Sierra snorted and shoved her phone in my face again.“Just look.”
A photo of Liam, Greg, and Nana sitting in a booth in the diner greeted me from Sierra’s screen.The text accompanying the photo read:Who is this good-looking guy with Nana and Liam?
Andie recognizing Liam hadn’t surprised me.She’d seen all the same photos I had, after all.Her asking about Greg, though, thatdidsurprise me.She was so staunchly anti-relationship that she hadn’t expressed even a passing interest in anyone since we’d met two years ago.Being a single mom with a deadbeat ex would do that, I supposed.
My heart melted when I spied the gigantic smile on Nana’s face as she snuggled Mr.Fluffy to her chest.With how much animals loved her, you’d swear she was some sort of animal whisperer.She was the only one who’d ever managed to get on Harold’s good side.That giant fur ball loved her as much as I did.
“That’s Greg.And his ferret…” I blinked at the screen, distracted by the sequined romper the animal was now wearing.“Mr.Fluffy had a wardrobe change before going to breakfast?”
Sierra eyed me expectantly, and I threw my hands up with a chuckle.
“All I know is Greg is way nicer than Liam.We didn’t talk for long, so I didn’t learn much more than that.”
Even if I’d wanted to learn more, it’s not like I’d had the chance.The three of them left not long after I’d stripped to my undies and let Liam put his hands all over me.
Even now, the echo of Liam’s fingers danced over my thigh.Not that his touch had been sexual.He’d wiped some scratches with antiseptic and bandaged a few of the deeper gouges.My body had simply overreacted.But the heat in his gaze had left no question about whether he liked what he saw.And as for me?My stomach was still doing that ridiculous flip thing that only happened when you were crushing hard on a man.
Which wasabsurd, because Liam wassonot my type.
At all.
Not even a little.
Forcing my rambling thoughts away, I shoved Sierra’s phone back into her hand.Liam Bishop wasn’t my type, but he was a problem, because Nana deserved better than a grandson who visited once every three years.And if she wouldn’t tell him that, I would.
four
