Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
LIAM
“ W ould you care to explain this to me?” My dad slaps a copy of The Registered
Guard onto my desk. I don’t have to look at it because social media exploded Friday night with enough fodder to feed an army, but I hazard a glance at the headline that’s got my dad so fired up.
Heir to the throne of Graham Land Development, “lands” a shiner on Realtor of the Year.
“The headline is misrepresenting the facts,” I say blandly, hoping to gauge my dad’s current level of heat.
“Are you saying you didn’t break Derek Parker’s nose on Friday night?”
He’s lucky his nose is all I broke.
Okay, so my dad’s pretty hot under the collar. “Derek Parker is a sleaze bag who grabbed Andie’s arm so hard it left bruises.” It kills me to see the mark of Derek’s fingers printed in black and blue on Andie’s arm. If the douchebag were here, I’d hit him again .
“What if he decides to press charges? Huh? Did you even bother to think that far ahead? No. Of course, you didn’t.”
“He won’t,” I say matter-of-factly.
“How do you know he won’t?” my dad asks, dialing his volume down a notch. That’s a good sign.
“Because we took photos of Andie’s bruises. And the last thing Derek wants is for his adoring public to see the evidence of how he manhandled a woman after getting drunk when said woman rejected his proposal.” He also doesn’t want Andie to spill the truth about his cheating heart, but I don’t mention that to my dad.
“This article doesn’t paint Andie as very innocent, son.”
My brows pull together in a frown. “What do you mean? Of course, she’s innocent. Besides, innocent or not, no man has the right to assault a woman.”
“Of course, not. But according to this article, the only one guilty of assault is you.”
I glance at the article and scan its contents. Compared to the memes trending on social media right now, the article seems pretty tame. Most of the memes paint Andie as a two-timing floozy who cheated on her ex-boyfriend with the future CEO of Graham Land Development and his brother. They go so far as to suggest she’s a gold-digger looking to sleep her way up the corporate ladder.
I knew Derek would have enough minions to spin the story in his favor, but even I didn’t think he’d stoop so low as to tarnish Andie’s good reputation, especially after she took the high road and refused to air his dirty laundry in public.
That’s Andie for you. There’s not a vindictive bone in her body.
My dad shakes his head. “I might not be surprised if Layton pulled a stunt like this, but you? This isn’t how the Grahams handle disagreements, Liam. I thought your brawling days were over after the last time you had to appear before a judge for disturbing the peace.”
“It wasn’t a brawl. You’re making assumptions without having all the facts.”
My father grips the back of one of the four chairs surrounding a round table I use as a small conference area. “Three employees of Graham Land Development are involved in a scandal that could result in an arrest of the future CEO of the company. Those are the facts I’m concerned with. Even if Andie is innocent, and I’m sure she is, the damage to her reputation can’t be overlooked or swept beneath the carpet. You of all people know how stories like this spread. She’s an assistant director of public relations, for heaven’s sake!”
My dad begins pacing the width of my office. Pacing is never a good sign. “An embarrassing scandal a few weeks ago and now this. How can I possibly recommend you as the next CEO of this company?”
Heat roils through my blood, but I force myself to take a cleansing breath and bridle my anger. “You can recommend me because I’m good at my work.”
“I’m not sure that’s enough anymore.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, leery of the direction his thoughts are headed.
“I’m saying I can’t allow your actions to tarnish the long-standing reputation of this company.”
A knock raps at my door and Layton breezes into my office. He stops short when he sees our dad. “Oh, hey Dad. What brings you here?” Layton says casually. His glance darts between our father and me, and guessing from his expression he already knows.
A moment later there’s another knock and in walks Grams, looking every bit the Chairman of the Board. The subtle scent of her expensive perfume wafts through the air announcing her arrival. She’s wearing a fire-engine red pantsuit with pearls. Her white hair is perfectly styled in her signature bob.
Great.
“Would somebody like to explain why we’re having an impromptu family business meeting? Will there be anyone else joining us?” My words are laced with enough derision it causes Layton to raise a brow.
“Sarcasm doesn’t look good on you, Liam,” Grams says. “Now, everyone take a seat. I assume we’re all here for the same reason.”
