Page 16 of Love Under Review

“That’s mind-boggling. My mom had me at twenty, so she’s only forty-seven now. Although she sometimes acts like she could be retired.” Her mother had done a lot to help support Danielle ever since her father walked out, taking jobs at weird hours in order to put food on the table. It aged her much faster than she should have, but Danielle was grateful for it. She just needed to show that gratitude a bit more.

Colton and Tanner grabbed the last of their tools after setting up some of the signs and lanterns needed for the ceremony. Danielle took a few steps to follow and was surprised when she found Liam walking in sync with her.

“Did your sister live here before you moved here?” She took a glance at his face, again feeling some kind of spark in her chest at his profile. She was beginning to see there were many layers to the man next to her, and that kept her intrigued.

“Yeah, she’s been here for about seven years. Kara Plumfield.”

Danielle stopped and turned to him. “Wait, Kara is your sister?”

He nodded, and they continued on, with Danielle’s thoughts racing faster than they had in days. “How is your sister? I haven’t seen her in so long.”

Kara had always been so kind to Danielle, especially when they’d worked together on one of the holiday events the small town put on. Danielle had come home for a long break from college and had loved getting to know and work with Kara. She’d been horrible at keeping in touch and hadn’t reached out as often when her husband passed away.

The look of sadness that crossed his face for mere seconds made her wonder what had happened. He glanced at Danielle again, his mouth open to say something but hesitated as he kept moving down the trail back to town. “She, uh, well, she’s got a form of cancer. She just had the bigger tumors removed a few days ago. I got a call while at the shower yesterday that they’ve found several other places where the tumors spread, so they’re going to try and reduce the size with radiation.”

Danielle rested her hand lightly on his forearm, pulling him to a stop. She felt that spark between them increase as she gazed into his eyes. “Again, I’m sorry. It seems I’m the last one to know everything that happens in this town anymore. Is there anything I can do to help?”

The corner of Liam’s mouth rose, and he shook his head. “We’re just waiting to see what else we can do.” He leaned forward a bit, causing a woodsy scent to fill her nose. His voice dropped lower before saying, “And you’re not the last one to know. She didn’t want the whole town to hear of it.”

Danielle took a step back, swallowing hard. She was supposed to be keeping her thoughts to a professional level, knowing she couldn’t get attached. She’d never wanted to before, but there was something invisible pulling her toward Liam, and the idea of even giving him an inkling of emotion caused her mind to go haywire.

Once they reached the side of the fountain in front of Town Hall, she said, “It was good to talk to you. I better run and see if Becca needs anything before the big day tomorrow. If you need me to watch Cari at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. See you later.”

The wide grin and short nod from Liam sent her insides flipping, and she nearly ran to get away from him. Staying neutral was going to be harder than expected.

Chapter 11

Danielle headed down the street, catching herself before she face-planted, and Liam had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. He’d seen a pothole in the asphalt earlier and wondered if that’s what she’d tripped over.

He strolled down the road, taking in the sights and sounds of the fall weather. It had been interesting to watch as the journalist in Danielle had taken over, interrogating him, and yet, as he’d mentioned several little details, it was as though that façade had cracked, showing the more vulnerable side of her. As much as he would’ve liked to say he felt nothing when she touched his arm, it wasn’t that easy. He still felt a warmth where her palm had been, even through the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

And the fact that she’d volunteered to watch Cari for him spoke volumes. His ex-girlfriend, Tawnee, had basically been afraid of any and all children. Looking back now, it was amazing Liam had dated her for as long as he did. But he wanted children, and he just had to find someone who wanted the same thing. Would Danielle be that person?

He walked down the first street on the left and continued a few houses down, where he knocked on the McCready home.

Mrs. McCready’s smile dropped as she answered the door. “Oh, Liam. That was short. Cari and I just set up Battleship to play. Are you sure you don’t need to do anything else this evening? We can watch her for a few more hours if you need a break.”

Liam smiled. “I appreciate that, Mrs. McCready, but we’ve got a long day of wedding activities tomorrow, and I don’t want Cari to be grumpy.”

Cari came to the door, her hands clasped together and her begging face on again. “Please, Uncle Liam. Can’t we just play this one game?”

Glancing at his phone, Liam frowned. “I would love to stay, but it’s already late. We’ve got to get you in the tub and in bed. But maybe we can call and see how your mom is doing. Does that sound good?”

Nodding, Cari hopped up and down. “When can we go see her again? It’s been forever.”

“Soon. Help Mrs. McCready pick up the game, and we’ll head home.” He gave Cari a gentle push toward the living room.

“It’s fine. I can put it away. You two head on home, and we’ll see you at the wedding tomorrow.” Mrs. McCready grinned, pulling Cari in for a hug. “You’ll have to come sit with us while Liam gets ready for the wedding.” She looked up at Liam. “Send her over if you need to help with anything tomorrow. Cari’s no trouble with us.”

Emotion clogged his throat, and he could only nod as he stepped back onto the front porch. The people of this town never ceased to amaze him with their kindness. He just hoped he could be like that for someone someday.

“What’s wrong?” Cari asked, slipping her hand into his as they strolled back down the road. She scrunched up her nose, pushing her glasses back up a bit.

Squeezing her hand, Liam grinned at her. “Nothing. I just like this town.”

“You don’t have to cry about it,” she said, now using her pointer finger to slide the glasses onto the bridge of her nose. “But Mom will like hearing that you like living here. She’s been worried you’ll be bored and want to move back to the city.”

“She said that?”

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