Chapter 10
10
Liam
L iam was more than relieved when he saw Margot’s car parked at the house. It had been a long day after the restless night he’d had. He imagined that Margot felt the same. If she’d decided to skip today’s work, he wouldn’t have blamed her.
And yet, she was here. She’d followed through with her agreement. If he wasn’t the bigger person, he would have rubbed that fact in Caleb’s face. Margot could be counted on to do what she’d promised. She wasn’t just a manipulator.
Liam grabbed the sack from the passenger seat—the one that contained the dinner he’d hoped to share with her. It wasn’t much, but he figured she’d enjoy having an excuse to take a break with someone who actually cared about her.
He strode up the driveway, past her car, and toward the barn. She was probably in there with Prada. Liam knew how cathartic it was to be with an animal who loved so unconditionally. He’d seen it over and over with people out at the equine therapy center who dealt with hardships. Those people were able to accept the healing power that the animals offered. Margot was no different, and he was glad to know she was willing to do what it took to feel good again.
There was no sign of her in the barn. The second he turned the corner and stood in the doorway, he knew she wasn’t inside. Caleb was working, which wasn’t surprising, but it made Liam wonder if he’d said anything to upset her.
His brother glanced in his direction but didn’t stop his work. He didn’t mutter anything or make any indication that he knew where Margot might have gone. Caleb knew just as much as Liam did.
Where could she be? There weren’t many options in the way of hiding places. If she wanted to avoid his brother, she would have been better off hiding in her car and waiting for Liam to come home from work.
He headed off in the most likely direction but didn’t have much hope of tracking her down. She might have gone for a walk—at least, he hoped that was what had happened. He didn’t want to have to talk to her father again about being the responsible party for her going missing.
Liam hurried down the trail, his focus sweeping through the area. He didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary. The farther he made it from the house, the more memories returned. He’d brought her out this way once. Granted, it wasn’t just Margot that he’d shared his ranch with. Most girls liked wandering through the fields of flowers that they never seemed to mow down.
If there was a chance that she’d remembered it as well, then that was the most likely place he’d end up finding her. His steps quickened alongside his heart as he hurried toward the wildflower meadow.
And that was when he saw her. She stood in the middle of the tall grasses, bathed in the evening sunset with her back to him. Her face turned toward the sky, and then she started to dance. Her steps were surprisingly graceful, considering the limp she’d acquired.
Margot’s leaps weren’t as broad as he thought they might have once been, but her movements were just as mesmerizing to watch. He’d never been able to make it out East to watch her perform in person, but he’d seen videos that had gotten onto the internet and none of them did her footwork justice.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures of her in the midst of her dance. Margot continued to dance until she noticed him. At that point, she gasped and spun to face him fully. “Liam!” she accused. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
“There was no sneaking involved.” Liam chuckled, shoving his phone into his pocket. He lifted the bag of fast food. “I brought dinner if you want it.”
Margot eyed the bag with pressed lips. “That’s really sweet of you, but I’m not really hungry.”
He shrugged. “That’s fine. You can eat what you’re in the mood for, and I’ll take the rest.”
They ended up sitting in an area of grass where the plants had been matted down. He wouldn’t have been surprised if an animal or a pack of them had used the meadow as their makeshift den. He pulled out the food and tore open the paper bag so they could put everything on top of it.
Liam eyed her as he picked up a french fry and took a bite. Even from a cursory glance, he could tell she was still dealing with residual feelings from the night before. As much as he knew it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to pry, he couldn’t help himself. “How are you doing? You know, since last night?”
She picked at her food and avoided looking directly at him. “Not so great. Got in a fight with my dad this morning.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Nope.” She sighed heavily. “Definitely not.” Margot tossed the fry she’d pinched between her finger and thumb back onto their makeshift table. She dusted any crumbs off her hands and finally met his gaze. “I wanted to thank you for what you did last night. It was really sweet of you.”
Sweet . There was that word again. He was getting sick of hearing it, too. “It’s nothing,” he said in an offhanded way.
“It really isn’t. Nothing, I mean. You have no idea what it was like to be stranded out there without a phone or a car. It was… awful.” Margot fiddled with a different fry this time but didn’t eat it. “So that’s what I wanted to make sure you knew—how grateful I am. I was thinking about it a lot last night. I sorta wish the guy I was out with was more like you.”