“I just let Liam know we can no longer recommend him as the next–”
“Oh, can it, Leland!” Grams orders and dismisses my dad’s comment with a wave of her hand. “We’re not about to toss away years of grooming because the local press got their facts from an unreliable source and decided to print a story without bothering to verify its validity first.”
“Mom,” my dad says imploringly, “we both know the facts are irrelevant. People in our community will believe whatever the paper prints. This story,” he picks up the paper and places it in front of Grams, “reflects poorly on our company.”
“You forget I was present at the event. I know exactly what happened and who’s to blame.”
“So was I,” Layton adds. “Liam acted honorably, Dad.”
“Excuse me if I'm skeptical of your definition of honorable, Layton.”
Layton lifts his palms. “I may not live up to your expectations, Dad–”
“That’s an understatement,” my dad interrupts.
“But I recognize honor when I see it,” Layton says, ignoring my dad’s slight. “Derek Parker was the only person who was out of line.”
“I second that, Layton,” Grams nods. “Short of agreeing to marry Derek so he could save face in front of a gathering crowd, Andie tried everything she could to minimize Derek’s public humiliation. And in return, Derek got himself drunk and made a complete nuisance of himself in the parking lot. He said vile things about Andie in front of several onlookers. Liam didn’t strike him until Derek grabbed Andie by the arm and yanked her away from Layton. Layton was attempting to walk Andie to Liam’s truck while Liam collected Andie’s things from the dining hall.”
Grams reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Your grandfather would be proud of how you stood up for Andie.” Then she turns to address my dad. “And he would expect you to behave similarly to protect those you love.”
My dad tosses his hands up in defeat. Shaking his head, he says, “Obviously, I’m out-numbered here. I can’t fight all three of you. So, I guess the question is how do we spin the situation to counter the derogatory newspaper article?”
“That’s easy,” Layton says. “We rewrite the narrative.”
“How do you propose we do that?” my father asks.
“By announcing Liam and Andie’s engagement,” Grams replies.
My head snaps up. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“You asked Andie to marry you?” my dad asks. He’s as confused as I am.
“I, um,”
“I assume that’s why you escorted Andie from the dance floor?” Grams says.
Layton drags a hand down his face. “Well, now, this is fun. Do tell, Liam.”
“I, uh, well, I mean, we–”
“Come, now, dear,” Grams pats my hand. “I know you and Andie wanted to keep your engagement a secret for now, but did you honestly think we wouldn’t figure it out? That we didn’t notice how the two of you were looking at each other?”
“Maybe,” Layton says, clearly enjoying himself, “they’re waiting until Liam gives Andie a ring.”
“Nonsense,” Grams shakes her head. “I promised Liam years ago that when the time came, he could have the ring your grandfather gave me when we got engaged.”
My father pushes away from the table and stands. “This changes things significantly.”
“How do you figure?” I ask, not bothering to deny nor confirm the truth of Grams’ announcement.
“It’s one thing to break a man’s nose because he makes a play for your latest flavor of the month. It’s quite another when the man assaults your fiancée. In light of this fact, I’d venture to say the entire community will applaud Liam for protecting Andie.”
Clapping his hand on my shoulder, my dad adds, “And I suspect our board of directors will be pleased to learn their future CEO will carry on our tradition of promoting family values.”
My dad’s pleased gaze scans the three of us, and then with a nod, he says, “I’ve got a few things to see to, so I’ll leave you three to discuss the particulars of when and how you want to go public with the announcement.” He crosses the room to leave but pauses at the door and looks over his shoulder at me. “I’m proud of you, Son,” he nods, then walks through the door as if my entire world hasn’t just tilted on its axis.
No one says a word until my dad is safely out of earshot. I get up to close my door, then turn around and face my grinning grandmother and brother.
“What in the hell just happened?” I demand.
“You have managed to accomplish something I’ve never been able to do,” Layton says, his grin growing wider.
“Really? And what’s that, Layton? Hmm? Lying to our father? Oh wait, that’s something you do well, isn’t it?”
“Calm down, dear,” Grams says .
