Chapter 48

forty-eight

PAUL

Amy ran into the kitchen. "Liam's home!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. Over the last couple of days, the weather had been getting worse. Driving was dangerous, and the Highway Patrol was posting regular updates on which roads were closed.

"Are the Christmas lights turned on?"

Amy nodded. "Lydia helped me. Do you think Liam missed us?"

My hands froze on my apron. "We talked about that last night."

"I know, but Liam's my friend. Friends can miss each other."

After an hour of discussing Liam and how he was here to help us, I hoped Amy realized we might not see much of him after Christmas. But to a six-year-old who was still finding her feet in the world, he had become her best friend.

I left my apron on the counter and checked the oven. "Friends can definitely miss each other. We'd better say hello. Then we can all have dinner together. "

Lydia was waiting in the hallway. "He's in the garage."

Amy opened the garage door and grinned. "Liam!"

He closed the driver's door of his truck and opened his arms.

Amy ran straight to him. "I missed you. Did you have a good time?"

"I had a great time. I feel even better now that I've seen you." Liam lifted Amy into the air and swung her in a circle.

I sighed. So much for keeping their distance. Only the Christmas Grinch could be annoyed at the adoration on each of their faces.

When Liam's blue gaze connected with mine, his smile disappeared. "Is everything all right?"

I shook off my worries. Amy had spent a lot of time with Liam. It was only natural that she would be happy to see him. "Everything's fine. Lydia has kept us out of trouble."

Liam nodded at the special agent standing just inside the garage. "That's good."

"It wasn't difficult," Lydia said. "Paul and Amy spent most of their time indoors. The weather was too unsettled to do anything outside."

Liam's intense gaze stripped me of all my good intentions. I had no idea what he was thinking, but he wasn't looking at me as if I was his friend.

I needed to take my own advice and remember that we were here because a terrorist group could still be looking for us. Mixing our professional and personal lives was a huge mistake.

Liam gently lowered Amy to the ground. "What did you do while I was away?"

"I found some baby mice in the barn," Amy said excitedly. "They were wrinkly and didn't have any hair. And we took Jonathon the gingerbread men we made. He really liked them."

"I thought he would."

Amy looked behind Liam. "Where's your suitcase?"

"It's in the truck. Do you want to help me take it into the house?"

Amy nodded. "We made a surprise for you. It's in the living room."

Liam opened the back door and reached for his case. "If you've made sugar cookies, I'll be the happiest person in the world."

"It's even better than that," Amy said.

His eyes widened. "It would have to be really special to beat Paul's cookies."

Amy lifted the handle on the suitcase. "It's super-duper special."

Liam held onto his bag. "My suitcase is almost the same height as you. How about you hold my hand while I wheel it into the house?"

"Okay. I'll show you what we've been doing."

With an amused glance at me, he let Amy pull him toward the hallway.

I followed slowly behind. Seeing Liam and Amy together made my heart squeeze tight. They'd formed a close bond, caring about each other in ways that no one had expected.

When we reached the closed living room doors, Amy tugged on Liam's hand. "You have to close your eyes."

"So that I won't see the surprise?"

Amy nodded.

With a tender smile, Liam stood his suitcase on its end. "I won't be able to see where I'm going. "

"Don't worry. I'll look after you." Amy moved closer to him. "Keep holding my hand."

Liam made sure his hand was firmly in Amy's before closing his eyes. "Is this okay?"

"That's perfect," Amy said eagerly.

With a quick flick of her wrists, Lydia opened the living room doors so that Liam didn't bang into them.

With her hand still wrapped in Liam's, Amy nudged him forward. When they were standing beside the sofa, she stopped. "We can stay here. But keep your eyes closed."

"Why are you whispering?" Liam asked.

"Because it's so beautiful."

For the last two days, Lydia and Amy had helped me carry even more decorations out of the garage. With yards of tinsel, beautiful garlands, and exquisite ornaments covering every surface, the room looked like the best Santa cave I'd ever seen.

Amy took a deep breath. "You can open your eyes now."

Liam blinked a few times before focusing on the twinkling Christmas tree. Slowly, his gaze traveled around the room. "This is incredible."

"We found more fairy lights in the garage," Amy told him. "There were lots and lots of them."

Amy wasn't exaggerating. I wasn't sure why Jacob needed so many lights, but he had enough to decorate ten Christmas trees in the Rockefeller Center.

