Chapter 17
17
Margot
T o say that she was falling down another rabbit hole of stress was an understatement. Margot could feel her control slipping through her fingers with each passing day. While being in Liam’s company brought a degree of peace, she couldn’t help but feel her resolve draining.
The day that Liam had called her was the start of a very stressful week. Every single day when she sat down with her father for breakfast, he’d give her that look—the one that made her feel small and insignificant.
Deep down she knew he was only trying to make sure she was okay, but even that knowledge did nothing to help ease the tightness in her neck and shoulders. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was only disappointing him more.
That’s why when she sat down for breakfast on Friday morning, she blurted, “You don’t have to look at me that way, okay?”
“I’m not looking at you any particular way,” her father muttered, turning back to his phone. “I’m simply surveying you to ensure that you’re doing okay.”
“Well, I am.”
“I can’t believe that until I know that all the bad influences have been purged from your life.”
She shut her eyes tight with an exaggerated moan. “Dad, I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions.”
He didn’t say anything, but by the slight curl of his lip, she knew exactly what he wanted to say if he could without getting an earful from her. He’d tell her that she was living under his roof, and as such, she wasn’t really in a position to be doing whatever she felt like. She was acting like a child.
And perhaps he was right to a certain degree. Margot had come home from college with her tail between her legs and no way of being able to fix her life. She still didn’t know what she wanted to do with the college classes she was taking. In the back of her mind, she hoped she could teach ballet to kids one day, but the bigger part of her told her she wouldn’t be able to manage something like that.
If anything, Liam was the one who was pushing her to find happiness again—and a purpose. Somehow Margot knew that if she’d told her father that, he wouldn’t believe her. Or worse, he’d say she was projecting or some other nonsense.
She took a deep breath and released a sigh. “You don’t have to worry because I’m not seeing him anymore.”
Her father froze. Then his eyes cut to meet hers. “You’re not seeing him anymore, or you’re not seeing him anymore.”
“What’s the difference?”
“You know very well what the difference is.”
Her brows creased in an attempt to hide just how ridiculous she thought this conversation had become. “Does it matter? If I’m not seeing him anymore, then you get what you want, right?”
Her father placed his phone down on the table and gave her his full attention. “So, you’re not seeing him. That means no dating.”
“Clearly.”
“And no spending time at that sorry excuse for a ranch.”
It took every ounce of control for her not to react to his statement. It wasn’t exactly an ultimatum. And there was a very real possibility that he was just trying to get a rise out of her. She dug her fingernails into her palms and nodded, speaking through gritted teeth. “Of course.”
A smile spread across his face, and he picked up his phone once more. “That’s good news. I’m happy to hear it.”
She pushed away from the table, feeling especially sick to her stomach. This wasn’t the first time she’d lied to her father. But it didn’t make it any easier. She shot to her feet, not at all surprised to find that her father didn’t react to her leaving. He had a one-track mind. Once he got what he wanted, his mood changed dramatically.
Unfortunately, she could feel her mood worsening with each passing second. If she wanted to maintain the happiness that she’d found with Liam, she was going to have to sneak around even more. They couldn’t afford for anyone to find out that they were dating—not his brothers and not the people in town. Otherwise, her father would end up hearing all about it.
She needed to get out of the house. Thankfully, she didn’t have a class today. It was the last day of the month, and her father would be spending more time at work as he made sure his month-end paperwork was all in order.
It would be the perfect day to slip away with Liam. Hopefully, he would be willing to play a little hooky.
Margot pulled her car into a parking space on the Callahan property. She glanced through the windows in search of anyone familiar. The last person she wanted to see was Adeline after their last encounter. But even more important, she didn’t want to find anyone who might gossip about her showing up to see Liam.
It was innocent enough. She didn’t think that word had gotten out about her father’s distrust of Liam. If he’d made a scene here at Liam’s place of work, then she wouldn’t have a chance of keeping her relationship a secret. Thankfully, Liam had been home when it happened.
The coast was clear, and all Margot had to do was track down Liam. There were several cowboys she didn’t recognize working on the property. None of them came close to resembling the cowboy she wanted to see most.
He could be in the barn, or he might be out on a ride. At this point, she’d have to risk it. Margot pushed open the door and climbed out. Then she hurried toward the barn, feeling like a secret agent of some government program.