“His approval,” Layton says, the grin slipping from his face. “You heard him, he’s proud of you.”
“And you!” I ignore Layton’s comment, filing it away for later, and point my finger at Grams. “You’re worse than he is,” I gesture to Layton. “What were you thinking?”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
“Overreacting?” I pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “Andie is going to kill me!”
“I highly doubt that,” Layton says.
“You barely even know her,” I retort. “You think a little flirting and a dance suddenly made you an expert on Andie?”
“No, but I am an expert on women.” Confidence oozes from Layton’s lips and it rankles. Not because I lack confidence in myself, but because this is Andie we’re talking about. When my only response is a glower, Layton’s brows shoot to the top of his head. “Wow, jealousy really does make a person green. That particular shade of green clashes with your eyes, though, so?—”
“Shut it, Layton,” I interrupt. “You don’t know Andie like I do.”
“All right, perhaps not, but I’ve got a brain.”
I narrow my eyes at Layton. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Boys, this little squabble isn’t doing either of you any good,” Grams says. “But please continue, because it’s very entertaining.”
“Explain yourself, Layton,” I demand.
Layton shrugs his shoulders. “I asked Andie if she was in love with you while she was dating Derek.”
“Oooooh, did you, now,” Grams says as she folds her arms in front of her. “Things just got a lot more interesting.”
I’m going to hate myself for this, but I find I’m very interested in knowing how Andie responded to Layton’s question. “What did she say?”
“She deflected. ”
“Interesting,” Grams says with a nod.
“That doesn’t prove anything,” I argue.
“It was a simple yes or no question, Liam. Yet three times she managed to avoid giving me a direct answer.”
“That’s because it’s none of your business.”
“Possibly,” Layton says, tilting his head to one side. “But maybe it’s a question you should ask her yourself.”
I lift my gaze to the ceiling and exhale a deep sigh. “How am I ever going to explain all this to her?”
“Liam,” Grams says as she gets to her feet. “Am I correct in assuming you led Andie off the dance floor the other night to confess your feelings for her?”
“Grams,” Layton says, “Didn’t you see the pictures trending on social media?”
“Of course, I did,” Grams answers with a flick of her hand. “I’m just checking to make sure I have my facts straight.”
“You two are unbelievable.”
“Thank you,” they say in unison.
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d suspect the two of you have been in cahoots all this time.”
“Us?” Grams and Layton widen their eyes in mock innocence.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” I wave my index finger between the two of them. “You are in cahoots, aren’t you? You know what? I think I’ll let the two of you explain to Andie how it is that she and I are suddenly engaged.”
“Oh, look at the time,” Layton springs to his feet. “I’ve gotta run. I’ve got important financing…stuff to…deal with. Wouldn’t want the next CEO to catch me slacking.” Layton gives Grams and me a two-finger salute and waltzes out of my office.
“Chicken,” I call after him. He waves a hand over his shoulder.
“I better be going too,” Grams says, but I grab the hem of her blouse, stopping her escape .
“Not so fast, woman.” Grams has the decency to look guilty. “How am I supposed to explain all this to Andie?”
Grams takes a deep breath and steps back into my office. “The way I see it, you can tell her the truth and persuade her to go along with the idea of being engaged, or you can actually propose to her. I meant what I said about giving you my ring.”
I take a seat behind my desk and bury my head in my hands. A few moments later Grams rests her hand on my back.
“Liam, anyone who knows you and pays attention, can see you’re in love with Andie.”
Swallowing, I respond with a shrug. Grams must take my silence as a confession.
“And I suspect you have been for a very long time.”
I lift my gaze to the ceiling. “This isn’t about my feelings, this is about announcing an engagement that doesn’t exist.”
“Yet,” Grams says pointedly. “It doesn’t exist, yet .” She digs into her purse and pulls out a small, blue velvet box. It’s worn around the edges and a little faded, but otherwise, it’s in perfect condition. She sits the box on my desk and slides it to me.
“It’s your call, Liam. I’ll back you regardless.” She taps her finger against the top of the ring box.