At that, Liam stiffened. Did she just say what he thought she had? She wasn’t actually suggesting that she wanted to reconsider a relationship with him, was she? Conflicting emotions flittered through his body. The fact that a relationship with her would be hard didn’t escape him. He had his doubts. But at the same time, he wanted nothing more than to be with her, to help her deal with whatever it was she was going through. Whatever it was that was putting her through this misery.
That didn’t make him a pushover, did it?
No, he refused to believe that. He wanted this. It wasn’t just up to her.
Liam shifted closer to her, his gaze delving into hers. “Not all guys are like him.” His statement was more of a hint that he wanted her to consider him.
“Well, I sure know how to pick them, right?” She released a disdainful chuckle. “I just wish I could find someone who was good for me.”
She might not be open to a relationship right now, but she was warming up to him. There might still be a chance to win her over. Before he could suggest such a thing, she nudged him, and a small, embarrassed smile graced her lips.
“This morning, I waited until I thought my dad was out at work before I went home. Guess who was still waiting for me? And boy, was he not happy about it.”
Liam grimaced. “That couldn’t have been good.”
“It wasn’t.” She sighed and wandered a few steps from him. Her toes pointed out as if she prepared to begin her dance again, only this time, she froze in one position. “He wants me to go back to school.”
He frowned. “What for?”
Margot tossed him a look over her shoulder. “I dropped out so I could dance.”
“So?”
This time, she turned around fully and pointed to her leg. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I can’t exactly move the way I used to.”
“I think you looked great.” Liam followed her, closing the distance between them. “If you were to perform here at the old Hendricks Theatre, I’m sure it would sell out.”
Margot’s smile was more placating than anything else. “Why do you have to be so gosh-darn sweet all the time? I swear, if you were any sweeter, you’d give people cavities.”
He shook his head, pulling out his phone as he did. “Look at this. I took some pictures of you.”
Her eyes widened. “You what? Why did you do that?” Margot snatched his phone from his hand and stared at the screen. He couldn’t tell if she was happy or disgusted with what she saw—mostly because her face had taken on a blank expression.
“See? You can’t tell me that the dancer in those photographs looks like she can’t handle being on stage. You’ve still got it.”
She shook her head and shoved the phone back into his hands. “You don’t get it. I can’t perform anymore. The amount of time and energy that goes into it would destroy what’s left of my leg.”
“So don’t perform.”
He knew the statement came across worse than he’d meant it. She probably thought he wanted her to give up on her dreams. But that wasn’t where his mind had gone at all. “You know what I think? I think you should forget everything everyone else is saying and do what makes sense.”
She snorted. “You haven’t been listening, have you? That’s just it, I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Let me finish. You love dance, right? It’s what moves you. I’m sure you could find small programs around here to participate in. What if you called the theatre and asked about putting on a show?”
“I’m just one dancer—” she protested.
“Then don’t do that. Try something else.” He held up his phone. “I’m sure there are companies that need models for their catalogs.”
She rolled her eyes. “And how exactly does that help me when I can’t perform?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t have to tell you that you have a lot of talent. You already know that. What you seem to lack is the ability to see past the wall you’ve put up around yourself. There are loads of other options.”
Margot didn’t seem to believe him.
“Okay.” He sighed. “Maybe you enroll in the community college like your dad wants. While you’re there, try to get some inspiration for what would make you happy. You don’t have to settle. No one should ever have to do that.”
For the first time since he’d arrived, she appeared to be thinking his suggestions over. She didn’t look quite so upset. It was as if all she needed was for someone to push a door open a crack—just enough to let the light in—so she could see how to escape the prison she’d put herself in.
He grinned. There it was. The flicker of hope. He’d been looking for it from the moment she arrived back in town. This was just the beginning. If he had his way, she’d get the same kind of treatment he’d been given when he was a boy. She’d be lifted up, and then she’d see just how special they could be together.
Already, he knew what he needed to do to make sure that she stayed on track. His plan was simple—almost too simple. He thumbed over his shoulder in the direction of the barn. “What do you say we take care of Prada first, and then we can brainstorm some ideas while we look over the available community college courses.”
She squinted at him, then sighed. “Yeah, okay. I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
Liam gathered up their meal. Margot’s was mostly untouched. She’d picked at the sesame seeds on the bun and had maybe eaten one French fry. For a moment he glanced up at her, eyeing her form. She didn’t look like she was starving, but then she’d always been trim; it was the dancer in her. Today was an off day. For all intents and purposes, she was an athlete, and athletes knew how to fuel their bodies the right way. She’d be fine.