Liam wasn’t in the barn when she poked her head inside. She hovered outside, her eyes sweeping over the immediate area. Then she heard it. Liam’s voice rang out loud and clear. Her heart leapt with joy as she moved in the direction from where it had come. Around the side of the barn, she saw him striding toward her as he spoke with another cowboy.
His eyes lifted, and their gazes locked. It was like she was seeing him for the first time. His smile spread across his face, and she ran toward him. Liam didn’t hesitate to pick her up and swing her about. When he placed her back on her feet, he brushed a strand of hair from her face. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
Liam glanced toward the other cowboy. “You mind taking an early lunch?”
The cowboy nodded.
“I’ll catch you up on the progress later.”
When the man left, Liam turned his focus to Margot. “What did you want to see me about? I’m working today, so I don’t have much time?—”
“That’s part of why I’m here,” she said softly, reaching up to touch his arm and then to walk her fingers across his chest. “I thought you might be interested in ditching your responsibilities for the day.”
He frowned. “You know I can’t do that.”
Margot pouted. While it was one of the things she adored about him, his commitment to such things could also be a drag. “You sure? Is there anyone who could take over for you? I could really use a day where I don’t have to think about…” Her voice trailed off. There was no way she’d tell him about what she’d said to her father that morning. Liam wouldn’t be thrilled she was lying, and he especially wouldn’t be happy that she’d lied about him.
“Is something wrong?” There was that trademark concern Liam was so good at. He peered at her, studying her face for several seconds as if he could reach into her mind and find out all the answers for himself.
She grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny. At this rate, it wouldn’t take much for him to unearth all the secrets she kept hidden within the walls of her mind. What would he do if he found out just how damaged she was? He wouldn’t love her anymore. He’d think she was broken and that she would be too much work.
“It’s fine—forget it.” Margot spun around, her heart aching. She’d tried to drag Liam into a dark hole where he had no business being. A hand wrapped around her wrist, and she let out a surprised yelp.
Liam pulled her closer, his gaze even more concerned than before. “Something’s up.”
She forced a laugh and attempted to pull away. “Like I said, I just wanted to have an escape today. Everything is weighing down on me right now.”
“You mean with school?”
Margot blinked. It was so simple. Of course she could blame school. That was genius. College was hard enough. But working while taking a few credits would be the perfect excuse. She nodded. “I’m a little overwhelmed. I haven’t had to take classes in so long that I forgot about how much work it is to keep up with everything.”
Liam nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”
“You do?” she said hopefully. “Does that mean we can go do something?”
He glanced around them, his brows drawn together. “I might be able to find someone to cover for me after my lunch break, but that’s still not for a couple more hours. Do you think you could wait that long?”
She tried not to be disappointed. At this rate, she was winning. She should just accept what he was offering her. Margot swallowed hard and nodded. “I can wait.” It was the least she could do when she was, in fact, being the bad guy in all of this. Liam was so sweet, so perfect. He would do anything she wanted, and all she had to do was ask.
A small part of her questioned that mentality. Was it really something that could be considered perfection? Liam had a backbone; she’d seen it when he worked with the animals or with other people. He was simply a pushover when it came to her. No remorse or guilt needed in this situation. Liam was willing to be there for her because he loved her.
Somehow, those affirmations didn’t quite hit home the way she’d wanted them to. She was unraveling. She could feel it. Her father had pulled a loose thread, and it was now taking with it the whole tapestry she’d worked so hard to weave over the last several weeks.
What was she going to do? She couldn’t seem to get it to stop.
Liam placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. “How about you go out and get us some lunch or pack us something. Then, when you get back, I’ll have everything squared away and we can go on our picnic.”
Just the thought of eating something right now made her feel sick to her stomach. She wasn’t going to be able to eat anything, and she knew it. But if he wanted a picnic, she’d give him one. Liam wasn’t all that attentive to detail when it came to her food intake, anyway. She’d just make sure to pack smaller portions and that would get her through this hurdle.
She nodded. “Sure, okay. I’ll fix us up something for a ride.” She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was brief, but somehow it grounded her. “I love you, Liam.”
“I love you, too.” He grinned. “And I love hearing you say it.”
She smiled back. “That makes two of us.” She turned away and headed around the corner of the barn just as another cowboy came into view. That had been a close call. She’d nearly forgotten that she shouldn’t show him affection in front of anyone—not even strangers on the Callahans’ property.