“Really?” I shake my head. “You just happen to have this in your purse?” I narrow my gaze at my grandmother who apparently is a lot more plucky than I gave her credit for. “Grams, Andie and I barely got back together. Don’t you think getting engaged would be rushing things a bit?”
She bobs her head from side to side. “Fifteen years seems like the opposite of rushing things, if you ask me. But what do I know?” She sidles around my desk and brushes a kiss to my cheek. “As I said, it’s your call, Liam. But let me give you a heart-felt warning. I’m pushing eighty, and I’m a lonely old woman who’s left with nothing but memories of her one true love to keep her warm at night. My advice to you is don’t waste a single day allowing your mind to hijack your heart. Being married to someone you love is a gift. Not a curse. Just look at your friends if you don’t believe me.”
Grams turns to go. “I’m onto you, you know. Your sweet little granny act isn’t fooling anyone.”
Her eyes widen and one hand flies to her hip. “Don’t you take that tone with me, young man.”
I laugh and Grams joins me. “I’m curious, though,” I say.
“Yes?”
“How’d you manage to get Layton to play along with your scheme?”
She bats away my question with her palm. “Oh, that was easy. I simply played to his strength.”
“Which is…”
But Grams only grins and humors me with a wink.
“Why aren’t you trying to marry him off? He’s older than me, you know. Or is he the lucky one nobody dares to meddle with?”
Grams smiles. “He might be older than you, Liam, but Layton doesn’t have an Andie. You,” she points her finger at me, “you are the lucky one.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m still sitting at my desk, staring at the blue velvet box. Ipick it up and flip the top open. Nestled in white satin is the most brilliant, most perfect ring I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s an emerald cut solitaire that blends sophistication with a vintage kind of elegance, and it screams “Andie.”
I lift the ring from its case and marvel at how the diamond casts an array of colors in all directions, and when I hold it close to the window the brilliance nearly blinds me. The band is a thin, delicate braid that complements the diamond without distracting from its beauty. It’s hard for me to believe this ring is over sixty years old.
I imagine what it would feel like to slide this ring onto Andie’s finger, a symbol to the entire world that she has chosen to give herself to me for the rest of our lives together.
For someone who has spent the last decade determined to hold onto my bachelorhood, I’m surprisingly at ease with the idea of Andie wearing this ring. But how comfortable would she be?
A light knock sounds on my door frame, and I quickly place the ring back into its box and spin my chair around to find Andie standing in the doorway, as if I somehow conjured her to appear. Her hair is pulled back into a loose braid, and a few strands have wiggled their way out giving her a softness that makes me want to unravel her braid and bury my face in her silky strands. The thought has me picturing all sorts of ways I could mess up her hair, none of which are appropriate for the workplace.
Future CEO indeed.
“Are you going to invite me in, or would you like for me to make an appointment?” she asks with an edge of snarkiness that makes me grin. I give my head a quick shake, hoping to think of something clever to say but come up empty. “Um, Liam? You okay?”
I wave her in and motion for her to shut my door. I round my desk, careful to slip the ring box into my pants pocket before she has a chance to see it. I reach my hand around her waist, workplace rules be hanged, and pull her to me. My lips find hers and I quickly forget all the reasons why I shouldn’t be doing this, because right now, all I can think about is how perfect she feels in my arms and how sweet her mouth tastes.
“Hmm,” I pull back slightly. “Is that chocolate I’m tasting?”
Andie grins against my mouth. “Guilty,” she says as she rests her palms on my chest, putting some distance between us.
“What’s wrong?” I complain. “Tired of me already?”
Andie laughs and shoves me in the direction of my desk. “I think we should be careful about how we interact at the office. Have you seen the latest memes this afternoon?”
“No. And unless there are more images of your sexy black panties, I’m not interested.”
Andie rolls her eyes playfully. “This, coming from the future CEO of Graham Development.”
I exhale a slight chuckle. “You sound like my father.”
A frown line appears between Andie’s brows. “Ugh! I was hoping he wasn’t into social media. Did he say something to you?”
“He’s not into social media, but unfortunately, he reads the local newspaper. And trust me, they had plenty to say about it.”