Liam touched a string of tiny lanterns that we'd draped across the French doors. "I've never seen anything like this."

Amy raced across the room. She came back holding a glowing snowman. "We bought this for you in Sunrise Bay." She beckoned Liam closer. Once he was kneeling beside her, she whispered, "It's really a night-light for little children, but it looks so pretty that I thought you wouldn't mind. It's like the snowman we built outside."

Liam studied the festive light. "It's beautiful. And you're right—it does look like the snowman. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Amy wrapped her arms around Liam's neck and gave him a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Amy."

I was surprised to see tears in Liam's eyes. But then I remembered Lacey. I knew what it was like to be surrounded by so much joy when all you wanted to do was curl into a ball and let the world pass you by.

Lydia cleared her throat. "Would you like to help me set the table for dinner, Amy?"

Amy looked up at Liam and smiled. "I'll be back soon."

Like a mini tornado, she ran out of the room.

"I'd forgotten how fast she can move," Liam murmured.

"You should have seen her when we were putting up the decorations. Amy was so excited that I didn't think she'd sleep until she saw you." I rubbed my arms. "I should have asked if it was okay to add more decorations to the house."

"You didn't need to ask. It's beautiful."

I frowned. If Liam wasn't worried about the decorations, something else must have happened. "Is everything okay?"

"I didn't spend all my time in Boulder."

"Where did you go?"

"I flew to Chicago. I spent a couple of days with my dad."

I remembered what Liam had said about his father. "That must have been difficult."

"I wanted to talk to him. Even if he still blamed me for Lacey's death, I needed to tell him I loved him. "

"How did it go?"

Liam sighed. "We both apologized for the things we'd said. Dad was as upset as I was. I should have spoken to him sooner."

"At least you've seen him now."

Liam nodded. "Depending on where I am for Christmas, Dad might join me."

With Christmas just days away, I'd given up planning what I'd be doing. But a part of me wished that Liam could share some of the day with us. "It's important to spend time with your family. If we're back in Milwaukee, Aunt Millie has invited us to her house. Her two children and ten grandchildren will be there."

"Sounds like a noisy Christmas."

"Amy will enjoy spending time with her cousins. Alex called the other day. He's in Washington, D.C. Has something happened?"

"Not that I've been told. Why?"

"He didn't sound happy."

Liam frowned. "Maybe he was having a bad day."

"That's what I'm hoping. You don't think he's having second thoughts about meeting me, do you?"

"I wouldn't think so. Alex was excited when I told him he had a brother." Liam held my hand. "I haven't spent a lot of time with him, but he seems like a good person."

I looked at our hands. I was more nervous about meeting my brother than anything else that had happened. "We might not like each other."

"He'd be crazy not to like you." Liam lifted my chin with his finger. "Look at me. One bite of your cookies and I couldn't resist you."

"I made him a cake. "

Liam smiled. "Even better. He'll never want you to leave."

I sighed. That's what was worrying me.

Liam's fingers traced my jawline, sending a shiver down my spine. "Don't worry," he whispered, his voice a soothing balm, "everything will be okay."

I nodded, trying to believe him. His thumb brushed my bottom lip, and I leaned into his touch, craving the connection we shared.

"I was away too long," Liam murmured, his lips hovering just above mine. "I missed you."

Before I could respond, his mouth captured mine in a kiss that was tender and possessive. His hands framed my face, drawing me closer. As the kiss deepened, our breaths mingled in the space between us. Everything faded, leaving only the sensation of Liam's lips moving against mine, the warmth of his body pressing into me.

I felt a surge of emotion, a mix of relief and longing. Liam's kiss was a promise, a reminder that no matter what happened with my brother, he'd be right beside me, making sure I was okay.

His lips trailed down my neck, leaving a line of fire in their wake. My hands found their way to his hair, pulling him closer, needing more of him.

"I care about you," Liam breathed against my skin. "And I'm here for you, always."

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and passion there. "I care about you too," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion.

Liam smiled, a slow, sexy curve of his lips that made my heart race. "Good," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Now let me show you just how much I've missed you before Amy comes back. "

His mouth descended on mine again, and this time, the kiss was hungry, demanding. I melted into him, all my worries forgotten as his hands roamed over my body, igniting a fire that left me breathless.

In that moment, with Liam's arms around me and his lips claiming mine, I knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, we would face them together. And, for now, that was enough.