The thought of leaving Mallory tonight made me feel slightly sad. We were finally going to have our previously canceled movie night.
Leaning forward, Billy asked, “Is there someone staying at your place?”
When I didn’t answer, he simply nodded.
“We can do poker night at my place. I’ll have MaryAnne…” His voice trailed off before he quickly stood. “MaryAnne!”
“What about her?” I asked, standing as well.
“Liam, she’s on her way to your place to drop off the sandwiches for tonight, like she does every poker night.”
My heart started to pound in my chest. I pulled out my cell to call Mallory—and realized we still hadn’t gotten her a phone yet. Instead, I tried MaryAnne. “She’s not answering her phone.”
Billy pulled out his phone and started tapping. Then he looked up at me. “According to GPS, she’s atyourhouse.”
Without another word, I darted out of the office and to my truck. Billy was on my heels. I wasn’t about to argue with him when he got into the passenger side, given we were trying to intercept his wife.
I floored it and drove as fast as I could.
“I know you know these roads like the back of your hand, Liam, but could you possibly slow down?”
“She’s going to panic!”
From the corner of my eye, I saw his head jerk to the left as he stared at me. “She? You mean MaryAnne?”
“No! I mean Mallory. I found her the night of the storm. She’d been kidnapped by someone and escaped. I found her basically passed out from exhaustion in the west pasture.”
Billy remained silent. When I took a chance and glanced at him, he was staring straight ahead, looking stunned.
We got to the driveway of my house in record time. Gravel kicked up as I took the turn sharply.
“There’s MaryAnne’s car,” Billy said, pointing out the obvious.
I parked next to it, turned off the truck, and jumped out. I raced up the porch steps—and came to an abrupt stop when the front door opened and MaryAnne appeared.
“It’s okay! She’s okay! Calm down!”
Billy leaned over and tried to catch his breath. “We tried…to call you.”
MaryAnne wore a smile that I imagined a mother would wear when trying to calm her kids. “I left it in the car and was about to go get it. I figured I’d better call Liam to let him know I’d met his guest.”
“Mallory?” Billy asked.
“Needless to say, she was a bit surprised to see a woman just walk into the house. I was even more surprised to seeher. I naturally assumed she was a girlfriend, and I started running my mouth about how I was bringing the sandwiches for poker night, and how I was going to box Liam’s ears for not telling us he was seeing someone.”
I rushed past MaryAnne and found Mallory in the kitchen, taking blueberry muffins out of the oven. She had really taken to baking and cooking, and if she kept it up, I’d be gaining weight.
“Mallory!” I rushed over and pulled her into my arms. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
She hugged me with a light laugh. “I’m fine. It all happened so fast and, well…I instantly liked MaryAnne.”
Holding her at arm’s length, I asked, “Does she know?”
She nodded. “Ihadto tell her. She thought we were a couple, and she started making plans for us to go out for drinks tonight while you played poker.”
“Liam Sanders,” MaryAnne scolded.
When I glanced over my shoulder, MaryAnne was frowning, hands on her hips, while Billy stood behind her, unsure of what to do or say.