“Oh no! How did your dad respond?”
“Darlin’, you might want to sit down for this.”
A weary Andie takes a seat across from me and I relate the events of the morning in as much detail as necessary, including the part about how Layton and Grams both showed up for the impromptu meeting, but without getting into the whole Andie and I are secretly engaged part. By the time I finish, Andie’s mind is reeling. I know this, because I know her, and I can see the wheels spinning in her head.
“Liam, I’m so sorry! I should never have climbed out that window. I should have just kicked my pride to the curb and gone back to the dining hall with you. If it’s any comfort, I doubt Derek would be so stupid as to file charges against you. Because let me tell you, if he does, I am going to take him down. I’ll air his dirty laundry on every social media platform available.”
“Wow,” I say, raising my eyebrows. “Vengeful Andie is smokin’ hot!”
“I’m serious, Liam!”
“So am I.”
“How did you leave things with your dad? ”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Um, this is where things start to get interesting.”
“Why? What happened?” The hesitation in her voice tells me she’s nervous.
“Do you want me to tell you the whole truth, or just the highlights?”
“Wow, that bad?”
“I guess that depends on you.”
“You’re scaring me, Liam. Stop talking in circles and tell me what’s going on.”
I scrub a hand down my face and pull on my chin. “Grams and Layton told my dad you and I are secretly engaged.”
A laugh bursts out of Andie’s mouth before I can explain. When I don’t say anything, Andie narrows her eyes at me. “Wait a minute. You’re serious?”
I nod.
“Why would they do that?” Confusion causes her frown lines to deepen.
“I think they thought they were doing us a favor. They sort of played to my dad’s sense of honor. Breaking Derek’s nose makes me a jealous hot head who can’t control his temper, unless I’m defending my fiancé’s honor. Now suddenly, I’m a hero in my dad’s eyes. He even went so far as to tell me he’s proud of me.”
Andie raises an eyebrow. “Wow. Just…wow. I don’t know what to say.”
“I know.”
“So, let me guess. You need me to play along and be your fake fiancé?”
I shake my head. “I told you the other night that I don’t want to be your fake anything.”
“So, you’re going to tell your dad the truth?”
“That depends.”
“Depends on…? ”
“Look, Andie, I realize you and I getting back together is new, but what if we were engaged…for real?”
My question is met with silence. Why did I have to make this sound so impersonal? So businesslike? Andie deserves better.
“Andie?”
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You want to be engaged to me because it will make you look better in the eyes of the community and it will make your dad happy?”
Wow. I suck at this in the worst way humanly possible. “I’m really messing this up, aren’t I?”
Andie tilts her head in an affirmative nod. “Liam, you know I’ll do whatever you need me to do if it helps you. If you want me to pretend we’re engaged, then fine, I’ll do it.”
I close my eyes at the concealed hurt in her words. I can’t believe I’m messing this up so royally. “No. That’s not what I want.”
“Then what do you want Liam? Because I’m really confused. Maybe we should have this conversation after business hours, because right now, I’m–”
I stand abruptly, effectively cutting off Andie mid-sentence. Circling my desk, I come to a stop next to her chair and rotate it until she’s facing me. I kneel and take her hands in mine. “I realize you and I barely got back together, so if your answer is no, I promise I’ll understand. But hear me out, okay?”
Andie nods. “Okay,” she says, her voice skeptical and quiet.
“Andie, do you believe I love you?”
Her brows knit together. “I mean, I think in your own way you do, sure.”
That stings a little, but I get it. I brush circles along the tops of her hands. “I’ve wasted so much time running away from commitment, not because I’m a commitment phobe, but because there’s only ever been one woman to capture and hold my heart. That woman has always been you. I don’t want to waste another day shackled by fear when I could be building a future with you.”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the little blue box. I open it, revealing Gram’s engagement ring. I don’t miss the little gasp that escapes Andie’s lips. “This is the ring my grandpa gave Grams when they got engaged, and Grams passed it down to me to give to my wife someday.
“Stop!” Andie nearly screams the word. “Please tell me you are not about to propose to me, Liam.”
I rock back on my haunches and stare up at Andie. “You don’t want me to propose?”
Andie shakes her head. “No! Not like this, I don’t.”
I release a heavy exhale. “I’m confused. Not like…what, exactly?”
She waves her hand between the two of us. “Not like this.”
“I wasn’t exactly planning to propose, Andie.”
Her eyes grow wide. “You weren’t? Oh. I just assumed, I mean, you’re kneeling and you have a ring, so I thought…”
I raise up and slide a chair over so I’m sitting directly in front of her. “I’m complete crap at this, Andie. I’m sorry.” I rub the back of my neck and take a deep breath, chuckling as I release it. “For two people who know each other as well as we do, I shouldn’t have to struggle so much to make my words come out right.”
“Start with why you have an engagement ring in your lap.”
I nod. “Grams brought it to me today, so I could give it to you.”
“I see,” Andie nods. “She randomly showed up here today, gave you this ring, and told you to give it to me?”
“Yes. Well,” I shake my head. “Not exactly. First she dropped the bomb by telling my father that you and I were secretly engaged.”
“Then she gave you the ring?”
“Yes, after my dad and Layton left. ”
“Okay. This is starting to make sense. She knew she was going to tell your dad we were engaged, so she brought her engagement ring for you to give to me, so you and I can convince people we’re engaged.”
“Right.”
“Okay.”
“No, wait. That’s not it. Exactly.”
“Liam, my brain is beginning to hurt.” She reaches across my desk and grabs my phone–the new phone I was forced to purchase after tossing my old one down the sewer. Those were simple times, unlike the train wreck taking place in my office right now. It shouldn’t be this hard to tell someone that even though you have sworn off marriage for over a decade, you now plan to get engaged at some point, but not because your crazy grandmother and a-hole brother concocted a story about your fake engagement.
“What are you doing with my phone?”
“I’m texting Alex.”
That’s not the response I was expecting. Although, to be fair, I wasn’t expecting anything because my mind is so muddled right now, I can’t formulate words into a meaningful explanation as to why I want Andie to wear my grandmother’s friggin engagement ring.
“Wait. What?” I grab for my phone but Andie pulls it out of my reach. “Why on God’s green planet do you want to text Alex now, of all times?”
“Because, Liam. I need an interpreter. Someone who knows how to speak ‘Liam,’ because none of the dots are lining up in this conversation. I’m hoping Alex can help me make sense of it.”
“You are not texting Alex right now!” I stand, and Andie stands too, backing away from me. “Give me my phone, Andie.”
“No.” She moves toward the window, putting my desk between us .
“Andie,” I warn. She ignores me and types my passcode into the phone unlocking it. Dang it! I should have changed it when they programmed my new phone. Andie begins scrolling through my contacts and I take advantage of the moment to round on her. I grab for the phone but she tucks it close to her chest. Hah! If she thinks that’s going to stop me, she’s mistaken. I wrap my arms around her from behind, attempting to reach the phone, and she lets out a scream. I think I’ve bested her, but the angle is wrong and I’m unable to reach the phone. Andie twists and writhes in my arms trying to free herself from my grip.
My door suddenly flies open and my assistant bursts into the room. “Is everything okay?”
“Not now!” Andie and I say in unison with enough force that my assistant immediately leaves and closes the door. Coward.
Andie’s shoulders begin to shake and it takes only a moment for me to realize she’s laughing. Pressing my advantage, I reach for her ribcage and begin squeezing. Andie lets out a squeal and tries to jerk away from me, but as she does, she loses her grip on my phone and sends it spiraling across the office. She lunges at the same time I do, and we both topple to the floor, with Andie on her belly and me on top of her. She begins some contorted version of an army crawl from beneath me and nearly gets away, until I grab her foot and yank her back toward me. I’m about to haul myself over the top of her when she reaches up and grabs my tie and pulls on it.
By now, we’re laying in a tangled heap on my office floor that looks like a drunken game of Twister gone wrong. We’re exhausted from the exertion, but also laughing uncontrollably.
And that’s when the door flies open a second time. Only this time, it’s not my assistant who bursts in, it’s Layton.
Because, of course, it is.